Page 107 of Diana Adores the Puzzled Duke

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Diana’s tripback to Cambridge was uneventful. She had nothing to reproach herself for and had to smile at Adam’s over protectiveness. But what a relief it was to be home. After unpacking, she sat at her desk and practically purred, she felt so happy to be sitting where she would write again very soon. However, her mind was still in a whirlwind after all the events and excitement of the London book launch. She felt she needed to integrate the many varied experiences and settle into herself before she would be clear and calm enough to start writingagain.

After spending some time with her parents over breakfast, telling them about all of her adventures in London, she decided it was time to visit with the twins. And as it was a Saturday she had hopes of finding them both at home at the sametime.

As she approached the Sinclair house she spied Geoffrey raking the newly fallen leaves in the frontgarden.

“You see the slave I have become?” he groused, as he raked the leaves into a pile. “I spend my weekdays slaving away at the primary school, and then, when I struggle home weary and worn, I am forced, like the slave you see, to rake the leaves on the weekend. See how I suffer,Diana?”

She laughed. “Oh, Geoffrey, I would sympathize with you if I could, but I am sorry, I just cannot. You are such a big baby. Everyone works and everyone has chores. It is part of life. Get used toit.”

He pouted as he leaned against his rake. “Not you too…” hewailed.

“Come. Offer me some tea and I shall tell you all about my adventures inLondon.”

“Now, that is more like it. Tea.Yea.”

Diana took his arm as he led her inside thehouse.

“Is Miriam at home, I do not want to recite all of thistwice.”

“She is. I believe she is being extremely lazy in the bathtub, luxuriating in hot water and a snowstorm of bath bubbles. I shall inform her you arehere.”

He disappeared and Diana stretched out her arms across the back of the sofa while she waited for herhosts.

Shortly Miriam appeared in a terrycloth robe, with her hair wrapped in atowel.

“Oh, Diana, how lovely. Geoffrey has gone to the kitchen to put the kettle on. Are you going to tell us all about your escapades in London? Was the book asuccess?”

“All will be revealed in good time. But firsttea.”

Geoffrey brought out the tea and while Miriam dried her hair with the towel, Diana told them all about London and the book launch. The twins were pleased to hear her tales and asked ridiculous questions but when Diana was finished, Miriam asked how the wedding plans were progressing. There was a flicker of something in Diana’s eyes and she pressed further. “What? You are not telling ussomething.”

Diana hesitated but finally said, “It is nothing.” She brushed cake crumbs off herskirt.

The twins leaned forward and asked in unison. “It is not. Thereissomething up. Tell usall.”

Diana sat back on the sofa and considered how much to say. But knowing the twins, the less she said thebetter.

“Well…” Diana started hesitantly, “Adam…” She was finding it very difficult to moveforward.

“Adam what?” Geoffrey pushed. “He smells? He has six toes? He has noteeth?”

“He walks in his sleep? He murdered his mother? What?” Miriamcontinued.

“I am not sure he is really ready for marriage the way I am,” Diana finallysaid.

The twins were silenced. They looked at each other. “Are you cancelling the wedding?” Miriam asked,thunderstruck.

“No. Not at all. It is just… I do not know how to describe it. I think for the past few years he has been so wrapped up in his studies and his dissertation that he has had little time to grow up as a man. He seems to be so ill-prepared for the responsibilities and the difficult decisions that marriage demands. I do not know what todo?”

“Might you postpone for awhile?”

“It has crossed my mind. But there have been so many preparations already made. And Adam has been obsessive about organizing the honeymoon. I get these glimpses of us later on. Married, settled, living a rather predictable and controlled life. I am not sure that is what I want. And I do not know if he is flexible enough to be spontaneous and adventurous in the way I would like to be. Does that make anysense?”

“Well… ye-e-e-s,” Geoffrey insisted. “Run, run,run.”

Diana shook her head. “But I still care forhim.”