Page 24 of The Duke's Tempting Bride

Diana gasped at the woman’s offer. Her mode of dress confirmed that Lady Gunther was a very wealthy woman, but could she honestly afford such a thing? Furthermore, even though the amount of money would surely support her family, could she really do that to Fitz? He’d been so lonely for so many years and was still plagued with the heartache of losing his wife. For such a large sum, could she break his heart once more?

“No amount of money will persuade me, Lady Gunther. I will not shame my family in such a way,” Diana said, her temper starting to rise and being reflected in her words.

“My God, you actually care about him,” Lady Gunther suddenly stated as she took a step closer to Diana and peered at her as though she could read her mind.

“Certainly a wife should care about her husband.” Diana scoffed.

“No, you have real feelings for him,” Lady Gunther said in barely a whisper. Diana peered into her dark green eyes and was certain she saw fury in them. Diana knew she needed to end this conversation now.

“I’ve denied your offer, Lady Gunther, and see no reason to continue this conversation. I ask that you leave me alone in the future,” Diana said as she turned away from the woman and continued on her way to the seamstress’s shop.

“I’ll be seeing you at the wedding,” Lady Gunther called after her in a cheery voice. Yet it only caused Diana to feel dread as she finally made it to her destination.

“Ah, Miss Casey. I was wondering when you’d finally come to see me,” Mrs Canton said as she rose from her sewing table. Her and her husband’s shop was lined with all manner of ribbon and fabrics. It was always a warm and comforting place to visit, and the atmosphere helped to settle Diana’s nerves.

“Good morning, Mrs Canton. I have finally made my way into the village to meet with you and have my wedding gown designed,” Diana said in a truly happy voice. This was the whole part of the wedding that Diana had been looking forward to. She would have full control over the design of her dress, and after talking to her mother about the design, Diana knew exactly what she was looking for in a wedding gown.

“Well then, my dear. Why don’t you join me in the parlour so we can discuss your ideas? I’ll have Miss Cynthia bring us a tea tray while we visit,” Mrs Canton suggested while she escorted Diana to a more private room to talk. Diana took to a chair by the window while Mrs Canton took the seat across from her.

“It’s not every day that a Duke gets married in our little part of the country,” Mrs Canton said with a soft chuckle. Diana smiled as she nodded her head in agreement.

“I believe this to be the most amazing thing to have ever happened to me,” Diana admitted.

“I just love getting to speak with soon-to-be brides. They are always so cheerful and just gushing with love,” Mrs Canton said as she placed her hand to her heart and brightly smiled. “It is truly an honour to be designing and making a wedding gown for a duchess.”

“Believe me, Mrs Canton, the honour is all mine. Ever since I saw the beautiful gown you created for my older sister a few years back for her wedding, I just knew that I wanted you to someday design mine.”

The two women eagerly chatted about the upcoming wedding and the design of the gown while they sipped on lavender tea and ate small biscuits filled with jam. It was a pleasant experience for Diana and helped her to calm her nerves after being confronted by Lady Gunther.

Diana was doing her best to enjoy this moment because she’d only ever have one wedding gown designed for her. But she couldn’t help feeling eager to see Fitz that evening to tell him all that had happened and to ask him a few questions of her own.

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