Rory:

I sat on my bed nursing a tumbler of amber liquid as I recounted what had just happened in the pantry. I let out a guttural sound as I lay back on my bed, what on earth had I been thinking throwing accusations of infidelity at Cecilia.

Why had I let my anger and jealousy take hold of me like that? I had seen the scared and hurt look in her eye but had continued my own spiteful assault on her character, I was just as bad as him.

Anger wasn't the only emotion spiralling through me though, her words had stung me in a way I didn't know they could. Her words returned to haunt me in fragments.

"I will continue to honour the vows I made to you even if you don't."

"You are no gentleman sir."

"I have hated you since the day that I met you."

"You sir, are a disgrace to your sex."

"You are surely dreaming if you think I will remain here a day further."

I winced again as the words played through my crumbling mind. I berated myself, stupid stupid man that I was, why had I ever made that foolish comment about taking mistresses?

I had always prided myself on being a gentleman but I knew I had never acted in a gentlemanly way towards Cecilia, she was right, I had mistreated her. I had behaved atrociously, how in God's name was I going to be able to fix this?

Her last few words hit me the most, "You are surely dreaming if you think I will remain here a day further." She wouldn't really leave would she? This was Cecilia though, for all I knew she could have already saddled her horse.

I rushed to my window but, to my relief, I saw no fleeing figure. I let out a dry laugh, not that long ago I wouldn't have cared whether she stayed or went, in fact, I probably would have helped her leave. All I wanted to do now though was bolt her door in an attempt to stop her from leaving.

I spun around as I heard the sound of the door to her room slam shut before I heard a soft thud. I wanted to apologise but as I reached the door that separated our rooms I heard the sound of muffled sobs drifting through the wood.

I bowed my head in shame, I was sure I was the reason for her distress. My instincts were telling me to go to her and hold her until her tears stopped but my better judgement held me back. I knew Cecilia well enough to know she was a proud girl and would loathe me to see her in a vulnerable position.

Disgusted with myself I walked back from the door to my bed. I don't know what exactly it was that made me realise but suddenly it just clicked in my mind.

The reason I didn't want her to leave, the reason I had been jealous of that Edward man in the first place, the reason it angered me to be the cause of her tears.

I had feelings for my wife.

I hurled the glass in my hand at the wall opposite me, stupid, selfish man. How had I not noticed such a development sooner, or maybe I had and just hadn't wanted to accept it. I groaned in irritation.

If only I had known and not let my anger and jealousy run away with me. We had been getting on well this last week, heck, I kissed her not long ago and she didn't shower me with hatred afterwards, why had I gone and ruined it all? She had made it clear that she hated me, I knew she would never hold romantic feelings for me after everything I had said and done but I prayed that she wouldn't leave.

She couldn't leave, not now.

**********

I left my room after I had dressed for the dinner Cecilia had planned, I hoped I'd have a chance to apologise to her before the guests arrived. I closed my door and caught a glimpse of raven hair swishing around a corner.

I ran towards her disappearing figure, "Cecilia!" I called as she stood at the top of the staircase. I noticed with surprise that it was the first time I'd actually referred to her by her christian name. "Cecilia," I murmured again as I reached her, tasting the word on my lips.

I watched as her eyes shot up to mine when I used her name, she had obviously noticed too.

"Cecilia, I am so sorry, I wasn't thinking and I know I have wronged you badly. I promise I will try to conduct myself in a more gentlemanly manner in future. Please forgive me." I looked her right in the eye to make sure she knew that I was in earnest.

"You called me Cecilia," she spoke softly as her eyes searched mine in bewilderment.

"It's a lovely name," I offered as explanation. Really? 'It's a lovely name'? Was that the best you could come up with I asked myself. I kept my eyes focussed on her expectantly, she had not said anything in response to my apology.

Her eyes suddenly shifted and turned cold, "I will believe your apology when I see it." Her voice held a note of superiority and command. She knew she had the upper hand and I was sure she would use it to her advantage. I nodded in response.

"I hope you reconsider your decision to leave," I asked hopefully. Her eyes flitted to the window for a moment then back to me.

"It looks like rain, I shan't leave tonight." Her words sounded softer but they still held a stony edge. I schooled my emotions so as not to reveal the extent of the happiness I felt inside at hearing her words.

My eyes darted to the window to see a clear sky and my smile widened, it didn't look like it would rain tonight at all, she wasn't leaving.

