Once Upon a Diamond (10 page)

She had only followed the butler about five steps when a
bark sounded behind them. The butler spun around just as a footman opened the
front door and Handsome came bounding into the hall.

“Handsome, you good old boy.” Kate smiled and knelt
down, scratching behind the dog’s ears. “Did you follow me all this way?" 

The butler cleared his throat. “Is this your dog, Miss
Wilcox?"

Kate looked at the dog and back up at him. “Why, yes, it
is.” Her tone was protective and firm. If Handsome had followed her this far,
she was not about to let the dog go. “And this is my bird." 

She pulled the cover off the cage she was holding. If
there were any question as to who was staying and who was going from Ridgewater
Manor, she wanted it done now. She would fight for what was hers. The dog and
the parrot.

“It’s divine, simply divine!” The parrot squawked at the
same time Handsome let out a hearty ruff. Kate stifled a giggle when the
butler’s bushy eyebrows rose about an inch.

“Very well then,” Webster replied. “The dog may stay in
the stables and that,” he shot the bird a stern look, “shall stay in your
room.”

Kate beamed at the man. “I appreciate your kindness,
Webster.” 

The butler stared back, as if he were horrified at her
words. With a stiff hand, he motioned for a servant to take the bird and
another to take the dog, then proceeded to the drawing room.

A minute later, huge doors thudded behind Kate. She
found herself alone in an enormous room decorated in Egyptian motif. She
vaguely remembered the room being painted a soft blue ten years ago. Tears
welled in her eyes as she took a seat on the nearby sofa. But nothing ever
stayed the same, did it?  Not life, not love, nothing.

She
didn’t know how long she sat waiting for someone to arrive, one minute or ten,
it seemed forever. But when the door opened, she rose from her seat.

A
dark-haired gentleman strolled in to greet her. His shiny black boots clicked
across the floor and halted as soon as they hit the rug. “You must be my lovely
cousin from America. Miss Wilcox, is it not? Forgive me for not greeting you
when you arrived.” 

He
reached for her hand. “Lord Roxdon, your cousin. I believe we’ve met before.”

Kate’s heart jumped out of her chest.
Lord Roxdon?
She felt ill. No doubt this was Devin, her aunt’s stepson. His biological
mother had died when he was one. He was absolutely breathtaking. So he had
changed, too. What had she expected? 

He was garbed in neatly pressed riding clothes. She wondered
if he had seen the earl’s carriage drop her off in the village. Hopefully not. She
could deal with only one pompous windbag at a time.

“I want to thank you for hosting my stay in England. I
have had a most horrendous trip and seemed to have lost my health. But I can
assure you, I am on the road to recovery." 

“Are you now?” He raised an inquisitive eyebrow toward
her person and changed the subject. “My mother will see you at supper tonight. I
suspect you would like to freshen up first. Webster, our butler will show you
to your chambers.” He rang the bell cord. “I shall have a tea tray sent up as
soon as possible.”  

Kate stared back, speechless at his rudeness.

“Forgive
me for leaving you, cousin. I do have a riding engagement, then to London
tomorrow. However, we will be going to many parties and balls, as I have been
chosen to be your escort.”

Kate managed a weak smile. It was obvious he had choked
on his last two words,
your escort
. The man was as bad as the conceited
earl. Two pompous windbags of the illustrious ton.

Later that evening, after a hot bath and a good rest,
Kate took a seat at the Duke of Ridgewater’s elegant dining table. She was not at
all surprised to see that Devin was not in attendance. Her Aunt Georgiana, the
Duchess of Ridgewater, was overjoyed to have her visiting them.

Kate noted the lady was not wearing mourning clothes,
and upon further conversation, her aunt had announced that she too refused to
acknowledge her brother’s death and would not mourn him unless they found his
body.

Kate no longer wondered where she had obtained her
stubbornness.  

