Page 12 of An Earl Most Inconvenient (Regency Mishaps #2)

CHAPTER 12

“ L ady Diana, come and join us for a game!”

Diana looked across the drawing room to where the Dowager Countess of Silvermere, the earl’s grandmother, was holding court at the card tables set up for the evening’s entertainment. Grace had been disappointed that there would not be dancing tonight, but Diana suspected that Tristan had deliberately chosen a more staid amusement for his guests on the first evening of the party. Dancing would come later, no doubt.

Grace, she was pleased to see, was ensconced in a corner chatting with Cecilia, and Tristan was nowhere to be seen. It was safe, she thought, to go and play a game of cards with the Dowager, Lady Louisa. From the look on the older lady’s face, it did not seem as if she would have accepted a refusal to her invitation in any case. She gave off an air of authority, despite also having a slightly absent-minded look about her.

As Diana took a seat at the card table, the Dowager began to deal the cards for the first round. She wondered, as she waited for the game to begin, why she felt so nervous. Over the years, she had perfected the art of maintaining her composure in society, and a card game at a party was nothing unusual for her. Yet this evening, an odd anxiety settled in her chest, and she could not quite pinpoint its source. She felt a surge of irritation at her inability to control her own feelings.

She glanced around the room as the other players took their seats and prepared for the game. The earl’s drawing room was adorned with exquisite tapestries and gilded mirrors, each piece seeming to be carefully-chosen and perfectly placed. The grandeur of the surroundings served as a constant reminder of his superior position in society. Even though Diana was not unaccustomed to mingling with the upper echelons of society, she still found herself feeling a little intimidated amidst such splendor.

“I am glad that you could join us for the game, Lady Diana,” the dowager said, eyeing Diana across the table with a sharp yet warm gaze. “I trust you are ready to lose to an old hand?”

Diana forced a smile, the older lady’s banter providing a moment of comfort amidst her unease. “Thank you, My Lady,” she replied, shifting slighting in the plush chair opposite the dowager. She adjusted her skirts, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

“Now, this is purely a game of chance,” the dowager said. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “Let us see how you fare.”

Diana sensed a hint of challenge in the older woman’s eye as she dealt the cards. She met the dowager’s gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated, despite the nerves that were fluttering in her chest. “I believe you may be surprised, My Lady. I have been practicing my skills.”

With a flick of her wrist, the dowager shuffled the cards, and the game commenced. Laughter and banter filled the air as the ladies played, with the dowager deftly managing the pace of the game. Diana felt a thrill of excitement as she carefully scrutinized her cards. It was not a bad hand, and Diana thought that if she played carefully, she might even win the game. She quickly devised a strategy that would keep her opponents on their toes.

The atmosphere around the table shifted as the game continued.

After each player had played their hand once, the dowager glanced around the table, looking a little hesitant all of a sudden. “Is it my turn?” she ventured. “I fear my old age is catching up with me. I think that I know what is going on, and then suddenly I forget everything!”

Diana chuckled along with the older lady, feeling that it was a good thing that Lady Louisa could see the funny side of her own forgetfulness. It was better to age with grace and a touch of self-deprecation, she thought, than to pretend that things were as they had always been.

With each round, laughter and playful jibes filled the air, gradually easing Diana’s tension. Yet, as the game progressed, she couldn’t shake the feeling that her nerves were tied not just to the game itself, but to the expectations that hung over her like a delicate veil. The stakes felt higher tonight, perhaps because of the unspoken dynamics at play within this gathering, where alliances and rivalries simmered just beneath the surface. With each card dealt, Diana felt the weight of her role in this intricate dance of society, aware that every move she made was being observed, analyzed, and judged.

“We have not seen you in society over these last few years, Lady Diana,” the dowager said, during a brief pause in the game. Diana felt that the air between them was thick with unspoken expectations, and the tension flickered like candlelight in the dimly-lit drawing room. But the dowager laughed again, a throaty and rich sound. “Or perhaps we have met many times before, and I have simply forgotten it! You see, I can remember the names of young men I danced with at balls more than fifty years ago, but I could not tell you what I had for breakfast this morning!”

Diana joined in the laughter, but sighed inwardly. Despite the dowager making light of things, she felt a sense of dismay that she must always be forced to defend herself and her actions, wherever she went. Every encounter felt like a trial, where she had to justify her choices to those who had never walked in her shoes.

“We have met before, My Lady,” Diana replied, her voice steady. “But it was some years ago.”