I offered Cecilia my arm which, after what looked like an inward battle, she accepted, keeping a certain amount of distance between us as we continued to the staircase.

We walked down the stairs together to position ourselves near the front door to receive our guests. Ellis, who was standing near the front door already, gave us both a secretive smile. Honestly, what did that man know that we didn't?

I leaned down to Cecilia's ear, "You look beautiful this evening my lady," I whispered softly, and she really did. She was clad in lavender coloured silk, the same hue as the end of a summer sunset.

The fabric hugged her waist and rippled around her legs in an ocean of lilac. Her ebony hair had been left down and contrasted beautifully with her milky skin and the pale purple dress she wore. I felt a swell of pride in my chest, I was sure I knew no one with a wife as beautiful as mine.

"Thank you, your grace," she addressed me formerly, I frowned slightly at her use of my official title.

"Rory," I said, "Call me Rory." I watched as her eyes widened before she nodded dumbly. I smiled at her, how could I possibly have not noticed before just how perfect she was.

"He's not coming," her voice was barely audible but I managed to hear her over the thunderous beating of my heart.

For a second I had no idea what she was talking about, but then I remembered, the whole reason the argument had started, because of that son-of-a-bitch Edward. I smiled, she cared, some small part of her cared enough. She wouldn't leave just yet.

**********

The dinner was in full swing, the guests all seemed to be enjoying themselves as they all chatted happily, I smiled across the table at Cecilia who was seated opposite me at the end of the table in conversation with the Earls' wife.

My attention was stolen from my wife regretfully by the Duke of Darnstrum who was sat on my right.

"How are your labourers Huntington?" He asked, although, from the sounds of it, he already knew the unstable condition of the workers and the fields. "Not chorusing for more money yet? How many have you left?" He probed further.

I put on a polite smile, "It is true, some have demanded more money, but my workers are happy and my fields are being tended to everyday, I have plenty of workers." Somehow I managed to uphold the civil smile.

"You should have invested your money in that new scheme from London boy, much more successful, wouldn't you agree Hartley?" I ignored his use of the word boy, I was but a few years his junior.

"Yes, yes, common knowledge that these new business schemes are where the money is, and you don't have to pay for workers." He spoke eagerly as he shovelled a forkful of game pie into his mouth. I managed to control the grimace that threatened to cover my face at his gluttony for both food and money.

"But gentlemen, surely you can see the merit in providing something for the good of everyone rather than to satisfy the materialistic needs of wealthy individuals. Indeed there are no workers to pay but those people need money."

"We are helping to feed the working classes by providing them with the means and the crops themselves whilst you are only gaining more funds to lavish yourself with. I am sure you cannot disagree that on a moral level at least our work at Clampton is worth more than your speculations."

I looked up unexpectedly as Cecilia spoke up from her end of the table, I watched with pride as she stood up for my workers and with humour at the looks on the mens faces as they were challenged by a woman.

"Now that we are in the same mind about the morality of our employment, I think it right to address the economic side, do you not agree gentlemen?"

I could only smile at my headstrong wife as she continued to challenge the two men who simply nodded at her, still in shock at being addressed about their line of business by a woman.

"Well you must surely be aware of the financial benefits of the crop fields? The crops provide the food our town needs to be sustained, if our town is not provided for their shall certainly be no workers, whom we need to maintain the fields. By investing our money in the fields we are investing the money in our town and our workers and therefore in ourselves. You see, it is like a cycle." She paused a moment to take a sip of her neglected wine.

"On the other hand, if we look at the schemes in which you invest your finances, they are most definitely risky ventures and are not certain of positive outcome. I know many a nobleman who has come to ruin from such gambles."

"If your risk works out you may become wealthier and you may spend your money frivolously as you wish until your next gamble doesn't pay off so well and you find yourself having to sustain yourself, and your families, on the remains of your wealth."

"Whilst you live in fear at the possibility of not owning your house in Belgravia next year, we can be comfortable in our continuous income, and as I'm sure you can see," She gestured around the room with one elegant hand.

"We are quite comfortable enough. So you see gentlemen, I really can see no argument for investing such vast capital in such superficial schemes." I felt like applauding her as she flung the men's words back in their faces. She offered the men a dazzling smile before raising her glass and humiliating the earl and duke one last time, "A toast to the workers and the fields."

There was a collective hum of mumbled, "To the workers and the fields." Before glasses were lowered and mundane conversations were resumed around the table as the sound of the scraping of knives and forks replaced the momentary silence.

