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She still could not tell him now that her place was secure because her fears had not completely vanished. Her father could deny them the consent they needed to marry, and although that would merely delay their nuptials, Diana wanted to wait before declaring what lay concealed in her heart.
Her mother took her hand. “And does he love you?”
“Yes,” she replied. Diana believed Matthew loved her, for he had shown it in many many ways, and perhaps he was waiting as she was.
“Then I am very happy for you,” Helen said. “Love in a marriage is…” Her eyes glazed as she paused. “It is very important.”
“Yes,” Diana agreed.
Helen smiled. “Well, I do not wish to keep you here too long.”
Nodding, Diana stood, thinking that this was the longest conversation she had ever had with her mother. It was a pity, but she hoped this time they had spent together was a step in the right direction. Or was she being a fool for hoping there was a chance she would be embraced by her parents?
“I look forward to meeting the duke,” Helen added, and Diana responded with a smile before curtsying and leaving.
As she stepped out into the hallway and closed the door, a footman at the other end of the hall approached her. Bowing, he handed her a sealed note, saying, “From His Grace, Miss.”
Her heart gave a little flutter of delight and she began to open it, walking as she did.
My darling, I hope we can go for a ride this afternoon. Will you meet me in the stables within the hour? I would like some time to ourselves before I am to meet your family. —Matthew.
Grinning, Diana hurried to her bedchamber and rang for a maid to help her change into a riding habit. A short while later, she made her way out of the castle to the stables, happy that Matthew was drawing her away from theinterestingafternoon she’d had.
Her exploring spirit made her exit the castle through one of the doors in the rear, and there was a slight buoyancy in her step that matched her spirits as she walked to the stables. No one who saw her now would think she had injured her foot days ago.
She had never been to the stables before but it was quieter than she expected. There was no one in sight except a stable hand—a youth—saddling a horse. When he saw her, he smiled and bowed, walking a bay Arabian mare toward her.
“His Grace asked me to saddle this horse for you.”
“Where is he?” she asked, looking around at the rows of stalls and the horses poking their curious heads from within.
“He will be with you shortly, Miss,” the stable hand said.
Diana nodded and smiled at the pretty mare, reaching to stroke its crest with her gloved hand. The stable hand left her alone with the mare, but she did not mind because the creature was positively adorable.
She was wishing she had brought an apple with her for the horse when she heard footsteps behind her, and she turned with a broad smile, her heart stuttering with excitement at the thought of seeing Matthew. But the person approaching her was not Matthew.
He was wearing a dark cloak that should not be worn in the summer, which concealed half of his face, and he carried a foreboding air that chilled her blood. The mare grew restless behind her, further alarming Diana, and as she started to retreat, the man caught her arm and quickly pressed something to her face.
Diana kicked his shins and pounded a fist against his chest, but the sweet scent that was quickly filling her nose clouded her senses with a fog. Her vision blurred, and her body weakened, but she still struggled, screaming within when she was deprived of the ability to do so without.
The fog overtook her, and with more terror than she had ever felt before, she succumbed to the darkness that followed.
Chapter 35
Matthew dismounted in front of the castle and handed the reins to Glover, his disposition foul. Today’s search had been as fruitless as all the others even though he had left the castle at dawn after Foster informed him that he had spied the intruder in Kendall’s perimeter late last night.
He had wanted to be present when Diana’s parents arrived so she would not have to meet them alone after two years, but it would appear he had missed it because McGill told him of their arrival as soon as he walked through the doors.
“His Lordship is in the red drawing-room, Your Grace, and Her Ladyship is resting,” McGill finished.
“Where is Miss Pearson?” Matthew asked, walking toward the drawing room.
“On one of the upper floors, I believe, Your Grace.”
Matthew changed course and decided to find Diana first. He had taken the first step up the stairs when he saw Emma coming down.
“Where is Diana?” he asked.
