Chapter 12
Diana’s all-too-knowing sister didn’t say anything over dinner but followed her into her room later that evening. By then, Diana was ready to burst.
Because Collette was the only person she could talk to about everything going on with Lord Greystone, and with the heaviness weighing on her heart, she most definitely needed to talk to someone about it.
When Lord Greystone had escorted her up the front steps after their outing, he hadn’t mentioned taking her driving again, nor had he insisted she save him a dance at any of the upcoming balls. Those were for other ladies—proper ladies.
Such as Lady Isabella.
Which was just as well.
She supposed.
“You did not go driving in the park.” Collette wasn’t asking, rather pointing out something she already knew to be true.
“But how would you know—?”
“Sit down.” Collette gestured for Diana to take her place in front of the vanity and didn’t continue until she began removing the pins from Diana’s hair. “Just a guess. Your cheeks were far too flushed after you returned, and you weren’t going on about what anyone was wearing. But that’s beside the point. Bethany, Lady Tabetha, and I spent the remainder of the afternoon sharing confidences with Miss Faraday and Lady Posy.” Her sister sent her a look—a look that implied her time spent with Lord Greystone’s cousins had been more than a little interesting.
“Hmm. You’re missing a pin.” Collette shrugged and then lifted the brush off the table. “The marquess is going to offer for Lady Isabella.”
Diana exhaled. “I know. I mean, I suspected as much. I just didn’t realize it was official…” She twisted to stare at Collette from over her shoulder. “Is it? Official that is?” She didn’t bother trying to hide her disappointment. She should have, of course, but this was Collette.
If his prospective betrothal was about to become official that would certainly explain the regret he’d expressed after kissing her. And she could almost feel sorry for Lady Isabella.
Almost.
“His aunt believes it is official,” her sister continued. “As does Lady Isabella and her mother, the countess.” Collette froze and met Diana’s gaze in the mirror. “Where did the marquess take you this afternoon?”
At the mention of her outing with Lord Greystone—withZeke, as she’d teased him when he’d raced her along that country road—Diana’s heart flipped over. “He took me to a lovely meadow on the edge of town where there was the prettiest stream with fish that you could see, and he took me driving.” She widened her eyes back at Collette in the looking glass. “Not the dull sort of driving, either. We raced—back and forth along an empty lane three times.”
She had kept one arm clutched around his back and waved the other high in the air. He’d even allowed her to stand up beside him for one of the runs, gripping her around the waist the entire time to keep her secure.
The wind had nearly stolen her bonnet, and the landscape had passed more swiftly than she’d ever imagined it could.
Of all the people in her life, she never would have guessed the Marquess of Greystone would be the one to show her what it felt like to fly.
“It was the most incredible feeling… although not quite so incredible as—” She broke off.
“As?” Collette stopped braiding Diana’s hair to remove her tin of comfits and pop one into her mouth.
“He kissed me again, Collette, more than once.” At her sister’s disapproving scowl, Diana hurried to explain. “Please don’t tell Bethany—she’ll tell Chase for certain. Besides, Lord Greystone ended it before anything truly untoward happened. He wanted to keep kissing me; I know he did. But he stopped because he has responsibilities and, I understand all that with my head. He is a marquess and well… I know I am too low for him, but—”
“You are not too low for anyone,” Collette insisted.
“I appreciate that, but you know what I mean.” And as Collette was her sister, of course that was what she would say. “Besides, just the other day, you were reminding me of the unfortunate fact that Lord Greystone is a blasted marquess.”
The two sat in silence for the next few minutes, both contemplating Diana’s predicament until Collette finally sighed. “Miss Faraday does not approve of his match to Lady Isabella. But she says he will never marry for love. His parents married for love and, in the end, died for it as well.”
“His grandfather raised him after their death,” Diana offered. These ladies certainly had had an interesting discussion in her absence. Diana almost wished she’d been at home to hear all these things about the Marquess firsthand. But then she would have missed out on time spent with Lord Greystone himself. “What do you mean when you say his parents died for love?”
“According to Miss Faraday, their marriage was a stormy one. His mother experienced the most horrible bouts of jealousy, and then his father would either end up begging her forgiveness or imploring his innocence, Miss Faraday wasn’t sure which.”
Collette tied off the first braid she’d finished weaving. “Miss Faraday says that the day they died, the two were having one of their quarrels, and his mother stormed off in a temper toward the lake where she rowed herself out into the middle. The Marquess’ father followed her in a second boat, both of them yelling and screaming at one another.”
“Miss Faraday witnessed this?”
Collette nodded. “She and her mother lived at Greystone Manor at the time. Both she and your Lord Greystone witnessed it from shore. She said her cousin ran into the water, but his father’s steward held him back while manservants went in after them instead.”
