Page 5 of Stone Cold Duke (Frigid Dukes #1)

Chapter Five

D iana had expected a response to her letter and had hoped to receive one soon. But it seemed that the Duke had more important things to do than respond to his soon-to-be wife.

She scowled again at the needlework her mother had given her.

“What use is this?” she protested furiously. “When will I need needlework as the wife of a duke?”

“It gives you something to do, so you’re not pacing about the room, wearing holes in the carpets,” her mother admonished.

Diana frowned but tried to turn her attention to her needlework. Perhaps having something to do with her hands would help. But it did nothing for her mind.

“My Ladies, the Duke of Cardan.”

They all sat up straight, startled by the sudden announcement as the Duke strode into the room, his gaze sweeping over everyone until it landed on Diana.

But, as propriety dictated, he turned to her mother first, executing a polite bow. “Lady Waterburry.”

“Your Grace.” The Countess was startled, that much Diana could tell, but perhaps the Duke could not. “We are pleased to welcome you to our home.”

“Lady Diana sent for me,” he said.

All eyes turned toward Diana.

“I had expected that you might send a letter that you were coming before simply arriving,” she replied, still trying to regain her composure.

“It seemed more prudent to simply arrive, as you were expecting a visit, based on the content of your letter.”

“Yes, well… I suppose that is true.” Diana set aside her needlework, glad to have an excuse to be rid of it, and rose. “Margaret, if you could come with me and His Grace to the ballroom?—”

“Nonsense, Diana. We shall have tea first, of course,” her mother interrupted.

Diana pursed her lips in frustration.

Leave it to her mother to delay things, even though she knew that her mother was as anxious to have everything settled for the wedding as she was. But nothing would get in the way of what propriety demanded. Not with the Countess.

“Of course. Forgive me, Your Grace. I am sure you would like a bit of tea and some of Cook’s scones. They are quite lovely.”

The Duke looked like he might refuse, but there was no manner of doing so that would not be rude, and though Diana knew he was abrupt with everyone, he seemed to be making an effort at the moment.

“Very well,” he said finally.

Everyone settled into an uneasy silence while they waited for the servants to bring the tea.

By the time the pleasantries had been dispensed with, Diana could not help but feel unsettled. They hurried off to the ballroom, with Margaret following at a discreet distance behind.

“Now then, we have settled some of the things necessary for the wedding. However, we wanted to ensure that you agree on what had been discussed.” Diana gestured around the room, and at least the Duke glanced around, taking in the size and decoration of the space with a critical eye.

“You may do as you please. It is of no concern to me.”

“The ball shall be for you as well,” Diana added, trying to be as polite and diplomatic as she could, but the blank stare he gave her made that very difficult.

“Choose whatever you like. I do not care for all the fuss If he were to pay for the entire event, she would not need to be concerned about her parents’ financial situation. And she could host the sort of ball she wished for. And since he did not care a whit for what she wanted to do …

“We shall get flowers from the garden here, as well as flowers from our neighbors, who have been gracious enough to offer anything from their gardens as well. That will give us plenty for the church as well as this room.”

“Very well,” he agreed, though his tone said he wasn’t really listening.

“My wedding gown is also being sewn as we speak. The modiste was quite confident that it shall be finished in time.”

The Duke simply nodded in response, but she wasn’t entirely sure he even cared. Still, she continued.

“My sisters shall stand beside me, and I presume you have someone available to stand beside you?”

“Yes,” he replied.

Diana was silent for a long moment, waiting for him to elaborate. But he didn’t say as much as a single word.

“You have already obtained the special license, so there is no need to be concerned about that. We have the priest and church ready.”

He still wasn’t paying attention, and she had the distinct impression that he was thinking about all of the other things he would rather be doing than this.

Her mood soured even more as she thought of the fact that she was about to marry a man who had no concern whatsoever about their wedding or her plans for it. He wanted nothing at all to do with any of it.

“I had thought to send for new travel clothes from London,” she told him, simply to see his reaction, but he merely inclined his head.

