The Earl of Ice (10 page)

Lady Westbury was aware of what her daughter’s response would be before Lord Brockwood called the following afternoon. None of the arguments she had put forward in favour of Diana’s accepting Cotson had changed her daughter’s mind, and neither she nor her husband would ever force Diana to marry against her will. So it was with a heavy heart that she received Lord Brockwood the next day.

Rollo also had a heavy heart. He was almost certain Diana would agree to the marriage. A lady needed a husband, and not only was Cotson an acceptable prospect, as a consequence of his previous behaviour toward her, he had a moral duty to wed her. The recent incident in Bath made it very unlikely that she would now attract any acceptable suitor. Diana really had no choice other than to accept Cotson’s offer.

Diana, having made her decision, was in full control of her emotions at this meeting. In the drawing room, she stood to greet Rollo and, before giving him the opportunity to take a seat, gave him her answer.

“My lord. You may inform Lord Cotson that I am aware he is trying to right the wrong he did me last year and I do appreciate it. You can also tell him that I cannot, will not, accept his proposal of marriage.”

Rollo was surprised. “Can you assure me that you have given this decision every consideration, or do you need more time?” he asked, even as a part of him felt relieved.

Diana could reassure him on that count. “I can assure you, my lord, I have thought of little else since your visit yesterday. I cannot respect Lord Cotson after what he did to me last year, and I cannot marry someone for whom I have no respect. I know by making this decision I will, in all probability, never marry, and I accept that.”

Seeing she was determined in this matter, Rollo felt there was little to be gained from trying to persuade her further.

“Are you then instructing me to inform Lord Cotson that you will not accept his proposal of marriage?”

“I am, my lord,” was Diana’s firm reply. She dropped a curtsy and walked away allowing Rollo no opportunity to continue the conversation.

* * *

Rollo returned to Royal Crescent and found Lord Cotson waiting for him in the library.

“I have just come from Gay Street where I went to hear to Miss Wells’ answer to your proposal of marriage.” Rollo struggled to keep his voice neutral as he inwardly shuddered at the thought of Diana coupled with this foppish young man.

Lord Cotson paled, his whole future about to be determined by Brockwood’s next words.

Rollo continued, “I can report that Miss Wells did not accept your proposal.”

Lord Cotson released his breath, which until that point he had been unaware of holding, in a loud sigh of relief. He would have done right by Miss Wells had she accepted, but now he was, once again, a free man.

Seeing Cotson’s reaction, Rollo was quick to pull him up short on it. “You can now leave Bath and I suggest you do so immediately. Do not, however, think you have been absolved of all responsibility in this matter. I will be asking Miss Wells to confirm she has not changed her mind, and if she should do so before the end of this season, I will expect you to honour your proposal.”

“Yes, my lord, I understand. I will leave for London with all haste.” Lord Cotson bowed and left the room, eager to go.

Now on his own, Rollo poured himself a large brandy. His relief at Diana’s turning down Cotson’s proposal forced him to acknowledge that he had deeper feelings for her than he should permit himself when he had vowed never to marry.

He swallowed his brandy, then poured himself another.

The next morning Rollo was nursing a pounding head. The brandy he had consumed the previous night had not left him feeling any better about himself. He had promised to protect Diana, and not only had he failed in this, her situation was now worse than when she had arrived in Bath. How had this happened?

At the ballroom he should have intercepted Cotson earlier. He should have been more forceful in persuading Diana to accept Cotson’s proposal of marriage. Her reputation was once again in tatters, and society did not forget. There was now little chance that she would make a suitable marriage, and both she and her parents knew this. Was there any way he could alter the situation? Should he make further efforts to convince her to accept Cotson, no matter how repellent the idea?

He mulled these thoughts over. Suddenly a germ of an idea sprouted in his aching head. If Diana had determined she would not wed, as she had stated at their meeting yesterday, she had given up any opportunity to have children of her own. His own reason for not taking a wife was that he would not risk passing on his affliction to his children. And so…if he were to wed Diana, it would immediately stop any gossip and restore her good name. However, he could do this only if he was absolutely sure that she understood he did not want any children.

The more he thought about this idea the better he felt about it. Diana already knew of his seizures. She was also one of the few females he knew who was not intimidated by him. She was pleasant company and had a lively sense of humour. Her large brown eyes had captivated him from the first and he had already come to care about her welfare. Physically, there was no doubt that he was attracted to her. From her smiles and conversation, he knew that she did not dislike him. It appeared, in fact, that she had some affection for him; could this turn into deeper feelings?

