The Earl's Design of Love: The Stenwick Siblings Read online

  Diana had never been to his study, but she immediately nodded. “Could you show me the way?” What did he want to talk to her about? Could he be asking her to stay a little longer and get to know him better?

  The maid had already walked off, walking quickly through the nearly empty halls of the old house. She led Diana down a staircase and opened a door off the hall. Diana stepped into the room and immediately smiled when she saw Percy sitting at his desk. “You wished to see me?”

  Percy stood up and walked to her, taking her hands in his and kissing her cheek in greeting. “Please, sit down for a moment.” He hovered over her for a moment, as if he was nervous about something, before finally taking his place at the desk across from her. “There’s something I need to speak to you about.”

  Diana turned to him eagerly, her face lit up with excitement. “Yes?” He seemed so formal, so she knew it couldn’t be a marriage proposal. What could he be so nervous about?

  “Well, do you remember when we first met? I was sorting through a pile of stones?”

  She nodded, unsure why he was asking her that. “Of course, I do.”

  “Well, I told you I enjoy crafting as an avocation. I need you to know that wasn’t precisely true.” He looked down at the drawing in front of him, the drawing that was still missing something vital, if only he knew what it was.

  “It wasn’t?” What was he trying to tell her?

  He finally met her eyes, leaning back in his chair. “My father had a gambling problem. Before his death, he managed to let so many debts pile up, I’ve been working for the past eleven years to slowly get out of debt. I sell my stone works. You have one of the benches I made.”

  Diana’s eyes widened. “I love that bench!” A smile split her face. “Your works are wonderful!”

  He smiled, tilting his head to the side. “Thank you.” She hadn’t reacted to his being a craftsman in the way he’d expected. “So it doesn’t bother you that I have to work for a living? You would marry a working man?” He held his breath as he waited for her to answer.

  She laughed softly. “I think most of the titled gentlemen are…well…wastrels. I couldn’t imagine being married to a man who didn’t work. My father has always worked.”

  He eyed her for a moment. “You really wouldn’t mind?”

  Diana shook her head. “Of course, I come with such a large dowry that you’d never have to work again if you didn’t want to.” She hoped he would continue to work, though. She hated the idea of him marrying her for her dowry.

  “I would want the dowry to go into trust for our children. I refuse to use your money to take care of the debt my father incurred.” He watched her carefully to see her reaction to his statement.

  She smiled. “I like that idea. I don’t want to be the wife of a man who does nothing.” She shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind if you used the money to get out of debt, but I do want you to keep working. I like the idea of being married to a man who does something meaningful.”

  He walked around the desk to where she sat and took her hand in his, dropping down to one knee. “With all that taken care of, I just need to ask. Will you, Diana Smith, do me the great honor of becoming my wife and the next Countess of Pendleton?”

  Diana felt her heart jump into her throat at his words. “I would be thrilled to be your wife.”

  He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at her answer and stood up, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. “Are you sure my vocation doesn’t bother you?” He had to be certain she wouldn’t change her mind in a month and expect him to quit working for her.

  She shook her head, hoping he’d kiss her again. He’d only really kissed her the one time, and she’d enjoyed it. “When will we marry?” she asked.

  “I have to ask your father for your hand, and then I’m sure the mothers will start planning things. I think…three weeks? That’s how long it takes to read the banns.”

  She smiled pressing herself against him. “Three weeks sounds just about right.” She pressed a kiss to his chin, hoping he’d dip his head and kiss her, but instead, he pushed her away.

  “I need to talk to your father before I let myself be seduced by you.”

  She pouted. “But I like kissing you!”

  “We’ll kiss all the time after we’re married. Until then, I need to get this fountain built. I’ve decided to keep it as a gift for my bride.”

  “Fountain?”

  He nodded, leading her around the table and showing her the drawing he’d made. “It’s missing something, though.”

  She looked at it for a moment, thinking. “It needs more love.” She could see exactly how it needed to be put into it. Just a small flow of her power to the fountain once it was finished.

  “Love? How can I put love into a fountain?” he asked, confused.

  She smiled. “I’ll tell you what. You make the fountain, and I’ll add the love. You’ll understand then.”

  There was a knock at the door then and it burst open. Her father, a large man with a booming voice, stepped into the room. “What are you doing in here with my daughter with the door closed?” Alexander looked between the two of them as if he was trying to decide which one to scold first.

  Percy smiled, taking her hand in his. “I’ve asked her to be my wife. I hope that meets with your approval.”

  Alexander looked between his daughter and the man beside her. “Only if she said ‘yes.’ Half the men in London have asked for her hand.” He looked at Diana waiting for her reply.

  Diana blushed and hugged her father. “I said, ‘yes,’ Father.”

  Alexander’s smile slowly spread across his face. “I’ll arrange for the dowry to be transferred to you on your wedding day. When will that be?” He seemed to be in a hurry to get the deed done to make sure neither of them backed out.

  Percy shrugged. “It takes three weeks. I’ll talk to my mother and your wife, and I’m certain that between them we’ll have a date quickly.”

