Diana rolled her eyes. “I do not understand why everyone keeps asking me questions about Lord Anthony,” she said with a sigh. “I hardly know him.”
“Well, he does seem to have been taking rather an interest in you. The earl mentioned it to me last evening,” Jerome said, looking at her closely. “He would be a good match for you, indeed.”
Diana sat up straight in her chair and took a deep breath. She did not even want to think about what Tristan had said to her father about the whole thing. “This is nothing to do with me, or Lord Anthony.”
“Well, out with it, then!” Jerome replied. “I am hungry, I would prefer not to miss luncheon while we sit here idling away!”
“Father, this is serious,” Diana snapped.
“Please, Diana, calm yourself,” Grace urged. “Whatever it is that you have to say to us cannot be so very awful, can it?”
“It is not awful at all,” Diana said. She forced herself to smile. “I simply wanted to say that I will no longer stand in your way, Grace. If you still wish to marry Lord Silvermere, then you have my approval.”
Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. “Diana, are you certain?” she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I thought?—”
“I know what you thought,” Diana interrupted gently, her own heart aching at the thought of Grace’s disappointment to have her hopes dashed by her sister’s disapproval. “I have perhaps been a little too quick to judge the earl, and too quick to listen to the opinions of others. But I cannot allow my foolishness to affect your happiness. You deserve this chance with him.”
“Are you truly saying that you will not prevent the match?” Grace pressed, searching Diana’s face for any sign of her true feelings. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “You are sure that you won’t stop me, if I want to marry him?”
“I am,” Diana assured her, though the admission felt like a weight pressing down upon her chest. “I want you to be happy, Grace, and if you believe that the earl loves you and wants to marry you, and you return his feelings, then that is enough for me.”
“Thank you, Diana.” Grace’s expression softened, and she reached out to grasp Diana’s hands. “You have no idea how much this means to me, that you will trust me to make my own decision on this.”
Jerome observed the exchange, a wry smile spreading across his face. “Well, I am glad that this is all settled,” he declared. He turned to Grace. “Has the earl spoken to you yet? Has he proposed?”
Grace shook her head, suddenly looking a little shy. “He may have changed his mind,” she ventured. “Perhaps he is not interested in marrying me anymore.”
Diana shook her head. “I cannot believe that will happen.”
“Well, you must do what you think is right, Grace, if he does. Now that Diana has said that she has no objection, then I will approve the match as well, should the situation arise.” He got to his feet. “Now, shall we go into the dining room? I confess that all this talking about feelings and such like has made me rather hungry.”
“We will follow you, Father,” Diana said. She felt more settled, now that she had spoken her decision out loud, but her mind was still in turmoil. Grace did not seem entirely sure of herself, she thought, and she wanted to press her sister a little further, when they were alone.
Jerome left the room, and Diana turned to Grace. “You will accept him, won’t you?”
Grace smiled. “He has not spoken yet, Diana. There may be nothing to accept!”
Diana managed a weak smile, but inside, her heart felt heavy. “I just want to see you happy,” she reiterated, though her own heart ached at the thought of Tristan with Grace.
“And I am more happy than you can possibly know, now that you have entrusted me to make my own decision on this matter,” Grace said. “Now, shall we go and eat?”
Diana shook her head. “I am not at all hungry,” she replied. “I think I shall go to the library and find something to read.”
Grace frowned. “Are you feeling unwell again? Shall I ask the earl to call a doctor?”
“No, indeed, I am quite well,” Diana insisted. “I had a large breakfast, and we have done nothing but sit around all morning. I am sure that I will be hungry again by the time dinner comes around. It seems that all we do is eat, during the course of this party!”
“I will leave you, then,” Grace said, “but you must ensure that you let Tristan know if you are feeling unwell.”
Diana watched her sister leave, feeling a pang in her heart at Grace’s use of his Christian name. It would all be resolved soon, she thought. And she would be relieved. Then, perhaps, she could finally move on with her life after all these weeks of confusion.
She wandered through the halls of the manor, eventually finding the library. She knew that it would be the perfect place to seek solace from the emotions that were still swirling within her. It was a place of quiet and contemplation, filled with the scent of old books and the soft light filtering through the windows. She settled into a plush armchair, attempting to immerse herself in a novel, but her thoughts kept drifting back to the moment when Tristan had kissed her, and the whirlwind of feelings that had followed. Every time, though, she forced the thoughts away; there was nothing to be gained on dwelling on what had happened. She had to forget all about Tristan, and think only of him as her brother-in-law from now on.
Hours passed, and finally, she began to lose herself in the pages. But her attention was drawn away from the story that was unfolding, by the sound of the door creaking open.
“Ah, here you are.” In the doorway, stood Cecilia, smiling at her. “Might I join you? Grace said that I might find you in here.”
Diana nodded, grateful for the distraction. “Of course. I would be happy for your company.” She found that after spending a few hours on her own, she was indeed happy to be in Cecilia’s presence.
