by Elaine Hart
Lady Diana glanced at him and shook her head. It certainly was but she was not at liberty to discuss such personal matters to a complete stranger. Instead she attempted to shift the focus off her and onto him. She did not care what he spoke of, she simply did not wish to speak of herself any longer.
Usually Lady Diana was the last one to ever say anything, or have a decent conversation with someone the same age as her. While this did not annoy her much when she was younger, it started to annoy her as she became older. It was not that her opinions did not matter, she was simply brushed slightly to the side when it came to conversations. Her older sisters would discuss important things with her parents and one another and she had felt rather left behind. Either she was considered too young to participate in the conversation, or her ideas were much too immature to be taken seriously.
“How old are you, my lady?”
“One does not simply ask a lady’s age and deem it appropriate,” she scoffed.
“Why must you be so theatrical?” he asked with a frown.
She narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. “Does my age intrigue you, or would you care to mock me for being young?”
“Not at all. I would not dream of doing something like that,” he answered.
She could not accurately determine whether he was being sincere, but she answered him. “I am ten-and-nine.”
“Well,” he said and raised his brows. “That is rather young.”
“And how old may you be?” she asked with a scoff.
“I am one-and-twenty.”
“Not much older than I am.”
“Perhaps not in age,” he answered coyly.
“And what on earth do you mean by that?” she asked angrily. “I will let you know that I am very—”
“Careful,” Hudson interrupted suddenly and leaned forward as he grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the way of a low-hanging branch. “You could have hurt yourself.”
“I would not have,” she pouted.
Hudson glanced at her, pursing his lips and shaking his head. “You are very stubborn.”
“And you are rather annoying.”
Hudson rolled his eyes and they continued along the trail.
“Did Lord Stanley tell you to take me on rides?” she asked. “I was under the impression that you only cared for Starlight.”
“I do, and it includes all aspects,” he answered simply. “Lord Stanley informed me that I must take special care of both Starlight and you, my lady.”
“I can take care of myself,” Lady Diana scoffed, attempting not to look in Hudson’s direction. He was too handsome, and would surely distract her. She did not wish to ride into a branch, as she had nearly done earlier. “Where are you from?” she asked.
“My parents were from Scotland, but my father and I moved to the English countryside when I was five, after the death of my mother. My father owned his own piece of land where we had a sheep farm. He was the one who taught me everything I know about horses,” Hudson answered.
“Where is your father now?” she asked.
“He passed away when I was six-and-ten.”
“I am sincerely sorry,” Lady Diana answered and lowered her gaze.
“I travelled to Paignton to find work, and I did. In the stables at Lord Stanley’s mother’s estate. I assisted with their horses. I watched as Starlight was foaled,” he told her.
Her eyes widened and she glanced down at Starlight. “You did?”
Hudson nodded and gazed out into the distance. “Her mother, Freedom, was truly magnificent.”
Lady Diana glanced at him in awe, and their gazes locked for a moment. “That must have been truly incredible.”
“It was messy, but incredible, yes.”
“Perhaps you could show me.”
“Show you how a foal is birthed?”
“Indeed.”
“I do not think that is something you would care to see,” he said in disbelief.
“And why is that?”
“Have you ever seen the birth of an infant, or any animal for that matter?”
“No, but I have seen eggs hatching. Is it not the same thing?” she asked innocently.
“Not at all,” he said and glanced at her, “but if you insist, I can show you.”
“Wonderful. I am truly looking forward to it.”
“You are a very peculiar young woman,” he pointed out.
“Thank you.”
Lady Diana smiled at him and cocked her head. She truly adored the way the sunlight cast a glow on his skin, and she imagined herself running her fingers along his arms, his shoulders.
Hudson shifted forward slightly and wrapped the leather reigns around his wrist. “We must go back to the stables.”
Lady Diana nodded as she steered Starlight in the direction that Hudson rode with his stallion and soon they reached the stables.
Hudson held his hand out to her and after a moment’s hesitation from Lady Diana, she took his hand and he assisted her off the horse and back onto solid ground.
“Thank you,” she said quietly, “for riding with me, and for saving me from the branch.”
“You are welcome, my lady,” he said, lingering for another moment before releasing her hand.
Lady Diana nodded and reluctantly made her way back to Powderham Hall. She felt in a daze as she sauntered down the hallway, and almost did not hear her mother and father calling her name in the drawing room.
“Diana?”
Lady Diana was reeled back into the present moment and entered the drawing room to find her parents sitting casually on the long sofa, enjoying a cup of tea and the sunlight which danced through the open window.
“How was your first ride with Starlight?” the Duchess asked.
“It went well. The stable hand was very good with her,” Lady Diana answered.
“That is wonderful,” the Duchess answered.
“Your cheeks are flushed,” the Duke pointed out.
“It is from the sun,” Lady Diana answered hastily. “It is rather warm and sunny outside.”
“Indeed,” the Duke nodded and averted his gaze.
