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Chapter Forty
“I…” Thomas started.
His words died in his throat, like water in a desert. He hadn’t the first idea what he’d intended to say to begin with. How could he possibly explain his presence here?
Lady Diana, to her credit, looked just as stunned behind the tightness of her eyes, like she didn’t know what to do with him either. The servants passing back and forth carrying decorations and gardening supplies slowed, exchanging none-too-subtle, confused glances.
“Follow me, please,” Lady Diana told Thomas at last, her voice shaking slightly.
Thomas had no choice but to do so. She led him into the house and through the ornately decorated halls until they reached the drawing room. The servants preparing for the ball in here stopped what they were doing upon Lady Diana’s entrance. Thomas could fairly easily guess what was going on in their minds: here he was, an unannounced gentleman, and Lady Diana was without a chaperone.
“Leave us, if you please,” Lady Diana said. Then, after a minute, she added, “I’m afraid that was not a suggestion.”
With that, the servants did not linger further. They left the room silently, their eyes on the ground. Thomas shifted his weight, wondering if the best course of action was not to turn and follow them, and hopefully flee from the house before things could go even further amiss.
“I…should go,” said Thomas, finding the words he’d meant to say before at long last.
“No, I don’t think that’s correct,” said Lady Diana. Her voice was still shaking slightly. It seemed as though she was doing everything she could to mimic the authority more easily wielded by her mother or father, such a way of carrying herself was evidently still a new practice.
“What do you mean?” Thomas asked, deciding to get more information rather than digging himself any further into a hole.
“You’re the Duke of Elvington, correct?” Lady Diana asked. “I remember you from Almack’s ball. You danced with my sister.”
Thomas probably should not have been surprised that she would recognize him.
“I am,” he admitted, still hovering on the threshold of the drawing room, where the door remained agape.
Lady Diana drew herself up. “Since your presence here today was not introduced—I would have been informed of your visitation, considering both the Duke and Duchess are out—I can only assume you are here to visit Evelina.” Lady Diana gave him a shrewd, slightly uneasy look. “Is she expecting you?”
Thomas knew he had to be very, very careful with his answer. For one, he did not know what Lady Diana knew of himself and Lady Evelina’s relationship. Would she be willing to cover for them? Supposedly, otherwise why wouldn’t she have exposed Thomas already?
Yet…the way she was holding herself distinctly suggested she had not made up her mind about him just yet.
“Tonight is Lady Evelina’s engagement ball.” Thomas said, deciding that it would be in his best interests right now to simply be honest. He looked at the floor. “I did not know of this until just now. I…fear I have made a grievous mistake. I do not want to lose her.”
Thomas glanced back up, anxious over Lady Diana’s reaction. She still looked rather uncertain. “As I heard it, my sister and yourself had already… parted ways, shall we say. On rather poor terms.”
“It would seem that way. But my hope is to convince her that parting as we did was a mistake.” Thomas could not keep the depths of his passion concealed. He wished he could spell out everything he was thinking—that while he still did not know for certain whether or not the Duke of Alderleaf was behind his father’s murder, the one thing he did know was that he loved Lady Evelina—but he was uncertain what all Lady Diana was aware of regarding the situation. He settled for the next best sentiment. “I would do anything for her, against all odds. I know I said some awful things. All I ask for is the opportunity to ask her forgiveness.Please, My Lady.”
Lady Diana was quiet, scrutinizing, for a long moment. Thomas was suddenly certain that she was about to call for the guards, or whoever, to escort him out of the house with instructions to never return. It was honestly a small blessing the Duke of Alderleaf himself was absent for the afternoon.
“You know she is betrothed to another,” Lady Diana said at last. “And my sister is not the sort to break her word.”
“That is in part why I care so deeply for her.”
“Yet you would ask her to go back on her vows?”
Thomas, perhaps stupidly bold, said, “Have vows been made as of yet? I was under the impression that this ball was meant merely to announce herintentionto wed.”
“You would put her at risk for great social disgrace,” said Lady Diana, her voice almost pleading, as though on the verge of giving in, despite her better judgement. “I implore you to ask yourself, Your Grace, whether your current actions are truly in her best interest…or your own.”
That stopped Thomas up short.
He had not meant to run into Lady Diana, or anyone else in the household. But he was not so stupid as to not know it was a risk. Lady Evelina had been so careful, when they’d twice met each other in secret. It did seem rather dastardly of him to be charging into her home, the day of her engagement ball, no less, demanding that she direct her attentions toward him…when so much was at stake regarding her reputation and overall social standing,
Thomas’ shoulders slumped. “I understand what you are saying, Lady Diana. Perhaps…perhaps my behavior has been too rash. I would never want to put Lady Evelina in any sort of difficult predicament.”
Lady Diana’s frown deepened at that, as if she was thinking,too late.
