Page 30 of Desire and Discipline
A Season for Desire
Prologue
Diana
“What is the Marquess’ ailment?” That was the one question Diana had not had answered before she’d accepted her new position. Normally, she insisted on knowing, but Miss Stuart, the Marquess’ niece, had convinced her with both a large sum of money and an urgency for secrecy that spoke of a delicate situation. Diana tried to picture the Marquess of Camden in her head, but she did not think she’d ever seen the man.
She’d chosen to take up a profession rather than having her debut—her father had been knighted, but unfortunately, that knighthood did not come with land, nor did it come with the kind of income that would allow him to bring out five daughters into Society. Without the lineage most of thetonlooked for and tiny dowries besides, the gentlemen were hardly scrambling to make their acquaintance.
Still, her two older sisters had managed to make good matches. Susannah, her beautiful eldest sister, had found a Scottish baron who had fallen head over heels for her and did not mind that she was the daughter of a mere knight. Next had been Juliana; her soft-spoken sweetness had caught the attention of the second son of Baron Crommey. As a second son, he’d had more leeway in choosing his bride.
Then there was Diana. Too smart for her own good, too outspoken to charm a gentleman, with a prickly demeanor, and not nearly beautiful enough to make up for the combination. When she’d announced she wanted to be a nurse, her parents had been both appalled and relieved. They’d supported her, though, and eventually, she’d worked her way up to caring for members of the society she’d eschewed marrying into.
So, while she was familiar with many of them, she’d never been formally introduced to the crowd, and there were certain members whose paths she’d never crossed. She was fairly certain the Marquess of Camden was one of them. Not that she attended social events, like balls and high teas, but she had occasionally been added to a dinner party to help round out the numbers when an employer needed it.
She had not met Miss Stuart before, either; she was sure of it. The stunning combination of raven-wing hair and shining green eyes would be hard to forget.
Rather than answering Diana’s question, Miss Rutherford strode over to the doorway of the parlor and gestured for Diana to precede her. Very well, then. Diana had just arrived at the house, and she’d found that quite a few of her clients preferred to talk over tea and biscuits. She would rather get straight to her business, but she’d long ago accepted that part of that was making the family feel at ease.
“Stims will take care of your bags,” Miss Stuart said when Diana started to bend to pick them up. From the hallway, a tall man came forward, and Diana started. She had not seen him standing there, despite his size. He moved completely silently. While he was hardly the first unobtrusive butler she’d met, he was certainly the quietest.
“Thank you,” she said gratefully. Another lesson she had learned was not to assume where a client might place her in their household. Some of them put her in with the other servants, others treated her more like a governess, and a very few as though she was an honored guest. Diana was happy to adapt to all of them, though she preferred the latter two, as those who were haughty with her were also the most likely to fight her methods. No matter that she was there to help them get well.
The parlor was beautifully decorated, flavored with the subtle taste of wealth. The light colors and delicately carved furniture declared it a woman’s domain. Miss Stuart went to the cream-colored couch and sat down, gesturing for Diana to take one of the seats across from her.
“Please sit, Miss Rutherford.” She said ‘please,’ but it was spoken as a command. Also unmarried, though nearly a decade younger than Diana, which meant by Society’s standards it was not too late for her, Miss Stuart’s composure and confidence rivaled the matrons who ran theton.If Diana had met her on the street, she would have assumed Miss Stuart was one of them.
Very well, then. That was how she would treat the younger woman. Those matrons respected strength of will and competence.
“Thank you,” she said again, taking her seat as the door to the parlor opened, and a maid came in with a tea tray. By silent agreement, she and Miss Stuart waited to speak again until after the maid had left.
“Do you take it with sugar?” Miss Stuart asked.
“Yes, please, and cream.”
Miss Stuart picked up the teapot and poured the first cup with a steady hand as she spoke.
“Last week, my uncle was shot.”
Diana froze, her hands outstretched to take the teacup, but her fingers were suddenly trembling. Surely, she could not have heard Miss Stuart correctly. Or perhaps the younger woman was pulling her leg.
But no. Miss Stuart was not the type. And she was still holding the teacup as steady as her emerald gaze on Diana. It was caught between them, both of their fingers touching it, but if Miss Stuart had released it, Diana would have dropped it to the floor in shock.
A marquess had been shot? The sheer lack of gossip about such a matter was what made it so unbelievable. Both below and above stairs ran on gossip intonhouseholds, which meant Diana was kept well abreast of all of it by one or the other and often both.
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she suddenly understood why Miss Stuart had wanted tea before beginning the discussion. She firmed her grip on the saucer, taking it from Miss Stuart, who released it quickly, now that she knew Diana was not going to drop it, and began pouring a cup for herself.
“I had not heard.” It came out sounding far more cynical than she’d intended, almost accusatory, but she truly was struggling to understand how such an amazing event could be kept a secret. They must have the most loyal household servants in the whole of England. To her surprise, Miss Stuart met her disbelieving statement with an enigmatic smile.
“Good.” Miss Stuart’s smile faded. “What I am going to tell you now is a matter of utmost secrecy. I approached you for a multitude of reasons. Firstly, your reputation for utmost discretion. No matter who you have been employed by, no matter how you were treated, you have never divulged anything you learned during or after your time being employed.”
Diana blinked. She had not realized she had such a stellar reputation, though, of course, it was what she had tried to build. Being a woman, her job was already more difficult than any doctor’s, as employers trusted her less and often underestimated or even discounted her intelligence. She had worked hard to overcome the assumptions that were made about her.
“Thank you. I appreciate hearing that.” She took a sip of her tea, hoping it would settle the nerves in her stomach. This was unlike any interview she’d had with a family member before, and it was causing a sense of disquiet, as though something terrible was on the horizon.
Miss Stuart nodded in acknowledgment.
“The second reason I chose you is because you’re a woman.” The smile returned to Miss Stuart’s face at Diana’s start of surprise. She had been chosen before because she was a woman, always to tend to another woman or a girl child. Her gender did not normally factor in when her patient was a man, especially a gentleman. Diana frowned, but Miss Stuart was already continuing, and her next words eased Diana’s sudden concerns.
