Breathing out slowly, I walked towards the drawing room. From here on out, I had to hope everything would run smoothly. With that, I opened the door and entered. The rest of my family was there, and the Sandwoods had arrived early as they usually did.
Mr. Richfield was with them. I allowed my lips to curve in response to the delighted smile he gave me. He walked over to be by my side, reaching his hand out to take mine. “Miss Forester, you look lovely tonight,” he said, bringing my hand up to his lips.
“That’s Richfield for you!” Miss Sandwood said in an overdramatic way. “Charming whenever he wishes to be. Take care you don’t allow him to break your heart, Miss Forester!”
Clearly, Sarah had managed to keep from telling her friend of my engagement so she could not know how foolish her words were.
“I would never intentionally break Miss Forester’s heart,” John said to the room as he led me away from the doorway. I accepted a small glass of something my mother held out to me. “I fear I would have her brothers to answer to if I did!”
Both of my brothers lifted their heads, neither of them looking in the least bit intimidating. “I believe it would be Sarah you would have to watch out for if you were to break her sister’s heart,” Mother said with a calm smile.
Everyone’s attention went to Sarah, even mine. Was that true? Would Sarah be the one to be dealt with if such an occasion were to arise? “Why shouldn’t I look after my sister?” Sarah asked defensively. “Goodness knows she needs it sometimes.”
“I do not!” I said in protest.
Thankfully, Mrs. Davison arrived just then. She, I knew, would be thrilled beyond words when she learned. That was why I had insisted she be included in the dinner party. Everyone from the house party arrived right behind her and the drawing room felt filled to the brim.
Somehow, John managed to stay by my side through all the greetings. There was an almost proprietary air about him. No one seemed to notice it but me, though.
The entire Reynolds family seemed to be quiet for once, which didn’t surprise me now I knew more of their situation. Anna was lively, anticipating the news revealed that night. Philip Knighton, on the other hand, behaved in a brooding manner and I was shocked he had attended at all.
John escorted me to dinner, where I had made sure he sat next to me. The conversation, for once, did not center on the highwayman. It revolved around the activities the Knighton house party had enjoyed so far.
When the meal neared its end, Mother caught my eye and raised her eyebrow. I took a deep breath and nodded. Under the table, John’s hand closed around mine and squeezed it gently. Mother surreptitiously nodded to Father.
Clearing his throat, Father rose. “If I could have your attention,” he said, raising his voice to be heard. Slowly, everyone became quiet, their attention going to my father. “I have an announcement to make.
“This week Mr. John Richfield made an offer of marriage to my oldest daughter, Diana, and was accepted. Please join me in wishing the couple much joy.”
A murmur spread down the table, and though my face felt like it was on fire, I couldn’t keep from smiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Miss Reynolds scowl. She took the news just as badly as I had expected, though I could feel some sympathy for her. For good reason, she had targeted my now betrothed as her choice of husband and had now lost all hope of securing him.
Just down the table, Philip stared at me in open astonishment. His gaze met mine and he shook his head. My smile faded as I tried to figure out what he meant. Before I could work it out, though, Mother stood up to lead all of the ladies out. Richfield squeezed my hand once more before letting me go. I braced myself for the congratulations I knew would come flooding my way in minutes.
“YOUR MR. RICHFIELD looks like a remarkably handsome man, Miss Forester. You are to be congratulated!”
Not so long ago I had been saying words of a similar nature to a young lady in London. And now I heard them said to me in various forms. I did not have much success in coming up with clever replies. Much like the young lady in London, all I seemed to be capable of doing was smiling happily at whoever spoke to me.
Barely ten minutes after the ladies all left the dining room, I was surprised when the door opened. “That was quick,” I said to Anna as James was the first of the men to come in.
“Who would dare to keep a newly engaged man from his future bride?”
However, John wasn’t among them. And neither was Mr. Knighton or Philip. I remained against the wall with Anna while the gentlemen scattered throughout the room. Sarah sat up straighter at her harp, and I frowned. She’d never been concerned with her posture when she played.
Not surprising was how Anna caught my look. “Diana, have you even been paying attention to what’s been happening around you?” she asked as her husband came to join us. “You are not the only one who has had their head turned.”
Sarah? Who could it possibly be? I searched the gathered gentlemen, but couldn’t pick out any specific gentleman giving my sister any particular attention. She had acted strangely a few times, and now that I thought about it, each occurence had been when the gentlemen had been in our presence. Why hadn’t I realized this before?