As the oxen-tail soup was served, the duchess’s eyes
narrowed with concern. “Katherine, you must eat to build your strength. We
shall fatten you up in no time.” 

“I shall do my best, Your Grace.” Kate spooned the soup
into her mouth, feeling quite amused at her aunt’s outspoken manner.

“Nonsense,
Katherine. Please call me, Aunt Georgiana. After all, I am your father’s baby
sister. Your mother and I were best friends you know. You do look like her, the
shape of your face and that pert little nose of yours. I’m certain with a
little more food and fresh air, you will be the picture of your beautiful
mother.” 

The
lady’s voice cracked as she dabbed the napkin to her eyes. “Mercy, I have no
idea what got into me.”

“Georgiana," the duke interrupted. “Can you not see
the girl is ill? Do you have to weep over the memories of her mother?"

The duchess sniffed. But Kate didn’t miss the cool glare
the duchess sent her husband. “Forgive me, Katherine. You remind me of her so
much.” After a pause, her aunt managed a smile. “And you know, there is no need
to worry your little head over the next few months, Devin shall escort you
throughout the entire Season." 

With a hint of despair, Kate’s eyes drifted across the
table as she regarded her eighteen-year-old cousin, Lady Charlotte, who had
said not a word. Kate would have adored playing with the girl ten years before,
but it was unfortunate that her cousin had been in Bath at the time.

“I did meet up with Devin earlier,” Kate added.

The duke looked up. “Yes, well, it seems the boy was in
a desperate hurry to get back to London. Parties and what not.”

The duchess gave the duke another surly look. “
That
boy
has always seemed to have an enormous amount of energy.” She gave Kate
a wink, but her eyes drilled into her husband’s. “It’s almost impossible to try
and keep him in one place. Do you recall Devin from your last visit, Katherine?”

Kate managed a smile. “He hasn’t changed a bit.” She
lowered her head and thought she heard a giggle from across the table.

After the meal, the duke glanced up at Kate. “My dear,
you’ve had a long voyage and are quite exhausted. I fear we are keeping you
from a much needed rest.”

Kate gave him a weary smile. “Indeed, I am a bit tired.”

“Of course, my dear." The duchess motioned to her
butler. “Webster, please escort my niece back to her room.” She glanced at Kate
and smiled. “Ridgewater Manor is so huge, a visitor could get lost, but if you
need anything else you have only to ask.”

Kate rose from her seat. “Thank you for everything. If
you will excuse me."

Kate followed the butler into the hall. “Webster,” she
called in a soft voice.

The butler stopped and looked over his shoulder. “Yes,
Miss? Is there something wrong?"

“No.” She stepped forward and put her hand on his
spindly arm. “I simply wanted to thank you again for taking care of my dog. It
was very thoughtful of you not to throw him out.” 

She thought she saw a quick smile beneath those cool,
assessing eyes. “Was only doing my duty, Miss Wilcox.” 

And with that he continued up the flight of stairs,
twisting through the halls to her room.

Kate told herself that before she returned home, she
would obtain a full-fledged smile out of that stuffy old servant yet.

Minutes later in the drawing room, the duchess shot her
husband a hardened glare. “Needless to say, Phillip, I do not believe that
Devin was very attentive to Katherine when she arrived.” 

“I cannot forgive his manners.” The duke sank back in
his comfy wing chair, situated beneath one of the stone sphinxes, and sipped
his port. “But one truly cannot blame the boy for running, dear. Girl’s not
exactly the spitting image of her mother.”

“Oh, how can you be so heartless? The poor creature has
traveled thousands of miles aboard a gloomy, bug-infested ship. From Matthew’s
previous letter, she refuses to acknowledge the death of her father. My very
own brother. And I cannot very well go against her wishes.”

The duchess, in near tears, circled the room like a hawk
closing in on its prey. “And your son gave her the cold shoulder,” she snorted
furiously, her hands on her hips. “When we stay in Town, I want you to have a
talk with him. Do you hear me, Phillip?” 

