Page 60 of ?n Arranged Betrothal with a Blind Duke
“You are most gracious,” she said. “I do hope you can bring some peace to his mind.”
Annabelle glanced out the window, as well. Even though she couldn’t yet see Adrian, she could imagine the brooding expression on his face.
“I will do everything in my power to do just that,” she said.
With a reassuring smile, Annabelle made her way through the grand hallways of the estate, her thoughts a tumultuous mix of emotions. The events of the day before were still fresh in her mind, but her concern for Adrian overshadowed her lingering fear. He was a good man, and she knew he would be torturing himself unnecessarily over the accident.
When she reached the rose garden, the sight that met her eyes only deepened her concern. The beauty of the garden, abloom with vibrant roses of every hue, was marred by Adrian’s slumped figure on a stone bench. Beside him lay Patches, his faithful canine companion, looking up with a soulful expression as if he, too, sensed his master’s turmoil.
Adrian’s head was in his hands, his shoulders trembling with the weight of his emotions. His appearance was disheveled, and his eyes, when he looked up, were filled with a haunting pain.
“Adrian,” she’d said softly, her voice gentle yet firm, “I’ve spoken with Marjorie, and I know what you’re feeling. But you must know that what happened was an accident. There is no blame to be placed on your shoulders.”
He’d stared at her for a long moment, his eyes searching hers, before he finally whispered,
“But what if I had not been there in time, Annabelle?” he asked. “What if I had lost you?”
Taking a deep breath, Annabelle approached Adrian, who sat with his sightless eyes cast downward, lost in thought. The rose garden was alive with color and fragrance, but its beauty was lost on Adrian. Patches, his loyal dog, lay by his side, sensing the tension in the air.
“Adrian,” Annabelle began, her voice trembling with emotion. “I need you to know how profoundly grateful I am for what you did yesterday. Your bravery saved my life.”
He shook his head, a pained expression on his face.
“It was the least I could do, after not being able to see the danger and preventing it,” he said.
Annabelle’s heart ached. He was clearly agonizing over the issue of his sight. And she wasn’t sure how she could soothe or reassure him. But she knew that she would do anything she could to do that for him. She also realized that she was madly in love with him.
“No,” she insisted, sitting beside him, and taking his hand. “You must know that your blindness doesn’t make you less, Adrian; it makes you more. You saved my life despite your blindness. Not because of it.”
Her words, sincere and heartfelt, lingered in the air between them. Adrian’s face, usually so composed, crumbled, and she could see the tears that welled in his unseeing eyes.
“You truly believe that?” he whispered, his voice breaking.
Annabelle smiled, putting his hand in both of hers.
“With all my heart,” she replied, squeezing his hand.
Patches, ever loyal, nuzzled at her side, a comforting presence in this emotionally charged moment. Annabelle reached down to pet him, her thoughts swirling.
Adrian had never spoken as much of his blindness as he had the past couple of days, but she knew that it weighed on him. He saw it as a deficiency, a flaw that made him less than others. But she saw it differently. To Annabelle, Adrian’s blindness had shaped him into a compassionate and empathetic man, capable of understanding and kindness that went beyond mere appearance. It had given him an inner strength, a resilience that she admired more than anything. He had seemed so tough and unaffected when she first met him, and she could hardly blame him. But now that she had gotten to know him, she knew that losing his sight had given him a bigger heart. A heart she now wanted to keep forever.
“You must never think yourself less,” she told him, her voice firm. “Your courage, your kindness, your understanding, these are the things that truly matter.”
He turned towards her, his face wet with tears, but his expression one of hope and gratitude.
“Thank you, Annabelle,” he said. “Thank you for seeing me as I truly am.”
She smiled, wiping his tears with her thumb.
“I see you, Adrian,” she said. “I always have, and I always will.” And I love you, as well, she added silently, wishing for the bravery to speak the words aloud.
They sat together in the rose garden, hands entwined, as the world moved around them. In that moment, they were connected by something deeper than mere sight, bound by a love and understanding that transcended the physical.
Adrian remained silent, his sightless gaze fixed ahead. The words they had shared still hung in the air, but there was something more profound in his expression, something that went beyond mere words. His face was a study in contemplation, his brows furrowed as he grappled with emotions too deep to articulate.
Recognizing his need for solitude and reflection, Annabelle remained by his side, her heart filled with a compassion that went beyond mere sympathy. She knew that he was wrestling with something profound, something that touched the very core of who he was.
As she met his unseeing gaze, her heart tightened, and she perceived, with startling clarity, that she had fallen madly in love with Adrian!
