“What can…”
“be done?” they both said.
Diana was almost too tired to resist, but she disengaged from their grasp and flung her arms out in a circle to clear her space from their intrusion. She stood.
“I am fine. Just fine. Well… not exactly fine, but I do not need fussing over.”
The twins leaned back away from her.
“But my dear…”
“it must be something,” the two said—one completing the other’s sentence.
Diana sat back down and sighed. She leaned her head against Geoffrey’s shoulder. “If I tell you, you must promise and swear that you will never, never, never tell another living soul.”
“Oh, my…”
“serious business,” the twins said.
“It is. Promise me,” Diana insisted.
They crossed their hearts simultaneously.
Diana then told the tale of her dilemma.
When she was finished the two sat mulling over what they’d just heard.
“Milk…”
“and warm muffins.”
They both shot up and went to the kitchen and soon returned carrying a tray with glasses of milk and a basket of muffins.
“How can…”
“we help?” they asked, determined to help Diana find a solution.
“I do not see how you can.”
“I know. Perhaps we could find a rainbow…”
“with a pot of gold at the end.”
Diana collapsed against the back of the sofa. “Realistically, it seems my only choice is to marry Adam. I know he would help out when the situation is explained to him—but only as my fiancé or husband.”
“But you like him, right?” Miriam asked.
“I do. But marriage? I am not ready for that. I have my writing. My parents still need me. I can’t just walk away from all of my responsibilities.”
“How could you…”
“sell more books?” they asked.
“I do not know,” Diana answered.
“What if you toured…
“and gave readings in London…”
“and around Britain?”
“I could speak to my publisher about that, but that would take time and we do not have that much time before we need to renew the leasehold.”
“You could always work the…
“streets in Soho,” the two let out in a scream of laughter.
“And that would earn me even less,” Diana countered with her own laughter.
“What if you explained the situation honestly to Adam in a friendly sort of way?” Geoffrey offered.
“And maybe he would help if you asked him?” Miriam concluded.
“That might be worth a try,” Diana said. “But then I—well, the whole family, actually—would feel obligated to him.”
“My dear, life is just filled…”
“with complications and compromises.”
Abigale had terrible arthritis in her hands and Kitty needed to walk with a cane because of her hip. They had no family, except for a nephew, Brandon Matthews, whom the sisters idolized. He was the manager of a prestigious bank in Bristol. He never visited, but occasionally sent a letter, and when he did, it was always a major event in their household. A daguerreotype of Brandon stood in a prominent place on the sitting-room mantel.
“We had a letter from Brandon,” Abigale greeted Diana and her mother even before they were inside the house. They had arrived bearing books from their home library, as George had thousands of books and the sisters had few. It was one form of entertainment both sisters enjoyed and Diana and Ann had promised to switch books with them every few weeks.
“I hope you have not read any of these titles,” Ann said, handing the books to Abigale.
She scanned the books. “Oh, no. These are all new to us.”
“Splendid.”
“We had a letter from Brandon.” Abigale enthused again, sitting the books on the kitchen table. “He’s just returned from traveling abroad. Would you like me to read the letter to you?” she asked then called out, “Kitty, will you bring Brandon’s letter? Diana and Ann have come to bring us fresh books.”
Neither Diana nor Ann wished to be subjected to a letter from Brandon—they were usually long and tedious and unrelated to anything they knew about.
“Thank you, but I must get back to my painting,” Ann said, laying her hand on Abigale’s arm, “and I cannot leave my gallery unattended for too long,” she added, backing toward the front door.
Diana had no such urgent excuse, so she was welcomed for tea and a lengthy and thorough reading of the letter at the kitchen table with added side comments along the way.
“You know Brandon received the MVO, did he not?” Abigale turned to Kitty for confirmation.
“No dear it was the OM.”
“Oh, was that it? Never mind. But it was some high order or other.”
“And his church made him a deacon, I believe, as well.”
“He is such a fine example of public service. We are so proud.”
“Yes, and let us continue with the letter, shall we dear?” Kitty insisted.
The sisters were surprised when there was a knocking at their front door.
“Better to see who that is,” Kitty insisted, not as easily able to get out of her chair as Abigale was.
“Look who is here,” Abigale said as she returned with Adam.