  Before Diana knew what was happening, her father was bellowing for Lady Pendleton and Jane. When the two women arrived, Alex shouted, “They’re getting married!”

  Jane looked between Percy and Diana for a moment before running to hug Diana. “You’re marrying an earl!”

  Diana shook her head. “I’m not marrying a title, Mother. I’m marrying a man. His name is Percy.”

  Jane ignored the statement, and turned to Lady Pendleton. “We’re going to have to get started planning the wedding immediately.” She looked at Percy. “When do you want to have the ceremony, my lord?”

  Percy looked over at Diana and smiled. “As soon as possible, so three weeks? Does that give you enough time to plan everything?” The look on his face made it very clear that he didn’t care if it gave them enough time to plan everything or not. They were getting married in three weeks, and he didn’t care who liked it or not.

  Diana watched as the two women started bickering over details like where the wedding would be held and when it would take place. She didn’t care about the details at all, caring more about the life she’d lead once she was married to Percy. She walked to the side door and looked back at him, holding her hand out for his.

  He gazed between the arguing mothers and her father, who was telling the women to keep the price of the wedding down, before joining her and slipping out the door with her to the back gardens. They walked hand in hand toward the gazebo they’d had to go to for the scavenger hunt. “Why are none of your designs on display here?”

  Percy looked at her. “I don’t think you understand just how tight finances have been for my family. My father mortgaged everything that wasn’t entailed. I’ve had to sell everything I’ve ever created to make enough money to slowly pay down the debts and keep my mother and sisters in dresses for each new Season.” He sighed. “The debts are half gone now, but my work is fetching a larger price with everything I make. If my predictions are correct, I’ll be out of debt in about four years.” He looked at her. “Can you live simply for four
years? Not running off to London for every Season?”

  She nodded eagerly. “I hate the Season. One or two parties a year, if they’re important, I can stand. The rest of them are just the same thing over and over. The same women trying to trap the same men. The same mothers trying to match their daughters to the same men their daughters didn’t want last week. I would be happy to never go again.” Diana truly hated the Season.

  “What about when our daughters are old enough to have Seasons of their own?”

  She blushed at the idea of having children with him. “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. I hope to never have to put them through a London Season. Maybe we can find them husbands some other way. Don’t ask me how, but I don’t think any woman should ever have a Season forced on her if she doesn’t want it.”

  He kissed her cheek, liking how she thought. “That sounds good to me. The only time you may be required to go is if my sisters find men they want to marry. I’d want you to see if they were compatible with their beaux.”

  Diana sighed. “No more matching people the old fashioned way, I guess? We’ll only do things the way you want to do them, which means I get to match up the entire world.” She’d play along with him and tell him who would be good matches. She just didn’t want to have to be the one to tell people who they must marry.

  Percy smiled. “That sounds good to me. The whole world would be so much happier if everyone only married people who were meant for them, and never married people they didn’t belong with.”

  She laughed softly. “That may be true, but I think you’ll find people aren’t going to agree to marry who I think they should.” She looked around her, seeing everything through different eyes as she held his hand and walked with him. “I’ve really tried to talk to people about their choices in spouses. I’ve talked until my face turned blue, but to no avail. No one cared what a young girl had to say about who they were compatible with.”

  He looked down at her with a smile. “It is rather hard to believe that you can look at a couple and see whether or not they should marry.”

  “I know it is. I’m glad you believe me though.” She didn’t think she could marry him if he hadn’t known or understood what a burden it was to her.

  “I didn’t at first. It’s when you mentioned the Lancasters that I knew. He’s told me how miserable he is being married to her. They fight constantly.”

  “They do a really good job of hiding it.” She shrugged. “Why did he tell you?”

  “We were roommates at Eton, and then again at Oxford when he was engaged to her. He had stars in his eyes every time he mentioned her name. I was his best man. His father wanted the marriage, because she was an heiress, and at first he agreed, but long before they were married, he had come to dislike her.”

  “I didn’t know that!”

  Percy nodded. “He is the only one who knows that I’m working to support my family. We share a lot with each other.”

  “I wish there were a way to match him with the woman he needs.” She sighed. She didn’t tell him that his sister, Charlotte, was the woman for his friend. She had seen them talking together at a ball and had wanted to cry. The pure purple had been beautiful, but he was a married man.

  “He won’t divorce her.” He stepped into the gazebo and took a spot on one of the benches, patted the seat beside him. She sat with him automatically, still holding his hand. No one had held her hand that way since she was a small child, and she found it comforting. “Is it hard for you to know that people don’t belong together when they have no choice in the matter?”

  “Sometimes. I want to rage at people not to marry the wrong person, but no one is going to believe me. I think that’s the hardest part for me. I want to help people, but no one will believe a young woman who hasn’t even found love herself.”

  He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her. “Maybe it will get easier once we’re married.”

  She smiled up at him, her tongue creeping out to moisten her lower lip. “I hope so.”

  He watched her tongue, and slowly lowered his head, his own barely reaching out to touch the moisture on her lip. He let out a low groan. “I don’t want to wait three weeks.”

