Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"How was your day?" Mark's mother asked as she peered at him over the edge of her book.

"It was pleasant," Mark said. "Better than pleasant, actually."

"Eva was tired when she got home from your tea party yesterday," his mother said. "She went right to bed and slept through until morning."

"I know, I'm starting to think she likes Fairchild Manor more than she likes our home here," he joked.

His mother rested her book on her lap and eyed him closely.

"You never mentioned knowing Miss Fairchild before we went to the party. How did you make her acquaintance exactly?" she asked.

"She helped us with Spot one day in the park," he answered. "She was friendly and charming, and we all had an enjoyable afternoon together."

If he didn't know any better, he would have thought his mother had just rolled her eyes. She had turned her face away as if to hide it, so he couldn't be sure. But he knew his mother well enough to know that Diana was hardly the kind of woman she would approve of.

"Well, that surprises me, given how tedious that ball was," his mother said with a sigh.

"She had little to do with that, to be honest," Mark said. "She is vastly different from the family of hers that you met."

"You obviously know her better than I thought," she commented.

Mark was going to leave that conversation for another day, but his mother had upset him then. Her remarks towards Diana and her home were entirely unfounded, and he didn't want Eva to hear it.

More so, he didn't want Eva to learn the behaviours that his mother had picked up during her life of lavish living and high status.

"Well, I would like to court her," he said confidently.

"Court who?" his mother sighed, lifting her book again.

"Miss Fairchild, of course."

The book slipped from her hand and tumbled to the ground. His mother scowled at him as the corners of her mouth downturned.

"I hope you're joking," she snapped.

"Far from it," he answered. "In fact, I'm rather excited about it."

She was up from her seat then and walking towards him. He knew then that he was in trouble, which he had expected to be. But judging by the redness of her face, it was more trouble than he'd been in for a long time.

"No," she commanded. "I won't stand for it. She is certainly not right for my son."

"You don't know what's right for me," he argued. "You never have."

"Nonsense!" she cried. "I was the one who first got you married. If it weren't for that, you'd never have Eva."

"True," he agreed. "But Violet was an adulterer. Eva was the only good thing that came out of that marriage. In fact, the wife you chose for me then made my life miserable."

He knew he had insulted his mother then, but he needed her to back off. Mark was tired of his decisions constantly being made by other people. He wanted to take some control over his life, and he definitely didn't want to go through the same thing he'd experienced in his first marriage.

"She does nothing to strengthen this family name," his mother argued.

"Eva loves her," he said plainly. "And she would be a wonderful mother. To be honest with you, I enjoy her company. It's the best company I've had in years."

"She is pretending," his mother spat. "She's only after the status and the money."

"She doesn't need the money," Mark said. "And, if I'm honest, it took some convincing to get her to agree to a courtship anyway. So, I think you're wrong in that regard, too."

"I am never wrong. You mark my words."

His mother had started to pace then, entirely flustered by the news, which gave Mark a small kick. Arguing with his mother was nothing new. There was a time when they'd done it on a weekly basis. For a while, he'd been convinced that she enjoyed it.

"I've invited her for dinner tonight,' he explained. "Along with her friend Miss Dubois and Hugh."

"Oh, so it's a party," his mother sneered.

"I suppose," he said with a laugh. "I'm hoping you can get to know her better. And I do hope you'll at least try. I'm serious when I say I'm interested in her."

"She's not right for you," his mother said.

"I happen to think she is," he argued. "But more than that, I think she's right for Eva. It's not just about me anymore. What's right for Eva will always take preference."

Mark knew that his mother couldn't argue with him about that. It would make her look bad, and if there was one thing she was afraid of, it was looking bad.

"You could have asked me before you made these arrangements," she said as a final push to fight with him.

"I knew you wouldn't want to do it," he said with a smile. "So, I've already invited them, and they've already agreed to come."

"Alright then," she said. "Don't worry, I'll make sure the dinner is perfectly pleasurable for all of us. You'll see that she does not belong here."

"You can continue to argue with me, Mother," he said with finality. "But I feel I must remind you that there are other estates in our name, and I'd be happy to set you up there for the rest of your days so that Eva and I can live here in peace.

Mark didn't like threatening his mother, and judging by the look on her face, she didn't like being threatened either. But he felt it had to be done to prove to her just how serious he was about Diana. That was the hardest part of his day, and now it was over, and all he still had to do was get ready for the dinner and enjoy Diana's company once more.

*

Diana went to get ready for the dinner at Anna's house. The last thing she wanted was for her family to pry into her plans and do something to stop her or ruin it for her at the last minute.

