She was never naive. Not even as a child.
It equal parts annoyed her and amused her how often people thought so.
People looked at her and saw only wide blue eyes, a slip of a woman, underestimating her at every turn. Lady Mary is perhaps the only one who has never sold her short.
When they first found one another, he thought her innocent. It took him years to understand that she knew wholeheartedly what she offered up to him. She knew her mind, her heart, and the import of her reputation.
It was he who was naive, world weary though he was. He had no idea how far she would go or how much she would sacrifice to see him well, happy, and cared for. He had no idea what it was to love someone so much you would risk your whole world to keep them safe. He knows now, they both do.