Matthew stared at her for a moment, his eyes wide, as if he had not thought of things in that manner.
“This weddingisimportant to me, Your Grace. It is the only event I shall have the opportunity of planning in my life.” Lady Diana gave him a frustrated look at this. “And it ismywedding. I understand the importance of that, Your Grace. And yet I have been given very little time to plan it. I would have you also see the importance of making this day special as well.”
“I see.” His response was cryptic, slow as he stared at her.
“Shall we start this again?” she asked.
Matthew simply continued to stare at her for a moment.
“Just which of your requests are folly and which are genuine?” he asked.
Lady Diana narrowed her eyes at him. “Perhaps I should leave you to determine that for yourself.”
But again he simply stared at her for a long moment, waiting for her to break the silence. Except she didn’t do it. She simply stared back at him.
“Come now, Lady Diana. Let us have done with this.”
“If this is to be the first and only ball or event that I will have the opportunity to throw, then I should like very much for it to be memorable. I would want it to be special.”
Matthew’s thoughts drifted to the conversation they’d had about events in his estate. Lady Diana had seemed quite unhappy about his refusal to host any. Perhaps he could give her a little more freedom in planning their wedding ball…
“Very well. We will do what we can to make the day special,” he allowed.
Once again, a smile bloomed across her face. Strangely, it made him feel as though he would like to smile as well, but he quickly looked away, studying the ballroom once again.
“You have flowers, you say. And the priest.”
“Indeed. And my cook is excellent. She shall make the wedding breakfast. Theentiretyof the wedding breakfast.”
“Excellent,” he said, glad to be rid of the obligation of bringing someone from town. “As for your travel clothes, you may very well send for something to be made in London. If we had the time, you could go there yourself to commission them.”
“I’ve no need for new travel clothes,” she replied.
“And the stagecoach you had requested?”
“Our family carriage shall be more than sufficient.”
“Hmm, for your entrance to the church, you shall take mine. And when we return here from the church, we shall both ride in mine.”
“If I will be riding in your carriage, then what, pray tell, will you be riding in?”
“PerhapsIshall rent the stagecoach from town,” he replied with a small grin of his own.
“Your Grace, are you… jesting with me?” she asked, a sparkle in her eyes that gave him pause yet again.
Was he jesting with her? It was not often that anyone managed to coax him to let his guard down.
For now, he simply glanced away and cleared his throat before responding. “I shall come by horseback. It shall be sufficient.”
She fell silent, but he did not dare look up at her, uncertain what he would see and what his reaction would be to… well, whatever it may be.
“Is there anything else that you would like to see at the ball?” she asked.
“An orchestra.”
“Surely you do not actually mean to hire a professional orchestra such as the one I had mentioned?” Lady Diana sounded horrified at the very idea, and he smiled yet again, glancing up at her.
“My cousin plays quite beautifully. She and two of her friends. And I would very much like for them to play together with the orchestra for our wedding. A much smaller one than the Maudville Orchestra.”
