Page 56 of A Spinster to Heal the Duke
"Lady Diana , welcome to Reedley Manor. I am pleased to introduce you to Lord Reedley, his grandson, Mr. Charles Drowton, and his granddaughter, Miss Anne Drowton. They have taken excellent care of me during my time of invalidity. They are gracious hosts and delightful company," he said with a pleased smile as he introduced the Drowton family. With somewhat less grandeur, he added, "Lord Reedley, Charles, Anne, please meet my sister, Lady Diana Campbell. She does not spend a lot of time away from London."
His sister sniffed and tilted her head higher.
"I'm sure it is very nice to meet you all," she said. "Thank you for caring for His Grace, but I believe he is well enough to travel home. Noah, I have the carriage waiting."
"I cannot leave," he almost blurted. Composing himself, Noah explained. "A banquet is being prepared in my honor. Prominent families and business owners of the area wish to share an evening with their duke, but we can depart a day or two later after I have rested from the evening."
"I will give you until the following evening," Lady Diana said, smiling though her face did not match the tone of her words. "When is the banquet?"
She looked around the room with her forced smile, and the only person who smiled in return was Charles. He had been enamored with her grace, elegance, and air since she entered the room.
"It is at the end of the week," he replied, taking a small step closer to her.
Diana's smile crinkled and returned as she took a small step toward her brother.
"Yes, very well then. I believe I have something suitable to wear. So I shall remain, but we must leave the following afternoon, Noah. You have matters to attend to at home," she stated.
"I am aware," said Noah.
The tension in the room was thick, and no one seemed sure of the best way to move the conversation forward.
The Baron said, "Well, we had just discussed taking the carriage into Reedley to purchase a few things to decorate the assembly and a little shopping in general. Would you care to join us, or perhaps you have had a long journey and would like to be shown to a room to rest?"
"I hope the bedrooms are better decorated than what I have seen so far," Diana said.
"Diana," Noah corrected her once more.
She rolled her eyes.
"I will need to see the room and have an hour to settle in. That will allow me to make a list if there is anything I need to purchase for my stay," Lady Diana requested.
"That is no trouble at all," the Baron said cheerfully. "We are glad to have your company on our outing, and we look forward to you staying with us."
He smiled as he had when he welcomed the Duke into his home and felt certain the young woman just needed time to settle in as her brother had. Anne looked at Diana and didn't feel as sure.
"I will show you to your room and have Peggy bring tea and biscuits. You must be hungry after your journey,"
"Thank you," Diana replied.
She made faces and snide comments about nearly everything she passed as Anne led the way to her room.
"These flower arrangements are so gauche; I will oversee the arrangements for the banquet. And your statuary could use apolish. Your home is so quaint," she prattled on. However, as they reached the stairs, she noted to herself, "Well, I at least know why my brother has a fuller build now. Something does smell good."
Anne wanted to smile and say thank you, but instead, she only silently continued up the stairs. She was too mad to think about the compliment.
She is even more rude than Noah was when he arrived. She has no restraint in speaking every judgment she has about our home. Surely, she has the manners to be a gracious guest,Anne thought.I'm sure she would faint if I told her that Noah and I selected those flowers together and he does not share he views that my arrangements are ‘gauche.'
At the top of the stairs, Anne led the way to the room she believed would be most acceptable to their new guest though it happened to be the farthest down the hall. Diana trailed behind her and glanced over each room with an open door.
"Where is my brother sleeping?" she asked before entering her own room.
"Two doors down, across the hall," replied Anne. "Your room has a lovely view of a portion of our orchard. With the windows open the breeze is nicely fragrant."
"As long as I don't wake with the sun in my eyes, that should be fine," Lady Diana said, stepping past Anne and into the bedroom.
The room was covered in peach floral wallpaper and decorated with dark cherrywood furnishings and red fabrics on the bed cover, seat of the chair, and curtains. Diana looked inside the armoire, the top of the vanity, and the dresser.
"This should do. Certainly, more so than any of the rooms we passed," she said, nodding approvingly. "Have you given me your room?"
