Free Her Wicked Proposal: The League of Rogues, Book 3 by Lauren Smith Page B

“Cedric, really, it’s fine,” but Cedric had already reached the door and propelled himself out into the hall. Hands outstretched, he summoned a map of Godric’s house in his head and made for the library—at least he hoped he was heading in that direction. Facing his friends was hard enough when he wasn’t breaking costly crystal goblets. He’d been able to accept their help the first few months, but by now he should have mastered his hands and legs, no longer creating such accidents. It was shameful and he couldn’t stand to receive any aid, not when he shouldn’t need it any longer.
    Cedric muttered a curse when he tripped over the threshold of the library. He knew it was the library by the thick, musty scent of a multitude of books. He’d never been one for reading, but he’d grown fond of libraries since he’d lost his sight. With a library he always knew where he was. Their unique aroma gave them away, and he felt comforted knowing exactly where he was in a house for a change.
    “I wish I had my cane,” he said to the book-filled room. He usually kept it close to him, but he’d been more preoccupied with Anne and had forgotten where he’d placed it. It took him a few minutes of blundering about before he stopped hitting bookshelves and found a deep-backed settee to slump into. He lay back and rubbed his eyes. A useless gesture, but it was a habit he couldn’t break. Cedric took a few deep, measured breaths, but his hands were still shaking.
    “Pull yourself together!” he hissed at himself.
    There was a soft rap on the library door. Cedric didn’t move. He heard slippered footsteps approaching him. The scent that teased his nose was flowery, but not the scent of wild orchids. It wasn’t Anne.
    “Cedric.” Horatia sat down by him on the settee and laid her head on his shoulder as she used to do when she was a child. Brotherly instinct took over, and he wrapped his arms about her, pulling her close to him in a tight hug.
    “Do you want to talk about it?”
    “I have nothing much to say, my dear. I’m a pathetic creature who can’t even dine with my friends. I’m sure Emily is devastated that I broke her fine crystal.”
    Horatia laughed. “She declared you did her a favor. She detested that crystal, and you gave her an excuse to dispose of the rest. She ordered the butler to have some footman take it all away after the meal is over. She seemed quite gleeful about it.” Horatia’s soft tone was full of amusement, and Cedric heard only truth in her voice. Still, Emily could just as easily have been putting on a show for his comfort when he later heard of it.
    “And the others? How did they react?” he asked.
    “They don’t mind at all. We have all adjusted to what happened to you. Everyone but you, that is. What they mind is the way you think they won’t accept you as you are now. None of us are perfect and none of us expect you to be either. You have to stop pitying yourself or I will get cross with you, and I do not want to be cross with my favorite brother.”
    “I’m your only brother,” he cut in with a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
    “A triviality,” Horatia teased and kissed his cheek.
    “Horatia…”
    “Yes?”
    “About your condition…”
    “The baby?” Horatia’s tone held a hint of embarrassed surprise.
    “I just wanted to say, well, that I am overjoyed to be an uncle. And what’s more, I am glad that you and Lucien are happy. I’ve been such a fool. I nearly got all of us killed because I could not believe that people could change. But we can. I know that now. I’ve changed, Anne has changed. It seems we’ve always been changing, but have never been aware of it until now.”
    “Is it true that Anne asked you to propose to her?”
    He patted his sister’s shoulder, a smile on his lips. “Yes. It was an odd surprise, but not an unwelcome one.”
    “Well, I certainly like her, as does Emily. But are you sure you will be happy with her? I thought