Page 34 of The Replacement Duchess

“That is rather lovely, actually.”

“And do you play?”

“Yes, but I cannot say that I have always enjoyed it. I do not have the lovely tie to it that you do. Being a young lady, there was always the expectation that I would learn and do it well, and so my sister and I worked tirelessly on it until I was perfect, but I cannot say even now that I am passionate about it.”

“But it is such a beautiful instrument,” he sighed with a smile, sitting at it.

“It is certainly nice, and it is a lovely decoration, but as far as utility?—”

He began to play, and the sisters fell silent. He seemed to forget that they were there at all, gently caressing the keys and playing a tune so soft that it seemed impossible that it was coming from such a brutish man.

“The pianoforte, you see”—he smiled as he played—“is an instrument of many facets. You see, you can play softly, or you can play like this.”

He then played differently, hitting the keys harder, in a way that seemed to suit him even more.

“But what is most beautiful of all,” he sighed, stopping for a moment. “Is when both musicians can play in perfect unison. The gentle and the passionate, they come together, and…”

He motioned for Diana to sit beside him, but she shook her head. She saw how his face fell for a moment, and she did not like it at all.

“I do not play,” she explained. “I taught Samantha, but I could never quite do it myself. I could never make my fingers do what I wanted them to do.”

“Ah. This is quite alright, Lady Diana.”

“I can try,” Samantha said quickly, causing both of them to turn to her. “I only—I only mean that it might help me learn to appreciate the instrument, and it is clearly something important to the gentleman that shall be my brother-in-law, so it is only fair that I try, you know?”

The Duke beamed, and she took a seat beside him.

“What shall we play?” she asked. “I have quite the collection of sheet music, not that I know any of it.”

“In which case, we might as well play whatever we like. You can lead, and I shall follow you.”

“I believe it is the proper thing for the gentleman to lead,” she joked.

“Then we shall be most improper indeed.”

They began to play together, and they were good at it. Diana knew that this was supposed to make her happy. At last, her sister and her betrothed were finding some sort of common ground, and from how they laughed together when they made a misstep, they were clearly enjoying each other’s company. This was precisely what she had wanted.

So why was she so hurt?

She watched them together, and her chest ached. She thought back to that first morning in the drawing room, where it had been her sister who was set to marry him, and how Diana had thought she was making a sacrifice by marrying him instead, but seeing how they were together now, it was more like she had forced her way between them and stolen him away from her.

She had made a mistake. It had been with the best intentions in the world, but she had not done the right thing at all. They would have been happy together, sharing passions and musicand laughter, and now Samantha would remain single, and the Duke would have to marry a lady that he did not love, and it was entirely her fault.

“I shall leave you both to it,” Diana said suddenly, running out of the room.

She leaned against the wall, trying to steady her breathing. She had to insert herself, find a way to be involved because it pertained to Samantha and heaven forbid anything bad ever happened to her, and she had ruined everything.

And so, the following morning, it was her own turn not to go to the drawing room during calling hour, and she understood why Samantha was happier to go outside in the rain. She heard him arrive at her house, heard her father welcome him, and heard Samantha go downstairs to him.

When she went to the drawing room, the door was closed, so she pressed her ear against it to listen.

“I suppose she will not be attending this morning,” Samantha said gently.

“That is quite alright after what happened yesterday. It was quite sudden.”

“Yes, and very much unlike her. I did not see her for the rest of the day. I believe it shall be better to give her some space for now.”

“I can take my leave if you wish.”

---