Page 23 of The Duke and the Hellion Bride (Duchesses of Convenience #7)

Chapter Twenty-Three

I t was almost as soon as Magnus left her that a courier arrived at the estate with an urgent message for Diana. She was still playing outside with the girls when, so she was not aware of its arrival until one of the household staff hurried through the back garden to find her. By that point the courier was gone, leaving behind a single letter.

“Did he say who it was from?” Diana asked, taking the letter from the member of staff. She did not know his name, but he was young and out of breath from having rushed to find her.

“No, Your Grace. In fact, when I asked who had sent him, he outright refused to tell me.”

Diana frowned as she eyed the letter in her hand. “How strange.”

Chalk it up to yet another oddity occurring in Diana’s life across the last twenty-four hours. She was still reeling from what had transpired the previous evening, still suffering from what she could only assume to be a broken heart – she had never had one before, so she wasn’t aware of the effects or how it should feel.

Painful, that is how. Like my chest has been hacked apart, my ribs torn asunder, and my heart snatched free and then stepped on and left in the dirt. A broken heart? More like a destroyed one.

She still could not believe what had happened. Further to that point, she still could not believe how the duke had behaved since. Last night, she had done her best to convince herself that come this morning, Magnus would arrive at his senses and apologize for having left her alone after bedding her -- treating her like a common whore was how it felt.

Sadly, perhaps most predictably, he chose to pretend that nothing was the matter! As if the two would carry on and Diana might forget how he had left her. As if all was normal and she was the fool for expecting anything close to an apology or explanation.

It was not normal. It was a travesty the likes of which Diana could not have imagined because it was just so strange. She knew that Magnus was closed off emotionally, but they had come so far, and finally he was starting to see her in ways he never had before. Love... she had felt it blossoming between them.

Now he was gone, and for that reason Diana did not even consider waiting until he arrived back from wherever he had gone off to before opening the letter. As far as she was concerned, he could never come back, and she would be happier for it.

As to the letter...

Diana opened it, thinking little of the strange circumstances. Then she scanned the letter once, her eyes turned wide, and her heart began to race as her face paled. She read it again, just to double check. And then a third time because surely this was some sort of sick joke.

“He refused to tell you who had sent him?” she asked.

“Yes, Your Grace. He outright refused.”

Dearest Diana,

It brings me no pleasure to do this, but I am afraid that I must insist on having you come meet with me without delay. An hour from this letter’s arrival will do, giving you plenty of time to make the short journey. My only request is that you come alone, and without informing your husband. Make an excuse, whatever is required, but do not tell him where you are going or why.

Alas, I wish I could trust you, but we are not quite there yet. Thus, if you ignore this generous request, I will be left with no choice but to harm Josephine and Adeline. I do not wish it, and I know you do not wish this either, so please, adhere to my request and all will be well.

As to where we shall meet, the address is below. Come alone, and quickly. I truly cannot wait to see you.

“Is something the matter, Your Grace?” the member of staff asked.

For the fourth time, Diana read the letter. This had to be a joke. A sick game, to what end she could not imagine. The letter was written like a love note, only with not-so-thinly veiled threats that she simply could not ignore.

Still unsure, she fumbled through the envelope and found the address that the letter referred to. It was park not too far from here, on the outskirts of London but still relatively isolated. What on earth is going on?

If this had arrived just one day earlier, Diana was certain she would have told Magnus, regardless of the letter's threat. But it was not one day earlier. Magnus wasn’t here, she wasn’t certain what their future held, and the letter hard warned her against telling anybody under threats of violence toward the girls.

She thought quickly. A playful scream from nearby had her watching the girls play together, the smiles on their faces, how joyous they were. It made her heart soar as much as it did sink. As foolish as it was, and as dangerous, Diana knew that she had no choice but to comply. Such was the way of things.

“Have a carriage made ready this instant,” she commanded of the staff. “I will be with it shortly.”

“Your Grace,” the member of staff bowed. “And where shall I tell the driver to be taking you?”

Again, she found herself looking at the girls. Who would have guessed that two relative strangers as they were could affect her so much? Knowing now what she would do for them. Willingly walking into a clear trap to keep them safe. Oh, how she wished Magnus was here. But then again, the fact that he was not was the problem.

“No where good,” she said, turning and striding toward the manor.

* * *

The park which the letter had asked Diana to meet at was roughly the same size as the back garden at Magnus’ estate. It was, however, nowhere near as well curated. An open space of overgrown grass that gave way to mismatched trees and hedges, it looked long abandoned and all the more ominous for it.

She had the carriage pull up across the road. Mostly, there were empty plots of land – farms and pastures – in all directions, with a few notable farmhouses peppered across the horizon. For all intents and purposes it was isolated, and if something went awry there would be nobody to come and save her.

