“Of course, darling.” Diana touched her gently on the shoulder, then moved to Elijah’s side. He offered her his arm, and she slipped her hand into the bend of his elbow.
“We’ll wait for you at the carriage,” Elijah added. Eleonora smiled at him and nodded, then waited while the priest and her sister and soon to be brother-in-law walked away.
Once they were out of hearing, she turned back to the open grave. She knelt down. Glancing over, she saw that the gravediggers were just out of earshot, waiting to fill in the rest. They reminded her of crows, lingering among the graves in their dark, mud-stained clothing. She spoke to Sarah, one last time.
“Goodbye, Sarah,” she said. “I knew, in my heart, that you hadn’t betrayed me. I’m so sorry that he hurt you. If I could have done something, I would have.” She paused, clearing her throat. “I miss you, every day. I miss your stories. I miss your laughter. You were dear to me, just like you were my own sister and not a maid at all.” Her tears were slipping down her cheeks.
It isn’t right. Sarah should still be here.
“You took care of me, when I needed you the most. I wish that I could have done the same for you. I hope we meet again, someday.”
Eleonora was sure that both Nicholas and Sarah would be waiting for her. She wasn’t sure what she wanted, going forward. Her mind wasn’t scrambled, as it had been. At the same time, she was no longer the lady that she had once been. Her life was taking a different course from the one that had been set out for her at birth. She couldn’t do what was originally expected of her.
She didn’t want to marry. Not when she had been loved so thoroughly. She wanted to make her own way in the world. She wasn’t sure how her family would react to her desire.
She turned back toward Diana and Elijah. They were both standing by the carriage, waiting for her. She was glad to have them, they were a little family, and they loved and cared for one another. That was enough, for now.
Eleonora had a lot of healing that she needed to do. She wiped at her eyes, then walked away from Sarah’s grave. She didn’t look back. She didn’t want to see the gravediggers as they flocked to the open ground.
“All done?” Diana asked, smiling at her.
“Yes. I’m ready to go home now.”
Together, they climbed into the carriage that waited to take them home, to Cambolton House. Now that the dead had been buried, they could begin to figure out how their lives were going to proceed.
Eleonora stared out the window, as they passed by the familiar land. Diana and Elijah were sitting silently. Their hands were clasped on the seat between them. She knew that she would have to make some decisions. She needed a purpose, after all.
She didn’t know what it was yet. Just something that allowed her to be of use.
* * *
Elijah and Diana were seated in the parlor at Cambolton House, when Hanby entered. They both looked over at him.
“The Duke of Morrow is here to see you,” he said.
Elijah and Diana shared a look. Though the Duke’s agreement with Lord Lutterhall had been told to Mr. Brownley, it was being investigated.
“Bring him up, Hanby,” he said. “But not before you send someone to bring the constable.”
“Very good, My Lord.”
Elijah got up, going over to where he had stashed a pistol. He got it out, returning to the settee, where he slipped it under one of the cushions.
“I’ve learned the hard way that I should be armed,” he told Diana, when he saw her questioning look. “Especially when it comes to gentlemen who make up their own rules.”
She placed her hand on his arm. “I’m glad,” she replied. She was pale.
When the Duke was shown in, both Elijah and Diana stood, bowing and curtsying respectively.
“Lord Cambolton,” His Grace said, his imperious gaze sweeping over them. “And Lady Diana.”
“What brings you to our home, Your Grace?” Elijah asked. “Please. Have a seat.”
The Duke did not sit, though Elijah and Diana did. Elijah kept his hand near where his pistol was stashed.
“I had an agreement with Lord Lutterhall,” he stated. “I have come to ensure that it is honored.”
“What might that be, Your Grace?” Diana asked. “I know of no such agreement.”
The Duke’s face registered surprise. “He didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
“We are to be married,” he said. “So I have come to get you. We shall proceed immediately to the church, and then to London.” He turned to Elijah. “I thank you for allowing my future wife to stay here with you, however—”
“Whatever agreement you made with my father is no longer valid,” Diana said, cutting him off. “I will not stir from Cambolton House, not until the day that Lord Cambolton and I are to be wed. Next week.”
A cold smile crossed the Duke’s face. “No,” he said.
“Yes.”
“I believe that you are mistaken,” the Duke snapped. “We drew up a contract.”
“My father was a murderer,” Diana replied. “I don’t plan to honor any agreements that he made.”
The Duke stepped forward, his face crumbling into a grimace. Elijah stood up, pulling out his pistol and cocking it in one smooth motion. The Duke jumped, finding himself staring down the barrel.
“You’re attempting to take the lady that I love against her will,” Elijah stated. “Something which you can be sure that I will prevent, Your Grace.”
