“I enjoy flowers, Mother, and I should like to have them on my wedding cake. There are lovely ones that I am sure will look more than sufficient for what I would like of my wedding.”
“Diana, you have never planned a wedding before and as such you have no idea just how things are done-“
“I have no need to know how things are done,” she replied. “I know how I would have them done and that is what matters most.”
“We have a standard to uphold,” her father began. “We need to show the ton-“
“We do not need to show anything to the ton,” she interrupted. “This wedding is meant to be for myself and the Duke. It is not for us to show off to anyone.”
“Diana-“
“That is the end of it,” Diana insisted again. “I shall have a large cake with real flowers. And aside from that we shall need flowers and a great many other things to decorate the ballroom,” Diana added. “I will go to the gardens and see what we may have that will make for a beautiful display. And to carry, of course.”
“The Holsteads next door have lovely flowers in their garden. Perhaps they will allow you to use some of theirs,” Marigold suggested.
“Yes, yes, there are some beautiful lilies there that would make a lovely crown,” the Countess agreed, already making notes to speak with the Holsteads.
“Perhaps we should settle on a few things before we attempt to get too far ahead,” Diana told them finally, as her mother and sisters began talking about far more than flowers and dresses.
And since, at this precise moment, no one seemed to be arguing, it seemed a good time to stop their discussion, before it ended in a feud between Diana and her mother.
She was also very aware that the things they were discussing, and the things she had said she would like to have for thewedding, would cost a great deal of money, and she was uncertain of the financial burden that would put on her family.
Surely the Duke would contribute something toward the expenses… wouldn’t he?
Another day of poring over the books and he would be able to rest. At least for a short time. The spring harvest had ended, and all of the accounting was complete.
Though as his valet brought in the post, Matthew realized that rest would have to wait.
There was a letter from Diana, though he would not have recognized her hand without glancing first at the bottom, where she had signed her name.
“What have you got there, Cousin?”
“John, you really need to find yourself a hobby,” he stated wryly as his cousin once again sank down into a chair across from his desk, making himself comfortable.
“What have you got?” John asked again, glancing at the letter.
“It’s business.”
“Business never makes you have quite that expression,” John pointed out.
Matthew sighed, dropping the letter onto the desk. “It is from my betrothed. She wishes me to return to their estate to discuss the wedding plans.”
“Ah, wedding plans are not business. That is pleasure,” John informed him with another smile.
“For me, marriage is not meant to be for pleasure,” Matthew retorted. “What happens between myself and Lady Diana will be a business arrangement.”
“Lady Diana?” John looked up with a furrowed brow. “Who is Lady Diana? I thought you were set to marry Lady Marigold?”
“Yes, I was. However, there was a… discussion at our first meeting, and it was determined that I would instead marry Lady Diana.”
Matthew felt slightly uncomfortable discussing this, but… well, it was John,after all. There was no need to hide anything from him.
“You changed the plan?”
“It was a minor change.”
“Changing the woman you are set to marry does not seem like a minor change.” John raised an eyebrow at him.
