Page 80 of A Wanton Adventure
“Well, Lisette, it’s apparent even in Tuscany, you are still a cold, gossipy lady.”
“You shouldn’t speak to me that way,” her mother snipped.
Aunt Winifred lifted a brow. “Why, because you are a duchess?”
A scowl broke across her mother’s face. Her aunt said, “Be careful, sister. You are still trying to convince your daughter to help you return to England. Politeness goes a long way. I can only imagine the trouble you are hoping to cause.”
Her mother glared at her sister. “I would like to see my family, especially my son.”
“Mother, Clara is the only one who will decide that,” Diana interjected.
Her mother’s eyes swung to her. “She can’t keep my child from me.”
But Clara could. She wanted their brother to have nothing to do with her. Her aunt snorted. “What will you do in England? Aren’t your friends here?”
Her mother frowned. “Most of them left during all the fighting from the revolution.”
“Why didn’t you ask for help to leave then?” her aunt asked.
Her mother glared at her. “The duke was unwell.”
“So, kind of you to stay by your husband’s deathbed,” her aunt said, for once sounding sincere.
Her mother had regarded Diana and Clara as the means to further connections and wealth, but Diana did believe she cared for her father. He may be the only person her mother had true feelings for.
“I’m sorry you dealt with that alone,” Diana said.
She swallowed and took a deep breath. “Yes, it was difficult. Part of the reason I wish to return home is because everything here reminds me of him.”
Compassion for her mother coursed through Diana. Losing her father couldn’t have been easy for her. “If I agree, you promise not to meddle in my, Henry, or Clara’s life. You will retire to the country.”
Her mother nodded. “Of course.”
Diana glanced at her aunt, who was looking at her sister skeptically. Still, no matter what her mother had done to her, Diana couldn’t leave her in Livorno. “We can try it. I think it is best if you finish prepping and move next spring.”
Her mother’s eyebrows shot up in alarm. “I can’t. I have already packed my things and agreed to sell my house.”
“To whom?” Aunt Winifred asked.
“Lord Hartley.”
It was done then. Her mother would most definitely return with her. Frustration filled her even though she’d always known deep down that her mother’s return was inevitable.
Her aunt scowled. “You were certainly confident.”
Her mother ignored her comment. Instead, she said to Diana, “Tell me about Lord Tremont.”
Dread filled Diana. A flush appeared across her cheeks. “He is a friend.”
“He seems to want more and has exceptional family connections. An earl is a perfect option for you.”
Who Diana married or didn’t wouldn’t be navigated by her mother. She frowned. “I have not started considering marriage again.”
“It will be good that Lord Tremont is traveling back with us on the ship. I have seen the way Devons looks at you.”
Diana’s eyes met her aunt’s, but they both remained silent. Her mother continued, “I imagine the options for female companionship on the ship aren’t plentiful. How many ladies did you say were on the leisure cruise?”
“Ten,” Diana whispered.