Her eyes flamed with uncontrolled fury. Something her
mild-mannered husband obviously took with a grain of salt.

“Yes, I heard you, dear. I shall speak to him.” 

He took another casual sip of his port. “But as I said
before, you cannot blame the boy. Dash it, he’s twenty-seven and has an eye for
the ladies. No doubt he has no wish to be clapped down with that homely chit
the entire Season, even if she is your brother’s daughter.”

“Well!” Georgiana stomped out of the room, slamming the
huge doors behind her, but not before she let her husband understand his dire
predicament. “I shall have the door to my room bolted tonight and every night
until you address this problem with your son.”

That comment attracted the duke’s attention as much as a
cannon ball shot through the drawing room window. He jerked from his seat,
splashing the port on his white cravat. “By George, you shall not bar me from
your room, madam!”

She lifted her chin in triumph and let out a feisty “Humph,”
then trudged past the doors.

The duke scowled at her retreating back. “Webster!”

The butler came bounding in the room. “Your Grace?”

“I wish to see my son as soon as he walks through that
door. Riding indeed! It’s past ten o’clock. And I don’t care a cursed guinea if
he returns at two in the morning. I need
–
”

He let out an aggravated sigh. “I wish to see him before
he takes to Town tomorrow. Do you understand?”

“Indeed, you grace.” The butler headed toward the door,
a slight semblance of a smile flitting across his face.

Tristan leaned back in his chair, frowning as his friend
stared back at him.

“I’m telling you, it’s your duty to help me,” Devin
pleaded. “Mother would disown me if I don’t escort Katherine this Season.
You’re the only one who can dig me out of this grave.” 

Tristan tapped his finger on his desk. “Prance that
little savage about town? Come now, how dull-witted do you think I am?”

Devin thrust a hand through his hair in frustration. “I’m
asking you as a friend, Trist. And take it from me, she’s such a weakling, she
won’t last a week in the Season.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You’ve seen her then?” This did
not bode well.

Devin conveniently side-stepped the question. “Mother
says my cousin refuses to mourn the loss of her father. Won’t wear black, but
is grieving inside. And believe it or not, Mother won’t let any of us mourn
either. Absolutely no black gowns for her. Strange, how she refuses to
acknowledge my uncle’s death. But then again Mother is determined to bring my
cousin to Town for the Season. Hell’s bells, Trist. I doubt it will take much
to send that little chit into a swoon and back home. She’s not the little vixen
we knew.”

Tristan scratched the back of his head. The stallion of
Devin’s was one thing, but that cousin of his...well, hell! He had obtained a
few broken bones from that last meeting and his foot still paid the price, not
to mention his pride having been bested by a fluffy ball of pink.

He had enough to think about with the blasted diamond,
he didn’t need Devin’s cousin stuck to his side like some barnacle.

Kate drew in a deep sigh as she fell onto the soft
mattress of her four poster bed. She was in heaven. Her chambers were as grand
as a palace. Long blue velvet curtains hung over the fourteen-foot windows
overlooking the back gardens. A plush Aubusson rug blanketed the floor. There
were rosewood chests and a giant wardrobe for her clothes. The air smelled of
sweet rosewater, and a fire crackled in the hearth.

It was such a change from her travels the past month,
she almost wished she were staying for longer than the Season. The only thing
she worried about now was how to keep her distance from the earl? 

There was a light tap on her door and she sat up. “Come
in.”

“Katherine?”

Surprised, Kate blinked. “Lady Charlotte?” The girl had
said not a single word during dinner.

Without asking, Charlotte shut the door and plopped
beside her cousin on the bed. Shocked, Kate had no time to move.

Charlotte
smiled. “Forgive me for not receiving you earlier, but you see, I was in the garden.
No one mentioned you were here until you had already retired to your chambers. I
had no wish to bother you after your long trip, and at dinner, my mother
prefers to talk, so I decided to seek you out at a later time, which is now.”