Page 26 of The Duke and the Hellion Bride

Diana forced herself to be brave. “I have,” she said, standing up to him while ignoring the way her stomach fluttered. “My feeling is that to study all day without being allowed some time off is... is counterproductive. Surely, a few hours missed will not be such a bad thing? It will give them time to relax.”

“And is that what they need? To relax?”

“They are girls,” Diana said. “And girls need to have fun.”

“They need to learn.”

“Which they will do,” she shot back without pause. As with the last time the two spoke, she found herself unable to keep her tongue at bay. It was as if she enjoyed provoking him. “Later. I promised them that they could spend the afternoon outside playing. You would not make me a liar, would you?”

He stayed by the door as if scared to enter the room. As he did, his dark green eyes flicked between Diana and the two girls in decision. Diana did what she could to hold his stare, to not back down. She was right in this, she knew. And he needed to see it.

“No,” he said finally.

“But --”

“I said no,” he said again, this time with bite. “The time to play is later. And I will remind you...” He fixed Diana with a warning glare. “You are not here to be the girls’ friend. You are to be their mother. I suggest you start acting like it. Now...” He raised an eyebrow at her. “Is there anything else?”

“I guess not,” she said, a curled lip so he could see how upset she was.

“Good.” And with that, he turned and strode from the room.

“See,” Diana heard Josephine whisper to her sister. “I told you she was lying.”

Diana felt herself growing angry. Deep down, she knew that she should heed the duke’s words for this was his home and the girls were his nieces. If he wished for them to study, who was she to say otherwise?

I might not be their mother, but I am here to help raise them as one should. An aunt, perhaps? A mother-figure who they can trust and hopefully one day love. Surely, that means I should have some say?

In the back of her mind, good sense told Diana to take the loss and try for a win another day. But she was stubborn. And she was also annoyed at the duke for treating her so poorly. Not just now, but since she arrived. His message was confused, and she was through being confused by it.

“Girls, up you get,” she said. She turned and clapped her hands at them. “Come on then.”

“Wh - what?” Miss Brooks stammered. “Your Grace, His Grace asked that --”

“I heard him well enough,” she cut through Miss Brooks. “But he is not here anymore now, is he. I am...” She pumped her eyes at the two girls, her expression wicked. “And I say it is time to play. That is unless you would both rather study...”

Adeline was out of her chair in a second. Josephine, struggling to decide if she wished to be cantankerous or trust Diana finally, was a little slower.

“That’s what I thought,” Diana beamed. “Now, I seem to remember a large oak tree in the back garden. I would race the two of you there but surely I am too fast for either of --”

Adeline flew from the room as if she was carried by a wind, giggling the whole while. Josephine, again a little slower, was unable to hide her smile as she rushed after her sister.

“Miss Brooks...” Diana fixed a warning look on the governess. “I trust this will not be a problem?”

Miss Brook sighed and shook her head. “You are their mother, not I. Although I cannot speak for what His Grace might say.”

“Good, because I can.” Diana nodded once and then turned to hurry after the two girls. Her heart raced as she did. Part happiness, for she knew now that she had the girls on her side. Part fear, for she wondered how the duke would react. And part... something else, for she was excited to see how the duke would react as no doubt when he found out what she had done, he would be angry.

Let him be angry. At least that way he won’t avoid me as he has been doing.And that thought excited Diana more than anything.

ChapterTen

Iprobably could have handled that a little better...

As Magnus walked back toward his study, he chastised himself repeatedly for his less-than-optimal handling of what was a delicate situation. One that he now decided hadn’t been dealt with in the best possible way.

He had panicked, was why. Faced with giving into the Duchess' demands and looking weak in front of his nieces and Miss Brooks, he had stood his ground as if afraid that he might lose the respect of the household. Now, he realized he had lost the respect of his wife instead.

What did she expect me to do!?She knows what I want of her. It is as if she was purposefully trying to undermine me.

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