“There are new fashions in London, I believe.”

“And perhaps I should arrive in a stagecoach. It’s much larger than a standard carriage. I believe there is one available at the stables in town.”

“If that’s what you wish.”

Is there anything that bothers him?

New clothes from London, a stagecoach for the ride to the church. She searched her mind for anything else that might bother him. Because there had to be something, right?

“And perhaps we shall have special dishes brought in from town. Our cook is wonderful, but there are better, I am sure. We could bring in someone from town to prepare our wedding breakfast.”

Still, there was no response from him, and she worried that perhaps he would prefer such a ridiculous affair.

“We shall, of course, have music during the ball. I thought perhaps we should bring the Maudville Orchestra to perform.”

There was no reaction at first, and she wondered if he had even heard her, but then he blinked rapidly, and confusion flashed across his face as he turned to look at her.

“I beg your pardon?”

She worked very hard to keep her expression as neutral as possible as she repeated herself. “The Maudville Orchestra. I hear they are quite good. And they have played a number of public concerts throughout London.”

“You wish to hire a professional orchestra for the wedding ball?” Once again, his tone indicated that he thought she was joking, but she merely stared back at him.

“You said money was not a concern, did you not? That I could have whatever I wish for?”

“Indeed,” he replied, but his tone was uncertain this time, his words slow. “Bringing in an orchestra for the wedding ball is… a bit much, do you not think? The King himself has had no such thing.”

“Then I shall have something even more spectacular than the King,” she retorted.

His eyes widened slightly, staring at her for a long moment before she could no longer maintain her composure.

The small upturn of her lips gave her away at first, and then, as his eyes narrowed, it turned into a full-blown smile. One that, despite himself, suited her rather well.

With a sharp shake of his head, Matthew simply scowled at her. She was needling him. All of these ridiculous requests she’d made were nothing more than an attempt to annoy him. And he’d let her do it.

“You seek to make a joke of our wedding?”

“No. I seek to make the event special. It is you who wishes to ignore it altogether. And when I seek to draw you into the discussion, you cast my thoughts and opinions aside.”

“This is a matter that we must determine quickly, My Lady. It is not the time for this foolishness.”

“Perhaps if you could be bothered to pay attention, I would not feel the need to behave so,” she retorted, her smile immediately replaced with a scowl.

“There is nothing about this planning that I need to be informed of. Plan it as you wish and have done with it,” was his flippant response.

“You would simply have me spend the money on anything, yet you do not trust me to make decisions for your household?”

“Do not be difficult, Lady Diana,” he huffed.

Lady Diana only scowled at him harder. “I am not the one being difficult. You are the one who refuses to listen and refuses to aid me in planning this wedding.”

“I wish only to have done with it. There’s no need for all this nonsense and fuss.”

“This ‘nonsense and fuss’ is still our wedding. And it is, apparently, the only event I shall ever have the opportunity to plan. As such, I would appreciate it if it could be made into something unique and special rather than simply an event that we toss together as we wish.”

“I much prefer to take out all of the fuss. And I certainly prefer if you do not make a mockery of the whole accord.”

“So I am the one to make a mockery of it, when you do not even bother to listen when I relay the details thereof?”

“This is foolish, Lady Diana,” Matthew retorted, frustrated.

“If you wish for me to take this matter seriously, Your Grace, perhaps you also should take it seriously.”

Matthew stared at her for a moment, his eyes wide, as if he had not thought of things in that manner.

“This wedding is important to me, Your Grace. It is the only event I shall have the opportunity of planning in my life.” Lady Diana gave him a frustrated look at this. “And it is my wedding. I understand the importance of that, Your Grace. And yet I have been given very little time to plan it. I would have you also see the importance of making this day special as well.”

“I see.” His response was cryptic, slow as he stared at her.

“Shall we start this again?” she asked.

Matthew simply continued to stare at her for a moment.

“Just which of your requests are folly and which are genuine?” he asked.

Lady Diana narrowed her eyes at him. “Perhaps I should leave you to determine that for yourself.”

