Leonard placed his hand on top of hers and let his thumb run over her glove. She wished she had taken the gloves off so she might have felt his skin against hers but it was too late now. Still, she was happy just for the gesture which was the tenderest affection he’d shown her thus far.
Together, they sat in silence, Sally’s confession hanging heavy in the air. Sally’s gaze met Leonard’s, her eyes reflecting the gratitude she felt for his understanding and compassion. She squeezed his hand gently, taking solace in his comforting presence. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything.”
“Of course. I am glad you felt you could trust me with this story and please know that your confidence is not misplaced, I shall not breathe a word of this to anyone,” he promised. “Say, you said you never told anyone about this? Not even Joanna?”
“I... I was ashamed,” she admitted hesitantly. “I blamed myself for putting myself in such a vulnerable position.”
Leonard’s eyes flashed with indignation for the second time that night, his jaw tightening with suppressed anger. “There was nothing for you to be ashamed of,” he insisted firmly, righteous indignation swiftly overtook his senses. “A lady ought to be able to walk around a garden at a private ball without fearing an assault by a drunkard. You did nothing wrong.”
His words pierced through her self-doubt and insecurities, offering her a sense of validation and reassurance she desperately needed. Sally nodded in silent agreement, feeling a flicker of hope ignite within her heart.
“In my heart, I knew that,” Sally replied softly. “But even so, I still couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone. I remember him breathing down my neck…” she shuddered again and he tightened his hold on her hand. “But not his face. So what could it have done to tell anyone? If anything, I might have been ruined.” A bitter laugh escaped her. “Although that happened anyway, if a few years later.”
“You are not ruined,” he replied sternly. “You are a Duchess.”
She raised her head, pride flowing through her. “I am.”
“This stranger did not win, he took nothing from you. Indeed, I venture to say he is nothing if he must act as he did. You ought not to waste a thought on this man,” he said and nodded his head for emphasis.
“I do not want to and most days I do not, but I so badly cracked my ankle I cannot help but think of that night every time it hurts. If I can remember who he was and ensure he is taken to Newgate Prison, I’d feel much better.” She shrugged. “Alas, I cannot. He was likely a vagrant, asleep in the bushes and is long gone but it is the never knowing…”
“I understand, but know this: Nobody will ever hurt you here. Especially not now that you are a Duchess. You are my wife. And nobody touches my wife, do you understand? Nobody would dare, I won’t let them.” Leonard exhaled through his nose and then, he placed one arm around Sally which sent a jolt through her. For the second time in a week, she felt that wonderful warmth surge through her as he held on to her. With his arm around her, she felt truly protected and safe from all the world. This was right, it was where she was meant to be. Beside him, in his arms. To tell one another everything, anything? She let her head slide to the side until it rested against his and then, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, enjoying his nearness – even though she knew it would not last for long.
CHAPTER19
Leonard
As Leonard sat beside Sally, her presence enveloped him in a haze of enchantment. Her sweet floral perfume tinged the air, but it wasn’t the scent that was so intoxicating. It was her presence, the feeling of her body so close, his arm around her. What drew him in the most, though, was the trust she’d shown him. This tale that had haunted her for years had seen the light of day for the first time - and he’d been the one she’d chosen to confide in.
He didn’t quite understand why. Was it by the title ‘husband’? Or was it because of him? Whatever it was, it invoked an instinct to shield her from the world’s harsh realities.
“Thank you for telling me,” he murmured as he felt the softness of her hair against his cheek, igniting a desire to run his fingers through its silky strands. The urge to draw her closer, to feel the warmth of her skin beneath his touch, overwhelmed him, stirring emotions he had long tried to suppress. Yet, he could not move away. Instead, he let her hair tickle his skin when she moved.
“Thank you for letting me talk and making me feel comfortable to do so,” she replied, raising her eyes, her lashes shimmering with the remnants of her tears.
“I wish I had had the ability to tell someone before, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I allowed myself to become a captive of my thoughts, thinking I’d be shamed even though I knew it wasn’t my fault.”
Anger simmered beneath his calm facade, ignited as he considered her words. She had been made to feel it was her fault, yet she’d also taken on that burden herself - in a way, she wasn’t so unlike him, for he’d done the same, taking on his father’s past as his own to rectify.
But of course, he had a deeper secret he could not share with her. He wanted to protect her from the outside, that was true - but he also had to remember there was something much closer to home he had to shield her from.
At that moment, Leonard realized the precariousness of his resolve. The line between duty and desire blurred, and he knew that with each passing moment in Sally’s presence, the walls around his heart weakened, threatening to collapse entirely.
Oblivious to the storm she was igniting within him, Sally smiled gently. “I find it easy to talk to you, Leonard. I don’t know why. It shouldn’t be, given how we came to be with one another.”
He returned her smile, though inwardly, he wished he could find the courage to share his struggles with her. “Well, whatever the strange path our journey took, I’m glad I was the one you could talk to,” he replied. “Whatever the future holds, I do hope you will always feel comfortable talking to me.”
“I hope you will feel the same, Leonard. I do not want this to be a one-sided... friendship,” she said, choosing the word carefully. “I want us to be able to confide in one another. I know I am not the only one who has endured something terrible. One could argue that you have undergone much more severe circumstances of late.”
He wetted his lips, knowing she was talking about his parents. He finally removed his arm from her shoulders and tugged his hands between his knees.
“They have been rather difficult years, yes,” he admitted. “I had just begun to manage my new duties when my mother passed. She was young, agile... I never expected it.”
Sally listened, her eyes filled with empathy. “I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been,” she murmured. “And with both so very loved. It must be hard to be reminded of them everywhere and to want to live up to them.”
Live up to them ... his mother, yes, but his father? He dreaded living up to him. Leonard desperately wanted to tell her as much but held back. Instead, he leaned back and folded his hands on his lap.
“It was like my life as I knew it ended twice,” Leonard admitted, for this was not a lie.
