Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Colin's night was not going as expected. Not even in the slightest. The one woman he had been hoping to see at the table did not join them for dinner. So, rather than work his way into Diana's mind, he was stuck with her aunt and cousins, who spoke only of matters he had no interest in, and her uncle, who had a hard time holding his liquor despite his eagerness to consume it.

They'd hardly made it past the first course before Diana's uncle started slurring his speech. Already, a ring of food had fallen around his plate, and he interrupted the conversation with pointless and false facts about the government.

The night didn't have to be a complete waste, though. Colin could, at the very least, use the opportunity to get some information about Diana.

"It is a pity your cousin couldn't join us for dinner," he said. "Is Diana unwell?"

Her uncle scoffed. "Yes, sure," he said unconvincingly. "She's down with a bad temper."

"Jack," her aunt reprimanded him. Then she turned her frown into a polite smile. "She's had a rather difficult day. I'm sure that under different circumstances, she would have loved to join us."

He knew by the tone of her voice that Henriette was eager to put the conversation about Diana to an end. But Colin still needed his information, and he was tired of allowing them to lead the discussion.

So far it had consisted of nothing but gossip and stories about the one vacation they had taken in their lives. He didn't want to hear another story about the country.

"Does she often have difficult days?" he asked, feigning concern.

Jane rolled her eyes. "Every day with her is difficult, isn't it?"

"What exactly do you mean by that?" he asked.

There was no joy in Jane's face when she spoke of her cousin.

"She doesn't know how to have any fun!" Jane accused her cousin. "All she does is sit out in the garden and read. At her rate, she'll die alone, and I don't know if I can stand to bear witness to it."

Jane's younger sister, Emma, also had something to say about Diana.

"She has one friend," Emma explained. "The only one she's ever had since she was a child. Diana does not socialize or go out to parties. I swear, it's as if she hardly exists."

"Is she a busy woman then? That she does not socialize?" Colin asked.

Both women burst out laughing. "She has no need to work," Jane explained. "She's got more money than she knows what to do with. In fact, she does nothing with it at all. All her parents' hard work for nothing."

"Where are her parents?" Colin asked.

"Unfortunately they are not with us," Henriette explained. "It's rather sad, isn't it? They'll never see their daughter marry or be with child."

"That's if she ever marries," Jack said with a slur. "And with her attitude, I don't see that happening."

"Forgive them," Henriette tried to explain. "It's only … the reason Diana is so upset today is because I brought home a suitor for her, and she turned him away."

"A good man," Jack chimed in. "Turned on his heels and sent out the door! When will she realize that her options are limited?"

Colin didn't like what he was hearing. He had seen Diana and how she had saved that street urchin. There was much about her that was endearing and desirable, yet her family seemed to have little good to say about her.

It was clear that he would not get very far with her family when it came to getting to know Diana. And, while Colin enjoyed a chase, he didn't like to put in quite that much work. He still wanted to be desired in some way.

He liked the idea that Diana had other suitors knocking on her door. Usually that just made it more fun for him. Turned it all into a competition. And yet, her family was enough of a deterrent to make him wonder if he shouldn't just cut his losses and find someone else to chase.

*

Dear Miss Fairchild,

I am so pleased to have made your acquaintance at the park recently and would like to extend my gratitude for your help in rescuing Spot. Evangeline has not stopped speaking of you and would like to accept your invitation to a picnic. That is, of course, if the invitation still stands.

I hope that it does.

Let me know.

Kindest regards,

The Duke of Blackwood

Diana had read the letter at least three times, trailing the tips of her fingers over the official seal before she finally put it down. Part of her wanted to panic, while another part of her wanted to squeal with excitement. Even though she had hoped for a letter from him, she had not entirely expected it.

She sat at her large ebony desk as she tried to formulate a response. At an angle, her toes tapped against the balled foot of the desk leg, a habit she formed as a child that she'd never quite been able to kick. The foot itself had a scuff mark where her foot regularly tapped against it.

There was so much to consider as she thought about what she might say in response. Mostly, she had to think about her family and how she could enjoy a picnic with them without their interference or their attempts at spoiling her mood.

Diana would have preferred it if they had never known about her meeting with Mark at all. They had a habit of ruining good things for her, and she didn't want them to do the same with this.

But she also knew that she could not wait too long to respond, as she didn't want Mark to get the wrong idea. Most importantly, she didn't want Evangeline to get the wrong idea. It was, after all, an invitation to her and not to Mark. Finally, she decided not to think about it too long and to stick to facts.

Dear Duke of Blackwood,

I am so pleased to receive your letter. Of course, you are all welcome to have a picnic at my home with me. There is plenty for Evangeline to explore in the gardens. Let her bring her friend. Do make sure to bring Spot along with you, too.

On that note, I would like to request that Mr Winterbourne join us, and I will invite Anna. I am certain that she will be pleased to see him again.

Come Thursday. Bring only your good spirits and a hat.