“Oh, Adam, hello,” a surprised Diana said
“Your mother said you were over here and might need a rescue,” he said, not thinking what he was saying.
“Well hardly a rescue,” Diana said, trying to cover for his thoughtless remark. “She must have said I need to recuse myself and get back to my writing.”
“Yes, exactly—recuse was the word,” Adam said, blushing slightly.
Diana stood. “I am so sorry, but I will need to hear the rest of the letter another time. It is true I must get back to my work and I must also have a word or two with Adam. I do hope you will enjoy the books we found for you.”
The sisters’ faces registered a brief disappointment at her parting, but smiled and thanked her for the books.
“Oh my, what an ass I can be sometimes,” Adam said as they left the sisters’ house and he took Diana’s arm, tripping on a stepping stone as they headed toward the street.
Diana giggled, “Yes, but you were totally accurate. I desperately did need rescuing.”
“Yes, it’s been a few days and I wanted to stop by and see how you were.”
Diana was not sure how to proceed, or if she should even bring up the topic, but she decided she must, as the family was in such a desperate bind.
She looked up at him and said, “Might we take a short walk in the meadow? I have something I very much need to discuss with you. Do you have the time?”
“I do,” he said squeezing her arm.
They headed down the side street past the Sinclair’s house and over the stile that lead to a meadow bordered by a wood where they frequently walked together. It was a partly cloudy morning and a little chilly. Adam put his arm around Diana’s shoulders and pulled her tightly against him to offer her some of his warmth.
“My dear Adam, I need to tell you about a situation my family is in.”
“Nothing serious, I trust,” he asked with some concern.
“Yes, I am afraid it is.”
She proceeded to tell him about the expiration of the leasehold and their inability to secure a new one.
“Oh, Diana, that is sad news. What is your family going to do?”
“I have discussed this with my father and the only possible idea we can come up with is to see if you might ask your father for a loan—for my family.” Adam was silent. “I know it is a lot to ask but we could secure the loan with the house and we would be willing to pay a generous interest.”
“Then why not go to a bank for that sort of loan.”
“My father has, but our request was denied.”
“I see,” he said.
“Might you be able to help? I cannot tell you how much we would appreciate any help you could offer.”
“Diana… I don’t think it would be fitting for me to go to my father with such a proposal unless…” He hesitated.
“Unless what?” she asked, but feared she knew the answer.
“Unless we were at least engaged,” he said giving her a quick sideways glance.
“Hmm. I thought you might suggest that.”
He stopped and turned her to face him. “And what do you say? Will you accept my hand in marriage?”
Diana bowed her head. Her mind racing with all the possible ways her family might find a solution to their problem without her having to accept Adam’s proposal. And her heart was beating rapidly as she tried to assess exactly what she felt for Adam.
Then she looked up at him and leaning her forehead against his chest softly said, “I will have an answer for you in a few days.”
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Thank you very much
Also by Hanna Hamilton
Thank you for reading A Dashing Duke for Emily!
I hope you enjoyed it! If you did, may I ask you to please write a review HERE? It would mean the world to me. Reviews are very important and allow me to keep writing the books that you love to read!
Some other best sellers of mine:
A Charming Cavalryman for Clementine
Diana Adores the Puzzled Earl
Annabelle Enchants the Rejected Earl
The Governess Who Stole My Heart
The Lady and the Duke
The Duke of My Heart
Also, if you liked this book, you can also check out my full Amazon Book Catalogue HERE.
Thank you for allowing me to keep doing what I love!
Hanna Hamilton
About the Author
Hanna Hamilton has been fascinated with the regency era ever since she was a young teen, first discovering historical romance novels by famous authors such as Jane Austen and Lisa Kleypas. She believes that love was just so much more magical back then, more like a fairy tale. She always daydreamed about finding love herself that way, but since that is impossible in the twenty first century, she decided to write about it instead!
Born in Texas, Hanna Hamilton obtained a degree in Creative Writing, and has worked as a literature teacher before becoming a novelist. When she isn’t writing, Hanna likes to explore the countryside with her husband and two children, gaining inspiration from the natural world around her.
So, come on a journey into love, confusion, and redemption all within the regency era. Hanna hopes that you will enjoy immersing yourself into her novels, and that you too will find a love for old fashioned romance, just as she has.
Let’s connect
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