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But time and circumstance were different now, and she meant for James to benefit from it.
‘I know you weren’t trying to tease me. There’s a treat for you before we go back to the house, too. Shall we go see what it is?’
He brightened instantly. ‘A treat! Is it ices?’
‘No, but something I think you’ll like even better.’
‘I don’t know,’ he said solemnly. ‘There’s practically nothing as good as ices.’
* * *
As she had suspected, once they arrived at the stables, ices were forgotten in his delight with the mother dog and her pups.
‘Mrs Ransleigh said you may choose one of the puppies to be your dog for our visit,’ she told him.
‘Can I? A dog for my very own?’
She nodded. ‘You won’t be able to bring it to the nursery; he or she is too young yet and must stay with the mama. Which one would you like?’
James took his time, his little face serious as, with a grinning groom’s assistance, he held and examined each spaniel—until a brown-and-white-spotted puppy with fly-away ears stretched up to lick him on the nose. Drawing away at first in alarm, he then leaned forward to get another lick. ‘I think this one is choosing me!’
‘I believe you are right. What shall you name him?’
‘How about Pebbles? He has little brown spots just like the pebbles I threw in the puddles.’
‘Very well. You must say goodbye to Pebbles now, but we can visit him again tomorrow.’
Before setting the dog down, James lowered his face for another enthusiastic round of puppy kisses. ‘He likes me, Mama!’ James exclaimed with a giggle. ‘I like living here. Can we stay for ever?’
Diana opened her lips, then closed them, the worry over their future that always hovered just out of mind surfacing at that remark. She didn’t want to spoil her son’s enjoyment by correcting his innocent assumption that Barton Abbey was now their home.
‘Mrs Ransleigh is a very kind lady, isn’t she?’ she evaded.
‘Oh, yes! She came to the nursery after Minnie found the soldiers and showed us where to get more. And she brought some teacakes Cook had just made. They were almost as good as ices.’
‘I hope you thanked her politely.’
‘Oh, I did! I told her she could bring me cakes any time.’
Diana grinned at his artless self-confidence. Oh, that she might share it about their future!
She wasn’t sure where their eventual home would be, though it almost certainly wouldn’t be Barton Abbey. As long as it was somewhere they could be together, beyond the Duke’s reach, she would be content. She trusted Alastair to strike as good a bargain as he could for them; he’d also promised she would no longer have to be afraid—and she was trying to believe him.
But for now, until that eventual fate revealed itself, she vowed to be more like James, pushing aside worry about what the future held—with or without Alastair—and enjoying the respite he and his mother had given her. To breathe free and run through the fields, to get to know her son better, to read books, make conversation, paint and reacquaint herself with the pianoforte.
Her son was not the only one who was finding Barton Abbey a wonderful refuge, she thought as she followed him into the house.
* * *
A week later, after a futile stop in London, Alastair finally tracked his cousin down at Salmford House, the small estate Will had purchased in Sussex. Arriving in mid-afternoon, he was shown to the library, where the butler told him the master was going over the estate books.
‘Alastair!’ Will exclaimed with delight as the butler announced him. ‘What an unexpected pleasure! Tate, would you bring some wine and see if Cook can scare up some meat and cheese? If I know my cousin, after the ride in, he’ll be famished.’
Turning back to Alastair as the butler bowed himself out, he said, ‘I didn’t think we’d see you until we returned to London. Much as she loves Paris, Elodie needed some time here in her gardens before heading back to the city.’
‘I did look for you there first, but no matter. A trip to Salmford is always a pleasure. Everything is well, I trust?’
Will nodded. ‘It’s always better when Elodie can bring Philippe to England with her. She’s had her son back such a short time, she’s never truly easy when he’s out of her sight. Luckily, she was able to persuade the comtesse to let him accompany us on this trip. What brings you here?’
‘Have you heard nothing?’
‘About you? No. What have you got yourself into this time? Max didn’t mention a word when we stopped to see him in Kent.’ He shook his head. ‘It seems I need to add to my network of informants. What is it?’
Well aware of Will’s dislike of the woman who’d broken their engagement, he warned, ‘Before I tell you, you must promise to reserve judgement until you’ve heard the whole.’
Will’s grin faded. ‘Must be serious indeed, if you’re issuing such a warning to me, the most affable of men. Forget the wine, this calls for brandy.’ Motioning Alastair to a chair, he walked to the decanter on the desk and poured them each a glass.
Seating himself again, he faced his cousin. ‘Very well, begin.’
Alastair did. Though some thundercloud expressions darkened Will’s face during the recitation, he honoured his promise and made no comment as Alastair related once again the reasons behind Diana’s rejection of his suit, her ongoing battle of her marriage, and the new fight with her husband’s heir.
Will’s silence continued for some time after Alastair finished his account. Knowing he would not win approval by pressing Will, Alastair stifled his impatience and sipped his brandy, waiting while his cousin reflected on all he’d been told—and mentally trying to construct an alternate plan for thwarting the Duke, if Will refused to help him.
At long last, Will sighed. ‘The tale is spectacularly unbelievable—which, I suppose, is the strongest recommendation for its truth. In any event, since I ended up marrying the woman I swore to drag back to England, to the gallows, if that proved necessary to vindicate Max, I suppose I don’t have room to object to your championing the lady who injured you.’
‘The story is hard to accept, I admit. Swallow that whole for a moment, and while it digests, let’s move on to what we need to do now. Something I think you’ll find much more palatable.’
‘Something has to be done?’ Will said with a grin. ‘That does sound promising.’
‘I called on Graveston to try to impress on him his responsibilities to his father’s widow. Far from being convinced, he announced his intent to broadcast his suspicion that his father did not die of natural causes; he intends to accuse Diana of his murder.’
Will’s eyebrows flew up. ‘Has he any grounds?’
‘Beyond his wish to punish her, not really. It’s a ridiculous accusation that, were he anyone else, would probably be laughed at by local authorities. But because of his rank, he would probably be able to force an investigation. He seems certain he can find witnesses to support his version of events.’
‘Or buy some?’ Will interjected drily.
‘I see you have as much confidence in the reliability of our legal system’s evidence-gathering methods as I do,’ Alastair replied acerbically. ‘Now that I’ve had time to think about it, having his father buried already probably works in his favour. The coroner may well conclude there would be no purpose in exhuming the body, as it would be too late to find any evidence.’
‘Either to prove—or more importantly, to disprove the charges,’ Will said, shaking his head. ‘I saw evidence enough during my years on the streets of how the law supports the mighty,’ he added, his tone turning bitter. ‘Boys transported because a shop owner claimed they stole bread, innocent men imprisoned over evidence from thief-takers intent upon winning a reward. So, what do we do to defend your lady?’
‘Since I am too well known to be of much use, what you can do is more important. I’d like you to go to Wickham’s End, the village nearest Graveston Court, and hang about. See what you can nose out from the locals about the old Duke’s death, his relationship with his heir—anything of interest you can find. Anything we could use to persuade the heir not to drag Diana into a sordid public battle.’
‘If it comes to that, we could buy witnesses of our own,’ Will pointed out.
Alastair laughed. ‘Yes, that’s the rogue I need! I knew I could count on your expertise. But I’d prefer it not come to a trial.’
Will nodded. ‘So you want me to poke about, see what I can find that might persuade His High-and-Mightiness not to move forward with charges? Excellent! I have to admit, though the give and take of bargaining on wine lots is exciting, much of the negotiation over trading rights between the Crown and our new French allies is damnably dull. I shall relish a bit of an adventure.’
