Joan Wolf - His Lordship's Desire

“It was nice of you, Sal,” he said soberly. “Not every girl would want to be compared to Diana.” He turned his head and smiled at her. “But you have turned into a very beautiful girl, yourself.”

Sally blushed. “Thank you, Alex. My only real worry is that Mama said that Diana’s lack of money would limit the number of men who would ask for her.”

Alex felt a little relieved by this assessment. The fewer rivals he had, the better.

Sally shook her head. “I don’t agree with Mama, though. I think Diana has a very good chance of catching a rich man who won’t need her money. She is so very beautiful, you know. And besides that, she’s fun.”

Alex frowned.

“You used to be such good friends,” Sally continued. “Then you went off to war and she hardly mentioned your name the whole time you were gone. And now that you’re home, you still don’t talk.”

“She was angry with me for joining the army,” Alex said stiffly. He was staring straight ahead, over his horses’ backs. “I hardly think I should be punished for serving my country.”

“I think it’s because of her father,” Sally mused. “She never forgave him for going away and leaving her and her mother. Life hasn’t been easy for them, Alex. If it wasn’t for Mama, I don’t know what would have become of them.”

“He was a soldier,” Alex said. “He had to follow orders.”

“Yes. That’s precisely why Diana doesn’t like soldiers.” She put a brief hand on his knee. “Give her time, Alex. She’ll get over her anger once she gets used to having you around again.”

“Hmmph,” Alex said.

“I have to confess that I’m a little nervous about this come-out business,” Sally said.

They were crossing over a wooden bridge and the horses’ hooves thudded hollowly on the boards. “Why?” he said with surprise. “You’ll be one of the belles of the season, Sal. You’re so pretty and you’re the daughter—well, I suppose you’re now the sister—of the Earl of Standish. The Devizes are one of the best families in the country. Men will be lining up to marry you.”

“But what if I don’t love anybody, Alex? I don’t want to get married just for the sake of getting married. I want to marry a man I love!”

He tapped one of the horses lightly on the flank to encourage him to move up. “There’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “No one will try to push you into a marriage you don’t like, Sal. If you don’t meet anybody this season, then you can come back next year and try again.”

She gave him a smile of relief. “I’m glad to hear you say that,” she said. “Mama sounds so determined to push me off…”

“All mothers want brilliant matches for their daughters. But if you want to hold out for love, you do that, Sal.”

She straightened her shoulders. “I will,” she said.

Diana had never been to London, and she stared out the window as the carriage rolled along the busy streets of the nation’s capital. There was so much traffic! And noise! And dirt! She was used to her quiet little corner of Berkshire; London was a big change.

The Devizes’ London residence was a solid, substantial house made of brown brick and red dressing, like many of the other houses on the fashionable Grosvenor Square. The family and servants piled out of the coaches and phaeton and Diana stretched her legs and her back as she stood on the pavement outside the front door of the house. She was not accustomed to sitting still for such a long period of time and she felt like taking a nice brisk walk to loosen up her muscles. But the rest of the family was already moving toward the front door, and she followed.

Alex, Lady Standish, Sally, Mrs. Sherwood and Diana all trooped into the green marble entrance hall. The housekeeper came running to welcome Lady Standish and while the two women were talking, Diana peered into a small anteroom set off by round columns that opened off the right side of the entrance hall. The floor of the anteroom was done in black and white squares of marble and there was a portrait of a man in a white wig hung over the alabaster fireplace.

Henrys now came in the front door and Lady Standish presented the butler to Mrs. Daughtry, the housekeeper, as if she was presenting royalty. Henrys was followed by the cook, Monsieur Lapierre, who was presented as if he were God.

Mrs. Daughtry volunteered to show Henrys and Lapierre to their respective domains but Lady Standish said that the family would establish themselves without assistance.

“Let us all go to our bedrooms first,” Lady Standish said. “I think we need to freshen up.”

“Good idea, Mama,” Alex said, and Diana found herself following everyone down the passage to the great curving staircase. The staircase was painted white, with a polished wood railing, and in the roof above the third story was a large window, which allowed for natural illumination during the day.

The bedrooms were on the third floor, except for the master bedroom suite. When they had reached the second floor, Lady Standish said, “Alex, you should have the earl’s bedroom now.”

He looked a little uncomfortable. “It is not necessary for you to vacate it, Mama,” he said. “I don’t want to push you out of your room.”

“No, I want you to have it,” she insisted. “It is the right thing to do and I shall be perfectly happy in the yellow bedroom. It has a dressing room attached and is exceedingly comfortable.”

He stood for a moment looking at her and frowning.

“I mean it,” Lady Standish said firmly. “You must take your proper place both in the family and in society. The master bedroom is yours.”

“Well…” Alex said slowly. “If you are sure.”

“I am very sure.”

Alex nodded and went off through the second-floor drawing room while the rest of them climbed the stairs to the third floor. Lady Standish opened the first door that was on their left and said to Diana, “This will be your room, dear. Servants will be coming shortly with water for you to wash up.”

“Thank you, Cousin Amelia,” Diana said, and walked into the largest bedroom she had ever occupied. It had blue-painted walls, a white stucco fireplace and a blue Turkish rug on the floor. The bed was large and hung with blue draperies, and a comfortable-looking upholstered chair was pulled up in front of the fireplace. There were two windows set high in the walls so they could let light in over the top of the building next door.

Diana thought of her closet-size bedroom at home. My goodness, but she had come up in the world!

She was still staring around her when a knock came at the door and her mother came in. “I am right next door,” she said. “Aren’t these beautiful rooms?”

“They’re wonderful,” Diana said. “This one even has its own watercloset!”

“So does mine,” Mrs. Sherwood said with a smile.

Diana sat on the bed. “This almost seems too good to be true. Cousin Amelia is like a fairy godmother, doing this for me.”

Mrs. Sherwood went over to look at a pretty china statue of a shepherdess that reposed on a table along the wall. “It is amazingly generous of her,” she agreed. “But then she has always been so good to us.”

“She’s never spent so much money on us before.” Diana looked at her mother, who was still examining the delicate figurine. “It’s really Alex’s money she’s using, isn’t it?” she said abruptly. “If the earl was alive, she wouldn’t be doing this.”

Mrs. Sherwood turned to face her daughter. “I don’t know where the money is coming from, my love. But if it is Alex’s, he certainly has put forward no objections.”

Diana’s jaw set. “I hate to be beholden to Alex.”