The dowager frowned, as if searching her mind for the memory. “I confess that I cannot remember it,” she replied, her tone clipped. “But I am sure that it was not recently. You have not been in society very much at all.” The repeated words carried with them an implied judgment that hung in the air, challenging Diana to defend her absence.

“We live a rather quiet life generally, My Lady,” she replied evenly, maintaining her composure. “But this season is my sister’s debut, and therefore it is right that we spend a little more time in company.” The words felt like a shield, though she knew they might not fully deflect the scrutiny of the dowager’s gaze.

“Ah, yes, your sister,” the dowager said, glancing across the room to where Grace was sitting with Cecilia.

Diana thought that her sister looked a radiant figure amidst the laughter and chatter, but she waited for the dowager’s verdict, rather than saying anything more herself.

“She is a very beautiful young lady,” the dowager said eventually. “Your father must have high hopes of a good match for her.” The compliment was layered, and Diana could sense an undertone in the dowager’s voice, despite her humor, as if she was comparing Grace’s prospects to Diana’s own.

Diana bit her lip, aware of the unspoken truths that lay beneath the surface. She could not very well reply that their father was showing little interest in orchestrating Grace’s entry to society, and that he had left the whole thing to her to manage. It was a burden she bore quietly, determined to ensure Grace had the opportunities she deserved.

“We are all confident that Grace will make a fine match when the right gentleman comes along.” Her words were meant to convey hope, but they felt hollow, echoing back to her own unfulfilled aspirations.

The dowager narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Diana with a keen intensity. “And you do not think that the right gentleman has come along just yet, is that right?” The question was sharp, and Diana felt the weight of it pressing against her chest.

Diana frowned, the uncertainty gnawing at her. She could not be sure if the dowager knew of Tristan’s alleged intentions towards Grace, but there seemed to be a thinly-veiled antagonism in her voice that she was not quite sure how to manage. “I am not sure, My Lady,” Diana replied, striving for a calm demeanor. “I am sure you will agree that it is important to be cautious in these matters.”

The dowager nodded, her expression unreadable. “I do agree, indeed,” she replied. “And I gather that you have been extremely cautious when it comes to your own prospects. Perhaps too cautious, in fact.” The insinuation hung heavy between them, and Diana felt a flush rise to her cheeks.

“I am not sure what you mean, My Lady,” Diana said, looking down again at the cards in her hand. The patterns on the cards began to blur as her thoughts drifted. While the conversation was taking this direction, and she felt herself put on the spot like this, it was not easy to concentrate on the game. She wondered for a moment if that was the dowager’s strategy: to distract her so that she made a mistake. But surely the outcome of the card game could not be so important to the older lady? A mere game could not matter so much.

“Only that I have heard some things about you, my dear,” the dowager said, her tone dripping with implication. “That your own matrimonial ambitions have never been realized.” The words were a dagger, piercing through the veneer of civility that surrounded them. Diana’s heart raced, embarrassment flooding her senses.

As the game continued around them, she felt the weight of the world in that moment, trapped between her sister’s bright future and her own lingering uncertainties. Each card played felt like a silent reminder of her own choices, and the paths left unexplored.

Diana shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant. “It is of no consequence to me," she replied. "In fact, I find it rather strange that people seem to find it all so interesting. My sister’s prospects are far more important to me now. I am more than happy to remain at home with my father.”

The dowager nodded. “Well, I am sure that is very sensible.” She looked at the cards laid out on the table, then at the cards remaining in her own hand. “Now, let us concentrate, and finish this game.”

Diana felt a surge of relief that the interrogation seemed to be over, and was happy to focus her attentions on the game. As the final round drew near, Diana played her cards with a confidence that surprised even herself. With a bold move, she laid down her hand, revealing a winning combination. “It appears I have won,” she declared, the thrill of victory surging through her.

The dowager raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “Well played, Lady Diana. It seems you are a force to be reckoned with.”

Diana smiled, feeling a warmth blooming in her chest. She had entered the drawing room that evening feeling flustered after her encounter with Tristan, and almost like an outsider among this group of people, but she had held her own, despite the dowager’s probing questions and antagonistic comments. Not only had she kept her composure, but she had also won the game.

“Shall we play again?” she ventured to suggest.

The dowager clapped her hands, smiling broadly. “I think we shall!”

She shuffled the cards, showing off a considerable dexterity, and the game began again.

“Perhaps I have something to learn from you, Lady Diana,” the dowager said, her tone more amiable now. “But really, we ought to ask Tristan to join us. He is an absolute menace at the card table.”

Diana felt her cheeks warming a little at the mention of his name. “I am sure he is a very good player, My Lady.”