As far as they were concerned, she had wanted some space and had arranged to stay at Anna's house for the night. If they found out about her and the duke courting, they would accuse her of trying to seduce him. Just as they had done with Viscount Starling.

Of course, they would have to find out about it eventually, but for as long as possible, she wanted to keep it to herself. That way, she could enjoy it the most.

"How are you and Mr Winterbourne getting along?" Diana asked with a smile.

"Well, I think," Anna said. "I don't know. How am I supposed to know?"

"Are you still enjoying his company?" Diana asked with a laugh.

"Yes."

"And is he enjoying your company?" Diana continued.

"I think so," Anna said. "But I can't be sure. Every time I think about it, I get so nervous that it makes me feel dizzy."

"Don't be like that." Diana laughed. "I'm sure he enjoys your company just as much as you enjoy his."

The dinner was important to Diana. She was going to meet his mother, and that would determine whether or not she would accept a courtship between her and Mark. Her father had always told her that the mother was an important figure, particularly when choosing a husband.

He had said that even the strongest relationships could be torn apart by an overbearing mother.

The women checked their appearances one last time before heading for the carriage. Diana wore a pale blue dress that night with silver jewellery. For the first time in a long time, she had bought a new dress for the occasion.

"You look beautiful," Anna said. "I still don't understand what you're hesitating about. The duke is such a good catch and you've been good in each other's company since you met."

"I don't know him well enough yet," Diana explained.

Soon, they had arrived at his home. It was a sprawling manor in perfect condition. The dowager duchess, the duke, and Mrs Ashburne all awaited her for a warm greeting. And, to her surprise, she met Lady Elizabeth and her parents there, too. Diana glanced at Mark's aunt and wondered how their introduction had gone since the last time they'd seen each other when Lady Elizabeth had been rather rude.

"It's so good to meet you," Diana said as politely as possible, knowing that she and Lady Elizabeth had not got off on the right foot at Jane's party.

They all sat down to enjoy dinner with each other. The conversation was interesting and enjoyable for the most part, but it changed whenever the dowager duchess or Lady Elizabeth got involved.

Diana could not ignore the tension that came from Dowager Duchess Blackwood towards her, and she did her best to try and win her over, but she feared she wasn't making much progress.

Still, she kept her back straight and her smile easy so that she appeared confident at all times.

"Did you see the art at Fairchild Manor, Mother?" the duke asked with a smile. "It really is all quite incredible. Some of that was done by our very own Miss Fairchild here."

"Lady Elizabeth can paint a gorgeous watercolour flower," the dowager duchess said. "You must let her show you sometime."

"That's true," Lady Elizabeth chimed in while her mother nodded. "I'd be more than happy to show you any time."

"She's been so good at it since she was a child," Lady Barker chimed in. "A real watercolour prodigy. And you should hear her play the piano! It's like something from a dream."

Diana had to stifle a chuckle. It was clear to her that his mother preferred Lady Elizabeth, and she didn't blame her. Lady Elizabeth had the right kind of status within society.

"I mean it," the duke pressed. "I've never seen anything like the art in Miss Fairchild's home. I could spend the entire day there admiring it all."

Lady Elizabeth's mouth pursed into a small pout. But she fixed it soon enough into a little smile. Her mother, on the other hand, had stopped smiling some time ago.

"Lady Elizabeth was just telling me yesterday about all the changes they're making to their home," the dowager duchess pressed on. "She's quite the homemaker. I mean, I haven't seen a more beautiful home."

"Nonsense," Lady Elizabeth said. "It can't be more beautiful than this one."

Diana caught Anna's eye as they both tried to stifle a laugh. She reached for her wine and used the glass to hide the smirk that had broken over her face.

"I'd be happy to host you this weekend," Lady Elizabeth said, her mother quickly agreeing to it.

"That would be wonderful!" the Duke of Essex added. "I've been wanting to do it for some time. It's so important to us that our families spend more time together."

"Unfortunately, I have plans this weekend," the Duke of Blackwood pressed.

"Surely you can move them or simply cancel?" the dowager duchess urged.

"I'm afraid not, but I'm sure the plans for all the changes at Barker Manor are just wonderful," the duke remarked.

Diana noted the disinterest in the duke's voice. Clearly, his mother had a favourite, and the duke did not share in that sentiment. Mr Winterbourne seemed supportive of Diana, which made her feel better.

It was good to see that the duke was willing to go up against his mother when she was pushing him like that. It meant that she had little control over him and his choices, which met the criteria her father had given her all those years ago.

Still, there was a lot of doubt in her mind. At the end of the day, she could not compete with a lady. The Duke and Duchess of Essex had status and significant sway. She had often read about them in the news.

Diana was nothing compared to them, and it made her more nervous than she'd been in a long time.