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Chapter 15
The following afternoon, Fitz sat in the sitting room with Diana as they went over the guest list once more for their wedding. It was only five days away, and both of them seemed to be eager for that day. Sometimes Fitz found moments to simply hold Diana’s hand, trying to share his feelings for her and how much he desired her.
The lusty look in her eyes confirmed how she felt for him, and though he did his best not to put them in a compromising positions like the other night in the garden, he still wanted to show her that they did have a promising future together as long as their attraction stayed strong.
“There are so many people on this list,” Diana said as she sat next to Fitz at a small table. Their chairs were close together as they both looked over the final list. Lord and Lady Casey were taking a turn around the gardens, supposedly in need of some exercise and fresh air. But Fitz suspected that they were simply giving them a private moment to talk together.
“Some of them have been invited simply for appearances. A duke being married is a big deal, and there are certain responsibilities because of my status that I must uphold. But trust me, the majority of them won’t actually be attending our wedding. It is more of a courtesy than anything else,” Fitz explained.
“I could have never known that planning a wedding would be such a big deal. I think that the ceremony shall last only a few minutes and the big part will have come to an end,” Diana mused as she traced her finger down the list of names. Fitz watched as her finger settled on the names of her siblings and their families.
“Are you looking forward to seeing any of them at all?” Fitz asked as he picked up her hand and held it in his. He wanted to raise her hand to his lips and kiss it tenderly. But he was practicing refrain these days and settled with simply holding her hand above the table.
“I am looking forward to seeing them, but no doubt not for the reasons you must be thinking. There is a certain part of me that wants to rub it in their faces that I will soon be a duchess. They withdrew any financial aid from me and my parents, and I feel a part of this wedding is showing them the consequences of their choices.” Fitz couldn’t contain his laughter then as Diana explained herself. He was truly enjoying how open and honest she had become with him.
“I don’t blame you for feeling that way. Though I am curious to meet them and see how similar they are to you,” Fitz said as he drew her hand up to his lips, unable to refrain any longer.
“I assure you, Fitz, that they are nothing like me,” Diana said as her eyes closed, her voice growing soft as Fitz placed his lips to her knuckles. A moan escaped her lips as he circled his tongue over her knuckle, imagining it was other parts of her body. He was fascinated with his desire for her and wondered each day if they’d be able to refrain till their wedding day.
The sitting room doors being pushed open with such force that they slammed again the walls startled Fitz and Diana out of their hazy state of pleasure. Fitz dropped Diana’s hand immediately and stood as Lord Gunther quickly approached him, a look of madness on his face as he pointed a finger at him.
“How could you do this, Fitz? How could you treat Natale like she was a worthless piece of meat?”
“Lord Gunther, what are you talking about?” Fitz asked, trying to remain calm. Mr Bingley came running into the room as though he’d been trying to stop Lord Gunther. Fitz raised his hand as several other footmen came into the room, ready to take action if the Earl threatened Fitz’s life.
“I came home to my wife last night to find her beaten and bloody. She said you came to her yesterday and forced yourself onto her when she refused your advancements.” Lord Gunther snarled at him. “And now I shall challenge you to a duel for the honour of my wife.” Fitz heard those in the room gasp. They all knew that duelling had been outlawed several years ago, but it was still a common practice in the country.
“Lord Gunther, I did not force myself upon your wife. I visited her yesterday as she approached my bride and tried to convince her to break our engagement. Your wife bribed her with five thousand pounds a year to ruin herself,” Fitz explained. “And when I visited her yesterday, I warned her from doing such things again. When she tried to kiss me, I backed away and quickly left.”
“You’re lying to me,” Lord Gunther continued to rage. “I saw the bruises all over her body and the bloody mess between her legs from you raping her.” Tears were streaming from his face, and Fitz could not understand what had happened to Natale after he’d left her.
“The Duke is not lying,” came Diana’s voice as she stood and placed herself beside Fitz. “Lady Gunther did approach me in the village and tried to bribe me. She said that I was disrespecting her sister’s name because I had agreed to marry the Duke. But I refused the money she offered me.” Fitz felt so proud of Diana for standing up with him and stared at Lord Gunther to see how he would take these words.
