Page 59 of The Duke's Tempting Bride

“Surely you won’t want to sleep any more, My Lady. You’ve been resting for three days already,” Miss Matilda explained.

“Are you certain?” Diana stammered. “Has it really been three days?”

“Aye, My Lady. Perhaps you would enjoy a good book to read to keep your mind off the pain after you have eaten and taken the tonic? I’m sure your parents would also keep you company.”

“That sounds reasonable enough. Please let my parents know that they may join me whenever they feel up to it,” Diana said. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly as the pain fought for her attention. Miss Matilda didn’t say another word as she went to do as asked. Not too much time passed before the servants arrived with her food and the tonic. Though still hot, Diana drank the tea down as quickly as she could manage simply to have something to possibly take her pain away.

“Ah, there is our beautiful daughter,” came Lord Casey’s voice as he came into the room, leading her mother on his arm. The servants came and set two chairs next to her bed, and when Mrs Merriweather followed after them, she pulled up a third chair so they could all sit beside her.

“It’s good to see your smiling faces,” Diana said as she started to take small bites from the plate of food that sat upon a silver tray beside her. She felt ravenous all of a sudden and began to eat with gusto.

“It’s good to see you awake,” Lady Casey said in a weepy voice. “I was so worried about you.”

“Fear not, Mama. I’m a strong young lady and seem to have recovered well enough. Though I fear I’ll be bedridden for some time still,” Diana said. She set down her fork and grasped her mother’s hand, trying to reassure her parents.

“You must be devastated about holding off the wedding,” Mrs Merriweather spoke up.

“I am sad that I missed my wedding day. But Fitz … I mean, the Duke, has assured me that once I am well, the ceremony will commence without delay.” They chuckled at Diana’s misuse of the Duke’s name, but her parents did not scold her for doing such a thing. Originally, by this time, Diana and Fitz were to have been married and then such a thing wouldn’t be uncommon for her to call Fitz by his first name.

“Everyone has gone back to Town,” Lord Casey said with a sigh. “But I look forward to all of them returning in a month’s time. Those little ones are such a joy to be around.” Diana nodded, eating another bite of her scrambled eggs and sausage. She picked up a piece of butter toasted bread and took a large bite of that as well.

“Easy now, Miss Casey. There is no need to eat so ferociously. You are not going anywhere,” Mrs Merriweather said with a chuckle.

“Forgive me,” Diana said between bites. “But I am so hungry. Miss Matilda explained that I’d been resting for three days now.”

“It’s true,” Lord Casey confirmed. “But you should also try to move slowly or with little movement so you can heal the best you can.”

“Fitz told me that it had been Gabriel who knew how to help me. I guess I should be thanking him for my life,” Diana said as she pushed her plate aside. She was still hungry but figured she’d eaten enough for now.

“I knew that Gabriel had studied medicinal books when he was younger. I had no knowledge that he kept the practice up once he was married,” Lord Casey said.

“Well, I am grateful that he has such an interest in it. Because of him, I am here with you today.” Diana thought about something Gabriel had told her and figured that now would be a good time to discuss it with her father, even if she wasn’t feeling well.

“Father, Gabriel mentioned to me that you appeared different when he was a young boy. That you didn’t spend much time at home,” Diana said. “I’ve been trying very hard to understand why all my siblings did what they did, refusing to give us any aid. I understand now that Vivian is married to a man with no money, but I’m still trying to figure out my other sister and brothers.”

Lord Casey looked at his wife for a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. He shook his head as he leaned forward on the bed, letting his elbows rest there as he folded his hands together. He looked at Diana, and she waited for him to say something.

“By the time you were born, I had a very successful enterprise for only being a marquess. My rank and station did not offer me much by way of wealth. Therefore, as soon as your mother and I were married, I began to do all that I could to increase our fortunes. She wanted a large family, and I wanted to make sure our children would be well off,” Lord Casey said.

“But over time, my business dealings became more demanding. I had to stay in Town to conduct my business and couldn’t remain in the country with my family. I can see why Gabriel would resent me for spending all that time away, but I hope you understand why I did it.” Lord Casey stopped for a moment and looked away, seeming to age right before her eyes.

“It seems that no matter how much I worked in my youthful days that it didn’t add up too much in the end. I gave most of it away to support my children’s marriages and own business adventures, never foreseeing this was what would have happened to me.”

They were all silent for a few minutes, letting that really sink in. It made Diana think quite a bit about her future and the future of her family. She didn’t want life to continue as it had, with this tension between her siblings and their parents. Was there something she could do to bridge the gap? Diana was sure she and Fitz could think of something.

“Perhaps it’s time you talked to them about those days,” Diana suggested. “They may forgive you if you show them how you’re willing to listen.”

“You may be right, Diana,” Lord Casey said as he sighed and leaned back into his chair. “I only wish there was something else I could do for them.”

“Give them time,” Lady Casey spoke up. “I think they all rather enjoyed spending time out in the country. We could ask them to visit more often.”

“And I’m sure His Grace would be accommodating. He loves spending time with the children as much as you do,” Diana said with a chuckle.

“It seems I have much to ponder,” Lord Casey said as he rose from his chair. “I’ll leave the afternoon to you ladies.” Diana nodded towards her father as he left her bedchamber. She spent some time talking with her mother and Mrs Merriweather, learning all she could about the last few days. But eventually she grew tired and asked if she could have a short nap before the afternoon.

“It surprises me how tired you can become when you’ve already slept so much,” Lady Casey said as she was helped to her feet by Mrs Merriweather.

“Seems like a sure way to make sure I don’t move that much,” Diana reasoned. “And I’m sure a short rest won’t hurt anything.” She smiled towards the two ladies as they left the room. Then, Miss Matilda took her tray of food once she was finished and helped ease her down onto the bed.

“Have a nice rest, My Lady,” Miss Matilda said, but Diana had become too tired to even respond. The pain had faded away from her body, and with her belly now full, all she wanted to do was sleep for a very long time.

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