  Diana smiled, resting her cheek against his shoulder. “I want to get married yesterday.”

  “How upset would your mother be if I obtained a special license and we got married in three days instead of three weeks?”

  She shook her head sadly. “She would be mortified. Mother would assume everyone would think we’d anticipated our vows, and that I was carrying, and we had to get married immediately to spare my shame.”

  Percy sighed, kissing her forehead. “So would my mother. You game?” He didn’t really care if people talked about him. They’d been talking about him since his father died.

  “No, I’m sorry. It’s too important to my mother to do everything ‘correctly.’”

  “I was afraid you’d say that.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I guess I’ll just have to stay here and play with my fountain while you go back to London and make the rounds and act all happy to be engaged.”

  Diana looked up at him with a smile. “I am happy to be engaged. If it were any other man, I wouldn’t be, but it’s you.”

  He smiled, brushing one last quick kiss across her cheeks. “I hope the next three weeks move very quickly for us both then.”

  Diana sighed. “You know you’ll need to come into town at least once during our engagement. My mother will want to throw a huge engagement ball for us.”

  He groaned audibly. “I’ll have to pretend to be one of them again?”

  She giggled. “I’m sorry. It’s expected. We have to do what’s expected for Mother at least until we marry. After we’re married, we can do whatever we want to do. As long as we hide in the country to do it.”

  “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  She pulled his head down for one more kiss before standing. “Please do!”

  Chapter Five

  Two weeks later, Diana sat in her room while her maid, Anna, brushed through her long blond hair, arranging it just perfectly atop her head. It was the evening of her engagement ball, and she hadn’t seen Percy since they’d left the country party a few hours after their engagement. The two mothers had spent all their time together, planning out each minute detail of both the party and the wedding. Diana had ignored them for the most part.

  She knew she should be nervous about seeing Percy again, but she wasn’t. She was simply excited, because she felt so strongly for him, and she was certain that he had feelings for her as well. Maybe he didn’t love her yet, but the potential was there.

  She slipped into the pale pink gown her mother had purchased new for the evening. It had a narrower skirt than she usually wore, and was cut a bit lower. Diana wasn’t certain how Percy would feel about it, but it made her feel as if she were doing something terribly naughty.

  Anna took a step back from her and smiled. “You look beautiful.” She studied her for a moment. “It needs something. Do you have your mother’s pearls?”

  Diana nodded. “They’re on my table.” She pointed to the table with her brush and other beauty aids.

  Anna rushed over and picked up the box containing the pearls, carefully draping them around Diana’s neck. She once again stood back and studied her mistress. “That’s perfect. Couldn’t be better.”

  Diana stepped in front of the mirror and gazed at herself. “Yes, that’s perfect.” She turned to her maid and confidante. “Thank you, Anna!” She threw her arm around the other woman and hugged her tightly. “I get to see him tonight!”

  Anna laughed. “I know. I can see how happy that makes you. He must be a good man.”

  “Oh, he is!” Diana put her slippers on and opened the door to go downstairs where she knew her parents would be waiting, and most likely, Lady Stenwick and Percy as well.

  She walked down the stairs slowly, determined to make a good entrance in case he had already arrived. As she
reached the bottom of the stairs, she saw his eyes fill with warmth as he watched her. She walked close to him and made a slight curtsey as she’d been taught. “My lord.”

  He took her hand and smiled down at her, raising her hand to his lips to receive his kiss. “You look absolutely stunning this evening.” His eyes traveled up and down her body, coming to rest on her cleavage. “One more week.” He lowered his voice as he said those words, so she would know they were meant just for her.

  “I’m so happy you could make it into town for our engagement party. I know how busy you are.” The words were formal, but the look she gave him let him know that she was thinking only of him.

  “Let’s take a turn around the ballroom.” He put her hand to the crook of his arm and walked with her slowly through the still mostly empty ballroom. “I was worried that when I saw you again I would wonder what it was that had made me ask you to marry me, but the second I saw you, it all came rushing back. I simply can’t imagine what my life would be without you now.”

  Diana smiled, her head resting on his shoulder for a moment as they walked. She knew it was improper, but they were to be married in a week. If someone felt the need to gossip about her for it, they could just go ahead and do it. Charlotte was off in the corner of the room with a group of young ladies, and she kept giving Diana glaring looks. Lucy was beside her, as always, but her looks were more inquisitive than glaring. She seemed to be waiting to form an opinion of her future sister-in-law.

  Percy walked her over to the group of women, and introduced her to his two sisters, both of whom she’d known for some time, but only superficially. “Charlotte, Lucy, this is my fiancée, Diana. Diana? My two sisters, Charlotte and Lucy.”

  Charlotte wrinkled her nose slightly in distaste, but knowing her brother supported her said, “Welcome to the family.” She quickly turned back to her friends, effectively dismissing Diana.

  Diana was well aware of how Charlotte felt about her, and smiled gratefully that she didn’t act badly upon meeting her. “Thank you. It’s very nice to meet you, Charlotte.”