Page 105 of The Replacement Duchess

“Of course! It is the perfect life, you must admit. We have no responsibilities outside of the dukedom, and only each other to concern ourselves with, aside from if Samantha should ever require assistance. What more could one want?”

Diana nodded, forcing her smile to stay in place. “I couldn’t agree more,” she said politely.

“Wonderful, now I was thinking a week from tomorrow for your aunt’s visit. It might be a little soon, given she will undoubtedly be surprised by your letter, but what do you think? Oh! I am terribly sorry, what is it that you wished to tell me?”

Diana did not know what to say. He seemed so happy, in his element even, planning the visit from her aunt, and he had said himself that he so enjoyed it being the two of them. She had to admit that she had enjoyed it too.

It appeared that they had enjoyed themselves rather too much, as she was now with child.

She was not foolish; she had already gone through all of her doubts in the three weeks that she had thought about her condition, and she knew that it was not the sort of news that everyone would want to hear, and Colin seemed so content that she almost wished that he could stay that way.

“It is nothing.” She laughed shakily. “Only that I was hoping my aunt could visit as soon as possible, rather than in a week’s time. We could leave the decision to her, and offer her an open invitation so that she can inform us more precisely.”

“You,” he said thoughtfully, “are brilliant. Do not ever forget that.”

He kissed her forehead before racing off, presumably to his study.

Colin had settled into their new routine, but Diana had felt a change in him. He was happier, more in control of himself of late, and it showed. He was reading and studying again, and truly enjoying it. He would even leave it behind to visit Diana simply to tell her something interesting that he thought she might wish to know, which she always did. Diana wondered if, given all of his progress, the time was even right to have a child, but there was no point in that now.

The baby was coming, whether they were prepared or not.

“Here is some parchment, a quill, and some ink,” he said brightly, bursting into the room once more. “I shall have it sentthe moment that it is ready, and the address is already written, so have no worries there.”

Upon reading it, Diana realized that her aunt lived incredibly close by, less than a day’s journey, which lifted her spirits. She would have family nearby, at least. She scribbled a letter quickly, apologizing for the surprise and the lack of correspondence, but that she was now a duchess and she had found her and wished to invite her to stay with them, then she had Colin sign it in case her aunt thought that she had been driven mad.

And then she waited. She wondered if her aunt would come at all, or if she no longer cared for the two girls, but she only needed to wait a mere two days before there was an arrival at the door, and there she was.

“Aunt Roberta!” she exclaimed upon seeing her, rushing to greet her.

It had been years since she had last seen her, but her aunt seemed exactly the same—tall, beautiful and kind.

Roberta embraced her just as tightly, sighing gently. “Oh, Diana,” she said quietly. “I knew that you would go far, but this is something else entirely. Look at you!”

“I am just as surprised as you.”

“Now, now, I never said that I was surprised, only that you have come so far. Now, where is this husband of yours?”

“That would be me.” Colin nodded, and Roberta curtseyed.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace. I trust that you have taken excellent care of my niece?”

“I wouldn’t dream of treating her any other way. I am so glad that we were able to find you.”

“As am I, as I am quite certain that my brother has never made the effort to tell you where I was.”

“He most certainly has not.” Diana laughed. “Come, let us have tea. I have so much to tell you!”

“Splendid.” Roberta nodded. “Will you be joining us, Your Grace?”

“I am afraid I have some business to attend to, but I shall be home this evening.”

This suited Diana perfectly fine, as although she had wanted her aunt to meet her husband as soon as possible, she needed advice even sooner than that.

Diana had never truly stopped to think about how bizarre her courtship with Colin had been until she recounted it to her aunt, who gawked at her from beginning to end.

“That is so wonderful,” Roberta sighed wistfully. “It makes me almost wish that I had married. Almost! And how is Samantha now?”

“She is doing well,” Diana said carefully. “She still seems to struggle with accepting that she will one day marry, but at least Father does not make her miserable about it now.”

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