“Certainly not,” Diana whispered as they were led deeper into the house.
“The paintings in the hallway?” Matthew murmured in response.
She shook her head sharply. “The entire place. It cannot possibly suffice.”
“Indeed, on that, we can agree,” he replied, glancing around him with a strange look on his face.
But Diana could not help the expression on her own face as she looked from the artwork on the walls to the colors of those walls.
“This is the sitting room!” the voice ahead of them called, and she quickly schooled her features as she walked inside. But that movement caused her to brush lightly against Matthew in the cramped hallway. She flushed and he quickly stepped back as faras the walls would allow, but not before she saw the strange look in his eye.
Quickly, she averted her gaze and followed the owner into the room he had indicated. It was another poorly painted room. And this one was dull and dreary. “There are paintings here that were commissioned right after the construction of the house.”
The owner seemed proud of that fact, standing up as straight as his portly shape would allow, his eyes bright as he gazed fondly from one to the next. However, a glance at Matthew indicated that he agreed with Diana—it was certainly not a selling point. His lips twitched slightly as he glanced in her direction, and then he turned quickly to look around the room again.
When the owner continued on to the next room, Matthew cast another glance in Diana’s direction.
“This will never do. I have no interest in homes with no windows. And small suffocating rooms such as these make me feel closed in,” he admitted, stepping closer to the door and, by happenstance, herself as well.
“I always prefer natural light. And even with the curtains open, each of these rooms seems very dull. It would never do for me as well,” she agreed, though her gaze was fixed on him and just how close he had come to her. She could practically feel his breath lightly against her cheek and it was causing her heart to race.
But just as quickly he passed by her, striding out into the hallway to see what else the owner had to show them.
They finished the tour as quickly as possible, offering their praise to the owner before climbing into their carriage.
“Let us be away,” she said as soon as she was handed into the carriage.
Matthew gave a sharp nod to the driver. “On to the next,” he instructed, and they immediately set off, finding the next house easily.
“It appears … nice,” she said, looking at the house critically from the outside. “Though perhaps a little small. Does it have enough rooms to it?”
He gazed more carefully at the house himself and shook his head. “I do not know. We shall have to see.”
“Look at those lovely windows, though.”
“There are quite large windows across the entire front of the house though, which give it a more open look,” he agreed, assisting Diana down from the carriage so they could walk inside.
And as they began touring the house, it seemed to have promise.
The rooms were a decent size, and Diana was quite certain that she could host a ball here—if she could ever convince her husband to allow it. But then they entered the drawing room, and she crossed to the large window.
Her face fell immediately as she looked outside. The backyard was… small. There was a very small amount of green space, and there was no garden to speak of. A couple of small plants that looked like they had seen better days but nowhere near the beautiful gardens at Waterburry House, or even the smaller garden at the Duke’s house.
“What is it?” Matthew asked, noticing the look on her face.
“The house is lovely,” she said slowly.
His eyes narrowed on her. “Something does not please you. What is it?”
“The garden,” she sighed.
He glanced out the window as well. “There is no garden.” It took him a moment, and then he looked back at her again. “You require a garden?”
There was nothing accusatory in his tone. Nothing judgmental. It was simply a fact, and she managed a small smile.
“I often feel closed in when I am inside for too long. A garden is a place I can go to feel… relaxed. I enjoyed sitting in the gardens at home—at Waterburry House,” she corrected. “And even the gardens at your home.”
“My home is your home now,” Matthew replied, though they both knew that neither of them really thought of it that way.
