Page 4 of An Earl Most Inconvenient (Regency Mishaps #2)

CHAPTER 4

G race was perched on the edge of her seat in the drawing room, and Diana could almost see the excitement bubbling out of her like a fountain. They had returned home from their excursion to the park half an hour ago, and Grace had barely stopped talking about the Earl of Silvermere. His flowers were now in pride of place on the table in the middle of the room, the offerings from all the other suitors forgotten and abandoned.

“Did you see how he was looking at me when we were standing by the lake?” Grace gushed. “He is extremely handsome, don’t you think?”

Diana thought for a moment, realizing to her shame that she could not answer that question truthfully to her sister; how could she admit that she, too, found the earl handsome, almost too handsome for words? Instead, she spoke carefully. “There are more important things in a gentleman than being handsome, though. Surely you must understand that?”

Grace let out an exasperated sigh. “What more do you expect? He is an earl! He is well-connected, rich, and charming, and I enjoy his company. I am not sure what you think is missing?”

Diana looked pensively out of the window, her brow furrowed in thought. She was going to have to spell things out very clearly for Grace, she could see. It was going to be rather awkward, but she could not allow her sister to continue with this false image of the earl in her mind. Charming as the earl was, Diana knew that she could not allow Grace to romanticize a man who the whole of the ton know full well was nothing but a rake.

“Grace, have you not heard the gossip about him?” Diana said softly. “I am sorry to have to be the one to tell you, but he has a very bad reputation. So much so that I did not want to allow you to be alone with him for even a single minute today.”

“But he did nothing improper,” Grace insisted.

Perhaps he did nothing improper your presence, Diana thought. Of course she would never tell Grace the words that had passed between herself and the earl that day, but his behavior had told her all she needed to know; he was not a man to be trusted.

“That is not the point,” Diana said. “You would not be so quick to fall for him if you knew the truth.”

Grace folded her arms and glared at Diana, her innate stubbornness coming to the surface. Diana had known that she would respond like this, and she was prepared for it. “I knew that you would not like what I had to say about him,” she went on, “but all that glitters is not gold, as you well know. He may seem like the perfect gentleman, but I have heard awful things about his dalliances, and his reckless behavior.”

“I do not believe it,” Grace said firmly. “I don’t care about rumors. How can you possibly know that they are true?”

“Lady Bretherton told me a shocking story only the other day about something that happened while the earl was traveling in France,” Diana began, but Grace would not allow her to finish.

“How can you know that she and others like her are not just jealous, or wanting to destroy his reputation to make their own sons look better? If they destroy his reputation, then there will be less competition for their own precious boys. No, I will not believe it, I am convinced that it is all done out of spite. Towards me, the earl has been perfectly charming.”

Diana scoffed. Her sister was behaving decidedly oddly when it came to the earl; she had never known her to be like this about a gentlemen before. “Charm itself! Of course he is charming, Grace. Please, do not be so na?ve. He has enough charm to bring the birds down from the trees, and to convince any lady that he is a decent man. But the truth is somewhat different, and from what I have been led to believe, there are some ladies who have suffered the consequences most gravely.”

“I do not accept it,” Grace insisted. “He treated me with perfect kindness and chivalry. I am looking forward to seeing him again. He makes me feel alive, as if there is something more to hope for in this world than the boring monotony of everyday life!”

Grace’s eyes sparkled as she spoke of him, and Diana knew that it was time to lay down the gauntlet. She could not allow this to go on any longer, particularly given how dramatically her sister was behaving.

“You will not be seeing him again, Grace,” Diana said in a low voice. “I forbid it.”

“You cannot forbid me, you are not my mother!” Grace cried, her voice rising in defiance. “And you were the one who said that I should make more of an effort. It seems that I cannot win, whatever I do!”

“I am only trying to protect you,” Diana replied, trying to keep calm despite the impact of Grace’s words, which cut through her heart like a knife. Did her sister not realize how much she had sacrificed for her already? And now she would not even trust her to know what was best for her, in this the most important of all decisions that a young lady could make. She wished for a moment that their mother was still with them, and she could guide them both through these difficulties. But such wishes were pointless, Diana knew, and she tried to dismiss them from her thoughts.

“I won’t give up!” Grace said, jumping up from her chair and running to the window, wringing her hands. “I don’t understand why you think you can tell me what to do, I am not a child! Why won’t you believe that I am capable of deciding for myself what will make me happy?”

“You are being ever so dramatic, Grace, there is no need for it,” Diana said, her voice steady again. “He would not make you happy. I am sure of it. And he will move onto someone else in the blink of an eye when he realizes that he will get nowhere with you. There are many other gentlemen out there who are much more worthy of you. You should be focusing your attention on them.”

“What do you know of what makes me happy?” Grace wailed.

Diana stared at her sister, who was now looking out of the window, with her back to her. She did not know what to say next. But she was sure of her decision, and confident that it was the best thing for her sister. The earl was an entirely unsuitable match, and she had witnessed with her own eyes exactly why that was the case, just an hour before. The thought of the earl standing close to her and whispering in her ear made a shiver run through her body. Why was that pernicious man still so present in her thoughts? It was most infuriating.

