“And just how long have you had this house?”
“My father owned it before me. And so I have spent every Season here my entire life,” he replied.
Diana looked even more shocked by that.
“You’ve spent all the Season here, and it’s so… bare.”
“It has everything necessary.” He bristled at her implication. There was nothing wrong with the house. Nothing out of place. Nothing missing.
“There are so few pieces of furniture, and there is no art.”
“Art?”
“Surely you know what art is.” She raised an eyebrow at him, and he stiffened yet again.
“I know what art is, but there is no need for it. Art is not functional or useful in any way.”
It was another one of those things that his father had never approved of. Artwork on the walls was a waste of space when the space was meant to be purely functional. But Diana seemed appalled by the idea.
“It does not need to be functional. But it is indeed useful. It makes the space beautiful, and it gives one something to look at.”
“And just what purpose does that serve?”
“It does not need to serve a purpose. I cannot possibly live in a house with no beauty in it. Bare walls. Bare everything… This will not do.”
“There is no need for anything further,” he retorted.
Diana shook her head. “I will need to procure artwork for the walls,” she announced. “I have some things that my sisters have made. I’ve no hand for watercolors myself, but they will make a few pieces, I am sure. And I can purchase other pieces of art in town. As for the tables—” She glanced at the side table nearest to her. “Certainly you have a garden?”
“We do,” he confirmed.
“Excellent. I think I should have flower arrangements put together and placed on each of the tables throughout the house.”
Matthew stared at her for several moments, startled by her abrupt desire to change things in his home. And the way she so matter-of-factly stated that she was going to do so.
“There is no need for any of that. There is no need for extraneous items that simply clutter the space and add nothing. My home is meant to be functional and nothing more.”
“This ismyhome now as well, and I cannot live in such a… barren place.” Diana stared around her, the look on her face resolute.
“There is no need for anything further, and you shall not clutter my home with nonsense,” Matthew insisted.
“If I am to live here during the Season, I should also have a say in what happens here. I should be able to decorate my own home as I see fit. I am the lady of the house. Is that not part of my responsibilities?” she retorted.
Matthew could only grit his teeth in annoyance.
Yes, that should be one of her responsibilities, but he had no desire for her to change things within his home. Not even this one. No desire for her to be muddling his mind the way she had ever since he met her.
“You will make no changes to this house without my or Miss Jenkins’ express permission.”
Diana was practically seething at this point. He could see the way that her teeth clenched. The way her eyes narrowed into slits. The way her lips parted as she drew in one sharp breath after another.
“There is no reason for you to treat me like a child. I am a grown woman, and this is my home as well. If you want me to stay here and be happy here, then I need freedom to make this my own home.”
He was about to say that he did not truly care if she was happy here but then bit his tongue. After all, it wasn’t entirely true. Hewould rather she was happy here because he did not want the scandal of her leaving his home to return to Waterburry House.
And there was something else there… a part of him that wanted her to be happy just because… he wanted to see her happy. But he shoved the thought away.
“Fine. You may make a few small changes to the house. Your sisters’ watercolors and some flowers from the garden. But that is all.”
