Page 83 of The Replacement Duchess

Helen then curtseyed and said her goodbyes before continuing on her way. Diana wondered just how happy she truly was, and if she had taken her good fortunes for granted, even if she knew she had not been dealt the best hand in terms of her upbringing.

“Oh, how I envy her,” Samantha said wistfully. “That is a lady who can make her own way, with or without a husband. Should I not find one, I would simply wither away.”

“You are not a flower, Sister, although it is nice to know that you are learning about them.”

“I am a flower, only beautiful for a short while, and dies off when picked. Should I be left to my own devices, I shall only grow and thrive, but that would not be me serving my purpose. Tell me, what is the difference between myself and that daisy over there?”

She pointed to the flower, and then walked to it and plucked it from the earth.

“For a start,” Diana replied, laughing, “you are far taller. Not only that, but you cannot make a chain out of Samanthas. Daisies, on the other hand…”

Diana seated herself on the ground and began to pick the flowers, making a small hole in each stem and threading a second through. She continued until she had made one that was fairly long, and then closed it off. Nearby, there was a small girl playing near her parents, and so she walked towards her.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace!” she said brightly.

“Good afternoon,” Diana replied. “This is for you.”

She placed the chain on the little girl’s head as if it were a crown, and the child jumped up and down, thanking her profusely, before racing to her mother and father, proclaiming that she was a princess.

“You truly are the perfect duchess,” Samantha said quietly. “Far better than I would have been, at least.”

“You would have been perfectly fine, although I must admit that I do not regret rescuing you from a marriage you wanted no part in.”

“And what of yourself? Do you regret entering into it yourself?”

“I did what needed to be done.”

“That was not my question. Our family was already as close to ruin as one could be, and so your refusing a proposal from a duke could not have done much further damage. You did not need to marry him, for my sake or otherwise, so I have to ask you whether or not you regret it.”

Diana was unsure of how to answer.

There had been wonderful moments, of course, mostly her time in the village and enjoying her role as a duchess, but there had been times when she felt as though she were not ready, or even right for the role at all.

“Your silence suggests that you do,” Samantha said quietly.

“Nothing is ever easy,” Diana replied carefully, “but do I regret the choice I made to protect you? No, and I never will. But…”

“Yes?”

“Well, I will not lie to you. Sometimes I do find myself wishing that there was another way out. A way that would have saved our family without changing everything completely. I know that I shall see you often, but I will miss you endlessly, and whilst I am glad to be out of that house, I have had to leave you behind. I regret it, and I always will, and so if that is what you are asking me, then there is my answer.”

Samantha was quiet for a moment. Diana wondered just how she was feeling.

“So the only reason you are glad to have done it is that you helped me. Is that what you are saying?”

“It was certainly important to me, yes. You know that I would give anything to make you happy.”

“Anything?” Samantha pressed.

“Of course. What is this about?”

“It is nothing,” she replied, shaking her head. “I only wished to ask you—never mind.”

“Samantha, if something is amiss, you must tell me.”

“It is nothing. I only wish to thank you for all that you have done for me. I know that I complain an awful lot, and it may seem as though I am ungrateful, but I assure you that I am not. I could not have gotten this far without you, and I hope you know that.”

Diana knew that perfectly well, of course. Had she not taught Samantha everything she knew, the young lady would have never learned a thing. They had nobody else, and it was not as though their father could have, or even would have, done much to aid her. Their aunt had tried, but Samantha had only ever wanted Diana. That was how it had always been, and now Diana had abandoned her.

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