Page 44 of Her Wicked Highwayman
Diana gave it a gentle shake. “Isla, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Is that your friend?”
The girl glanced at her doll and nodded.
“Would you introduce me to her?”
Isla beamed at Diana and displayed her doll proudly. “This is Mrs. Crumpet. She’s a fine lady... a duchess!”
“A duchess? Oh my. So we are in the presence of a lady of the realm! It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace.” She bowed her head respectfully to the doll.
“Yer Grace?” the little girl echoed in confusion.
“Oh yes. When you meet a duke or duchess, you must address them asYour Grace.”
Isla walked around the settee and then sat down beside Diana, placing the doll in her lap.
“Did ye hear that?” she said to her doll in amazement. “Yer Grace!”
Diana reached over and tucked the doll’s fine blue dress back into place. “And I see she’s dressed for a ball.”
Isla nodded, then peeped shyly up at Diana. Something stirred in Diana with such a potent longing that her throat tightened.
“Do ye go to balls?” the child asked.
“I do, sometimes,” Diana said. She stared at the girl’s face, wondering why this child tugged at her heart so much. She was such a lovely little creature. Why was she here in this room and not playing with other children?
“Do you have any siblings?” Diana asked.
Isla shook her head. “’Tis only me.”
“Oh, well, I am alone too.” Diana didn’t speak of her sister or her parents. She didn’t want to burden this child with talk of loss and grief. Diana felt like an only child now in so many ways. The memories she had of her elder sister, even her parents, had become a very sad sort of dream over the last few years, rather than a reality.
Isla beamed at her. “Maybe we can be together. Ye, me, Mrs. Crumpet, and Papa.”
“Not your mama?”
Isla sighed deeply for one so little. “She died.”
“Oh... I’m so sorry...” Diana put an arm around the girl’s little shoulders. One of Rosalind’s brothers had lost his wife? It couldn’t have been that long ago, and it must still be a terrifyingly painful subject. It would be best not to bring it up unless Rosalind did so first.
Rosalind swept into the room at that very moment. “Oh, Diana! I’m so sorry for the delay!” Then she spied the little girl and smiled.
“Ah. You’ve met Isla, I see.”
“And Her Grace, Mrs. Crumpet.” Diana winked at Rosalind, and the two women shared a knowing smile.
“Well, Isla, I’m afraid Diana and I must talk about very boring business things. Why don’t you go wake your Papa? He’s already slept half the day away. Then you can come back down and have tea with us if you wish.”
Isla hugged her doll close as she slid off the settee. She rushed from the room with a happy squeal.
“I hope you didn’t mind entertaining her. We have no other children here save for my little Malcolm, but he’s only six months old. So poor Isla ends up running through the house on her own.”
“She is a sweet child. I didn’t mind at all.”
Rosalind got straight to the matter of business. “Now, tell me about what you want to invest and what your fiscal goals are. I’m sure I can do something to help you.”
Diana removed the banknotes she’d brought from her reticule. In total, she’d saved up a hundred pounds. It was quite a lot to her, but she imagined it had to be very little when it came to investments.
“I have one hundred pounds here...” She noted a concerned look on Rosalind’s face and quickly added, “But I should have more in a few weeks. I was hoping to invest safely but still make a little money that I could use to support my estate. That would be my goal.”