“Then how do you explain the condition in which I found Natale?” Lord Gunther then asked, seeming to settle down from the raging emotions that were coursing through his body.
“I do not know, Lord Gunther. But I suspected that she was with someone else when I arrived at the manor. She seemed rather drunk and perhaps had an argument with her lover. I fear that Natale is very sick because she keeps trying to convince me to be with her instead of Diana,” Fitz explained. He watched as realization seemed to cross Lord Gunther’s face. The Earl looked at him and then Diana, then back at him as if trying to understand the true story.
“Forgive me, Your Grace,” Lord Gunther said as he bent himself down on one knee and bowed his head. “It seems I have embarrassed myself and made a foolish mistake. I beg for your forgiveness.”
“Rise, Lord Gunther. I cannot condemn Lady Gunther because I fear she suffers greatly from the death of her sister,” Fitz said as Lord Gunther pushed himself back onto his feet. “She needs to see a doctor. I will spare any publication of these events if you promise to take her to Town and seek the proper help she deserves.”
“Of course, Your Grace. That is sound advice,” Lord Gunther said as he lowered his head once more, his guilt clearly on his face. Fitz watched him carefully and finally signalled to his staff that they were free to go. Slowly, Mr Bingley and the other footmen walked out of the room, leaving him and Diana alone with Lord Gunther.
“Lord Gunther, I don’t understand what has happened between you and your wife, but I won’t have either one of you interfering with my wedding plans anymore,” Fitz said as his voice became sterner.
“To be honest, Your Grace, I don’t understand what has become of my life anymore. I will not trouble you with my worries and ask that you’ll truly forgive us one day,” Lord Gunther said in a quivering voice. “You can rest assured that neither one of us shall bother you again.” The man then bowed before turning and leaving the room in a hurry.
Fitz slowly sat back down in his seat as he tried to comprehend everything that had just happened. He couldn’t fathom why Natale would say such things to her husband and then accuse him of being capable of doing such things. He felt terribly sad for the couple and truly hoped that Natale could get the medical help she needed in Town. That way, he also didn’t have to worry about her trying anything else before the marriage.
As Diana took her seat beside him, he looked to see how she was doing with the whole situation. “Thank you for your willingness to speak up on my behalf and that you believed my words,” he said to her.
“Of course, Fitz. I knew that you couldn’t have done anything like that, and I could speak honestly on my own behalf of what I witnessed Lady Gunther do and say,” Diana said as a small smile came over her face. “After all, it is my honour to always support my husband.”
“I truly appreciate your support. When I found Marian murdered in the gardens, it was only my close friend Lord Douglas who stood beside me. Everyone else speculated that I was the one who had done that terrible thing to her. Their accusing whispers at her funeral is probably what drove me to avoid all social situations in the future,” Fitz admitted.
Diana reached underneath the table and took his hand in hers, causing him to look at her in surprise. It had always been he who had initiated any physical contact. But now she held his hand firmly, the warmth of her fingers laced in his causing his temper to drop. It didn’t take him long to forget about what had just occurred as he only focused on Diana.
“I know that you couldn’t possibly do something like that, Fitz. I know you still love Marian very much, and the kindness you’ve shown me proves that you are not capable of taking another person’s life. I feel perfectly comfortable with you.”
Fitz wasn’t sure what was happening to his heart as he looked down at Diana. It had been so long since he’d felt this way towards a woman that he wasn’t quite sure what he was feeling. It immediately scared him as he tried to rationalize these deep emotions. He forced his mind to focus on the positive, that it was good he was marrying someone who could support him and trust in his words and judgement.
Fitz leaned forward and placed a kiss on Diana’s forehead. It was soft and gentle, not like the kisses he’d given her before where he felt needy or filled with desire. It was simply a small token of his appreciation for her and hoped she would appreciate his efforts. He didn’t know if he could ever truly love her, but surely, he could afford to show her some appreciation from time to time.
“Now, how about that guest list?” Diana said with a pleasing smile as she let go of his hand and focused on the writing paper in front of them.
“Of course,” Fitz replied as he leaned forward with her and they continued discussing the guest list, mostly for Diana’s benefit.
