“As you wish, Your Grace,” Lady Diana replied, bobbing a slight curtsey that he was even more certain was meant as a mocking gesture.
Still, he bowed his head to her and then to each of the others, her mother being the only one to execute a deferential curtsey, and her father a bow as he approached.
“Your Grace, you honor us by choosing our daughter for a wife,” the Earl said as he saw Matthew out.
“Your daughter is headstrong. But I believe she will do well in my household,” Matthew replied. “With any luck, I shall be back before the week is out with the license, and we shall be wed and return to my home soon thereafter.”
“Of course, Your Grace. I shall take care of all of the arrangements so that we are prepared upon your return.”
“And you will see to it that Lady Diana is fully prepared as well.” It was not a question, or a request, though Lord Waterburry responded as though it was.
“I will, Your Grace.”
“Good. I will take my leave.”
With that, Matthew stepped out of the house, but not before he caught the words from the drawing room.
“Oh, Diana, what have you done?”
Chapter Two
Once the Duke was gone, her sisters ran over to her immediately, each clutching at her, just as nervous as they had been for Marigold.
“Dearest Diana, now it is you who is trapped instead of me.”
“Trapped?” Their mother pulled herself up to her full height, an indignant look on her face. “Diana should be honored that His Grace has chosen her to be his wife. As Marigold should have been. You are lucky that your attitude didn’t ruin this opportunity for our family. You’ve already been selfish to take it from your sister.”
“I have been selfish?” Diana stared at her mother incredulously. “You and Father are the ones who have been selfish. Giving Marigold away to a man who both of you knew to be cold and heartless. And for what? So that you could say you had a daughter married to a duke? I havesavedMarigold by offering up myself in her stead.”
It was clear that her mother still did not understand what she was saying. Did not realize that she was doing anything wrong.
Diana felt her own frustration grow.
“You barely know any of us, and you do not even care to. If you are happy to marry any of us off to that man, you could not possibly care a bit about us. You care only for names and titles. To increase your standing amongst the ton by having a daughter married to a duke—that is all you care about. Well, you shall get your wish. I shall marry the Duke, and you will be able to boast to all and sundry that you have been blessed with a duke for a son-in-law.
“But hear this, Mother. I see everything that you do. That both of you do. And I see that it has nothing to do with love for any of us. Well, you had best start feeling something for your children, for your younger daughters, because they will need you even more now that I am to go away. They will need you to be a real mother to them and not cast them aside in favor of your fancy trappings and your social gatherings. They need you, and it is past time that you did something about that.”
Her mother gaped at her in astonishment, and even her sisters seemed shocked by her outburst. But it was also past time that she finally spoke up and told her mother everything that she had always wanted to say.
When she was already betrothed and there was nothing they could do to her, it seemed an excellent time for it. Though itwould no doubt make the next several days until the Duke called on her again more difficult.
“Goodness, Diana, speaking to a duke in that way, and then speaking to Mother in such a way… I don’t know how you dared,” Marigold told her once they had made their way upstairs.
“It needed to be said. To both of them,” Diana replied firmly, but her younger sisters seemed just as stunned as Marigold, though they had no idea how to express it.
“Do you think it will change anything?” Arabella asked finally.
Diana sighed heavily. “I hope that it will. For all of your sakes, I hope that Mother will be what you all deserve.” But in her heart, she was not optimistic. Rather, it seemed far more likely that Mother would brush off everything that she had said and continue in her ways in the same manner she always had.
From the looks on her sisters’ faces… they agreed.
But then, what would become of her sisters? With her gone … there was no one to look after them properly. Not in the way that they needed. She would have to prepare them as best she could, and hope that, when the time came, they would be able to fend for themselves.
“Now then, I will be leaving soon, and there are things that you must all be prepared to handle on your own.”
“Oh, Diana! What will we do without you?” Arabella wailed.
Diana had to force herself to stay strong.
