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Chapter 8
As Fitz sat with Lord and Lady Casey, and their daughter, Diana, he found himself more drawn to the young lady. He hadn’t expected to be this interested in a woman, especially one he was meeting through an arranged marriage. She was strikingly beautiful with her long chestnut hair and piercing green eyes. He watched her every chance he could, wanting to take in her appearance and come to terms that soon he’d be marrying this intriguing woman.
Not only did her beauty captivate Fitz, but also her intelligence. Most women that Fitz had been introduced to during his Season in Town were young ladies who simply appeared to be going through the motions. They flirted with ease but barely could keep up with him in any sort of intellectual conversation.
However, Diana wasn’t like those other young ladies. She spoke easily and seemed to be quick to retort to any unusual question he could pose to her. A part of him wanted to understand her better while the other was enjoying this little game.
“Your Grace, dinner has been served,” came Mr Bingley’s voice as he came into the sitting room to announce dinner. Fitz rose easily from his chair and then offered his arm to Miss Casey. She smiled pleasantly at him as she rose from her chair and took his arm. He then proceeded to lead her to dinner while Lord and Lady Casey followed behind them. He noticed how slow the older couple walked, so he eased his pace to make sure that he didn’t walk too quickly for them.
“The design of your home was a bit surprising at first,” Miss Casey spoke up at his elbow. He was concerned by her comment and looked down at her, those piercing green eyes rising to meet his.
“And why is that, Miss Casey?” he asked, worried that something in his home might displease her. His intention to marry only revolved around having children, but he also wanted his wife to feel comfortable in their home.
“For a man who hasn’t been present in society for some time, I had expected the manor to be in a dire state. But you’ve shown me that you care about things and make sure that everything is kept nicely,” she explained. Her words comforted him, and he couldn’t help chuckling at her thoughts of him.
“I have not the need to be social and therefore have not done so in quite some time. I believe I have missed out on a great deal, but I’m also comfortable in my home,” Fitz replied as he led her into the dining room. It was an elegant space with hardwood floors that gleamed in the candlelight. The long table was comfortable to seat fifteen people, but for this evening, Fitz sat Miss Casey towards the head of the table before he took his position there.
“There is nothing wrong with knowing what you want in life,” Miss Casey said as her parents joined them at the table. A part of him wanted to ask her what she wanted in life but thought it would be rather rude to do so upon meeting for the first time. He had yet to discover what she thought of their arranged marriage. He was in want of children. What did she have to gain from this marriage, and what did she truly want from it?
As the dinner progressed, they talked idly of common things such as the recent weather and what the latest news from Town was. But on every occasion, Fitz tried his best to learn more about the Casey Family. He had already learned that Lord Casey had four older children who were all married and currently lived in Town. It made him wonder why Lord and Lady Casey remained in the country with their youngest daughter.
“How did you enjoy your Season the last you were in Town?” Fitz asked Miss Casey. He watched as she stiffened, setting down the spoon she was using for the soup. She patted her lips with the cloth napkin before turning her eyes back on him.
“I have had the opportunity to go to Town to attend the wedding of my older siblings, but I have not attended a Season,” she said with her chin raised high. Fitz observed her, seeing strength in her shoulders as she spoke. She didn’t seem embarrassed by admitting to the fact that she was nineteen but had never attended a Season. She was simply stating a fact while not opening herself up to receive the pity of others. Fitz thought that it was a good quality for a duchess to have.
“I attended one Season myself and found it rather ostentatious. I don’t blame you for not having ever experienced for it can be quite overbearing and sometimes even ridiculous,” Fitz said. He watched as Miss Casey smiled at his comment as she returned to her soup.
“Is that how you met your late wife? During your Season in Town?” came Lord Casey’s voice then. Fitz had already prepared himself for this topic of conversation to arise. He knew that eventually someone in the Casey family would ask him about the woman he had first married.
“I did meet her at the end of that Season,” Fitz simply said. He wasn’t ready to speak of Marian when the woman he was intended to marry was sitting next to him.
“Your Grace, I noticed the wonderful pond in the front lawn. Are there many fish present? I can’t remember the last time my father fished and think it would be a lovely idea to spend a day outdoors to enjoy the sport.” Miss Casey spoke up then, moving her gaze between him and her father.
“You are quite right, Diana. It has been too long since I’ve been fishing,” Lord Casey said with a bright smile.
“The pond is fully stocked and is perfect for fishing. We shall make the arrangements to fish on a fair day,” Fitz agreed. He’d been so focused on finding a wife to produce children that he’d almost forgotten that with a wife comes the woman’s relatives. It was sensible that he should spend time with Lord Casey because the man would soon be his father-in-law and they would reasonably spend time together from time to time.
More than anything, Fitz appreciated the distraction in conversation. Perhaps Miss Casey had sensed that he grew uncomfortable with the topic of his late wife, much like she’d become uncomfortable with being asked about her season. There might be several topics of conversation that would be hard for them to discuss as they came to know one another, but Fitz was no longer afraid of getting to know Miss Casey now that she’d shown her intelligence and personality to him.
When the dinner was completed, Fitz escorted the family from the room and towards the front foyer. If this had been a traditional dinner party with multiple families in attendance, they’d have been returning to the sitting room to perhaps play cards. But for meeting this family for the first time, Fitz thought their time together had been adequate enough to become familiar with each other.
“I will write to you in the morning, Lord Casey, to discuss further plans. But I hope you will join me in three days for that fishing adventure,” Fitz said as he looked at the older man. He smiled in response and dipped his head.
“It would be an honour, Your Grace,” Lord Casey replied.
“And I shall enjoy the warm weather with a pleasant stroll around the pond. Those ducks looked so charming that I hope to view them up close,” Lady Casey added.
“I agree that it will be the most splendid day,” Miss Casey said as she turned her eyes on Fitz. At that moment, Fitz looked into the young woman’s eyes and only saw his wife in their reflection. One of the last things she told him was that she was looking forward to their picnic in the garden. He hadn’t thought of her last words in such a long time that it struck a cold chord in his heart, and for a moment he lost his composure as he turned his face from them and blinked back heavy tears. He tried to get a hold of himself and kept reminding himself that guests were present.
“I look forward to seeing you all again. Please excuse me,” Fitz said as he dipped his head and then made his way quickly to his study. It was the closest room to which he could escape as he tried his best to overcome these strong feelings. It had been so long since he thought about that terrible day that for a moment it felt like his grief was anew.
He sank down into his chair and placed a hand over his mouth to muffle his cries. He listened as the front door was opened and closed, thankful that Mr Bingley had come forth to see them out. He certainly hoped that he hadn’t given them a negative impression of himself.
Fitz knew that he needed to regain his control over these emotions of sorrow and grief if he was ever going to move forward with this marriage. This might be his only chance to have children, and as he remembered the joy it was to play with Michael’s three boys, it helped to push aside all his deep feelings and focus on the task at hand.
~*~
Diana watched the Duke quickly hurry down the hallway towards an unknown location. They had all been speaking happily of the next time they were to meet, but as soon as Diana had voiced her opinion, she saw the way the Duke’s face had contorted before he was able to look away. And when he’d excused himself, the small smile on his face had been forced, and she could clearly see the tears in his eyes.
