“What am I going to do?”
“You have always been strong, My Lady. You’ll continue to be strong. And you’ll be a lovely bride.”
“How am I supposed to be married to this man? To a man who won’t even speak to me unless he is forced to do so? Whatever shall I do?”
Diana hated that she sounded so helpless at this moment. Hated even more that shefeltso helpless.
“I will be there with you, My Lady, will I not?” Margaret asked.
“With everything else that he has an opinion on, I am surprised that he has not mentioned the employ of my servants. Perhaps he simply assumes that I will bring my own maid along. Or perhaps he simply assumes that he will appoint someone for me.”
The very thought of losing not only her sisters but Margaret as well made Diana ill.
No. If nothing else, she would put her foot down about this. Margaret would come with her to her new home. The woman had attended to her for most of her life and would continue to do so. There would be no argument about that.
“We shall make the best of things, My Lady. You have some time to make the plans you wish for the wedding. And we shall makeit the social event of the Season, even if we do not have a lot of time.”
“The Duke will likely not be pleased with that. He has already made it clear that he does not approve of social events.”
“For your wedding, he shall have to make an exception,” Margaret insisted.
Diana managed a small smile, though it was tempered by the fact that she was going through all of this trouble to marry a man she had absolutely no interest in marrying.
“Well, I’d better go to bed, then. Starting from tomorrow, there shall be a great deal to plan for the wedding. And it would not do to wait any longer than absolutely necessary.”
“Of course, My Lady,” Margaret replied, helping her into her nightclothes and then into bed. “Things will look better in the morning.”
“I can only hope that you are right, Margaret. But nothing has seemed better for the last week since I have known about the marriage. I do not believe that things will get that much better just from a night of sleep.”
A marriage in name only.Where she would be bound forever to a man who she had not even the slightest appreciation for, let alone anything else. It was almost more than she could bear. And yet bear it she must.
Chapter Four
“Don’t be daft, you silly girl. The bride cannot wearredfor her wedding.”
“Whyever not? It would look lovely with her complexion,” came the response.
Diana braced herself for whatever she would find on the other side of the drawing room door. But even still, she was not fully prepared for the flurry of movement. The fabrics being tossed about. Her sisters flitting from one side of the room to the other, examining one fabric here and another fabric there. First holding up one and then another, all while their mother shook her head in frustration.
“What…” Diana stared at the chaos in surprise and confusion. “What are you about?”
She narrowed her eyes at her mother, who was currently poring over a spool of fabric that was draped over her father’s chair.
“Perhaps this instead,” the Countess said, holding the fabric out to an older woman Diana had never seen before.
“It is a lovely color and one that will be simply beautiful for a wedding dress,” the woman agreed.
“But is there enough of it to make a dress fit for a duchess?” the younger woman beside her asked, running her fingers over the material. “’Tis only a few yards left.”
The older woman tsked under her breath and shook her head. “That is true. Perhaps we could pair it with this one.”
“I beg your pardon,” Diana called, more loudly this time.
Everyone turned toward her. Silence fell over them for a moment, and then everyone was talking at once.
“Oh, Diana! Aren’t they all so lovely?”
“Which is your favorite?”