The coachman was an employee of Magnus’, she did not know his name, but she asked him to wait by the carriage because he was her only source of protection. He asked if she wished for accompaniment, but Diana sensed that whoever had asked to meet her would not appreciate such a thing.

“It will be fine,” she assured him as she surveyed the park from a distance. “However, if I am not back in ten minutes, do come and collect me.”

His face hardened but he knew better than to argue. A firm nod of the head and he climbed back atop the carriage.

With that taken care of, Diana had no choice but to do as the letter had instructed and meet the mystery sender. She walked carefully across the road and into the park, eyes searching, breath staggered because she was understandably worried. Not scared. For now, there was no need to be. But she supposed that just depended on who she was here to meet.

The answer to that question came a second later.

He stepped out from behind a tree across the way. The shadows from the canopy masked his features at first, forcing Diana to squint to see who it was. Then he stepped forward and into the light and Diana gasped... quickly followed by a scowl.

“You!”

“Your Grace,” Lord Herrod purred as he swept toward her. “Might I say that you look as ravishing as the last time we spoke. Perhaps even more so, which just proves what I have always suspected.” His eyes flashed mischief. “That a beauty such as you are grows even more so by the day.”

“You!” she said again, taking a step back as he came closer. “What is the meaning of this? And how dare you threaten the children!”

“Regrettable,” he sighed. “But necessary, under the circumstances. Alas, I did not think you would come otherwise. And now that you are here...” His smile grew. “My hope is that we can put that sordid business behind us.”

Lord Herrod came within five feet of Diana before stopping. A good thing too, for she might have slapped him if he got much closer. The shock of his being the one who had sent her that letter, paired with how detestable she found the man, caused quite a calamity of emotions to stir within her.

Indeed, the only thing keeping her from turning toward outright abuse was the very real fact that as much as she hated this man, she also sensed he was one to fear. Alone and out here. Nobody knowing she had come to meet him...

I best be careful not to say anything that might set him off. Even if I would very much like to.

“When my husband finds out --”

“Threats already?” Lord Herrod frowned; his expression still playful. “Your Grace, I am disappointed. Even hurt. You assume the worst and yet you have no idea what I have asked to meet with you today. Surely, the urgency and secrecy must suggest that I had good reason?”

Diana balked at that, for a moment wondering if in this instance, he was being sincere. “You should not have threatened the girls.”

“And for that, once again, I apologize. But I could not risk you telling His Grace of this. It is imperative that he never find out.”

“Find out what – why am I here?”

His expression softened, a look of sincerity which Diana did not buy for a second. That was what she had always detested most about Lord Herrod, that everything he did seemed contrived and controlled, done so as to appear one way when she knew deep down that he was as wretched as they came.

“You are here, Your Grace, because I cannot stomach another day without telling you what I think you know we both feel. Lies do not become us, nor does being forced to live them. I have been at pains to deny how I have felt, but no longer will I suffer through such contrivances. And I know you are the same.”

“What... what are you going on about,” she said with bewilderment. “Speaking plainly or I shall leave.”

“You and I, of course,” he said, taking a step closer. And then another. “Being together. That is what this is about. It is time we plan our escape and --”

“What!” Diana cried out. “You and I? Lord Herrod...” She tried not to laugh, even though nothing funny was said. “Surely, this is a joke?”

“It is no joke, and do not sully this moment by suggesting as such. I am in love with you, Your Grace. And I know that are feel the same for me.”

“Lord Herrod...” Diana couldn’t believe what she was hearing! The ramblings of a lunatic, which might have been amusing if it wasn’t so dangerous. “I am with His Grace. We are man and wife. Whatever it is you think you feel, it is irrelevant.”

His eyes widened malevolently. “And so I thought too. But do you remember what I first told you? What I made sure to repeat the last time we spoke.” He took another step toward her. “I always get what I want. And now, what I want, is you.”

Diana took a step back, the hairs on her neck standing up because she could sense that things were about to take a turn for the worst. “I... I appreciate the sentiment, sadly, there is nothing that can be done.”

“On the contrary,” he spoke quickly. “If you and His Grace were to annul your marriage, there is no reason that we cannot --”

“No!” she said before she could stop herself. A flash of anger behind Lord Herrod’s eyes and she forced calmness. “I mean... it is not possible, Lord Herrod. I do not wish to go into details, but an annulment would not be legal. I am...” She tried for a forgiving smile. “I am sorry.”

Lord Herrod shook his head, not at all put out. “Oh, do not let that worry you. I have a team of lawyers at my beck and call, and they assure me that regardless of what you and His Grace have done together, it is still a possibility.” He took two quick steps, putting himself less than three feet from her. “We will be together... Diana.” He purred her name, and it sent a shudder through her spine. “God himself cannot stop us.”

