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Emma smiled and gently took her arm. “Come, perhaps some sugar plums would restore your spirits.”
They went to a sweetmeats shop and spent a while there, trapped in the pool of variety around them, before deciding to have at least one of each kind.
Much later, when the sun began to set, they made their way back to Margaret’s house because Emma had been invited by Margaret to have dinner with them. Some distance away from the house, they saw a horseman, and he appeared to be leaving.
Diana wondered who he was, and she was both surprised and puzzled when he dismounted and walked up to them. He greeted them cordially before asking Diana, “May I have a moment, Miss?”
Emma smiled at her and left them to continue toward the house, while Diana regarded the stranger cautiously. “Have we met before?”
“I do not believe so.” His demeanor was amiable, which allowed Diana to be calmer. “Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I aim to be discreet. My name is John Glover, and I am the Duke of Stormwood’s valet. I have a message for you.”
“Oh.” A flutter began at the base of her belly, and her heart leaped with anticipation.
Chapter 19
“Where is the message?” Diana asked when Glover did not proffer any missive.
“It is a verbal message, Miss. The Duke sent you a note and when he did not receive a response, he decided to send me to ensure you respond,” he explained.
Diana’s brows knit. “I did not receive anything from him.”
This raised Glover’s brows. “You did not… How curious.”
“What is the message?” She was eager to know what Matthew had to tell her.
“He wants you to meet him where the willows dance, and that you may choose the time.”
Diana was caught once more between yearning and denying herself, and she told herself to simply decide without thinking. “Tomorrow,” she said. “Tell him I will be there tomorrow afternoon at three.”
“I will.” Glover smiled at her.
Now that I have accepted, I cannot go back on it,she silently told herself before returning her attention to Glover. “May I ask why you wanted to be discreet?”
“The Duke asked me to ensure that nothing would prevent you from meeting him if your answer is in the affirmative.”
“I see.” Matthew’s consideration pleased her.
“I shall leave you now. Do have a good evening, Miss,” Glover said and bowed again before returning to his horse.
Diana pressed a hand to her belly to calm the flutters there. She had tried not to think about Matthew’s silence after he left them at the theater but now she allowed herself to, and hearing that he had written to her warmed a very tender place within her. She suspected her aunt or Florence had intercepted the message. Why had neither of them confronted her, though?
She walked the rest of the way to the house and joined Emma and Florence in the drawing room where her cousin was pretending to be sweet and cordial.
Margaret walked in just then, announcing, “I have invited Baron Crawford to have dinner with us this evening.”
Diana and Emma exchanged a glance, and Diana could see that Emma was a little nervous. However, she could not tell what sort of nervousness it was, whether anticipation or wariness.
“Did you have a good shopping trip?” Margaret asked both Diana and Emma.
“Oh, we had a most pleasant time.” Emma smiled.
“Indeed,” Diana murmured and offered for Emma to go up to her bedchamber to dress for dinner. She was quite sure that Margaret was playing a game by inviting Crawford to have dinner with them, and she advised herself to be more on guard now.
As Diana was closing the door when they entered her bedchamber, Emma rushed to the easel by the window to look at the watercolor that sat there. “Is this Kendall Castle?” she asked.
“It is,” Diana replied with a slight smile. “I have been working on it for days now. There are some parts that I would need to see the castle again to paint.”
“You could go to the castle to finish the painting. I am sure Stormwood would be more than pleased if he could see what you’ve done.” Emma traced the charcoal outline of the western part of the building. “You have a great talent, Diana.”
