Cecily blushed.
“Thank you again, Val,” she said. “Do you have a favourite composer?”
Val blinked in surprise. It took him a minute to understand why she was asking. She wanted to play a song just for him. The realization made him feel warm, and he couldn’t help smiling as he nodded.
“I am quite fond of Beethoven,” he said, almost shyly. “My mother often played his classical pieces whilst I was growing up. I took a strong liking to his work even then.” He paused, worried that he had asked for something that she could not play. “However, I would enjoy anything you chose to play.”
His wife’s eyes lit up again, and her smile widened.
“Well, then, you are in luck,” she said. “I, too, enjoy Beethoven, and I am very familiar with his Moonlight Sonata.”
Val’s heart skipped a beat. He had not said as much, but that piece was his favorite. He could feel his face flush as he continued smiling at his blind wife. He wished that she could at least see his smile, so that she would know how happy she and her music were making him.
“Eh, that’s wonderful,” he said. “If it is not too much trouble, of course.”
Cecily did not answer with words. Instead, she sat up straight on the bench once more and positioned her hands upon the keys. He watched her almost imperceptibly feel her way along the keys, until they were in a position that satisfied her. Then, she closed her eyes and began playing.
If the Duke had been stunned before, he was utterly captivated then. Within the first three bars of the song, he was spellbound, unable to take his eyes off his wife. It was truly impressive to watch her play, knowing that she could not see the keys. Not only was that a feat, but she was able to memorize every note to the songs she played. He did not know anyone in all of London, apart from composers themselves, who could do such a thing.
He began moving slowly closer to her, pulled in by the way her playing made him feel. He was transported back in time to when he was a young boy. He would sit practicing his lessons while his mother played Beethoven and Mozart. His mother had played very beautifully, too. However, Cecily seemed to be bubbling with passion for the music as her fingers moved adeptly over the keys.
It was clear that her love for music ran deep, and Val found his own renewed appreciation for it, as well. The feeling of the music and the awe of his wife’s talent wiped away all his tension and worry of the past weeks. He even forgot about his scars for a time. He felt as though he was floating above the clouds, and he shivered with delight.
For the first time in ages, I feel calm and at peace,he thought, smiling softly to himself.I feel as carefree as a young man.He wanted to find the words to tell his wife those things. But the enchantment of the music rendered him speechless. So, he simply closed his eyes, giving into the desire to sway in time with the music, and continue falling deeper under the spell of the music that his new Duchess was playing.
Chapter Twenty
Cecily was lost in the music. For the time she played, she was away from the awkwardness of her marriage and the homesickness that she felt. She was away from her duties as a Duchess and from the burdens she felt in every other aspect of her life as her sight continued to rapidly diminish. As she played, she was free and happy, and there was nothing in the world to fill her wish sadness.
She admitted to herself that it felt wonderful to hear Val’s praise of her playing. Her heart had warmed to him when she sensed his curiosity about how she was able to play. She knew he must have thought he was being insensitive. He would never know just how much it meant to her for him to care enough to want to know. She was happy to tell him anything about herself. She needed only him to show an interest.
She also had to admit that her husband requesting the song she was playing gave her extra ambition to play it to the best of her ability. It was the first thing he had ever asked of her, apart from her hand in their arranged marriage. She wanted to show him that she would do anything he asked, and that she would do it happily. She could not yet admit, however, that it was also because she liked him, and she got pleasure out of making him happy.
When at last she struck the final key of Moonlight Sonata, his Grace began avidly clapping for her yet again. She flushed again. That day was the first real attention he had shown her since their wedding day. She intended to enjoy every minute of it, however long it lasted.
“That was wonderful,” he said.
Cecily’s blush deepened. His tone was incredibly sincere. He sounded truly impressed by her playing. It was the last thing she expected from her husband, especially coming so suddenly.
“Appreciate it,” she said shyly. She held her breath, waiting for the awkward tension to return between them. She was surprised when he spoke again, as he had moved closer to her, not further away.
“Your talent, my lady, is remarkable, indeed,” he said. “That is the most beautiful playing I have heard in ages.”
Cecily blushed and looked at her husband.
“Thank you, Val,” she said again. “You are far too kind.”
The room fell silent then, but for the first time in days, there was no tension. Rather, it felt as though Val was considering something. She could feel his eyes on her, and she gave him her sweetest smile. She didn’t know where the interaction would go, but she intended to show her husband that she enjoyed it.
“Cecily,” he asked. His tone was now soft and musing, and most of all, kind. “Would you like to join me for a walk in the garden?”
Cecily’s heart skipped. She could hardly believe that her husband, thus far estranged, was inviting her to do something with him. She was thrilled, and her smile brightened intensely.
“It would be a pleasure, my lord.” she said.
She heard a soft chuckle, and she knew Val was smiling. She wished she could see his face. She imagined he had a very attractive smile. Then, she could sense him beside her, and she held out her arm. She knew that he would take hers and help her from the bench and out into the garden.
She didn’t, however, expect the thrills of awareness that coursed through her body when her husband linked his arm through hers. It felt almost identical to the connection she felt when they shared their wedding kiss, and her heart began to race. She blushed as Val helped her out of the room and down the hallway.