Lord Herrod had lost his mind. That was the only possible explanation. For that reason alone, Diana knew she couldn’t outright deny him, for who knew what the man was capable of.

“Lord Herrod...” Diana spoke slowly and carefully, one hand outstretched as if to calm him. “What of my cousin, Evelyn? The two of you --”

He snorted. “She is not a concern, Diana. A means to an end only, used so that I could get closer to you. I own her family, so you need not worry about how she might react. In fact, I suspect that she will be happy for us.”

“But my husband --”

“Does not deserve you,” he cut through her, a tinge of anger to his voice. “Why do you not see that? And quite frankly, I am getting a little sick of these ridiculous protestations. We will be together, and I intend for it to be as soon as possible.”

She shook her head. “But... but I cannot simply – allow me to speak with Magnus first and make him see. Perhaps I can convince him to leave me? Surely, that will make things easier.”

“He is a proud man. I know the type,” he said with a smirk. “No, it must be you who asks for the annulment. Today.”

“Today?!”

“Oh yes, today. And where I did not want it to come to this...” He sighed as if with regret. “I must implore once again that you think of the safety of the girls. I would hate to think what might happen if they were... if they were not considered when you decide what to do.”

“Is that a threat? You would threaten two innocent girls for this?”

“Simply an observation,” he assured her. “Please...” He took the final step toward her and snatched her hand, pulling it to his chest. Diana thought to wrench her hand free, but fear froze her. “Know that I only want what is best for you – for us. Know that I am doing this so that we both might be happy.”

He held her hand clutched to his chest. He looked into her eyes. There was clear derangement behind them, and she knew that no matter what she said, no matter what she did, he would not hear reason.

And it was because of this that Diana said the only thing that she could. “Alright... I will... when I am done here, I will go home and ask --”

“Demand.”

She swallowed. “Demand an annulment from Magnus.”

He breathed a sigh of relief but did not release her. “We will be happy, Diana. You will see. And in time, all this will be is an unfortunate memory. But one that has led to greater things.” A smile grew on his lips and his eyes flicked to her own. Her heart seized because she could see exactly what was on his mind. “And now that we have that sorted, what’s say that we seal this glorious arrangement with a kiss? Oh, how I have waited for such a thing.”

“Lord Herrod...” She leaned back. “It -- it would not be right.”

“Yet so right at the same time...” He kept a hold of her hand. He stepped in closer, lips puckered. And Diana knew that there was nothing she could do...

“Your Grace!” a voice cried from across the park. “Is everything alright?”

“What?” Lord Herrod’s head snapped up and his eyes narrowed. “Who is that – what is the meaning of this?” he snarled. “I told you to come alone!”

“Your Grace!” It was the coachman, blessedly checking on her. “Do you need assistance?”

“It is the coachman,” she said quickly. “That is all. He must have wondered where I had gotten off to.”

Lord Herrod’s jaw clenched and his grip on her hand tightened so that it hurt. “Unfortunate...” His glare was rueful, aimed at the coachman, but it only lasted a second before it softened. “But unavoidable. I should have guessed you would not have travelled without a retainer. I would not expect you to.”

“It is best that he not see,” Diana said quickly, blessedly pulling her hand free. “If Magnus finds out...”

“Yes...” Lord Herrod agreed, still watching the coachman. “You are correct. For now, let us seal this new arrangement with words only. There will be time later for...” He smiled at her, one so sickening it made her want to cry. “... all of that. And then some.”

“I should go...” She took a step back.

“I will be watching,” Lord Herrod assured her. “This evening, I shall have a man on the estate. And I fully expect to see you leave by the hour after sunset. Only then, will I know that you have done as I asked.”

“A... a man? Who is --”

“Insurance,” he assured he with a soft purr. “And as insurance, I would hate to think what he might do if he does not see you leave. If you understand my meaning?”

Her chest tightened and all she wanted to do was cry. But she nodded and forced a smile, her mind on the girls and the fear she held for what this man might do if she didn’t agree. “Yes, that is... it shall be done.”

“I know it will be, Diana. And I need you to know that... that I love you.”

She could not say the words back. She offered him another smile, ensuring that he did not seem put out, angry or vengeful enough he might follow her, and then she turned and fled.

Not that running would make any difference. She was out of the frying pan but all she could do was run into the fire. Nowhere to go, nowhere that was safe. She wondered if she should just tell Magnus what had happened, that maybe he would be able to save her and the girls. But then she remembered last night, and earlier today, and she suspected darkly that he might even be thrilled.

There was nobody to turn to. Nobody to save her. Lord Herrod had her and she knew there was nothing that she could do. And for that reason, as the carriage was directed back toward the manor, Diana cried like she had never cried before.

Her life as she knew it was over.