On the other hand, I did see James bending down to speak to Miss Delan. I had never seen my brother show particular interest in a young lady before, and I wasn’t sure what to think of it. Miss Delan was a lovely young lady, but I didn’t know her well at all. Was she worthy of James’ attention?
“Careful, Diana,” Anna said with a soft laugh. “You’re getting a calculating look in your eye. Let your siblings have their courtships.”
“Or give them as much grief as they have undoubtedly given you in the past,” Sir Rodger said with a grin.
I laughed. “They have given me plenty of ideas.”
Miss Reynolds stepped beside me. “You must tell me your secret, Miss Forester.” I had to take a deep breath before I could face her. She, of course, had the elder Miss Carter at her side. “I underestimated you in London. You must tell us how you manage to acquire such a man as Richfield. It is obvious the unattached ladies here are in need of your wisdom.”
Not a word of what she said was sincere. “I’m afraid I have no secret to share, Miss Reynolds,” I said, determined to be pleasant. I would not insult a guest in my parents home. At least not if I knew I would get caught. “I am sure you have every skill you need to find yourself a husband.”
“Your mother wishes to speak to you,” Mr. Reynolds said to his daughter, walking up to us. The young lady opened her mouth as if to protest. “Georgina, do as I ask, please. I wish to speak to Miss Forester.”
Unsure what to expect, I remained where I was as everyone else walked away. “Congratulations, my dear,” Mr. Reynolds said, taking my hands in his. “Speaking as a friend of Richfield’s, I can tell you that you have found yourself a good man.”
“Thank you. I hope I can deserve him.”
“I think you shall,” he said, releasing my hands. “I trust Richfield’s judgment is flawless in choosing his lifelong partner.”
Embarrassed, I managed a smile. Happily, I saw John come into the room then. “Mr. Reynolds,” he said, giving a respectful nod as he approached. “Miss Forester.”
That formality made me smile. “Let’s have some music!” Anna said loudly. “Mrs. Davison, you must play for us!”
“With pleasure, my dear Anna,” Mrs. Davison said in her cheerful way. “While I may not be able to dance as I once did, my fingers are more than agile enough to provide you with the music you need to entertain yourselves.”
“May I have this dance?” John asked as my brothers were put to work clearing the room for the dancing.
“Of course.”
I wasn’t surprised to see James ask Miss Delan to dance. But the gentleman who asked Sarah did surprise me: Mr. Ward, the gentleman we had met with Philip Knighton. He towered over my sister, being even taller than James and Will.
Speaking
of Will, I spotted my younger brother cajoling Mr. Reynolds into a game of piquet. “I wonder if I should warn Mr. Reynolds not to underestimate Will,” I said, looking over at John.
He laughed. “Who do you think taught me?” he asked, leaning to whisper in my ear.
My breath caught as a shiver went down my spine. Mrs. Davison began playing the introduction to a lively tune, and we all fell into lines. I felt relief and lose at the space required between Mr. Richfield and me for the dance. We stood at the head of the lines to lead the dance. It was a position I had never been in before, and it made me nervous to be in such a place of honor. I could only hope I wouldn’t trip over my own feet with everyone’s attention on me. To distract myself, I glanced around the room and noticed something strange.
“Is something wrong?” John asked with concern.
“Mr. Philip Knighton isn’t here.”
“Yes, he said he had some correspondence that could not wait.”
Once again, Philip behaved in a manner that showed just how thoughtless he could be. What could possibly be so important he could not leave until tomorrow? I heaved a sigh right before the first steps of the dance began. Forcing aside the disappointment I felt over my old friend, I focused on my betrothed, smiling at him. For that moment, everything just right with the world.
Chapter Eighteen
The next morning, everyone was slow to get around. Breakfast was quiet. It wasn’t until I went to the garden to get some flowers to brighten up the house some that I had an actual conversation with one of my siblings.
“So now you’re officially engaged to a highwayman,” Sarah said, tossing a blossom at my basket with little care. Though Mother had asked us to arrange some bouquets, I suspected it more likely she wished us to get some fresh air.
“Sarah, put the flowers in the basket, if you please,” I said with a sigh, reaching over to rescue the poor bloom. “And I am not engaged to a highwayman.”
“Well, you don’t know, do you?” Sarah yawned and tilted her head to face the sun. “You haven’t talked to him about this. You haven’t asked for the truth. You don’t know.” She paused and then added, “Unless when you did so, you discovered I was right, and have kept this from me.”