I shifted slightly uncomfortably, unknown to Cecilia, there was not much money at the moment, from my calculations we could only uphold this level of comfort for a year at the most, less with the recent turn of the workers we could not pay. I would not let that knowledge worry her though and dampen her excellent speech.

"You have quite a... Uh... Remarkable wife," The duke stuttered as his eyes remained fixed on Cecilia.

"Not just a pretty face you got there Huntington," the earl laughed nervously. I felt a wave of possessiveness sweep through me as the earl referred to Cecilia's beauty.

She was indeed a gorgeous young woman but she was my gorgeous young woman, only I held the right to call my wife beautiful. I sighed, I had probably better get used to other men complimenting my wife, after all, she was the most bewitching creature I had ever laid eyes on, however I doubted it was something I would ever be able to fully get used to.

I looked away from the two men and back at my wife across the table, she raised her head and met my gaze full on. She tilted her head slightly before giving me a conspiratorial smile. I laughed gently and shook my head, she was quite something that girl.

Quite something.

**********

The men and women seated around the table moved to rise from their seats planning to go their separate ways but were stopped by Cecilia clearing her throat and tapping her spoon gently against her glass.

"Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, but their has been a change of plans for tonight." She paused dramatically and I gave her a questioning look which she returned with a sly smile. Oh god, what had the girl done now?

"It gives me great pleasure," she continued happily, "To invite my most beloved husband to join me at the piano forte as he has prepared something specially for you all tonight."

The guests made ooh-ing and ahh-ing noises and began to clap excitedly. I stood watching her with my mouth agape as a self-satisfied smile graced her features.

"Come my friends," she gestured to the door, "The performance shall take place in the Marigold Room. If you would be so good as to seat yourselves."

The men and women shuffled eagerly from the room, talking animatedly amongst themselves about this secret talent of mine that they had not heard of before.

I glared at Cecilia before marching up to her, "What in god's name possessed you to do that, woman? You do realise I shall now have to sing to all these people." She looked at me as if I were a moron.

"Why yes I did realise that, when I told our guests you would accompany me at the piano forte," she spoke sarcastically but her eyes glinted with amusement.

"B-but why?" I stumbled, already sweating at the prospect of having to sing to these people. I had always hated performing in front of people, although, unbeknownst to Cecilia I had been trained in singing when I was a boy and I wasn't half bad.

"Someone really should have taught you that it was improper to watch a lady in her under-garments without her knowledge Rory." She offered by way of explanation.

"Ahh," I recalled that afternoon with a mischievous smile, "Worth every second of it though." I whispered in her ear causing her to shiver slightly. I smiled again, she may despise me, but she couldn't deny the attraction between us, that was a good starting point at least.

"You perverse scoundrel!" She whisper-shouted before grabbing my arm and dragging me across the hall and into the room where the piano forte stood before the guests.

She positioned herself on the piano stall and I stood to the side of her as I watched her flick through the sheets of music laid out before her.

She chose her piece and I let out a breath of relief, I knew the song well, in fact, it was probably my favourite piece. I smiled, she possessed a good judgement in music. She inclined her head to give me one last saccharine smile before launching in to the piece.

I watched mesmerised as her fingers flew across the instrument with such a skill as I had not seen even in the finer households of London. I waited for my cue before joining Cecilia in the beauty of the music.

I watched with smug satisfaction as her wide eyes turned to look at me. She stared up at me in awe for a moment before blushing and returning her eyes to her music, though I was sure she did not need it from the way her fingers were darting across the keys with an age of experience and practice.

When the piece finished she pulled my shoulder down so I was at eye level with her.

"I really don't think we should do this now with all the guests watching," I smiled cheekily at her. I watched the blush that proceeded to spread over her face with enjoyment.

"You are a filthy rogue," she hissed at me before saying what she had initially wanted to. "I did not know you could sing so well." Although from most it would be given as a compliment she looked suspicious and asked it questioningly.

"What else are you hiding from me?" She prompted, her eyes narrowed with concentration and curiosity as they searched my own.

"If only you knew my lady," I replied with a chuckle thinking about my recent discovery of my feelings for the inquisitive chit, "If only you knew..."

Halloooo!

So Rory has finally realised he has feelings for Cecilia hopefully just in time! Hope you enjoyed the chapter, have a great weekend and please continue to vote and comment!

Much love

xxx