“Oh, splendid,” she trilled. “I am so delighted to hear it! And is she a good dancer? I was always the belle of the ball, you know!”
“I am sure you were, Grandmama,” Tristan replied, smiling broadly. He wondered why it felt like such an effort to be cheerful this morning, but he knew he must keep going. His heart was full of mixed feelings about the visit he was about to pay, but it was his duty to find a wife, and Lady Grace was the perfect candidate.
“Well, off you go then,” Lady Everton said, waving her hand at him as if to dismiss him. “Go and see your true love, and persuade her that you are the man of her dreams” She was grinning now, and Tristan could not help but feel moved by her enthusiasm. He knew that all she wanted was for him to be happy. If only it was as simple as that.
“I promise you, I will try my best,” he replied. “But now I must be off.” He gave her a final smile as he turned to leave.
In the hallway, he prepared himself to depart, a slightly hollow feeling coming over him. As he stepped out into the cool morning air, the sun glinting off the dew-kissed grass, he knew that he should feel excited. He should feel something, at least – something more than this sense of duty and pressure to meet everyone else’s expectations. But that was the way of things, he resolved, and the sooner he accepted it, the better.
CHAPTER 3
“Do you think that we might be nearly finished for the morning?” Diana whispered, as the drawing room door swung shut and the room fell silent at last.
“Gosh, I do not know,” Grace replied, pushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I feel that I should be grateful for all this attention, and all these gifts,” she added, glancing at the table in the middle of the room which was now groaning under the weight of several bouquets of flowers and boxes of chocolates and sweets tied up with pretty ribbons of all the colors of the rainbow. “But I am rather exhausted by it all.” She sat back in her chair with a soft thud and exhaled.
Exhausting was the right word for it, Diana thought, as she rose and poured them both another cup of tea. All morning they had entertained a string of visitors, all suitors vying for Grace’s attention. Despite her sister’s beauty, she had been somewhat surprised at the sheer volume of gentlemen wishing to make their intentions clear following the ball last night. After their unfortunate interaction with the Earl of Silvermere, Grace hadmanaged somehow to find it within herself to be a little more forthcoming. It was as if the earl’s attentions, unwanted as they were, to Diana at least, had increased Grace’s confidence somehow, and made her more willing to engage and dance with other gentlemen who approached her. In the end, Diana had been pleased with how the evening had turned out. But she would be glad when this morning’s visiting hours were complete, and they could have some time to themselves.
“I wonder if anyone else will come,” Grace said, glancing anxiously at the door.
“Do you expect anyone else?” Diana asked. Her patience was wearing a little thin now, replaced by fatigue and a desire for solitude, but she sensed that her sister was hoping for something else, or perhaps someone else, to walk through the door. Of course, the earl had not yet shown his face, but Diana would be astounded at the audacity of the man if he did show up, considering how their interaction the previous evening had gone.
“Not particularly,” Grace replied, but her eyes were still fixed on the door.
Diana, determined to distract Grace from whatever thoughts might be filling her mind at that moment, decided to probe her sister a little on her reaction to the morning’s event. “It is very positive that so many suitors have made themselves known,” she said. “I am sure that there must be a suitable match for you amongst them. Do you have a particular favorite?”
Grace closed her eyes and let out a sigh. “I do not know, Diana,” she said softly. “It is such a big decision, and sometimes I wonder if I am at all equipped to make it.”
Diana smiled. “Well, I will help you, do not worry. We’ll work it out between us.” At least Grace seemed receptive to her guidance, she thought. Her sister could be stubborn and willful, but Diana was sure that she knew best, as her older sister. She had acted as a mother to Grace since their own mother had died, and if Grace would only trust her on this matter, then everything would turn out fine.
A few moments of blessed silence passed, then there was a tap at the door.
Diana let out a resigned sigh, leaning back against the plush upholstery of the settee. “Another one! I am not sure I can bear it!”
Grace laughed lightly, seeming to have come to life again. “Come now, Diana, is it not you who always says that I should make an effort? This gentleman might be the one we have been waiting for all this time!”
The door swung open, and there stood the Earl of Silvermere, two large bouquets of roses in his hands, his handsome face peeking out between them. How dare he appear? Diana felt her heart began to race at the audacity of the man. She forced herself to smile, although it was the last thing she wanted to do at the sight of the odious man. Had he not understood her message tohim last night? She would never let him marry her sister. Not in a million years.
But Grace’s smile was genuine, Diana could tell, and her heart sank a little at the realization.
“My Lord, what a pleasure it is to see you,” Grace said in greeting.
The earl dropped a low bow, then placed his flowers on the table. “I see I am not the first to pay call this morning,” he observed, with a wry smile. He nodded towards the flowers he had brought. “Flowers for both of you, of course.” He glanced at Diana, as if wanting to see her response, a flicker of mischief in his eyes.
“Thank you, My Lord,” Diana replied, through gritted teeth. He was being utterly transparent in bringing flowers for her too, seeming to be polite and thoughtful but no doubt only doing it to try and soften her up. Well, it would not work.
“You are not the first, indeed,” she replied. “My sister has had many visits this morning following last night’s ball. Many eligible gentlemen have come to pay court to her.”
“And I am not surprised at all,” the earl replied smoothly. “A young lady of such elegance and beauty will always attract attention. But let us hope that it is the right kind of attention.”
“What can you mean by that?” Diana asked sharply. “I hope that you are not implying that anything improper could have happened?”
“No, of course not,” the earl replied. “I would not dare suggest such a thing, and I am sure it would be impossible in your presence in any case, Lady Diana.”
Diana bit her lip, itching to respond to him but forcing herself to hold back. She wanted nothing more than to tell him to leave, but she knew that that would be unforgivably rude, and potentially open up the floodgates of gossip against herself and her sister. The Earl of Silvermere may have a reputation as a rake, but he was still an earl, and that status alone ensured that he commanded respect in society, whether he deserved it or not.
The earl turned to Grace. “I trust that you had a pleasant time last night?” he asked. “Did you finally bless the unfortunate Mr. Sinclair with a dance?”
Grace giggled. “He is not unfortunate! You should not speak of him like that!”
