There was a glint in Tristan’s eye as he spoke and Diana could not help but enjoy the moment, as they walked together acrossthe rose garden and saw a stack of enveloped neatly piled up underneath the rose bush, which did truly stand out from all the others due to its notable lack of flowers.
She looked a little more closely, though, and spotted, deep within the leaves of the bush, the tiniest bud, that was just beginning to bloom.
“Look!” she said excitedly, before remembering the situation she was in, and who she was with. She took a breath, and tried to calm herself down.
Tristan, at her side, let out a gasp. “You know what this means, Lady Diana?”
She shook her head. “It is just a fairy tale,” she said dismissively.
“No, it is not,” Tristan said firmly. “It is true, my grandmother swears to it. You will have good fortune, whether you believe it or not.”
She shrugged. “You are talking nonsense as usual, My Lord. We should concentrate on the next clue, before the other teams catch up with us.”
“You are right, as always, My Lady,” Tristan said smoothly, handing her an envelope.
“It says, “In the hall of portraits, where history sleeps, seek the one whose gaze forever keeps,” Diana said. “I have no idea what that could mean.”
Tristan frowned and thought for a moment. “I am not sure either. Let us walk back to the house together and to the portrait gallery, and see if we can make sense of it when we get there.”
Diana glanced towards the bench, where Lord Banbury sat, his head lolled to one side and his eyes closed. The man was clearly fast asleep, his indulgences of the morning finally catching up with him.
“What shall we do about him?” she asked.
“I think we had better leave him where he is, don’t you?”
“I agree, My Lord,” Diana replied. “Is he always like this?”
“Sadly so,” Tristan said. “I think that perhaps I should not have invited him after all, but he can do no harm asleep out here.” They fell into step together and headed back towards the house.
The sun was high in the sky now, casting a warm glow over the sprawling gardens of the estate. Birds chirped merrily, their songs mingling with the laughter of guests enjoying the treasure hunt. Diana felt herself beginning to relax. Now there was an opportunity to try to find out more about the earl, and she felt ready to seize it.
“Someone mentioned to me your travels on the continent, My Lord,” she ventured. “Have you visited many different countries?”
Tristan turned to her, a spark of interest igniting in his eyes. “Ah, my dear Lady Diana, that is a question I relish! I have seen the sun rise over the pyramids of Egypt, felt the cool breeze of the Mediterranean Sea, and wandered through the cobblestone streets of Paris, where every corner reveals a hidden gem. And I have been lucky enough to be able to indulge in my fondness for painting, too, in many of these beautiful places.
Diana leaned in, her curiosity piqued. “It sounds enchanting. I have always wanted to see the world beyond our little corner of England,” she confessed, her voice tinged with a wistful note.
“Then you must! There is so much to experience. The world is vast and beautiful, and I am sure that you would thrive in it,” Tristan encouraged, his gaze intense yet sincere.
“It is much easier for a gentleman, though,” Diana said. “A young lady cannot travel alone. Or it would be a most singular choice, in any case.”
“And what about your sister, does she have dreams of traveling?”
Diana tried not to feel a pang of disappointment that Tristan had brought the conversation back to Grace, but then she reminded herself of the reality of the situation.
She pondered for a moment. The truth was that Grace was a homebody, and she could not imagine that she would want to venture very far from home. But she was interested in history and art, and no doubt there would be much common ground between her and the earl, if they were to discuss such matters.
“My sister has not had much opportunity to travel,” Diana replied. “But she is very interested in the world and all its wonders. You should tell her all about your travels, when you have the chance. And I am sure that she would love to see some of your paintings.
Tristan nodded, looking at her a little strangely. “I will, and also you, if you would like to listen. It is a shame that you have not been able to see the world much, up until now.”
Her heart quickened a little at his words, and the way he was looking at her. “As I said, it is not a simple thing for a young lady, and perhaps for me even more so. Our mother died, you know, three years ago. And since then, I have had the responsibility of Grace to care for, and my father to support with managing the estate.” She paused and bit her lip. “People may tease me for being a spinster, but the truth of it is that I have not put much of my energies into finding a match for myself. I have had to be a mother to my sister instead.” She stopped, feeling a little surprised at how the words had run away with her. She did not want to show too much emotion in front of the earl, and she sensed that her feelings were in danger of bubbling forth.
“Your sister is very fortunate to have you, Lady Diana,” Tristan said softly. “But I hope that you do not have to forsake your ownhopes and dreams for too much longer. Life is too short for all that, you know.”
She shrugged, trying to swallow down her emotions. “I think that my dreams of traveling the world will have to wait a while,” she said softly. “Come, now, My Lord, we are getting distracted from the task in hand. Let us hurry to the portrait gallery. We do not want the others getting there before us.”
“You are quite right as always,” Tristan replied. “Let us make haste.”
