Notorious Deception (21 page)

“We do?”

“Yes.”

Derek gazed into her eyes. “This time we now share together is the merging of our hearts, Diana.”

“Yes, my love,” she whispered, her eyes filling with tears at his understanding. “And our souls, Derek. Our very souls.”

 

“Caroline, you really must try to get hold of yourself, dear,” Tristan told his wife. He gently stroked her shoulder and rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. “You will make yourself ill with all this weeping.”

“I know, Tris,” Caroline said with a sniff. She stood next to her husband in the front hallway, bidding farewell to Derek and Diana. It was late afternoon, and the newlyweds were finally ready to depart. Their leave-taking had begun very amicably until, without warning, Caroline burst into tears.

“Caroline, our house is only a few short blocks away,” Derek said softly, feeling very inadequate. He glanced nervously over at Diana. “We intend to see a great deal of you and Tristan.”

“Of course,” Caroline said, waving her damp handkerchief. “Please forgive me. I don't know what came over me.” She took a deep steadying breath and smiled bravely. “I have been so highly emotional these past few days. I don't know why. Sometimes I feel as though I can't control myself.”

Diana's eyes narrowed speculatively at her friend. Could it be possible? Lack of emotional control was an early sign of pregnancy. “Anything else unusual affecting you, Caroline?” Diana asked, injecting a lightness into her tone.

“Not really. I have been feeling a bit more tired, but we have been keeping rather late hours this past week.” Caroline regarded Diana with a puzzled expression. Then her eyes widened.

“Well?” Diana said, not needing to ask Caroline anything else.

“I'm not sure,” Caroline answered, her eyes barely concealing her excitement and wonder. “It is possible, though. Very possible.”

“Oh, Caroline.” Diana moved forward to embrace her friend, and Caroline burst into another round of noisy sobs.

Tristan looked over the two women's heads at Derek. “I don't imagine you have any idea what this is all about?”

Derek shook his head ruefully. “Not a clue, Tris.”

Tristan shrugged his shoulders philosophically and waited for his wife to regain control. After several minutes of conspiratorial whispers, Diana moved out of Caroline's arms.

“We shall allow you one day of total privacy,” Tristan informed Derek. “Then Morgan and I will come calling.”

“Be sure to bring Alyssa and Caroline when you visit us,” Diana said as the young footman held open the door. “And let Alyssa know the girls are also welcome. I'm sorry we did not have a chance to bid them all farewell today.”

“My brother has often joked about his daughters' sleeping habits,” Tristan said with a grin. “I always thought his stories were prone to exaggeration, yet it is my understanding little Juliet even beat the sun up this morning.”

At the mention of Juliet, Caroline again began to snivel, and Derek seized the opportunity to beat a hasty retreat. With a quick nod of farewell, he firmly guided Diana out the door, down the front steps, and into his waiting carriage.

“Was it really necessary to bring the coach, Derek?” Diana asked breathlessly as her husband motioned to his driver to leave. “'Tis only a short walk to your house and the weather is very pleasant this afternoon.”

“I informed my staff last night to expect my bride today, Diana. It is fitting that the newest countess arrive in grand style at her London home.”

Diana sat silently during the short ride. She experienced a myriad of emotions when the carriage halted in front of the familiar house. She could not help but remember the disaster that had befallen her the first time she had walked through those doors.

Derek jumped lithely down from the coach and held out his hand. “Ready?”

Diana placed her hand in his firm grip and gave him a solid smile. His strong presence gave her the boost of confidence she badly needed.

Before they even began the short climb up the steps, the front door was opened by the butler, Dobbs. He bowed stiffly, signaling a footman to come forward to assist Derek and his bride with their outer garments, while another footman assisted the driver with their traveling trunks.

“Good afternoon, Dobbs,” Derek said curtly, unbuttoning his midnight-blue greatcoat. “I see you have assembled the staff, as I requested.”

“Yes, my lord,” the butler answered formally.

A middle-aged woman, her black bombazine skirts rustling noisily, stepped nervously forward. “Mrs. Standen, my housekeeper,” Derek said, his tone a bit less harsh as he introduced the woman.

The housekeeper bobbed a small curtsy, and Diana automatically extended her hand in greeting. “So nice to meet you, Mrs. Standen. I am Lady Diana.”

The housekeeper appeared taken aback at her friendly greeting, but after a slight hesitation, Mrs. Standen accepted Diana's hand and dipped another curtsy.

