CHAPTER 10
Diana reflected on the trip to London as she gazed about her sumptuous suite of rooms in Brook’s London home. It had been a curious ride to Town, but it was pleasant, far more so than she would have expected. They conversed, sat in comfortable silence by turns, and then they had arrived. Brook had taken care to introduce her to the staff, who had all worked hard to shutter their curious and surprised reactions. More than once Diana had to bite her lip to keep from releasing a smile of entertainment. But the staff had been more than gracious, and she was thrilled to have a few moments to herself in her rooms.
The past few days had flown by; with so many changes taking place, she desperately needed some time to just think, to be, to absorb it all. Exhaling a deep breath, she walked over to the large window. Drawing back the sheer curtain, she noted that her room faced the front of the house, affording her a view of the beautifully tree-lined Mayfair district. Glancing down the road, she could catch a slight glimpse of Hyde Park, or so Brook had said.
The glass was cool on her fingertips as she touched it, mentally comparing the view to that from her window at home. How was her family? How were Tully, and Eva, all her sisters? Had her mother recovered from her earlier sickness?
Determined, Diana strode over to the oak writing desk and searched the drawers. Thankful that the desk was well stocked with parchment and ink, she wrote a quick letter to her sisters, asking for the particulars of their situation, and giving only the barest details of her own. She wasn’t quite sure how to categorize it herself, so it was useless trying to tell someone else. She would feel so much better if she knew her family was well.
She had no reason to believe otherwise . . .
But it would be reassuring to know for certain.
She rung the bell for a maid, and after dispatching her with the letter, she was once again alone in her rooms.
Drat, it was so silent.
How was it that the silence was loud?
She supposed that she was far more accustomed to the constant chatter of her sisters, and it was painfully absent. Would Brook allow her to bring her sisters to Town? Perhaps even give them a Season? Yet as she thought it, she remembered the main temptation of her agreement with her husband: freedom. She would have the means and the freedom to beckon her sisters to London, and much more. It was liberating, yet at the same time, it was an insecure feeling.
Drat, everything had some sort of emotion attached to it. With a resigned sigh, she decided she needed an escape before the upcoming appointment with the modiste.
The staff was more than helpful to point her in the right direction to the library, and as she perused the shelves she realized what she was looking for: the book she had started on a nervous impulse in Brook’s rooms as she waited for him on their wedding night.
It hadn’t been a lie—the book was very diverting—and she wished there were another copy in the library, but all searching turned fruitless.
After exiting the library, she halted a parlor maid and asked if she was aware of her husband’s whereabouts. The maid dipped a polite curtsey and pointed toward a large wooden door that presumably led to his study.
It was the first time Diana had sought him out, and she wondered how such a move would be received. Knocking, she waited.
“Enter,” Brook called from inside, his voice muffled by the door. The brass handle was cool on her gloved hand as she twisted it and opened the door.
An older gentleman was sitting across from her husband; a wide, highly polished desk separated them.
“Diana.” Brook spoke her name with surprise but not displeasure as he waved her inside and stood.
“My lord.” Diana gave a proper curtsey.
“Allow me to introduce you to Lord Walker.” He gestured to the older man, who rose slowly, his age evident in his stiff movements. His expression was kind, yet he studied her with a scrutiny that wasn’t expected.
Diana gave another curtsey to the older man. “A pleasure to meet you.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Lord Walker started, shifting his gaze to Brook.
“Thank you, my lord,” Diana replied, as Brook nodded in agreement.
“Tell me, Lady Barrington, how did you meet your husband?” Lord Walker asked, with more than a token amount of curiosity.
“Well, it’s not a long story, my lord, but our lands border one another in Sussex. My family has known Lord Barrington’s for decades.” It was the truth, and she waited to see if he’d inquire further.
“I see.” He nodded. “So your family is still in Sussex?”
“Yes, my lord. I have four younger sisters and my mother at home.”
“Interesting.”
“Perhaps, I rather find my story quite uninteresting, but it is dear to me because it’s my own,” Diana replied, offering a smile to the older man.
“Diana, did you need something?” Brook asked, pulling her attention away from the gentleman.
“Ah, yes. It’s not important, though. I see you’re quite busy. I’ll ask later.”
“Are you certain?” Brook asked.
She hesitated. “Actually, I was just wondering if I could borrow your book?”
Brook’s brow furrowed; then understanding dawned. A secretive smile teased his lips and he glanced down. “It’s on my nightstand. You’re of course welcome to take it.”
“Thank you.” She blushed, her thoughts immediately going back to the events of the evening after her reading of the book. Turning her attention back to Lord Walker, she gave her excuses, then added, “It was a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”
“It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Lady Barrington.” He gave a meaningful glance to Brook, then sat back down.
Brook gave her a quick smile before sitting back down as well, and as she quit the room she heard the men’s voices just before she closed the door.
“I had my doubts.”
“And now?” Brook asked.
“Now I actually believe you.” Then, so quietly she almost didn’t hear it over the click of the door, “No courtesan you hired would dare dress in such a dress as that.”
Diana paused just as the door closed.
Courtesan?
And what was wrong with her dress anyway?
She glanced down and studied her day dress, the one that wasn’t patched here and there, and for the first time realized the faded nature of the fabric and the simple cut of the cloth. A maid walked by then, and Diana couldn’t help but compare her dress with the maid’s uniform.
And the maid’s dress was honestly finer than her own.
It was then that she made two choices:
First, that she would inquire about the comment regarding the courtesan, though she was quite certain she wouldn’t like the answer.
And second, that modiste appointment couldn’t happen fast enough.
In fact, she was so preoccupied with the last statements of Lord Walker that she almost forgot about the book.
Almost.
As she retrieved the book from Brook’s rooms, she laughed at the irony of her predicament. She had sought out Brook’s book to distract herself, only finding that she needed distraction more than ever after finding him. And now, she feared, the book wouldn’t provide enough escape for her mind.
Things were simpler in Sussex.
And she had the feeling it was only going to get worse.