Sincerely,

Diana Fairchild

She did not read the letter again out of fear that something might bother her, and she might later find herself surrounded by multiple versions of the same correspondence. Rather, she folded it and stuffed it in an envelope ready to be delivered to the Goldenthorn residence.

When Thursday came around, she was nervous. To her joy and surprise, her family had decided to leave for the day. Her cousin needed more supplies for the party, and Diana was more than happy, for the first time ever, for them to go out shopping. It would get her a few hours without them.

Anna checked her hair repeatedly and nervously as she bit her lip. Diana had known her since they were children and knew that it meant Anna was nervous.

"What's got into you?" Diana asked.

"Are you not nervous?" Anna asked.

Diana thought about it for a moment. In truth, she had expected to be more nervous than she was. But she wasn't nervous at all. In fact, everything seemed calm and precisely how it should be.

"Do I have a reason to be?" Diana asked.

Anna shook her head and checked her hair again. Diana knew her friend too well.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong, or am I going to have to draw it out of you? Because you know I will," Diana spoke.

Anna's shoulders slumped slightly. "My parents," she said. "They're putting pressure on me to be married. And they want me to marry that man they've chosen for me. I need to find someone else, and I'm hoping that Mr Winterbourne can be that. I don't know him very well, but I like what I do know. So, I'm nervous about it all."

"Ah," Diana said with a nod. "Well, being nervous is not a good way to catch a husband."

"Stop it," Anna said with a laugh.

There was no more time to contemplate any of it, though. Outside, she heard the sound of a carriage approaching. They were there, and she was more than ready for them.

"Let's go," Diana said with a wide smile while Anna's face only paled.

When they made it to the garden to greet their guests, Evangeline and her friend greeted them with their fingers wrapped tightly around two bunches of flowers. Spot jumped and leapt in greeting, too.

"These are for you two," Evangeline said with a wide smile.

Diana and Anna eagerly accepted the flowers. And, before they went down into the garden, Diana plucked a few flowers from the bunch and decorated the girls' hair with them.

"Don't they look lovely?" Hugh asked, but his eyes were constantly glancing in Anna's direction.

With that, it was time for the picnic to commence, and they made their way through the gardens. It was a perfectly sunny day that day, and everything was ready for them to enjoy the afternoon together.

The girls ran on ahead, excited about exploring a new place.

"You really know what they like," Mark said as he walked beside her.

It did not go unnoticed by Diana that Anna and Hugh had dropped back a couple of paces. She let them, hoping it would ease Anna's nerves and concerns.

"Look, Daddy!" Evangeline called, pointing. "Swans!"

At the bottom of the garden was a man-made pond built by Diana's father. He had always wanted to keep swans, and that was how he had imagined doing it. It had worked despite the enormous amount of work it took to keep it all going.

Beside the pond was a large tree that Diana used to climb as a child. There, she had laid out a blanket with a small table. There were sandwiches and cakes and cold refreshments waiting for them already.

Mark smiled. "Oh, this is going to be a topic of discussion for years to come," he said happily. "Evangeline is over the moon. As am I."

It was difficult not to blush then, but Diana simply allowed it. Something about Mark's presence made her feel at ease in her own skin. Everything about him was endearing to her, and as he walked, admiring her garden, she hoped that he would simply never leave.

Over the pond was a small bridge that the two girls made quick work of. There, Diana had placed a basket with some food they could use to feed the swans. It had been one of her favourite things to do when she was Evangeline's age.

When they caught up to the girls, she showed them how to throw the food. The swans glided over to them as the girls giggled with delight. The six of them fed the swans and watched the fish in the pond until they were hungry.

At which point, the adults sat down to enjoy a hearty lunch while the two young girls played on the lawn with Spot. For the first time in months, the property was filled with the sound of laughter and cheerful conversation.

To Diana, it was as if the entire world had fallen away. As if nothing bothered her anymore. They spoke about literature and new advancements in technology. They discussed theoretical concepts and the stars.

"So, you ever imagine what we must look like from up there?" the duke asked, pointing towards the skies.

"From the stars?" Diana asked.

He smiled. "Yes. I used to think about it sometimes as a child. We must be so small."

"That's a comforting thought, isn't it?" Diana responded. "That perhaps we are lucky enough to be insignificant after all."

"Is that what you want?" he asked with a puzzled look. "To be insignificant?"

"In a way," she answered. "I like to imagine a world where my choices aren't so important. It would certainly help me sleep better at night."

Diana laughed at herself then. She was a fool for thinking the duke would be interested in such thoughts.

"I hardly think a woman such as yourself could ever be insignificant," he said, his eyes fixated on her.

Diana felt something flare within her as she tried to glance away. It was a greater compliment than she'd ever received, and she didn't know how to respond. Thankfully, there were other people around to carry it out on her behalf, and the conversation continued.

It was the most riveting conversation Diana had enjoyed in a very long time, and she knew then that she was in trouble. Because when she looked at Mark, her gaze lingered a little too long, and her laugh bubbled up a little too loudly.