Adam hung his head. “I do. Believe me, I do. But I want to be sure that you are marrying me for me and not just for what I can do for you financially .”
Diana stood and opened her arms to Adam. He responded by standing and taking her in his arms and kissing her cheek .
“Then your answer is a yes?” He asked, standing back to look into her eyes .”
“Yes, Adam, it is .”
“Then I will do everything within my power to help you with the loan,” he said with a big smile. “We are engaged. Think of that,” He said, throwing his arms up in the air. “We need to celebrate. Let us go and tell your mother .”
“Very well,” Diana said shyly .
Adam took her hand, kissed her on the cheek again and led her out the front door and over to the gallery .
Her mother was hanging a painting on a spot on the wall that was empty from the sale of a painting earlier that morning .
“Oh, hello, you two,” Mother said, still distracted by hanging the painting .
“We have an announcement,” Adam blurted out .
Mother turned to look at them. “And what might that be?” she asked as she stepped down from her small ladder .
“We are finally engaged—officially,” Adam shouted out .
Mother cast Diana a questioning look. “Really? How exciting. And have you set a date ?”
“Not yet,” Adam said and turned to Diana. “Soon, yes ?”
Diana shook her head. “Remember we decided that you needed to graduate first ?”
Adam frowned. “But now …”
“No, Adam. An early marriage would only distract you from your goal of a degree. You promised me .”
“Yes, but that was before we became engaged .”
“It does not matter. And besides, a wedding takes time to organize.” She turned to her mother. “Does it not ?”
Mother caught the plea in Diana’s eyes. “Yes, it most certainly does, young man. Proper arrangements must be made. You just ask your mother and I am sure she will concur. We will need at least six months .”
Adam’s face fell. “Six months?” he wailed. “I shall be an old man by then .”
Mother shot him a stern smile. “Oh, Adam, I am quite certain you will survive .”
*
T hat evening, Diana took her father aside after supper and sat him down in his study. She had already told him about the wedding and the offer from Robert Donnelly. Now she wanted to discuss the details .
“Are you marrying Adam because of the loan?” he immediately asked .
“Partially.”
“And do you love him ?”
“I took your advice to heart, Father. Love is not always the primary reason for marriage, you advised me .”
“So you do not,” he said with a hint of sadness, as he tapped his pipe on the fireplace grate and added fresh tobacco and relit his pipe .
Diana was patient with him as he played out his pipe routine, as she knew it gave him time to think through an issue before he spoke .
“I care for him a great deal,” she said as he turned to look at her again .
“I am sorry I burdened you with that idea, daughter. And now I fear you are marrying him to secure the leasehold .”
Diana could not dispute his claim, remaining silent, and did not respond .
“And tell me more about this offer from the Earl? It does not sound quite right, somehow. Is it not dishonest to publish under another’s name ?”
Diana explained again why the Earl could not publish under his own name .
“To publish under another’s name would be unthinkable in my day,” Father said .
“But Father you are an academic, and your name must be associated with your writings. You have gained wide recognition for your books and rightly so. But in the case of the Earl, it is fiction with different standards and expectations. It would hurt the Earl socially if he were to publish using his own name .”
“And do you plan to accept his offer ?”
“Yes, Father, I do .”
Father sat back in his chair and studied the fire as he smoked before he said, “And you are certain you want to go through with this loan from Adam’s father? You think it wise ?”
“Yes. I do. And I will need all the details from you as to how to set up the new leasehold and to whom the payment must be made .”
“I will take care of the details,” Father said. “Once Adam’s father agrees, I will contact him and make all the arrangements. There is no need for you to be involved. It sounds to me like you will have your hands full dealing with the Earl’s offer .”
Diana laughed. “Strange times, are they not, Father? I never foresaw any of this. I thought my life would just chug along like a little locomotive, spending my days at my little desk quietly churning out my little romances. And now everything is all changed and our lives are all rearranged .”
“Daughter, not much surprises me anymore. I learned long ago to accept what comes into our lives and make the best we can of the circumstances that come our way for either good or ill .”
Diana sat back in her chair and contemplated what an extraordinary day it had been and how her life was running away with her. It seemed she no longer had control over her own life. She did not know what would come of all of this craziness but she was content to let the events flow and reveal themselves in their proper time .
Chapter 7
“A melia, you are quite the saucy vixen, are you not?” Ludlow Russell leaned in and attempted to give Amelia a kiss on the cheek, but she turned away from him. “How you taunt and test me,” he added as he stepped away and turned his back on her .
Ludlow Russell was the Viscount of Berwick and his estate abutted up against the Donnelly estate .
Amelia crossly looked up at Ludlow and snapped her fan in disapproval of his action. “I swear, Luddy, at times you behave quite unlike a gentleman .”
“What do you expect? You thwart me whenever I suggest we announce our wedding plans,” he said angrily .
“I have told you many times. I cannot marry until the Earl is married and his wife is expecting. The family must have an heir .”
Ludlow turned back and leaned in to her and whispered. “I could give you an heir,” he said suggestively .
This time she rose from her chair and began pacing. “The succession is not through me, as you well know .”
“But you cannot put your life on hold forever, waiting for the Earl to spawn,” Ludlow said .
The Viscount was not unattractive. At forty years old he stood tall, but with a head of nearly all white hair. He had a finely chiseled face, but it had a hard edge to it. His eyes were steely grey and that gave him a menacing look when he was angry or upset .
“Then perhaps you should find yourself another lady to torture as you do me. I have explained my situation to you numerous times, but still, you keep taunting me about marriage. What is the big rush ?”
Ludlow sighed and went over to his desk where he opened a leather folder where he kept his current papers. He picked up a paper and walked toward Amelia with a sneer .
“But you see, I know how much you love me. We are so alike—two black pearls in the center of a Borgia necklace. Wouldn’t you agree ?”
Amelia had to laugh. “Most likely .”