Page 50 of ?n Arranged Betrothal with a Blind Duke
“Adrian, I do sometimes think about us,” she said. “But I believe in us. In our shared interests and ease in getting along. Yes, there are uncertainties. But there is no life without them. We'll navigate our path together.”
His heart hitched in his chest at her words. Her comforting presence was more than just a salve; it was a promise, an anchor. They laughed then, their shared mirth ringing through the air, echoing amidst the meadow's tranquility.
“So, you aren’t too afraid of marrying a blind man?” he asked. He meant the question to be lighthearted and merry. But he couldn’t mask the insecurity that slipped out into his voice.
Annabelle paused, seeming thoughtful.
“Oh, you’re blind?” she asked, her own voice truly filled with mirth, warmth, and he dared to imagine, affection. “I hadn’t noticed.”
The two of them laughed again. As their laughter dwindled to smiles and comfortable silence, their discussions grew more personal. They talked about their aspirations, their dreams. The barriers between them crumbled as understanding bloomed. The meadow was no longer just a meadow, but a place where the seeds of shared dreams were sown and nurtured.
Adrian could feel it, the stirring of something deep within him. Something powerful, profound, raw. Something he had never permitted himself to acknowledge until now. His heart pounded in his chest, its rhythm echoing the truth he could no longer deny.
***
As twilight painted the sky with hues of lavender and pink, Adrian found himself escorting the vivacious Marjorie and the lovely Annabelle to the village inn. This evening, the heart of the Regency era was beating in the bustling summer ball.
Adrian, despite his perceived limitations, was a figure of considerable attraction. His black and blue ensemble, well-curated, whispered of elegance and sophistication. His silk cravat sat perfectly under his strong chin, and his waistcoat clung to him in just the right way. The soft glow of candlelight danced on his face, casting playful shadows on his countenance, making him look even more enigmatic. Yet, he knew his eyes held a subtle worry.
Blake brushed some particles off the shoulders of Adrian’s blue coat, studying his master thoughtfully.
“You look sharper than I believe you ever have before,” he said. “And yet, you look as though you have never been so frightened.”
Adrian sighed and nodded.
“It was one thing to attend the fair with Annabelle,” he said. “At least, during the day and outside, I could make my way around without being too much trouble for her. But tonight, we will be inside, dependent on nothing but candlelight and traces of moonlight. And we will be dancing, on top of that.”
Blake stood back, and Adrian could see the man’s kind face smiling at him.
“You worry that you will embarrass her terribly tonight,” he said.
Adrian nodded and sighed.
“I do,” he said. “We fielded some snide remarks at the fair. But I do not wish to subject Annabelle to anymore of that.”
Blake chuckled, turning Adrian around gently and leading him toward the door to his chambers, where his cane rested against the frame.
“You just said ‘we,’ Your Grace,” he said sagely. “Perhaps, you should remember that.”
Adrian thought it over for a moment before nodding again.
“Perhaps,” he said. So long as we doesn’t become I by the end of the ball.
He met his aunt Marjorie at the bottom of the stairs, and he offered her his arm.
“That red gown looks wonderful on you, Aunt Marjorie,” he said as she kissed his cheeks.
His aunt sighed, squeezing his arm gently.
“And you look so dashing,” she said. “Annabelle is a very lucky young lady.”
Adrian blushed at his aunt’s kindness and shook his head.
“I believe I am the lucky one,” he said, and he meant it.
Setting eyes upon Annabelle when he arrived at her uncle’s home to retrieve her confirmed his notion. Up close, he could see that she wore a silver gown with a wide skirt, and that her hair seemed to glitter in brief glimpses of candlelight, as though full of diamonds. He guessed that her brown locks had been pinned up with diamond encrusted combs, and his aunt’s compliments for his betrothed confirmed it.
He bowed, giving Annabelle a crooked smile. His nerves had hardly abated. But in her presence, and with her looking as beautiful as she was, he couldn’t help feeling marginally calmer.
