Page 54 of Duke of Storme
“We should probably dress for dinner,” Diana said finally. “The Duke will want to meet you properly.”
“Is he formidable?” Lydia asked as they rose from their chairs.
“Extremely. But in an oddly appealing way,” Diana said, and instantly felt her cheeks warm at the admission.
Jane and Lydia exchanged another of those meaningful looks.
“What?” Diana demanded.
“Nothing,” Jane said innocently. “It’s just… you’re practically glowing, Diana. You have been since we arrived.”
“I amnotglowing.”
“Oh, you absolutely are,” Lydia confirmed. “There’s this… life in your face that was never there before. Animation. As though someone finally turned up the wick on a lamp that had been burning too dimly.”
Diana caught sight of herself in the mirror above the hearth mantlepiece and paused. Her sisters were right – her cheeks had color, her eyes held spark, and even her posture suggested someone comfortable in her own skin.
“The Duke will join us for dinner,” she said, deflecting from the uncomfortable self-examination. “I should warn you; he’s not much for small talk.”
“Whatishe much for?” Jane asked with obvious curiosity.
Diana considered this for a moment. “Honesty. Directness. He values substance over prettiness. And he has absolutely no patience for social games or artificial politeness.”
“He sounds absolutely perfect for you,” Lydia observed.
“Does he?” Diana felt a flutter of something that might have been hope.
“Diana,” Jane said gently, “you’ve always been the most genuine person I know. You’ve just finally found someone who appreciates that quality instead of expecting you to diminish it.”
An hour later, Diana descended the stairs to find Finn waiting in the drawing room, dressed in his formal evening attire. He looked magnificent and slightly intimidating. His dark hair was perfectly groomed and his military bearing was evident in every line of his body.
“Duchess,” he said, bowing formally as she entered with her sisters and their husbands.
“Your Grace, may I present my sisters? Jane, with her husband Richard, the Duke of Myste. And Lydia, with her husband Elias, the Duke of Fyre.”
“Your Graces,” Finn replied with another precise bow. “Welcome to Storme Castle, Your Graces,” he added to the men with respectful acknowledgement.
Richard stepped forward with measured courtesy. “Your Grace. Thank you for receiving us.”
Elias also inclined his head. “We’re grateful for your hospitality.”
“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Grace,” Jane echoed, studying Finn with sharp assessment.. “Diana has told us so much about Highland customs, but we are eager to learn more.”
“Has she?” Finn’s gaze shifted to Diana as something unreadable flashed across his features. “And what exactly has she shared?”
“That Highland society values directness over diplomacy,” Lydia said with a smile. “A refreshing change from London’s tendency toward elaborate pretense.”
“Aye, we prefer honest words to pretty lies,” Finn agreed. “Though I suspect ye both understand that well enough, bein’ Brandon sisters.”
During dinner, Diana found herself caught between nervousness and fascination as she watched her family interact. Finn had seated Jane to his right, Lydia to Diana’s left, with Richard beside Jane and Elias beside Lydia, creating an intimate setting that encouraged conversation.
“The estate records show remarkable improvement in tenant conditions over the past two years,” Jane observed during the first course. “Such comprehensive reforms suggest considerable investment.”
“Aye, the previous Duke let things deteriorate badly,” Finn replied. “When I inherited, half the cottages had leaking roofs, and the roads were barely passable.”
“That must have required significant capital,” Lydia said thoughtfully. “Not to mention gaining the trust of tenants who’d been neglected for years.”
“A challenging inheritance,” Richard observed with the precision of a man familiar with estate management. “Rebuilding both infrastructure and relationships simultaneously.”
