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Chapter 24
When morning finally came for Diana, she awoke to find that Fitz was no longer by her side. The day seemed brighter than when she would normally rise from bed, and after such an amazing night making love to her betrothed, she figured that sleeping in a bit wouldn’t do her any harm.
Before she pulled the cord for her lady’s maid, Diana got out of bed stark naked and put on a clean chemise and nightgown, folding her solid ones with the rest of her laundry that needed washing. And as she came back to bed, she realized that there was a bit of blood on the sheets. She understood what happened between a man and woman during their first time together, and either the maids would have guessed what had happened, or perhaps they’d pity Diana for getting her monthly right before her wedding day.
Once Diana was ready, she pulled the servants’ cord and began to comb her hair while she waited. Taking one glance in the looking glass showed Diana that her long brown hair had become quite tangled from all the exciting activity she had participated in last night. Just the thought of all the wonderful things Fitz had done to her body caused her thighs to become wet with desire once more. Now that she understood the pleasures of lovemaking, she wasn’t sure if her desire would ever be fully satisfied.
“Good morning, My Lady,” Miss Matilda said as she came in carrying a tea tray. “All that dancing last night must have really worn you out. The morning breakfast is almost over, and it seems you’re the last one wake.” She chuckled as she set the tea tray down and came to assist Diana with getting ready for the day.
“It’s been such a long while since I’ve danced and seem to find myself quite worn out. I hope no one has been bothered by my absence,” Diana said.
“Don’t you worry, My Lady. The Duke has always been a wonderful host and seems to be good at keeping everyone cheerful. Once you are ready, they have talked about going into the village for a bit of shopping,” Miss Matilda explained.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” Diana remarked, knowing how most of the locals hadn’t seen Fitz out in public in years. She thought it would be a great way for him to visit his tenants once more and show them that he was still the kind and considerate man he’d always been.
Diana was in a hurry then as she moved quickly to get dressed and enjoy a light breakfast. She figured that she could get something to eat while they were in the village. The baker always had the best minced meat pies, and her mouth was already watering at the idea of getting to try one.
“Thank you, Miss Matilda,” Diana called back to her lady’s maid as she quickly left her bedchamber and hurried downstairs. She had decided to dress in a simple pale-yellow day gown. Walking boots were on her feet, and her hair had been braided down her back. It felt more like what she would normally wear, and she was curious to know what Fitz would think of her dressed in almost common clothing.
Diana followed the sound of chattering voices coming from the dining hall. But the sudden sound of crying caught her attention out of all of the noises. She stopped dead in her tracks and tried to listen to the sound, and once she realized that someone was crying in the sitting room, she decided to make her way there instead.
“Vivian, what is wrong?” Diana asked, coming into the room to see her sister in a heap on the floor, a river of tears falling down her face.
“Oh, Diana. I’m so glad you are here. You are never going to imagine what happened to me last night. I was so overcome with emotion that I couldn’t make it to breakfast this morning and have been hiding in here ever since,” Vivian said through her tears, pulling herself off the floor and into a chair.
Whatever Vivian had been through, she certainly hadn’t dressed as though she was in pain. It appeared to Diana that she was wearing one of her finer dresses that would normally be worn to dinner instead of during the day.
“Tell me what happened,” Diana suggested, taking a seat next to her. Vivian immediately reached forward and clasped her hands with Diana’s, locking their eyes together as she remained very close to Diana.
“You will be so heartbroken,” she whispered, “but last night the Duke came to my room and forced himself upon me.” Diana instantly removed her hands from her sisters, leaning back and as far away from the woman as she could. Her brows furrowed together as she stared at her older sister, instantly disgusted with her.
“That’s not possible, Vivian. Why would you say such a thing and put on such a performance for a lie,” Diana said, standing to her feet then because she wouldn’t give her sister any more of her attention.
“But it’s true, Diana. You have to believe me. He even said he’d pay me ten thousand pounds a year to keep my mouth shut. But I knew you just had to know,” Vivian said in a louder voice, pushing herself onto her feet and coming towards Diana.
“Please, don’t turn your back on me,” she said.
“If she won’t, I will,” came a male voice, the women quickly looking to see who had come into the sitting room. Fitz stood in the doorway and then slowly came towards Diana, reaching his hand out towards her. She accepted his hand, and then turned back towards Vivian, who was quite shocked to see the Duke.
“The reason I know you are lying, Vivian, is because we spent the night together,” Diana said frankly. A small smirk appeared on Vivian’s lips then, sending a feeling of dread pulling in her belly.
“Then I shall tell everyone what dirty little thing you’ve done. I doubt Father would still agree to this marriage if he knew that his baby girl had been soiled before the wedding,” she said in a dark voice.
“Or perhaps your husband would like to know what you have just said about the Duke forcing himself upon you,” Diana spat back. “You accused the Duke of a serious crime, and such lies can be punished by the Royal Magistrate.”
Vivian paled, her plan obviously falling apart before her. She looked between Diana and Fitz, her eyes full of fear and pleading. It appeared as though Vivian was a very good actor, her life a constant stage.
“You have to help me, Diana. My life is so miserable, and my husband is actually quite poor. I despise the man when he spends more on his mistresses than me,” she said in a pathetic voice. Diana looked down at her fine gown, thinking there was no way that her husband could really be doing poorly when she always dressed in such fashions.
“There is nothing I can do for you, Vivian. But I will part with you with a particular warning. If you ever try to slander either me or my husband, I will ensure that you’re immediately sent to a mental hospital to be treated by the finest physicians in all of England. There, you won’t be able to do harm to anyone else, or yourself,” Diana said in a very stern tone. “And I suggest you dress in something a little more suitable for visiting the village.”
“I wouldn’t dare step foot in that dreadful place,” Vivian replied, turning her nose up at her.
“If you want to keep your reputation and your husband’s nose out of what you’ve just done, then I suggest that you hurry. I won’t have you ruining my wedding celebrations just because you are distasteful.” And with that, Diana turned away from Vivian and hurried out of the room with Fitz close behind her.
Diana’s chest heaved as she did her best to control her temper. For so long she’d been upset with her siblings, and now it seemed that Vivian had pushed her too far. It seemed that any woman desperate enough would throw themselves at Fitz if they thought he would be willing enough. Was this the type of thing that Diana would have to get used to, wayward married women thinking that Fitz could use a mistress?
“Are you alright?” Fitz asked in a soft voice as he caught up with Diana.