He decided that he would visit Diana that afternoon and ascertain if her decision to never wed was set in stone. She may only have decided this based on the probability that no one suitable would offer for her. If this was the case she might entertain an offer of marriage from him. Rollo felt his spirits lift a fraction. He would, having made the conditions of his offer very clear, propose to her himself.

He sat back and contemplated this further. He felt a tremor of excitement and was surprised to find that he was actually hoping that she would accept him. Would this not be better than spending a lifetime of solitude, fending off the potential brides that his mother pushed toward him? Diana would not accept out of desperation; if this were the case, she would now be betrothed to Cotson. He knew that she was comfortable in his company, but would this be enough for her to agree to marry him? If she did agree, he could offer her his protection for the rest of their lives—and he vowed he would do better than he had done in the past few days in Bath.

Rollo dressed with particular care prior to his visit to Diana that afternoon. He walked the short distance to Gay Street, his greatcoat flapping in the light breeze. The autumn sun was shining brightly, lifting Rollo’s spirits. The closer he came to the house, the more convinced he became that this was the right course of action. On arrival he gave his card to the butler and waited in the hall. There was much activity, all of which indicated the family was planning to depart Bath imminently.

No longer than five minutes after his arrival he was shown into the drawing room where Diana and her mother were seated. Both rose to their feet as he entered and responded to his bow with curtsies

“I can see you are busy this morning,” he began. “However, I was hoping that you, Miss Wells, will do me the honour of taking a walk in the park with me. The sun is shining and we may both benefit from the fresh air.”

Diana looked at him quizzically. Surely he did not imagine she would want to expose herself to the gawking crowds who would surely be in the park at this time of day. On the other hand, she would be leaving Bath tomorrow; she would, in all probability, not see Lord Brockwood again, and she would like the opportunity to thank him for the protection he had tried to offer her. Her heart ached at the thought that she may never see him again. She would miss his presence in her life.

“Perhaps a turn in the garden would suffice,” she offered. “Mother could observe us from the house and my maid can continue with the packing; there is much to do.”

“Of course,” replied Rollo. “How thoughtless of me. A walk in the garden would be most pleasurable.”

Diana sent for her cloak and in no time they were outside in the small garden. “We leave Bath tomorrow and I will be happy to be back at Caulder Hall. I have had enough of society and its treatment of me, and I am looking forward to withdrawing to the solitude of the countryside,” said Diana with feeling. “Please do not include yourself in that condemnation of society. I have been very grateful for your support during my season in Bath. Do not think I blame you in any way for what occurred on Cotson’s arrival in the Assembly Rooms. I can only apologize for my weakness in fainting—it is most unlike me.”

Rollo thought that she was being very generous. “Please do not thank me and do not apologize. I am not surprised that you fainted—you suffered a great shock—and I can only be glad that I was present to assist you.” They walked slowly as they talked.

“And I am sorry that by your assisting me, you, too, were ridiculed in that cartoon,” said Diana. She wondered why he was still seeking her company after all this.

“I will not give that further thought,” Rollo reassured her. “But tell me one thing—are you completely sure about your refusal of Cotson’s offer of marriage?” he probed.

“Yes, I truly am. And I know I am unlikely to get another acceptable offer of marriage, but I definitely will not wed a man I have no respect for. I would rather return to the country and live a peaceful existence.” Diana smiled to let him know that she was not feeling sorry for herself.

“I do, however, have a favour to ask of you, my lord,” she continued.

“Please, and if it is in my power to grant it, rest assured I will.” Rollo wondered what she could possibly want from him. Perhaps she thought he would be asking for Demon to be returned.

“My younger sister, Prudence, will have her first season in London next year. I will not accompany her, as I do not want my experience and reputation to have an unpleasant impact on her—although I fear it may do so even in my absence. I was hoping you may grant me the favour of watching out for her. Dance with her occasionally if it seems she is being shunned; your influence will help clear the path for her.”

Why she would trust him to watch out for her sister when he felt he had done quite a poor job of protecting her, he did not know, but he was happy to agree to this.

“I will certainly do as you ask for your sister,” he assured her. “It will be my pleasure.”

Diana smiled up at him and his heart gave a little flip. If he was going to propose to her, now was the time to do so.