“Welcome, your ladyship,” Mrs. Standen said. She cleared her throat apprehensively. “On behalf of the entire staff, I should like to take the liberty of congratulating you on your marriage.”

“How very kind of you, Mrs. Standen,” Diana replied graciously. She strolled casually into the large entrance hall, turning her attention to the dozen openly curious faces regarding her. “Would you do the honors please?”

Breaking into a genuine smile, Mrs. Standen took her place importantly at Diana's side and went down the rows of servants, introducing each one. Diana shook hands with all of them and spent a brief moment questioning them on their duties in the household.

By the time she was finished, Derek could see by the staff's amazed expressions that Diana had clearly made a favorable impression.

With a haughty wave, Dobbs dismissed the staff, but Diana asked Mrs. Standen to remain for a moment. “My maid was unable to make the journey from Cornwall, Mrs. Standen, so I shall need your assistance in selecting a lady's maid to serve me while I am in residence.”

Mrs. Standen bit her lip thoughtfully. “We don't have anyone who has been trained for the position, my lady. But Molly does have some skill with hair.”

“Molly shall suit me just fine, Mrs. Standen.”

“Excellent,” Derek said, approaching his wife. “You can inform Molly she may begin her duties tomorrow morning, Mrs. Standen.”

His dismissive tone sent the housekeeper retreating to the servants' quarters. Derek turned to Diana, smiling. “I am most anxious to give you a personally guided tour of your new home, my dear. Shall we being with the upstairs bedchambers?”

The house tour Derek initiated progressed no farther than the upstairs chambers. He began the tour by first showing Diana his bedchamber, which was also, he wickedly pointed out, her room. After reassuring her this was not the same chamber Giles had occupied, Derek successfully persuaded her to join him in the large four-poster bed for the remainder of the afternoon. They didn't even bother to dress for dinner. Derek ordered a sumptuous meal to be prepared and served in their bedchamber. They ate casually, Derek clad only in his dressing gown, loosely belted at the waist, while Diana wore her blue silk robe.

The following morning while Diana and Derek shared a hearty breakfast in their bedchamber, Diana met her new maid Molly. There was not, however, much for the maid to do, since Derek firmly insisted to the young girl that the countess would be spending the day abed. At first confused, the girl merely stared at them, but the gleam in Derek's eyes conveyed his meaning, and the maid turned a bright shade of red. She mumbled something incoherent and fled swiftly from the room.

Diana groaned loudly. “Derek, how could you! No doubt Molly will run directly to pass this little tidbit along to the rest of the staff. How shall I ever face them?”

“For heaven's sake, Diana, we are newly married.” Derek leaned back in his chair and bit forcefully into a piece of toast. “Not to mention master and mistress of this household. It is hardly our concern what the servants will think if we choose to spend the day locked away in the privacy of our bedchamber.”

“I suppose you are right,” Diana muttered, not entirely convinced.

She strolled passed his chair and Derek's arm snaked out, pulling her into his lap. He nuzzled her neck, and she closed her eyes and turned her face into the hollow of his shoulder. His arms tightened comfortingly around her and she pushed aside her earlier misgivings. Being cradled so lovingly in Derek's arms brought a feeling of closeness and love that overshadowed everything else.

 

Diana came awake slowly, the forceful knocking on the door pulling her reluctantly away from her peaceful slumber. Why on earth was someone pounding so relentlessly on their bedchamber door? Diana sat up suddenly, fear clutching her heart. There must be danger!

She poked Derek none too gently in the ribs. He rolled over, then sat up abruptly when he too heard the noise.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” he growled, jumping up naked from the bed. He shrugged into his brocade dressing gown and stalked barefoot to the door. “Someone is going to lose his job over this,” Derek muttered, ferociously yanking open the door.

Diana hastily sat up in the bed, pulling the sheet to her chin. She could hear Derek's angry growl as he spoke to whoever it was that so rudely woke them. And then her eyes flew open wide as she heard a loud female voice answer her husband.

“You must not blame Dobbs for any of this, Derek,” the female voice said. “I have been waiting all morning to speak with you, but there was no sign you would be arising anytime soon. Then one of the maids let it slip that you didn't leave your room at all yesterday. I just knew I had to take some action.”

“Oh, really?” Derek's voice was dangerously cold.

“Um, yes.”

Diana squirmed forward in the bed, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious woman who was speaking to her husband. The voice sounded oddly familiar, but she could not yet place it.