Slowly, the Duke raised his hands. “Don’t shoot.”
Elijah gestured with his pistol. “Sit down, Your Grace. I’ve sent for Mr. Brownley, the constable. If you’re happy to wait, then you can show him this agreement. It’s just another piece of the puzzle that he’s putting together in regards to Lord Lutterhall’s misdeeds.”
The Duke was frowning, as though he’d smelled something awful. He sat down in the armchair. Elijah glanced over at Diana. They shared a small smile.
He gestured with his chin toward the hall.
We can leave the Duke to his own thoughts. Diana looks like she’s about to faint.
“If you’d excuse us, Your Grace,” he said. Together, they walked into the hallway. Elijah turned the key in the lock, effectively trapping the Duke. Diana let out a deep breath.
He turned, opening his arms. She wrapped her arms around him. Elijah held her, feeling how she was trembling. He kissed the top of her hair.
“It’s all right, love,” he said. “I’ve got you.”
Chapter 40
Elijah stood at the altar. The little church in the village was filled with a few guests. Lady Bolger, Lord and Lady Albany, and Lord Forstall. While it was de rigueur to wait until one was out of mourning, Diana and Elijah had decided not to wait. As it was, the bride and groom were living under the same roof, and had no plans to change the situation. They only had to make it official.
They were having a small wedding, with only a few close friends and family.
Eleonora walked Diana down the aisle. The two sisters had a few similar features, yet they were so different. Eleonora was dressed in a sober, dark-colored gown. Her hair was brushed back from her face with two pearl combs.
Meanwhile, the bride wore a soft cream and blue-striped gown. Her auburn hair was pulled back in a bun. White gardenias were woven into her hair. In her hands, she held a simple bouquet of irises. She looked like an angel. His eyes lingered at the soft swell of Diana’s breasts, her low décolletage. He had to pull his eyes away, turning toward her sister.
Eleonora beamed at Elijah as she placed Diana’s hand in his.
“Who gives this woman to be married?” the priest asked.
“I do,” Eleonora said proudly. She and Diana grinned at each other. Eleonora turned to Elijah. “I am pleased to do so.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
Eleonora curtsied, then went to take her seat beside Lady Bolger. Together, Elijah and Diana walked the final few steps to the altar.
“We are gat
hered here today to see the joining of two souls,” the priest began. “Diana and Elijah have decided to be married here today, in the sight of the Lord and their friends and family. Is there any reason why these two people should not be wed?”
There was a brief pause. Elijah glanced over at Diana, raising his eyebrow, as if to say, Change your mind? She grinned at him, and gave him a brief shake of her head.
“I will now have them say their vows.”
They both faced each other, holding hands.
“Do you, Elijah, take Diana to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and cherish from this day until your last?”
“I do.” Elijah felt himself puff up with pride as he spoke the words.
“Do you, Diana, take Elijah to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and cherish from this day until your last?”
“I do,” she said, and Elijah could see tears in her eyes. It caused his throat to constrict. He loved her, so much. They had fought for this. To be together, forever.
I fought to have you, and I would fight for this, again and again.
All too soon, the ceremony was over, and Elijah and Diana walked down the aisle, their closest friends and family cheering as they moved toward the doors. He looked over at her. Diana was waving to her sister, yet clutching his arm. She glanced over at him, and he wanted to remember this moment, for as long as he lived.
* * *
After the wedding, they all returned to the house, where there was a simple wedding breakfast. Diana beamed the entire time—her cheeks began to ache. After the breakfast, she and Elijah retired to his bed chamber, where Diana’s things had been moved just that morning by the servants.
Elijah closed and locked the door. Diana breathed a sigh of relief.
“Alone at last,” she said, going to him. He wrapped his strong arms around her.
“You look lovely,” he murmured, his lips against her cheek. He was clean-shaven, with just a little bit of stubble rasping against her skin.
“Shall we go to the millhouse?” she joked.
“No,” he told her. “I want us to be here, where no one will find us.”
“No one came upon us there.”
“That’s because I warned all of the household not to go thither.”
“Did you?” Her cheeks colored at the thought that all of the household had known that something had been happening at the millhouse. She turned around, so he could begin to undo the buttons of her gown. She was full of anticipation. Butterflies were in her stomach, and she placed a hand over them.
“I did.” He was undoing the silk-covered buttons down her back. She felt a little like she was a present being unwrapped. He worked slowly, fumbling with the buttons.
“Should I call for help?” she asked saucily.
“One moment, one moment! I’m not often unbuttoning ladies’ buttons. Why are they all cloth-covered? They’re so slippery.”
He finally reached the bottom, slowly tugging the sleeves down off of her shoulders. He hissed when he saw the corset that needed to be unlaced. The air was cool against her skin. She felt warmed by his gaze. She turned to face him, letting the corset drop to the ground.
