Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The night ended, and Mark felt as if he'd hardly had any time to even speak with Diana. There hadn't been a single conversation that his mother or Lady Elizabeth and her family didn't ambush with their own agenda.

He didn't know that his mother had invited the Barker family until just a few minutes before their arrival. And he knew his mother had left it that late on purpose, knowing that he would have cancelled or fought with her about it.

By the time Diana had left, it felt as if she had only just arrived. There had been no chance for him to get a moment to speak with her alone. That made the dinner a great failure for him.

Worse still, it had been clear the entire night that Lady Elizabeth was the preferred woman for his mother, and he was certain that Diana had picked up on it. Mark needed to make things right before Diana was pushed away from him.

Just the thought of that angered him.

His mother didn't understand.

When Lady Elizabeth was around, Eva yawned and fiddled with stuff. His daughter's eyes would glaze over with boredom when Lady Elizabeth visited because she paid her hardly any attention.

When plans were made with Diana, Eva would be excited days in advance. And whenever they were separated, she begged her father for when they could see each other again.

That was the biggest difference. Things were happy when Diana was involved. When it was Lady Elizabeth, time seemed to drag.

As soon as morning rolled around, Mark sat to write a note with the idea of making things right.

Dear Miss Fairchild,

Thank you so much for joining me for dinner at my home last night. I fear the night did not go as I had anticipated. I spent far too little time in your company. To make that right, I would like to invite you for a walk on the promenade with me and Evangeline this evening.

The park is simply beautiful this time of year.

Warmest regards, The Duke of Blackwood

*

The note had arrived and served as a breath of relief after an unexpected visitor had turned up at her door. To make things worse, it seemed he was there to see her. Viscount Starling had arrived with a large bunch of flowers and a plate of cakes.

This time, none of the other women received flowers. Diana had been closing her eyes and taking a deep breath when the note arrived from the Duke of Blackwood. Whatever the problem was, she had to deal with it then.

"Just go in there and speak with him," her uncle pressed as he joined her for a moment in the kitchen.

"I don't know him," she argued. "Why is he here in the first place?"

"Well, your aunt prefers Mr Hoover as a potential suitor for you. But I think Lord Starling is a perfect choice. You know you can't avoid marriage forever," her uncle argued.

Diana knew why her aunt preferred Mr Hoover as a suitor. He was far more malleable than any other suitor around. If he were to marry Diana, her aunt would never have to ask to spend a single cent of her pennies again. Mr Hoover would merely let her have it to avoid conflict. Of that, Diana was certain.

"I'm not interested," Diana said coldly.

"You've barely got to know him," her uncle argued. "He's here, and he's brought you the flowers and cakes. The least you could do is have some tea with him."

Diana sighed. "Alright, but one cup, and then he goes," she said sternly.

She followed her uncle back to the parlour where tea already awaited them. Her aunt and Lord Starling were already deep in conversation. Lord Starling got up to greet her as she entered the room and sat down for tea.

"Thank you for the flowers," Diana said politely. "They're beautiful."

"They made me think of you," he said with a smile.

Whatever smile her aunt had been wearing before fell away then. Without the viscount noticing, she scowled in Diana's direction.

"Henriette," her uncle said. "Would you help me with these cakes, please? I can't find the platter."

He winked in Lord Starling's direction, which did not go unnoticed by her already very displeased aunt. Diana knew well enough that her uncle was trying to get her and the viscount in the room alone together.

Diana shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she watched them leave. She took a sip of tea, hoping it would provide her with a reason not to speak.

"How are you?" Lord Starling asked.

"Just fine," she answered. "I've been pretty busy."

"You could use some help around here," he offered.

"I enjoy it," she said.

She was trying to make sure that she did not add to the conversation too much. Her hope was that the viscount would find her boring and never bother her again. But when he smiled at her, she had an idea that it wasn't working.

"You're a hard worker?" he asked.

Diana nodded as she took another sip of tea.

"You strike me more as a lady of leisure," he said, amused. "That's supposed to keep you young."

Diana stared at him blankly. Was that meant to be a compliment or an insult? She wasn't entirely sure. Either way, she didn't like it one bit.

"My father taught me everything I need to know to do it all," she explained. "It's not as if it's difficult."

Lord Starling broke into a wide smile then. "I knew there was something special about you," he said softly.

She bit her tongue to stop herself from pulling a face. Still, she was sure it was clear to him that he didn't amuse her. Lord Starling moved to the edge of his seat then.

