“Oh, do I have a rival?” the earl said, with a chuckle. “I do not like this news in the slightest.”
Diana bristled at the tone he was taking. “It does not paint you in a good light, My Lord, to speak ill of a perfectly decent gentleman.”
“Perfectly decent he may well be, My Lady,” the earl replied, “but perfectly decent is not very exciting, is it?” He glanced at Grace as he spoke, and she giggled again. Diana thought that she could bear it no longer. She fidgeted in her seat, itching to say something to put him in his place. If ever a man deserved bringing down a peg or two, it was the earl.
And yet, when he cast a glance towards her and held her gaze, she felt that familiar heat of a blush beginning to bloom on her cheeks. She looked away immediately. This man was infuriating—the effect he seemed to have on her! The sooner she could persuade him to leave, the better.
“My Lord, my sister is very tired,” Diana announced. “We had a late night, as I am sure you did too, and this morning has been very busy. No doubt you have important business to attend to today.” She left the last sentence hanging in the air, hoping that he would take the hint, but she could tell from the mischievous look in his eyes that he was not going to give in so easily.
“All my other affairs can wait,” he declared. He got to his feet and strolled casually towards the window. “It is very fine outside. Perhaps if you are feeling tired, Lady Grace, then a walk in the park might revive you?”
Grace gave a little squeak of excitement. “There is nothing I would like more, My Lord! We have been cooped up indoors all morning, and I am sure that the fresh air would do me good.”
“Well, that is settled then,” the earl said decidedly. He stole a glance at Diana, as if waiting to gauge her response. There was something like a challenge in the look that he gave her.
“You are too tired for walking out in the park, Grace,” Diana said firmly. “I think it would be better if you stayed at home and rested.”
Grace narrowed her eyes. “Diana, please do not speak to me as if I was a child,” she said softly. “I would like to take a walk with the earl, and you cannot stop me.”
“What if any other callers should come, though?” Diana went on, aware that a hint of desperation was creeping into her voice. “It would be most impolite if we were not at home during the time for morning calls.”
The earl had the audacity to roll his eyes. “Come now, Lady Diana. Surely there is not a gentleman in London who has not already been here?” He looked again at the table of gifts and offerings. “Your sister wishes to join me for a walk in the park. Will you really refuse her?”
Diana paused for a moment. It seemed clear to her that she was not going to win this battle without pushing the boundaries of propriety beyond what felt comfortable to her. “She may go, but she will need a chaperone, and I am sure all the servants are far too busy.”
The earl’s mouth twisted into a smile. “Well, perhaps you could join us yourself? I can think of no better chaperone.”
Diana sighed in frustration. “I could not possibly. I, too, am exhausted!”
Grace looked at her pleadingly. “Please, Diana. Remember what you always say about making an effort?”
Diana’s mind raced with all the reasons why this proposed jaunt to the park was a terrible idea. Someone might see them and begin to gossip about her sister and the earl. Or her sister might fall into a faint, after the exertions of the morning. But she could see from the look in Grace’s eyes that she was quite determined, and Diana knew that she could not allow her sister to walk with the earl unchaperoned. She would have to agree to the plan.
“Very well,” she said, with a grim sense of resolve. “But we must not be out for too long. The sun will be hot as the afternoon progresses.”
“I am very glad to hear it,” the earl said. “I am sure that a mere half an hour in the fresh air will do you both good. Shall we go?”
A little while later, they found themselves in the park, walking along a wide path through the trees. The sunshine warmed Diana’s skin, and the laughter of children echoed in the distance. It was the perfect way to spend a spring day, but Diana could not relax. Everything the earl said or did rankled her. Grace walked beside him, her head tilted slights as she listened intently to every word he said. Diana trailed a step behind, her irritation simmering just beneath the surface.
The earl had been talking about his estate and how plentiful the hunting and fishing were. Grace had never before shown the slightest interest in such things, but now she was behaving as if it was the most fascinating topic on Earth.
“Your estate sounds wonderful, My Lord,” Grace was saying, a little breathlessly. “I would love to see it one day.”
Diana’s skin prickled. She did not like the way this conversation was going. “Is there anything else to do on your estate besides killing things, My Lord?” she asked, trying to keep her tone light.
The earl turned to look at her. “You sound as if you object to my hobbies, Lady Diana.”
“I object to many things about you,” she said in a low voice, hoping that Grace, who was a little way ahead of them now, would not hear.
“I can tell,” the earl replied. “Although I am at a loss as to how I can have been so unfortunate as to offend you.”
Diana glared at him. “How could I not be offended by all your talk of killing innocent creatures?”
“But you eat game for dinner, I am sure, and enjoy the fish course too?”
Diana flushed. “Of course, but it’s different to kill an animal for fun. Not at all the same as killing animals for food.” She did notlike the way he was trying to make her look like a hypocrite, though, and she decided to change the subject. “And the décor on your estate, My Lord, pray tell me if it is as garish as your cravat?”
The earl glanced down at his orange cravat, a look of amusement in his eye. “Oh, you do not like my cravat either? I fear that I will never please you, Lady Diana. It seems a hopeless case.”