“Let me assure you, Henriette, there is no possible explanation you can give that will excuse your rude behavior today.”

“Derek, you don't understand. I have just come from my modiste, Madame La Belle, and she told me the most shocking tale. I simply could not credit it.”

“I presume you are referring to my recent marriage, Henriette,” Derek stated softly.

There was a dramatic pause. “So it is true.”

“Yes,” Derek said. “And I can assure you I have no intentions of discussing it with you while you are standing in the hallway outside of my bedchamber. If you are still here this afternoon, I would be delighted to present my bride to you. Downstairs. In the front salon, if you please, Henriette. Like civilized people.”

And without a further word, Derek slammed the door shut on Henriette's sputtering comments of protest. “Four o'clock, Henriette,” he barked, striding away from the door toward the bed.

“That was Henriette.” He threw off his robe and climbed into the bed.

“I gathered as much.” Diana felt the corners of her mouth tug into a smile.

“Apparently she was at the dressmaker's this morning and learned of our marriage.”

“Caroline told me she selected Madame La Belle because of her reputation for gossip,” Diana said as she fluffed the pillows for her husband.

“I am sure even Caroline did not think Henriette would find out about our marriage this quickly,” Derek grumbled, stretching back on the pillows.

“No, I'm sure she did not,” Diana said. When Derek was comfortably situated on the bed, she pushed back the covers and stood up.

“Where do you think you are going?”

Diana smiled at the tone of Derek's voice. He sounded like a young boy who had just had his favorite toy taken away. “I am going to ring for Molly.”

“Why?”

“For one thing, I could use a nice, hot bath,” she said patiently.

“Mm, that sounds inviting.”

“I shall be pleased to order one for you also, my lord.”

“Why can't I share your bath, sweetheart?”

Her eyes lightened with humor. “I do believe that would defeat the very purpose of a bath.”

Mumbling, Derek lifted his arms up and folded them back behind his head. Relaxing against the pillows, he took great delight in watching his naked wife walk about the bedchamber searching for her wrapper. Finally giving up on the task, she instead picked up his discarded dressing gown and put that on.

A very timid knock at the door brought Molly into the room. By her quick response, Diana knew the maid must have been close enough to hear Derek's encounter with Henriette.

“Good morning, Molly,” Diana said to the girl in a pleasant voice. The maid dutifully bobbed an awkward curtsy, her eyes wide at the sight of Diana in the earl's robe. “Please instruct one of the footmen to have a bath set up for me in here. Then I shall need your assistance in unpacking and selecting a gown. I am sure it will need to be pressed.” Diana glanced speculatively around the room. “Do you happen to know where my luggage has gotten to?”

Molly nodded her head enthusiastically. “Dobbs had it brought to the other suite, milady. The one down the hall that connects to the master bedchamber.”

The mention of the master bedchamber brought an unintentional reminder of Giles, and Diana shuddered. She was glad Derek had never occupied the master's suite, knowing she would never be able to enter the room without thinking of Giles and an endless array of unpleasant memories.

“I don't think I shall be moving into that room presently, Molly. Please see that my things are brought in here at once. We can unpack what I need for today now and have another armoire brought in for the other gowns later.”

“Yes, milady.” Molly dipped another small curtsy and bustled out of the room.

In a relatively short time, the large copper tub was brought in and filled with steaming hot water. Diana's trunk was located and the necessary items removed. Derek watched the proceedings from his comfortable perch on the bed. Due to the vastness of the room's size, his presence was not yet known by the army of servants parading in and out of the chamber. With a military eye, Derek admired the precise, methodical way his wife organized and directed the servants. He conceded she certainly had a talent for dealing efficiently with the staff.

The final item dragged into the bedchamber was a tall dressing screen. When Derek heard Molly instruct the footman to set it up in front of the copper tub, he finally spoke.

“Remove the screen.”

Molly jumped and whirled around. “Your lordship?” she asked in a squeaky voice.

Noticing how nervous the maid became upon discovering Derek's presence, Diana quickly intervened. “You may place the folded screen in the corner,” Diana said to the footman. After he left, Diana dismissed her maid. “I can see to my own bath, Molly. I shall ring for you when I am ready to have my hair done.” With a darting glance in the direction of the bed and a grateful look at Diana, Molly left.

The door had barely closed behind her when Derek rose from the bed. “You are going to have to do something about Molly, my love,” Derek said, trailing his hand through the bathwater, testing the temperature. “She is very skittish.”