“There is a bench over there,” said Rollo as he pointed out a stone bench by a small ornamental pond. “Perhaps we might sit for a short while before we return inside? I have something I must say to you.”

When they reached the bench, he brushed away a few leaves and they sat down. Rollo could hear his heart beating in his chest. He had never imagined he would be in this situation. He took hold of her small gloved hand and took a deep breath.

Diana’s eyes flew to his in confusion, and for what seemed like an eternity, but was probably only seconds, he just stared back at her.

She broke the silence. “I assure you your secret will continue to be safe with me. I will not tell anyone about your seizures.”

“I trust you on that count,” replied Rollo, glad that her interruption had given him a way into the conversation. “As you know, it is because of that affliction that I have determined not to marry, unwilling to risk having children who may suffer the same fate.”

“Yes, I am aware of that and it is quite understandable,” Diana answered, thinking of her brother and wondering why the earl continued to hold her hand. Had he forgotten he was holding it? Just in case, she gently tried to pull away, but his grip only tightened. She did not mind, for she enjoyed feeling the heat of his hand through her glove.

“It seems to me,” continued Rollo, struggling for the right words, “that both you and I are now in the position, albeit for very different reasons, in which we will not, in all likelihood, marry.”

Diana nodded, but could not think where this conversation was leading.

Rollo took the plunge. “If you can accept that children will not be an outcome of any union, I would like to ask if you would consider becoming my wife.”

A silence fell. Rollo held his breath, for suddenly it seemed very important that she respond favourably to his offer.

Diana was not sure she had heard correctly and looked up at him with questioning eyes. At last she found her voice. “You are asking me to marry you?”

“I am, but I am also asking you to go through life without having children of your own,” Rollo again clarified. “Those are my terms.”

Having already dismissed the hope that she would marry at all and therefore the hope of any children, she did understand his terms. Her heart and mind raced. She had admired Rollo from the first; his cold demeanour had not deterred her in this. His support and protection of her had been constant, and how could she not care for the man who had given her Demon and stolen a kiss from her? Her whole being was singing out to her to accept, but she feared his proposal had been prompted solely by that silly cartoon in the newspaper.

“I will not trap you into marrying me,” she said finally, “or allow society gossip or a newspaper article to pressure you into offering for me. I have too much respect for you to allow that. I am flattered and grateful for your offer, but fear you act out of chivalry and against your true inclinations.”

Rollo kept hold of her hand. He realized that she was allowing him to withdraw his offer without any reprisals. She was most kind-hearted. He could think of few other ladies, regardless of their feelings for him, who would turn down the offer of his name, wealth and position. Significantly, she had said that she respected him, and he knew this was important to her. Having her respect was equally as important to him.

At this point he did something he did not do often—he let his face relax into a smile. He said, “I would not allow myself to be trapped by any woman. I want
you
as my wife, Diana. Please believe that.”

Tears flowed down Diana’s face. The smile he gave her and the words he spoke warmed her heart and were worth more to her than any title or fortune he possessed. “Then I will accept,” she replied through her tears, her heart bursting with happiness.

Rollo gave Diana the small square of linen he always carried to dry her tears, and they remained together holding hands on the bench for some time, not speaking. Rollo had a warm glow inside and he knew he had done the right thing.

When Rollo saw Diana give a little shiver from the chill air, he stood and pulled her up to stand with him.

“Let us return to the house and tell your mother our news. Then we will need to make plans.”

Rollo kept tight hold of Diana’s hand as they walked back to the house. Diana shivered now in happy anticipation of her mother’s reaction.

And sure enough, Lady Westbury was delighted with their news. As she hugged her daughter to her ample bosom, she said, “Of course, your father will have to give his permission.”

“I will visit Viscount Westbury at Caulder Hall following your return to formally ask for Diana’s hand,” Rollo assured her. “You were planning to leave for Yorkshire tomorrow?”

“Yes, tomorrow morning and, God willing, we will arrive home by the end of the week.” Lady Westbury was still beaming with delight at this turn of events for Diana. She knew that her husband would not stand in his daughter’s way, and Diana looked happier than she had for some time.

Rollo was eager to get the wedding plans underway. “Please inform the viscount that I will call on him a week Monday. I hope that will be convenient?”

“I am sure he will be pleased to receive you,” replied Lady Westbury as she walked over to the window, turning her back on them, thus affording Rollo the opportunity to pull Diana into his arms in a warm brief embrace before leaving.