But again he simply stared at her for a long moment, waiting for her to break the silence. Except she didn’t do it. She simply stared back at him.

“Come now, Lady Diana. Let us have done with this.”

“If this is to be the first and only ball or event that I will have the opportunity to throw, then I should like very much for it to be memorable. I would want it to be special.”

Matthew’s thoughts drifted to the conversation they’d had about events in his estate. Lady Diana had seemed quite unhappy about his refusal to host any. Perhaps he could give her a little more freedom in planning their wedding ball…

“Very well. We will do what we can to make the day special,” he allowed.

Once again, a smile bloomed across her face. Strangely, it made him feel as though he would like to smile as well, but he quickly looked away, studying the ballroom once again.

“You have flowers, you say. And the priest.”

“Indeed. And my cook is excellent. She shall make the wedding breakfast. The entirety of the wedding breakfast.”

“Excellent,” he said, glad to be rid of the obligation of bringing someone from town. “As for your travel clothes, you may very well send for something to be made in London. If we had the time, you could go there yourself to commission them.”

“I’ve no need for new travel clothes,” she replied.

“And the stagecoach you had requested?”

“Our family carriage shall be more than sufficient.”

“Hmm, for your entrance to the church, you shall take mine. And when we return here from the church, we shall both ride in mine.”

“If I will be riding in your carriage, then what, pray tell, will you be riding in?”

“Perhaps I shall rent the stagecoach from town,” he replied with a small grin of his own.

“Your Grace, are you… jesting with me?” she asked, a sparkle in her eyes that gave him pause yet again.

Was he jesting with her? It was not often that anyone managed to coax him to let his guard down.

For now, he simply glanced away and cleared his throat before responding. “I shall come by horseback. It shall be sufficient.”

She fell silent, but he did not dare look up at her, uncertain what he would see and what his reaction would be to… well, whatever it may be.

“Is there anything else that you would like to see at the ball?” she asked.

“An orchestra.”

“Surely you do not actually mean to hire a professional orchestra such as the one I had mentioned?” Lady Diana sounded horrified at the very idea, and he smiled yet again, glancing up at her.

“My cousin plays quite beautifully. She and two of her friends. And I would very much like for them to play together with the orchestra for our wedding. A much smaller one than the Maudville Orchestra.”

“Your cousin has been playing for a long time?” She seemed genuinely curious, and he gave a short nod.

“She has. Since we were children. Though I must confess that when we were children, her playing left a great deal to be desired. Her brother and I would often run for cover each time she would bring out an instrument. And yet she continued to torment us with her wretched playing for years before she finally mastered the art.”

“I believe I like her already,” Lady Diana replied with that same sparkle in her eyes.

“I believe she will like you as well.” There was something about Lady Diana that told him Isabelle would like her a great deal. “They began playing small concerts for family and the staff much later, and they have grown to be quite good. I believe she would be honored to be asked to play for such an occasion.”

“Then I believe you should ask her to play.”

“You do not mind?”

“Not at all. If you believe she is quite good and you are as discerning a person as I believe you to be, I am certain we shall be honored to have her play for us.”

“I will request it of her when I return home,” He replied, surprised that she seemed so … agreeable.

“And shall you be returning soon?”

“To my home? I shall return tonight.”

“You shall not stay even a night to rest?” she asked, her eyes wide in surprise.

“I prefer to be in my own home, And my own cook is expecting me.”

“I see,” she replied. “Well then, perhaps we had best finish our discussion so that you may return before nightfall.”

“Is there much else to discuss?”

“I don’t believe so.”

In fact, just now silence fell over them yet again.

“If that is quite all, I shall take my leave now,” Matthew said finally, though his voice was not quite so formal as usual.

Lady Diana seemed to notice, turning to look at him with a much warmer gaze of her own.

With that, she led him out of the ballroom and back to the study, where everyone else was waiting.

His wife-to-be had a curious habit of ruining his plans. And much to his surprise, quite possibly, he did not entirely hate every bit of it.