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D iana studied her furious mother as she stomped into the drawing room. She was angry because even though she had attempted to drag out her stay at Diana’s, the day was finally here for her to move to her own house. Her mother glowered at her. “Your servant said you wanted to see me.”

Instead of answering right away, Diana made her way to the sitting area and poured them each a cup of tea. “Please sit, Mother. We are waiting for one more person.”

Her mother’s face filled with confusion. “Who are we waiting for?”

The butler interrupted them by announcing Arthur’s arrival. Diana smiled. “Here he is.”

Arthur bowed and joined them in the sitting area. “Aren’t I the luckiest man? I get to spend time with both of you.”

Her mother smiled demurely at him. Diana said nothing, sipping her tea. Once settled, he said to Diana, “Your missive suggested you had a matter you wanted to discuss with me. I hope it isn’t anything serious.”

“I called you both here to announce that I have accepted a proposal. I’m to be married in six months.”

Arthur stared at her in open-mouthed shock. Her mother’s only response was to press her lips firmly together. Diana smiled. “I won’t keep you in suspense. My husband-to-be is Sebastian Devons.”

Arthur stood, his eyes flashing. “That is unacceptable, Diana.”

“Please call me Lady Hensley.”

He looked as if she’d slapped him. Sadness filled her that this was how her relationship with Arthur would end. He’d been there for her during her mourning, and she would forever be grateful for that. Needing to know, she asked, “Who decided to switch the missive from Devons?”

They both stared at her silently. Her eyes flicked back and forth between them. She wanted it to be her mother. Please let it be her, she thought.

“I switched it,” Arthur said.

The sadness she felt for the demise of her friendship with Arthur became mixed with anger. She’d almost married this man and he’d been deceiving her.

She stood. “How could you?”

He scowled at her. “In every one of the Ladies of London articles I read, I could sense there was a growing fondness between the two of you. I hoped it was my imagination, but the way you looked at each other in Livorno, there was no denying it. What I did was for your benefit. He is not good for you.”

“Who are you to determine that?” Diana asked, then spun to her mother. “Did you know?”

She shrugged. “Perhaps.”

Arthur scoffed. “She put the idea in my head and also the plan for the scandalous article about your little club.”

Any sadness she held about the demise of their relationship completely disappeared. How had she not seen this side of Arthur? The anger in her surged. “You are the source of the gossip?”

Arthur realized she hadn’t known. “It was more your mother than I.”

Diana didn’t understand why Arthur would stoop so low. “You would have married me knowing our union was only possible because of lies? Why?”

He let out a frustrated sigh. “Our marriage would have made us one of the most powerful couples in London.”

The sadness crept back, not because of the loss of her friendship with Arthur, but because he’d not even taken such drastic measures for love. He’d done it for social status. “I think it is time for you to go.”

“You don’t have to marry him. Even if you have been intimate with him, I would still wed you as long as you aren’t with child.”

Diana stared back at him, appalled and grateful she’d never accepted his suit. “Leave, Lord Tremont. I love Sebastian Devons, and he loves me. I choose him not because of some power grab but because my heart wants him.”

“Be practical.”

“Please go,” Diana said more firmly.

Arthur looked as if he wanted to say more, but he shook his head and stormed out.

“You fool,” Diana’s mother hissed.

Diana spun around. “Enough. Had I known you were scheming behind my back, I would never have felt sorry for you and agreed to let you come back to England with me.”

“Sebastian Devons is beneath you.”

Diana could stand here all day and argue with her but realized it was pointless.

Nothing she said or did would change her mother or make her a better person.

She stomped to the door and stopped, studying the woman who had birthed her.

Diana suspected this may be the last time she saw her.

She should have felt sad but felt nothing but relief.

“I’m honored to be Sebastian Devons’s wife. Goodbye, Mother.”

*

Sebastian sat in Malcolm’s drawing room, smiling. His niece Penelope frowned at him and whispered loudly, “What is wrong with him?”

His brother’s wife, Sophia, shushed her. Malcolm laughed and said, “Well, tell us.”

“I have proposed to Lady Hensley, and she has accepted.”

Sophia clapped excitedly, then sprang from her chair and placed a kiss on his cheek. “That is wonderful.”

Malcolm rolled his eyes at his wife’s antics. She returned to her seat, grinning like a madwoman. His sister-in-law was mad for a love story.

“So, did she receive your letter?” Malcolm asked.

He and Diana had discussed his missive before she left his townhouse. It was clear someone had tried to keep them apart. Sebastian suspected Tremont. Diana had made him promise not to confront the man. Diana wanted to speak with him and her mother. For now, Sebastian agreed to her request.

“Malcolm said you would never wed,” Penelope said. Sometimes, she called his brother and Sophia their names and sometimes referred to them as Mother and Father. She wasn’t born to them, but they loved her as if she was.

Sebastian smiled at his brother. “Well, he is wrong.”

“That was before he left for his trip and fell in love with the most proper lady in all of London,” Sophia said, sighing dreamily.

He and Malcolm rolled their eyes at her dramatics. She continued, “We must write to your mother. She will want to return to meet Lady Hensley as soon as possible.”

Sebastian agreed and had no doubt his mother would adore Diana.

She didn’t come to London often because she spent most of her time traveling, and she hated the gossip her presence stirred up.

Even after two decades, London still liked to talk about how his mother had lived in scandal with his father.

Sebastian couldn’t control the talk about his mother or his unconventional upbringing but was already making plans to sever any other ties that could impact Diana or Robert’s standing in society.

“I do have upsetting news,” he said to Malcolm.

Everyone at the table stared at him curiously. Malcolm turned to Penelope. “Pen, leave us for a bit.”

“I want to know the secret,” the girl insisted.

“Penelope,” Sophia said.

The girl slid her chair back dramatically. “I’m not allowed to hear anything.”

She stomped off in a huff. Malcolm and Sophia sighed. Sebastian laughed. “It’s about the Den. I want to sell my percentage of the business.”

No one said a word, and Sebastian sensed he shocked them. Finally, Malcolm said, “Why?”

“She is the mother of a soon-to-be duke. The least I can do is try to be more respectable. I’m not sure the owner of a gentlemen’s club will ever be that.”

His brother frowned. “It’s the most successful club in all of London. Has she asked you to do this? If she has—”

Sebastian held up a hand. “No. She would never. This is my choice. There are things I can’t change about myself, and she will have to endure them, but I can step away from the club.”

“Maybe you should ask her first,” Sophia said.

“No. I want to do this for her. I don’t want her to feel as if she forced me to make a decision.”

Malcolm rose and poured himself a brandy. Sophia frowned at him. “Malcolm, it is early.”

He plopped back down in his chair. “Sorry. My brother is talking about giving up his business that he built from nothing. That I built with him.”

“I love her more than I care about our business. I don’t want to argue about this. I want your help to find a new partner in the Den who can buy me out,” Sebastian stated.

Malcolm took a large gulp of his brandy. “If that is what you want, after the Ball of Sin, I will put some feelers out.”

Sebastian nodded. “Thank you. I think I will also ask Celeste to take over as host for the Ball of Sin this year.”

His brother sulkily shook his head. “If that is what you wish.”