Page 24 of Romanced By the Orc

She wanted Lil to understand without telling her why she was in a hurry. Without revealing that she was doing it in part forhersake, to healherreputation—which Diana herself had been responsible for damaging in the first place—in which case Lillian would do everything in her power to stop Diana. And her powers of persuasion were no small matter.

“Trust me on this, Lil. My bridegroom is wealthy and well-connected. It will be a fine match, and I wish to make it sooner rather than later.”

Lillian worried her velvet necklet. “You mention nothing of affection.”

“As I told you, we are friends.”

“Friendship hardly seems sufficient. Spend more time with this gentleman before committing.”

“Blazes!” Diana had grown fond of this term, having picked it up from Albie. “Once I set my mind to something, have you ever known me to back down? We are alike in that way.”

“Do you know his family? Does he live in London? Does he plan to call on Father?”

“Albie will certainly do so.”

“Ah! So this scoundrel has a name, after all.”

“He’s not a scoundrel. You sound like Mother after a few glasses of Madeira.”

Lillian’s shoulders relaxed a bit, which made Diana feel better.

“I should invite thisAlbieto supper. After all, if he is to be my brother by marriage, I want to see him with my own eyes.”

Diana nodded, knowing she should elaborate but unsure where to start. She supposed she could have begun the story by telling her sister that her fiancé was an orc, but the words never made it to her lips, and the more she talked, the more difficult it became to summon them. Given how soon Lillian was leaving, Diana doubted they could wrangle a supper together beforehand. But Lil would want to meet him upon her return.

“And his family?” her sister asked.

“He is from a well-respected family.”

“By the name of?”

Diana turned away, distracting herself with a pearl necklace on the walnut burl dresser. “Higgins. My understanding is that this is an English name his family chose for ease ofpronunciation. Albion did not ask Father first because that is not a custom in the Hidden Realm.”

“An orc!” Lillian gasped. “What will Father say?”

“He’ll be happy enough to see me off and married and freed from any responsibility to keep me.”

Lillian straightened her shoulders so that her neck gracefully lengthened. And just like that, she was the wise elder sister once more. “Father cares what the peerage thinks.”

“Of a charming man who is influential in London? Whose brother is the Duke of Barrington? Albie is close to His Royal Highness, no less. He refers to him as Prinny.”

“Prinny?” Lillian scrunched her nose as though she’d smelled something foul.

“I know,” Diana said. “But it is by the Prince Regent’s own request. Can you imagine? I doubt Father will object to our family allying with a cherished friend of His Royal Highness. Marrying into an Orcan family may seem bold, but they are a respectable part of our Society.”

And anyway, she added in her mind alone, while their father might have towered above his daughters, both literally and figuratively, he was no match for Albion in terms of either presence or vivacity. Albie, Diana mused, was a different sort altogether. Tobias Stewart would neither intimidate nor vex him. The matter would soon be decided and proclaimed in the Society pages, and the banns read aloud at their local parish. All of which should further mentions of her past unsavory association with Nigel Halman.

“I only wish you had told me when you first contemplated this idea. Did you think his provenance would put me off? Do you know of their customs? What to expect after the two of you wed?”

“I’ve a lively curiosity, Lil. I’m sure I shall learn forthwith.”

“Even about matters between men and women?” Lillian grabbed a decorative pillow from the bed and kneaded her hands in it like a nervous kitten.

Learning more about Albion’s proclivities in the bedroom wouldn’t be objectionable. After all, there had been those whispers about his relationship with the widow. Were there additional ladies? Would news of their nuptials set London to weeping?

“As I’ve explained, this shall be a practical arrangement.” Diana flicked a bit of lint from her day gown to avoid meeting her sister’s eyes.

“Love might follow eventually, I suppose. Wasn’t Mother always saying words to that effect regarding marriage?”

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