His Lordship's Desire. Joan WolfЧитать онлайн книгу.

      Five

      Diana had never been to London, and she stared out the window as the carriage rolled along the busy streets of the nation’s capital. There was so much traffic! And noise! And dirt! She was used to her quiet little corner of Berkshire; London was a big change.

      The Devizes’ London residence was a solid, substantial house made of brown brick and red dressing, like many of the other houses on the fashionable Grosvenor Square. The family and servants piled out of the coaches and phaeton and Diana stretched her legs and her back as she stood on the pavement outside the front door of the house. She was not accustomed to sitting still for such a long period of time and she felt like taking a nice brisk walk to loosen up her muscles. But the rest of the family was already moving toward the front door, and she followed.

      Alex, Lady Standish, Sally, Mrs. Sherwood and Diana all trooped into the green marble entrance hall. The housekeeper came running to welcome Lady Standish and while the two women were talking, Diana peered into a small anteroom set off by round columns that opened off the right side of the entrance hall. The floor of the anteroom was done in black and white squares of marble and there was a portrait of a man in a white wig hung over the alabaster fireplace.

      Henrys now came in the front door and Lady Standish presented the butler to Mrs. Daughtry, the housekeeper, as if she was presenting royalty. Henrys was followed by the cook, Monsieur Lapierre, who was presented as if he were God.

      Mrs. Daughtry volunteered to show Henrys and Lapierre to their respective domains but Lady Standish said that the family would establish themselves without assistance.

      “Let us all go to our bedrooms first,” Lady Standish said. “I think we need to freshen up.”

      “Good idea, Mama,” Alex said, and Diana found herself following everyone down the passage to the great curving staircase. The staircase was painted white, with a polished wood railing, and in the roof above the third story was a large window, which allowed for natural illumination during the day.

      The bedrooms were on the third floor, except for the master bedroom suite. When they had reached the second floor, Lady Standish said, “Alex, you should have the earl’s bedroom now.”

      He looked a little uncomfortable. “It is not necessary for you to vacate it, Mama,” he said. “I don’t want to push you out of your room.”

      “No, I want you to have it,” she insisted. “It is the right thing to do and I shall be perfectly happy in the yellow bedroom. It has a dressing room attached and is exceedingly comfortable.”

      He stood for a moment looking at her and frowning.

      “I mean it,” Lady Standish said firmly. “You must take your proper place both in the family and in society. The master bedroom is yours.”

      “Well…” Alex said slowly. “If you are sure.”

      “I am very sure.”

      Alex nodded and went off through the second-floor drawing room while the rest of them climbed the stairs to the third floor. Lady Standish opened the first door that was on their left and said to Diana, “This will be your room, dear. Servants will be coming shortly with water for you to wash up.”

      “Thank you, Cousin Amelia,” Diana said, and walked into the largest bedroom she had ever occupied. It had blue-painted walls, a white stucco fireplace and a blue Turkish rug on the floor. The bed was large and hung with blue draperies, and a comfortable-looking upholstered chair was pulled up in front of the fireplace. There were two windows set high in the walls so they could let light in over the top of the building next door.

      Diana thought of her closet-size bedroom at home. My goodness, but she had come up in the world!

      She was still staring around her when a knock came at the door and her mother came in. “I am right next door,” she said. “Aren’t these beautiful rooms?”

      “They’re wonderful,” Diana said. “This one even has its own watercloset!”

      “So does mine,” Mrs. Sherwood said with a smile.

      Diana sat on the bed. “This almost seems too good to be true. Cousin Amelia is like a fairy godmother, doing this for me.”

      Mrs. Sherwood went over to look at a pretty china statue of a shepherdess that reposed on a table along the wall. “It is amazingly generous of her,” she agreed. “But then she has always been so good to us.”

      “She’s never spent so much money on us before.” Diana looked at her mother, who was still examining the delicate figurine. “It’s really Alex’s money she’s using, isn’t it?” she said abruptly. “If the earl was alive, she wouldn’t be doing this.”

      Mrs. Sherwood turned to face her daughter. “I don’t know where the money is coming from, my love. But if it is Alex’s, he certainly has put forward no objections.”

      Diana’s jaw set. “I hate to be beholden to Alex.”

      Mrs. Sherwood’s pretty face became suddenly somber. “Perhaps he thinks he owes you something, darling,” she said. “And perhaps he does.”

      Diana’s eyes flashed and color stained the porcelain skin over her cheekbones. “If I was starving, I wouldn’t take a scrap of bread from Alex,” she declared.

      Mrs. Sherwood came over to sit next to her daughter on the bed. “Don’t be foolish, darling. This come-out is a godsend for you. Particularly since you turned down all the nice men who offered for you at home.”

      Diana scowled. “I didn’t love any of them, Mama.”

      “Diana…” Mrs. Sherwood put her hand up and turned her daughter’s face toward her. “I hope you are not still setting your heart on Alex.”

      Diana pulled her face away and jumped up from the bed. She whirled to face her mother. “Didn’t you just hear me, Mama? I wouldn’t take Alex if he were the last man left alive on this earth. Believe me, I have no desire to become the Countess of Standish.”

      “I am glad to hear that,” Mrs. Sherwood said quietly. “But if he is financing our trip to London, then it behooves us both to be nice to him. I want you to make a good marriage, darling. I don’t want you to have to spend your life hanging on the sleeve of a generous relative. I want to see you with your husband and children at your side. I don’t want you to be alone in life. I want you to be happy.”

      “Oh Mama.” Diana came back to the bed and hugged her mother, pressing her cheek against her mother’s hair. “You have had so little in your life. Papa left us when I was so young—why you have practically been a widow for all your life.”

      Mrs. Sherwood’s arms came up to hold Diana. “He had no choice, darling. He had to go where he could get advancement. We had no money beyond his officer’s salary.”

      The two women stayed like that for a few moments, and then Diana stepped back. Diana said, “And now we have no money beyond his pension.”

      Mrs. Sherwood looked up at her daughter. “You have been given a wonderful opportunity to make a good match, darling. Don’t alienate Alex and throw it away. Please.”

      Diana drew a deep breath. “All right, Mama. I promise I will be nice to Alex.”

      “Thank you, dear.”

      Diana sat on the bed, staring into space long after her mother had left the room.

      It had been late in the afternoon