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Searching the strong boxes on the desk yielded nothing, and Diana moved to a chest of drawers that stood against a wall and just beside a small bookshelf. With one ear listening beyond the study, she carefully searched the drawers, finding nothing except a chain with several keys attached. One of the keys hadstudylabeled on it.
She assumed that was the key to the study and removed it so she could lock the door when she was through with her search. She had just finished with the last drawer when something on the bookshelf caught her eye; an ornamental box that looked like it could hold anything precious. Since it was on the topmost shelf, she had to pick up an ottoman from the sitting area to reach it.
As predicted, there were banknotes in the box, and Diana sat on the ottoman and counted them. Instead of counting five thousand pounds, she counted only three. Florence’s dowry was only two thousand pounds, which told Diana that her aunt had spent both her dowry and Florence’s. She also did not think Margaret would keep both their dowries in the same place.
This angered Diana more than anything else, and she took all the notes to prevent her aunt from stealing more of her dowry. A sound came from outside the study, and she hastily put the box back, then returned the ottoman before snuffing the light in her lantern out. She waited for several minutes before letting herself out of the study and locking it.
Diana waited until the sun had dipped beyond the horizon before she covered herself with a dark blue cloak and slipped out of the house to meet Crawford. She had asked Abigail to help her earlier, and a horse had already been saddled for her when she reached the stables.
She rode swiftly to the place he had asked to meet, passing the woods that led to the lake Matthew had mentioned many times in his letters as a place he sought solace when his father’s melancholy was too much for him to bear. She was tempted to linger, perhaps even venture into the woods, but refused to allow herself to.
She found Crawford in the wooded part of the park. There was hardly anyone out at this time… Well, hardly anyone who was likely to recognize her.
“Ah, there she is,” Crawford said when he saw her approach. “I was beginning to think you were not coming.”
“I am sure you wished that so you could devise other means of tormenting me,” she said as she dismounted.
He laughed. “You are very clever, Diana. I almost think you can read my thoughts. We truly are of one mind, it is a shame it has come to this, really.”
She clenched her teeth and reached into her reticule to retrieve a fifty-pound note, then offered it to him. Crawford’s eyes held a mercenary glint as he snatched it from her hand, but the corners of his mouth tightened when he looked at it.
“Is this all you brought?” he asked, his voice filled with disdain.
“It is all I have,” she responded.
“I do not believe that.” He glared down at her, shaking the note. “What do you want me to do with fifty pounds.”
“Fifty pounds is a lot of money, Crawford,” she bit out.
“I am a Baron,” he scoffed. “This is nothing to me.”
That reminded her of what she had heard her aunt say to Mr. Larson. “Yet you demand it.” She held her chin up, refusing to be intimidated by him.
He glanced down at the money, then back at her before he chuckled darkly. “I see you do not want my silence.”
“That is all I have,” she protested stiffly, her former confidence abraded by the prospect of him asking for more money. “Have you forgotten that I am living like an exiled person because of what you did?”
“WhatIdid?” He raised his brows and pointed at himself in mock surprise. “Everything that happened that night is your fault. If you had not dressed like a vulgar hussy and batted those lashes at me, I would have been able to restrain myself.”
Diana knew he was blaming her so he could manipulate her, and she did not dignify his remark with a response, saying instead, “I do not have any more money to give you.”
“Then steal it!” He bared his teeth as though he would snarl at her.
Diana retreated from him, shaking her head. “You cannot mean that.”
“Oh, I do.” His steps toward her were menacing. “If I do not receive more, I will march straight to Kendall and inform the duke of a piece of on-dit I came about that might be useful to him. You think I do not see the longing glances you give him?”
This was exactly what Diana had been trying to prevent, and now that he knew some of what she felt for Matthew, she was in more danger than she thought. His smile faded as he looked at her, and his brows knit as though he had some concern for her.
“Oh, my dear Diana, I did not mean to frighten you so.” He took a step toward her, and she took hold of the bridle of her horse, preparing to flee, or at least have the horse between them, although she was not sure how that would help her. “I understand if you do not have any more money,” he continued, his eyes slowly descending from her face to her chest. “We could come to another arrangement.”
“Never!” she spat, and Crawford laughed.
“Only two things can save you now.” His expression turned ominous. “You will give me money when I ask for it, or you will give me yourself. Do you understand me?”
Diana did not answer him. Instead, she quickly mounted her horse, steered it around, and galloped away from him. Tears gathered in her eyes, blurring her vision, and she cursed and blinked them away. She will not waste her tears on a blackguard, but she was also rather helpless.
Chapter 17
