Page 48 of Desire and Discipline
“Why would I not?”
“I am a nurse, not a debutante.” She threw her hands up in the air, as if he was being the unreasonable one.
“I would not marry a debutante.” He would likely run roughshod over the poor girl. Diana might be a bit too young for him, but at least she was far older than a debutante, far more experienced, and had already proven herself capable of managing him. Besides, what he liked in the bedroom would horrify a debutante. Diana was exactly what he wanted in that sphere as well. He crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you saying you’d rather impugn my honor than marry me?”
“I did not say that!” She huffed again. “I am not trying to impugn your honor, but there is no need to marry me.”
“I did not say I needed to marry you. I said I wanted to marry you. If anything, you need to marry me to save your reputation.”
“You are impossible,” Diana snapped. “My reputation is intact and will remain so unless you deliberately tell your servants to spread the word, whichwouldbe dishonorable.”
Across from them, Evie and Anthony were watching with interest. Oliver was not sure whether or not he was glad of their presence. On one hand, he preferred not to handle matters of the heart in front of witnesses. On the other hand, he had a feeling their presence was the only thing keeping Diana from running.
Before he could retort, there was a sudden loud pounding on the door, making all of them jump.
“My lady! My lord!” At Stims’ urgent tone, Evie and Oliver exchanged a glance, both jumping to their feet, Anthony only a moment behind them. Diana remained seated, seeming to take the moment to recompose herself.
“Come in.” Evie’s voice whipped out in command. Whatever had driven Stims to interrupt them, it would not be small. As soon as the door opened, Oliver knew it was worse than he might have imagined, and a cold chill went down his spine.
The normally unflappable man was pale and sweaty, wringing his hands in front of him with his mouth slightly open in shock.
“My lady. My lord.” His gaze flicked back and forth between Evie and Oliver as though he did not see the others in the room.
“What is it, man?” Oliver asked, bracing himself. His mind was already going through all the events that might have caused such a reaction in Stims, his chest tightening. Was it Elijah? Joseph? Adam? A member of the royal family? A war?
“The dukes, my lord.” Stims’ mouth worked up and down, as though he was trying to find the words but could not.
“What dukes, Stims?” Her tone much more soothing than Oliver’s had been, Evie took a step toward the butler, hands out in front of her as if to reach for his, which seemed to snap him out of it. The lady of the house should not be comforting him, and his pride would not allow it. “What happened to them?”
“They’re dead.”
Diana
Stims’ announcement set the household into a flurry, and the Marquess was in the thick of it, which worried Diana. It would have been the opportune moment to leave, but…
But.
There were things she wanted to know.
Like what happened to the dukes.
Like why he wanted to marry her.
She was also legitimately concerned that he might throw himself into the middle of the crisis and overdo it. While hewasrecovered, he had handed over the reins of his duties to Evie and Anthony for good reason. Now, he was right there beside them, cursing, stressed, and barking orders at the people coming in and out of the house.
Eight dukes were dead, along with some of their retinue, killed in an explosion and subsequent fire at a hunting lodge… and that was all they knew. Clarence, Hereford, St. Albans, Bolton, Montagu, Ormonde, Grafton, and Northumberland. All men in their fifties with sons old enough to take over, all of whom were being informed that they’d just inherited their titles. Thetonwas going to be thrown into complete upheaval as the news spread and gossip was going to be rife.
Information was coming in quickly, but not quickly enough for the Marquess.
“We need to know if it was an assassination.” He pounded his fist on the desk, his face turning red enough that Diana had to bite her tongue against telling him to sit down and breathe. Though if he did not calm himself, she would do just that in a minute. “We need to know who it is behind it.”
“I know, Uncle,” Evie snapped back sharply, flipping through a sheaf of notes that had just been delivered as she stood beside the Marquess’ desk.
They’d taken over his study, though Diana sat off to the side, organizing the incoming letters once they’d been read. Notes were coming in from all the many eyes and ears the Marquess had placed all over the city.
“So far, there are no reports of any unusual activity at any of the embassies. If anyone was involved, they have hidden it very well. No one even knew anything had happened until they got our message.”
“It’s looking more and more like it must have been a truly unfortunate accident,” Anthony commented, his brow furrowed as he read through another stack of letters. He did not look up, or he would have seen the Marquess’ searing look.