“I would like to take Starlight out for another ride tomorrow, if that is alright,” Lady Diana requested.
“I had arranged with the coachmen to ready the coach tomorrow morning,” the Duchess said.
Lady Diana frowned and glanced at her father.
“Your mother wishes to travel to town to purchase a gown for you to wear at the Dowager Duchess of York’s ball,” the Duke answered.
“I had forgotten about that, Mother,” Lady Diana admitted sheepishly and glanced out the window, where the stables were clearly visible.
“Is everything alright, my dear?” the Duchess asked.
“Yes,” Lady Diana answered as she glanced at her mother. “I think the ride through the meadow had tired me out more than I anticipated.”
“How is the new stable hand Lord Stanley had sent over?” the Duke asked. “I heard he was rather skilled.”
“He is a very nice man. Very knowledgeable when it comes to horses,” she answered, attempting not to catch her breath as she thought of Hudson, or to allow her face to colour even more than it already had.
“That is wonderful news. I am delighted that you are in capable hands while out in the meadow,” her mother answered with a smile.
Lady Diana smiled briefly and shifted her weight uncomfortably. “Excuse me, Mother and Father. I will be in my chambers if you require me for anything.”
“Have a lovely rest, my dear,” the Duchess said with a sly smile.
“Thank you, Mother.”
Lady Diana made her way to her bedchambers and sat down at her dressing table. Her heart still raced in her chest, and she sighed, reaching for her brush. Brushing her hair would usually calm her down, but she was uncertain whether the image of Hudson that was etched in her mind would allow that to happen. It was imperative that she stop thinking of him in such a way, or at all, for that matter, b
ut she was well aware that it would most certainly be a very difficult task.
The next morning, Lady Diana and the Duchess took the coach and rode to town to visit the Duchess’s seamstress at a lovely dress store in Exeter. The seamstress, Nina, was delightful and Lady Diana enjoyed her company. Lady Diana chose a beautiful plum gown with golden beading and lace sleeves, but it needed to be adjusted quite significantly. Lady Diana was worried at first that it would not fit properly, but the Duchess assured her that Nina was considered the best seamstress in Devonshire and Lady Diana’s gown was in very capable hands.
As her mother said those words, Lad Diana could not help herself but think about Hudson and her heart started to pound in her chest. She could not believe that a man had such a drastic and compelling effect on her. Perhaps it was because she was well aware that she was not allowed to find a man like him attractive, or even start having feelings for him. Her father would drag her into the house by her hair and chase Hudson away if he were to be made aware of how attractive she found him.
Despite knowing all these things, Lady Diana could not help herself from imagining his warm brown eyes, and the manner in which the outer corners of his mouth seductively curled up when he smiled, and the corners of his eyes crinkled when he laughed. His laugh, his deep baritone voice that seemed to seductively stroke her insides, allowing her to be swept away by the deep, throaty laugh. She imagined what his hands would feel like if it touched her cheek, or what his lips tasted of.
“My lady?”
The sound of Nina’s voice quickly pulled her back into the present moment and she realised that she had allowed her mind to wander much further than she wished it to. It had wandered straight to where she did not wish it to go.
To Hudson.
The stable hand.
“Are you alright, Diana?” her mother asked. “You seem rather preoccupied for the last two days.”
“I am fine, Mother. I was merely pondering something to myself,” Lady Diana fobbed her mother off.
“Is it because you are anxious about meeting the Duke of Newton?”
“No, I am fine.”
“Are you certain, dear?”
“Indeed. My sincerest apologies. I did not mean to seem aloof and distracted.”
“You should not be at all anxious. I have heard His Grace is a very kind and delightful man,” Nina pointed out. “If you do not mind me saying it, you will most certainly adore him.”
“I told you that very same thing, Diana,” the Duchess said with a smile and Lady Diana gave her only a snide stare.
After all the measurements were taken and Lady Diana and her mother were comfortably seated in their coach on their way back to Powderham Hall, Lady Diana frowned as she glanced out the window.
“Mother, may I ask you a question?” Lady Diana asked.
“Certainly, my dearest,” the Duchess answered.
“When were you going to tell me that you and father plan on forcing me to marry this Duke?” she asked and glanced at her mother.
“Your father and I are not forcing you to marry His Grace,” the Duchess replied. “I am the one who suggested it.”
Lady Diana’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “Why on earth would you do that?”
“Your father and I only want what is best for you, Diana,” her mother replied.
“And you are under the impression that making an arrangement to marry a man I have never met is what is best for me?” Lady Diana asked.
“There is no arrangement as yet, Diana. All we ask is that you meet this man, and spend time with him, to allow yourself to acquaint yourself with him. The decision is entirely on you at the moment. You are not forced to marry him, my dearest,” the Duchess explained.
“And if I do not wish to?”
“You do not have to, but I do urge you to give it a chance,” the Duchess answered.
Lady Diana crossed her arms and glanced at her mother.
“He is a wonderful young man, Diana.”
“Have you met him, Mother?” Lady Diana asked. “How can you make such an assumption about him if you have not met him before?”