“Do you know my grandson well?” the dowager said, eyeing Diana curiously.

Diana shook her head. “I met him for the first time several years ago, but I have not seen him at all in the intervening time period. Lately, though…” She trailed off, unsure how to explain the events of the last couple of weeks.

“I gather that you were all at the theatre together,” the dowager commented. Still, she looked at Diana with that penetrating gaze, as if she were trying to read her thoughts.

“Indeed,” Diana replied. “I was not expecting to see him there, but he seemed glad to see my sister.” She paused. “I think that the earl is rather fond of an audience himself, though. He likes to captivate.”

The dowager chuckled. “It sounds to me as if you have got the measure of him. But tell me, what do you really think about him?”

Diana took a deep breath. What did she have to lose? And truthfully, she was curious to know what the older lady would say, if she really did speak her mind.

“People tell me that he is a rake,” Diana said bluntly. “And I am sure you can imagine that makes me rather cautious about the attentions he seems to be paying towards my sister.”

The dowager laughed, a sound that was surprisingly warm and inviting. “There are few people who really understand him, Lady Diana. Many find him insufferable, but I think if you gave him a chance, you would realize that there’s more to him than meets the eye.”

“Perhaps,” Diana mused. “But I suspect he enjoys the game of being misunderstood.”

“There are not many people who understand how he thinks,” the dowager went on. “And that is the key to really knowing him, I believe.”

Diana pondered the dowager’s words as the game progressed. Could it really be true that there were hidden depths to the earl? She had assumed that he was simply a rake, addicted to the thrill of attention and flattery from young ladies, but perhaps she had been wrong?

She glanced across the room to check on Grace, and saw that Tristan had reappeared and was now sitting with Grace and Cecilia. She felt her heart sink a little. He seemed determined to win her sister over. She would have to redouble her efforts to intervene, despite the hidden depths that the earl appeared to have. Even so, she knew he was not a suitable match for Grace, and she could not allow herself to lose control of the situation. There was too much at stake.

The next round of the game came to an end, the dowager having been victorious this time.

“Let us have a glass of something, then play a final round,” the dowager announced. She signaled to a footman to bring them some refreshment, then cast an eye over Diana’s person as she sat opposite her.

“I hope that you will forgive me for saying so, Lady Diana,” she said, a twinkle of mischief in her eye again. “But your choice of dress is quite…unique.”

Diana flushed. She knew that her taste in gowns was a little old-fashioned, and the dowager was not the first to comment on it. She always felt a little out of place at events like this, in comparison to other young ladies who seemed to have such poise, and to carry off the latest fashions so naturally. But the truth of it was that even if she had wanted to buy herself some new gowns, all the money that was available for such things had been spend on Grace’s wardrobe. There was nothing left for Diana.

“You are not the first to have made such a comment,” Diana replied, unsure what else she could say in response to the dowager’s remark.

“One would think your mother would have arranged for something a bit more fashionable,” the dowager said. There was a hint of kindness in her voice now, and Diana thought that perhaps she did mean to be helpful, rather than critical.

Diana’s heart tightened at the mention of her mother. The pain of her loss was still raw. “My mother passed away three years ago, My Lady ,” Diana replied, her voice steady. “I do believe, thought, she would have preferred I wear something that suited me rather than what society deems fashionable.”

A flicker of surprise crossed the dowager’s, quickly replaced by a hint of remorse. “I…I did not know,” she stammered, her bravado faltering. “I am sorry, truly.”

Diana’s expression softened slightly. “It is quite all right. Many forget that my mother is no longer with us. Perhaps that is why I am so protective over my sister.”

The dowager nodded. “I quite understand. Please forgive me for my comments.”

Diana smiled. “It is already forgotten.”

The footman returned with glasses of sherry for the ladies. Diana took hers gratefully, enjoying the first sip. The evening had been rather eventful so far, and she sensed that it was not quite over yet.

The dowager took up the deck of cards again. “Let us play another round,” she declared. “In fact, Lady Diana, I should like it if you would remain with me for the rest of the evening. I am enjoying your company, and I think we are a good match at this game.”

“I should like that very much,” Diana replied, and she felt the truth of the words as she spoke them. The older lady had clearly begun the conversation with a view to antagonizing her, or testing her in some way, but Diana hade enjoyed their interactions in spite of it.

The evening progressed companionably, and when Diana finally returned to her room, much later, she felt that perhaps she would be able to navigate the complexities of the next few days after all. The game of cards had been more than just a diversion. It had given her a new sense of confidence. Tomorrow would bring new challenges, but she felt equal to face them in her own way, no matter what happened.