"Miss Fairchild, I have come here with a specific purpose in mind," he confessed.

"Oh?" she asked, pretending to be surprised.

"It really struck me when you ran into the street to save that street urchin," he said with a smile. "That really was something special."

"That was what had to be done," she said sternly. "Otherwise, that child might have been killed or badly injured."

"Of course," he said, sounding somewhat defeated."

"I like to think I'm not the only person who had that idea," she said. "And that I was just the first person to get to him."

Lord Starling nodded and then let out a short sigh.

"I'll get straight to it then," he said. "I'm interested in you, Miss Fairchild, and I would like to court you."

Her stomach flipped. She knew that, logically, it was a good offer. If she looked at it from the surface, it made sense. He was a man of status and could elevate her family name. He was a handsome man, too, according to Jane.

But that was just the problem. He could be all those things for Jane, who was actually interested in him. Diana was not that person. Only one man had ever captured her attention enough to make her consider marriage. And his note was tucked away in her dress.

"I am flattered," she started.

She had not yet finished her sentence, but Lord Starling smiled as if he'd won her over.

"But I'm afraid I'm not interested," she continued. "There's nothing wrong with you. I just think you should court someone who's interested in you. You're a good man, and anybody would be lucky to have you. I just don't think we're a good match."

Lord Starling let out a surprised chuckle. "You've hardly given me a chance to change your mind."

Diana smiled kindly at him. "Trust me when I say that I am not the woman for you," she said. "I'm sorry."

Lord Starling got up from his seat and straightened his jacket. His demeanour had changed completely then. There was no charming smile on his face. He seemed cold and irritated by her. Diana didn't care.

"I can't say I'm not upset," he commented. "But do believe me when I say that I have not given up on you."

As soon as Lord Starling was out of the door, she let out a sigh of relief.

"What is wrong with you?" her uncle asked, flying into the room. "That was a good offer. You must be mad."

"I don't like him," she said with a shrug. "This is my decision. Might I remind you that you are not my father? While I'm pleased to know you care about me, this is my choice, and I am not interested in him."

Her uncle shook his head as he made his way to the drink cabinet. Diana was in no mood to fight with them about it so she retreated to her study. There, she pried the duke's note out of her dress and read it again.

It put a smile on her face. Their dinner had been a rough one when it came to the other guests who were there, but he still wanted to see her again, and that instilled some pride in her.

She penned her response.

Dear Duke of Blackwood,

The dinner was perfectly pleasant. Regardless of the time spent together, it is always enjoyable to be in your company. I will happily accept your invitation to walk with you and Eva. It will be the highlight of my day.

Kindest regards,

Miss Fairchild

She sent it off without consulting her aunt and uncle. They weren't her parents, so she had no need to. But they had also proven to her that they did not have her best interests in mind. They had only their own interests in mind.

With that, she prepared for her walk later that day, eager to turn her bad mood into a better one.

*

Jane had been listening since the moment she had heard Lord Starling's voice downstairs. But it had resulted in the most anger she'd ever felt in her life. As soon as Lord Starling had left, Jane marched to find her mother.

"How dare you let that happen?" she asked as tears burned behind her eyes.

"Don't look at me," her mother said. "Your father set up that arrangement. As far as I know, though, Diana has turned him away."

"She's making a fool out of us," Jane snapped. "You both know I want to marry him. You promised me a life of status if I put up with Diana and her antics."

"I'm doing my best," her mother sighed.

"Do something!" Jane cried out. "Make Lord Starling turn his attention back to me. She's ruining everything."

"I don't know what to do," her mother said with a shrug. "Mr Hoover is the perfect husband for her, and he's already agreed to give us full access to her money if they marry."

Jane sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Then we need to make sure that he's her only option. I'm not losing to her."

"What do you suppose we do?" her mother asked. "She is as stubborn as her father was."

"Reputation is everything in this life, and so far, Diana's reputation is far better than she deserves," Jane stated. "So let's ruin it."

"And how would you recommend we do that?" her mother asked with a smirk.

"We need to force her into a scandalous position until Mr Hoover becomes her only option," Jane suggested. "I might have an idea."

Her mother smiled. "Do what you must. As I said, I will make sure our lives are changed and we get what we deserve."

Jane nodded and smiled. "I think I can pull it off," she said. "I will trap her into a marriage that works for us. She will regret ever treating me this way."

She retreated to her room to work on her plan as her hatred towards Diana grew stronger.