“Only around you, Derek,” Diana said with a rueful grin. “You must try not to be so intimidating.”

“Diana—”

“Well, so authoritative then. Molly is young and a bit timid, but I would really like to give her a chance to prove herself in this position. 'Tis only fair, Derek.”

“Whatever you say, my sweet.” As his beautiful wife slipped off her robe and sank into the warm bathwater, Derek's thoughts were no longer on the young maid. “Whatever you say.”

 

Punctually at four o'clock, Derek entered the front salon, Diana anxiously clutching his arm. Henriette was already in the room, restlessly pacing about. And she was not alone. Perched delicately on the edge of a fragile rosewood chair was Mr. George Rotherby, whom Derek remembered as Henriette's favorite escort during her marriage as well as now.

Henriette ceased her pacing. Her eyes narrowed speculatively on Diana, as if she had a fleeting recollection of her, but could not place the face with a name.

“Henriette, I am honored to present my wife, Diana,” Derek said evenly. “Diana, this is Henriette, recent widow of my cousin, Giles.”

“Haven't we met before?” Henriette asked curiously.

“I don't believe so,” Diana said slowly. “To my recollection we have never been formally introduced.”

Henriette appeared to carefully consider the matter as Derek led his wife toward George Rotherby.

“Mr. Rotherby, may I present my countess, Lady Diana,” the earl said with a trace of pride in his voice.

Mr. Rotherby immediately stood. “I am truly honored, Lady Diana,” he said. With a decidedly exaggerated air, he gingerly took Diana's hand and raised it to his lips.

She politely hid a smile. Rotherby, a man Diana judged to be in his mid-thirties, was without question a true dandy. He was dressed in the height of fashion, in the brightest shades of yellow and green Diana had ever seen anyone wear, man or woman. Before resuming his chair, Rotherby meticulously brushed a small piece of lint from the cuff of his green velvet jacket and then turned to smile at Diana with a look of avid curiosity.

“Shall we have some tea?” Derek asked casually, eyeing the silver service and plates of pastries on the table.

Diana as well as Henriette automatically reached for the silver teapot, their hands colliding in the process. Mr. Rotherby giggled nervously, obviously anticipating a scene. Diana was the first to recover and, with a flash of insight, decided her best course of action would be to defer to Henriette. While it was not essential, it was preferable, having the other woman as a supporter, rather than an adversary. “Would you do the honors please, Henriette?”

Henriette nodded her head approvingly and made a great show of pouring the tea into the delicate porcelain cups. She continued to gaze at Diana, her lips pursed in a thin line. Derek could not remember a time when Henriette had ever been so quiet. It was a refreshing change. He wondered idly if Henriette would be able to successfully place Diana in her memory.

After the tea was served, the conversation became forced and awkward. The mounting tension was broken by the arrival of Dobbs.

“The Duke and Duchess of Gillingham have called, my lord,” the butler said, his face expressionless. “Are you receiving callers this afternoon?”

“No, we are not, Dobbs,” Derek said to the stone-faced butler. “However, we shall naturally make an exception in the case of the duke and duchess, since they are my wife's relations. Show them in at once.”

Henriette sat up in surprise at that little snippet of information and looked to Rotherby. He raised his eyebrows in exaggerated wonder and they exchanged cryptic glances.

“I know we should have waited before we called,” Alyssa said with a bright voice as she greeted Derek. “But Morgan insisted we stop in to see how Diana was adjusting to her new home. You know how protective he can be.” Alyssa stopped in the center of the room and turned to Henriette, acknowledging her for the first time. “Lady Henriette, how very nice to see you. I had no idea you would be visiting today also.”

“Lady Alyssa,” Henriette replied in a thin voice. “You are related to Derek's new wife?”

Alyssa frowned. “Only by marriage. Diana is Morgan's cousin.”

“Oh,” Henriette said in a disbelieving tone.

Morgan moved next to his wife and stood directly in front of her. “Lady Henriette,” he said in a deep voice.

“Good afternoon, Your Grace,” Henriette said, her teacup rattling in her hands.

The awkward moment was broken by Mr. Rotherby as he rushed forward to greet the duke and duchess. He fairly beamed with delight as he made a great show of relinquishing his chair to the duchess.

Dobbs soon made another appearance, this time to announce the arrival of Tristan and Caroline. When Diana and Tristan were standing side by side, Diana saw Henriette's expression of recognition and the duke's piercing eyes warning the woman not to speak.