He took her in, reaching out with his hand. It was a bittersweet moment, one they had both yearned for. He pulled her close to him, his lips on hers. She began to unbutton his breeches. She moved quickly, her nervous fingers fumbling.
“It’s not so easy, you see,” he said, softly. She smiled at him, her cheeks reddening.
He took off his jacket, and then pulled his shirt over his head. She smoothed her hands over his bare skin, marveling at the softness of his skin, the way that his body was formed. He looked perfect to her. His muscles were hard and well-defined.
He picked her up, kissing her as he carried her over to their bed. She lay back on the pillows, giggling as he leaned over her. She placed her hands on his cheeks, kissing him. His fingers toyed with her folds, desire stirring within her. She licked her lips, letting him work the knot of nerves there. Her hips bucked, as he began to trail kisses down between her breasts, over her flat tummy.
He paused, taking her nipple in between his teeth, toying it with his tongue. She felt her skin heat up, and her breath hitched. Elijah moved slowly, purposefully. He knew exactly what to do, and soon, she was panting, the gentle muscles convulsing.
“I want you inside of me,” she ordered. She wanted to give him pleasure, to have this last barrier between them gone.
“As you wish.”
He moved slowly, placing himself at her entrance. With one thrust, he was inside of her. There was a moment of nothing, then something inside her snapped. He flexed his hips, and she began to feel pleasure.
She wrapped her legs around his slim hips.
He moaned, his breaths coming in short, fast gasps. His eyes remained on hers. There was a new closeness between them. Nothing and no one stood in their way. They were alone, with each other. Diana was trembling from all of the new sensations. She reached up, running her fingers through his hair.
When he was spent, he collapsed over her, his face nestled against her neck. She held him then, his head cradled on her chest. He was covered in a thin layer of sweat. Diana entwined her fingers in his hair.
This was love. This was everything. She closed her eyes. She could feel the beat of his heart against her skin. Things could have gone very differently. She had almost lost him forever. She treasured this moment, this closeness to him, as well as the pleasure. It was unlike anything that she had ever experienced.
Epilogue
One Year Later
Diana was sitting in the nursery, in the oak rocking chair. She rocked slowly, back and forth. The room had been painted a soft yellow, and the carpet was pure white. The windows were open to let in the warm summer breeze. The white linen curtains wafted.
In her arms, her daughter was nestled in a soft yellow blanket. She was falling in love, for a second time. She had a perfect set of pink, bow-shaped lips. She already had long, dark lashes that brushed her cheeks. Her tiny fingers were wrapped around Diana’s index finger.
The nursemaid had gone to eat her supper. Diana always spent this time with Violet, so she had left her husband and their guests down in the parlor. She heard the tell-tale shuffle of feet on the hallway rug. The sound of rustling skirts accompanied it. She smiled, looking up at the door as Aunt Clarabelle peered in.
“Oh! Look at her!”
Violet yawned, her small mouth one great big O. She nuzzled in against her mother.
“Let me see,” Aunt Clarabelle said, softly.
Diana waited until her aunt had sat down in the armchair, and then she brought her daughter over, handing her off into her aunt’s waiting arms. She then sat back down into the rocking chair.
“Have you been avoiding garlic, dear?” Aunt Clarabelle asked, cuddling the baby close to herself. She touched Violet’s soft, chubby cheeks.
“No. I didn’t think of it,” Diana replied.
“Yes, well, you do not want little Violet to become colicky! You must avoid it at all costs. If you had a mother, then she would have warned you of the danger!”
“I’ll let the cook know.” Diana felt a little bewildered. As a new mother, she had thought that she was doing fairly well. The nurse had been helping her. It was Aunt Clarabelle’s first visit since Violet had been born. She should have prepared herself for something like this.
“And you’ll want to watch how you’re feeling,” Aunt Clarabelle ordered. “If you’re feeling down, then you must let the nurse take over.”
“Goodness. Why?”
“Because if you’re feeling particularly sad, you might pass it on to Violet through your milk,” Aunt Clarabelle said. “You don’t want her to become a melancholy lady when she grows up, Diana. You’ll never find her a husband.”
“Thank you for your advice,” Diana said carefully.
“Now, you’ll want her to be walking by the time that she
’s a year old. Even though she’s a female, we still want her to have some height. It’s fashionable these days, you know.”
Diana frowned. She herself was fairly short. She expected that her own daughter would be much taller, since Elijah was very tall. Aunt Clarabelle had only been there for about five hours, and she was already correcting Diana’s every move. She knew that it was how her aunt showed her love.
There was a soft knock on the door, and Lady Albany peered inside. “I just came up to see how things were going,” she murmured.
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