“His mother and I have been friends for a very long time, Diana. I have indeed met him, on various occasions when he was still a boy.”
“People change over time.”
“When have you become this resistant?” the Duchess asked.
Lady Diana shrugged as Powderham Hall could be seen in the distance, as well as the stables, and Lady Diana’s thoughts immediately returned to Hudson.
“May I ask another question?”
“Certainly, my dear.”
“Would it matter to you and Father who I married?” Lady Diana asked. “If I were to marry. One day.”
“Indeed it matters,” the Duchess answered. “You are the daughter of a Duke and Duchess. You deserve to be loved and to be treated with respect.”
“And if I were to choose a man who was titled beneath me, would that upset you and Father?” she asked.
Her mother glanced at her with a furrowed brow and she cocked her head. “Is there someone specific who you speak of?”
“No, of course not. I was merely wondering. Neither Rebecca, nor Lucy, nor Caroline married beneath them,” Lady Diana pointed out.
“Usually I would say that titles are very important, but we cannot choose who we develop feelings for, and we cannot merely stop loving a person, regardless of their title.”
“Does Father feel the same?” Lady Diana asked.
“Your father is a complicated man,” the Duchess defended her husband, as she had done ever since their wedding day eight-and-twenty years ago.
“I realised that several years ago, Mother,” Lady Diana muttered and glanced at her mother, feeling rather uncomfortable at her expression. “There is no need to fret, Mother. I will meet with His Grace, and I believe you when you say that he is a wonderful man.”
The Duchess smiled warmly, touched her daughter’s knee lovingly and gazed out the window. Lady Diana, on the other hand, felt the knots in her stomach twist violently. She did not wish to feel this way, and decided that Hudson would not have such an effect on her any longer.
Chapter Three
June 1815
The Meadow
Powderham Hall
Exeter
Devonshire
England
A few days after Lady Diana and the Duchess’s visit to the dress shop, Lady Diana had attempted to distance herself from Hudson as much as she could, but it proved most difficult. She had to lie to her father that she was not feeling well, or that she was not in the mood to take Starlight out for a ride. Her father became worried after a few days, and in order to stop any potential questions he might ask, ones she did not wish to answer, she asked at the breakfast table whether she would be able to take Starlight for a ride.
The Duke seemed relieved as he said, “I was beginning to think the novelty of Starlight had worn off.”
“Of course not. I adore her even more now. I have merely been preoccupied for the last few days, Father, but there is nothing to worry about,” Lady Diana answered with a smile, and before the Duke, or the Duchess for that matter, could ask anything of her, she extricated herself from the breakfast table, standing from her chair and leaving the parlour.
A short while later, she walked along the path which led to the stables and found Hudson standing outside with both Starlight and his stallion, Merlot.
“Good morning, my lady. You have finally decided to grace us with your presence,” Hudson said gallantly.
“Indeed I have,” she answered simply, adamant not to allow him to have any effect on her.
Hudson narrowed his eyes at her and studied her as she approached him and asked, “Are you alright?”
“Why on earth would I not be?” she asked, and before he had the opportunity to answer her, she held her hand out to him. “Help me up, please.”
Hudson nodded and did what she asked of him. They rode in silence towar
ds the meadow. Lady Diana avoided his gaze as much as possible, but it was incredibly hard for her not to speak to him, or look at him, for that matter.
Once at the meadow, Hudson climbed off his stallion, which he did to allow Merlot to rest from his weight, and Lady Diana did the same.
Lady Diana sat down on the grass while she watched the horses graze nearby and she glanced at the meadow, enjoying the warm sun on her skin.
“You are awfully quiet today,” Hudson pointed out as he sat down on the grass as well.
“Perhaps I do not feel very talkative today.”
“Something must be wrong, then,” he said with a smirk.
“And why would you think that?” she asked with a scowl.
“I am not certain, but something is not right. You seem sad,” he pointed out.
“I am not sad,” she answered simply.
“Have I done something to upset you?” Hudson asked.
“No.”
“Have I said something—”
“Hudson, you are not the centre of my universe. The world does not revolve around you,” she snapped and turned away from him.
“I am sorry,” he said simply.
She sighed, feeling guilty for being impatient and intolerant towards him. He was not the one who was at fault, she was. “I am the one who should apologise, not you.”
“And why is that? I have upset you,” he answered.
“I have been upset before I even left Powderham Hall this morning,” Lady Diana admitted.
“And why is that? Who upset you?” he asked as he turned to her.
“Tonight my parents and I will be attending a ball hosted by the Dowager Duchess of York to celebrate the return of her son, the Duke of Newton,” she answered with a sigh.
“And why does this upset you?” Hudson asked her.
“My mother wishes to introduce me to him, and...” Lady Diana’s voice trailed off and she lowered her gaze. “She hopes that I will approve of her wishes to marry this man.”
Hudson leaned forward and his brow furrowed. “She wishes you to marry a man you barely know?”