Before either of the sisters could say anymore to continue their argument, their father, Jerome, entered the room.

“What is this commotion?” he asked. “I am trying to read, and I cannot concentrate with all this shouting going on!” He looked between his daughters with a bemused expression and ran a hand through his greying hair. “I was already feeling irritated, as Bingham has forgotten to tell the groom to get the horses ready for me this morning so I shall be delayed going out, and now I have to listen to all this hubbub! Really, it is not to be borne.”

Diana fought the urge to roll her eyes. This was the last thing she needed — her father interfering in a situation he knew nothing about. Who knew what he would say when he found out what they were arguing about? It was impossible to predict; his mind was focused almost entirely on his books, and he knew precious little of the day-to-day lives of his daughters.

“Father, I have just been explaining to Grace that one of the gentlemen she met at the ball last night is a most unsuitable match, and that she should dismiss all thoughts of him from her mind,” Diana explained.

Grace whirled around angrily. “Father, he is the perfect match,” she cried, her voice filled with passion. “But Diana is against him because of a load of stupid rumors from every busybody in the ton!”

“A ball? Oh yes, you went to the Harringtons ball last night, did you not,” Jerome said. “I had quite forgotten about that.”

Diana tried to keep calm, but really, her sister was being quite impossible, and her father as well, for that matter. “Papa, they are not just rumors. I cannot allow Grace to entangle herself with a man who is well known to be a rake.”

Jerome frowned. “Well, if what Diana is saying is true, then he does not sound at all suitable for you, Grace,” he said, in a considered manner. “Perhaps it is best to listen to your sister on this matter. I am sure that there are other gentlemen who would be a much better match.” He glanced at the table, full of vases of flowers. “Ah, I see you have had some suitors come to call this morning! Well, then, you see? There are plenty of other fish in the sea.”

Grace let out another wail. “I see you are against me too! It is all so unfair!”

“It is not that anyone is against you, dearest,” Diana said gently. “I only want you to be happy, and as I said before, I am convinced that the earl will not make you happy.”

“I do not know why you are so convinced that you know what is best for everyone, when?—”

Grace stopped herself before finishing her sentence, but Diana could tell what she was going to say. When you have not managed to find a husband for yourself. And she was right, of course. Diana had not managed her own romantic story with any aptitude at all. But it was a different matter when it came to Grace.

“I do not want to upset you, Grace,” Diana said. “Perhaps we should talk no more of it today.” She hoped that the tone of finality in her voice would bring the argument to a conclusion, for now at least.

“I quite agree,” Jerome said. “I trust you, Diana, to make the best decisions for both yourself and your sister, as I always have done. And I do not like to hear my girls arguing. All I really want in this life is some peace, you know, so that I can read, and think. Quiet, you know – that is all I need.”

Diana nodded. She wondered for a moment what it would be like to have a father who was more involved in these matters, who would come with them to balls and parties, introduce them to suitable gentlemen and guide them through the quagmire of the marriage market. But alas, it was not to be. The marquess had never shown any interest in such matters, and now that their mother was gone, it was all down to Diana to manage.

She remembered, then, that there was another matter she needed to discuss with her father.

“Grace will need some new dresses for the upcoming season, Father,” she ventured. “The ones from last year look a little faded, and rather dated too.”

Jerome nodded absently. Diana could see that his mind was already on other things. “I am sure you are right, Diana,” he murmured.

“Very well,” she replied. “We will go to the dress maker tomorrow.”

“The dress maker?” he said, as if he had only just realized what she had said. “But – do we have the funds for new dresses, Diana? Our expenses of late have been considerable.”

Diana sighed. “We do, Father. I checked the ledger yesterday when I was working through all the accounts for the estate, and there is enough money to provide Grace with what she needs.” Diana suspected that there would not be enough money left over for her to buy anything for herself, but that did not matter. No one would be looking at her at the next ball, that was for sure. All eyes would be on Grace, and that was how it should be.

“Well, whatever you say, Diana,” Jerome said. “I am sure you will manage everything perfectly, just as you always do.” He turned to leave the room. “Now, I will go back to my study, unless you need me for anything else?”

Diana shook her head – even if she did need anything else from him, there would be little point in asking, as her father’s thoughts were clearly already retuned to his studies. Jerome left the room, leaving Diana and Grace sitting together in silence.

Grace seemed a little more cheerful now, perhaps buoyed up by the thought of new dresses, but Diana resolved to keep the conversation between them light. No more mention of the odious earl. For the rest of the day, at least, she would try to keep him out of her mind, difficult though it might be. It would be time for dinner soon, then bed, and this day would be over. She would be glad to see the back of it. She hoped that her firm words to the earl would be sufficient for him to realize that his efforts with Grace were pointless, but she knew, deep in the back of her mind, that they had not seen the last of the Earl of Silvermere.

She sat back on the sofa and felt a sense of heaviness engulfing her. Sometimes, just sometimes, the pressure of managing everyone else’s lives for them felt a little too onerous for her to bear.