Groaning, I cut another daisy. “Oh, that,” I said, striving for a careless tone. “I had quite forgotten.”
“Liar.”
I made a face, choosing not to argue the point. “It doesn’t matter, does it? John and I are to be married.”
“So it’s John now, is it?”
“To me, yes. You, though, will respect propriety and refrain from addressing him in so informal a manner.”
Sarah hummed a thoughtful note. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. After all, he was calling you ‘Diana’ far earlier.”
Why were we talking about how I referred to my betrothed and he to me? That’s right. Because I didn’t want to talk about whether or not he was the highwayman. I wasn’t at all sure this was a better subject.
“You know, I will miss this,” I said, not even aware I would say it until it left my lips. Sarah glanced at me in confusion. “Talking to you like this about whatever is on our minds. Whenever no one else is around to overhear us.”
She stared at me for a moment. “The sun is too much for you,” Sarah said, looking slightly concerned. “You should put your bonnet on or go inside.”
“Sarah, I’m serious.” Why was it every time I said something sentimental, everyone became concerned? “For all the times we cannot get on, I want you to know I wouldn’t trade you for anyone else.”
It wasn’t often I admitted to being even remotely fond of my sister. She had better remember this moment because it wouldn’t come again. And hopefully, I would think back on it with amusement, even though she deliberately tried to provoke a fight.
It was wishful thinking on my part.
“Diana!” I got to my feet in answer to Mother’s call. “Mr. Richfield is here to take you riding.”
Riding? Had we made plans and I had forgotten? “He’s what?” I said in my oh-so-clever way. Sarah snickered, and I had an impulse to kick her. “Riding?”
“Yes, Diana. It’s what you do when you are on a horse,” Sarah said. "Surely you've heard of the past-time?"
“He says he has a surprise for you,” Mother said, ignoring Sarah’s sarcastic statement.
That had my attention. Thrusting my basket of flowers at Sarah, I hurried towards the door. “What kind of surprise?” I asked, pulling off the apron I had been wearing to protect my gown. “Did he tell you what it is?”
“Perhaps,” Mother said with a smile. He had! I could tell! “But you will not get a hint from me. Now, hurry up and get ready. It wouldn’t do to keep him waiting.”
It wasn’t often I had an opportunity to wear a riding habit. Anna had given one to me several years ago after she’d bought a new one, and it had been altered to fit me. Sarah had spent days in a jealous fit because it was the most elegant thing in either of our wardrobes. She didn’t know I intended on leaving it for her when I married. After all, I would be getting a new one in a lovely deep blue.
I tried to get changed as fast as I could but only ended up slowing myself down as I became tangled in the fabric. Finally, I was able to pin the hat on, thankful beyond words the lump had faded and no longer gave me any problems. Checking my appearance in the mirror, I nodded in satisfaction.
John was in the hall talking to Father. I allowed a smile to curve my lips as they focused on me. “That’s one thing you will have to become accustomed to, Richfield,” Father said, the mischief sparkling in his eyes. “Waiting for your lady to be ready.”
“Father!” I knew I should expect such teasing from my father, but in front of my betrothed was embarrassing! “Please!”
“I’m sure I will manage to survive such a trial, sir,” Richfield said with a laugh. He held his arm out to me. “I shall have her back to you soon.”
I was surprised when Father followed us out. Our groom was holding the bridles of two horses. The large black one I dimly recalled Richfield bringing me home on. The smaller white horse next to it must be for me.
Having little horse sense, I was careful to approach the horses. “Hello, beautiful,” I said to the white horse as it nudged my arm. I stroked its nose. “You are friendly, aren’t you?”
“Do you like Lady Juliet?” Richfield asked, a hint of nervousness in his tone.
Glancing over at him, I laughed. “Lady Juliet? Is that a reference to Shakespeare? Yes, she’s lovely. She looks like a perfect lady.”
“She’s yours. Lady Juliet is my gift to you.”
Shocked, I stared at him. “Mine?” He’d bought me a horse? I could hardly believe it. Richfield nodded, clearly delighted to have surprised me. Impulsively, I threw my arms around him. “Thank you!”
Chuckling, he hugged me back, lifting me off my feet for a moment. Father cleared his throat loudly. “You’re not married yet,” he said. Face burning bright red, I jerked free of John’s embrace. “You should be on your way,” my father reminded, looking amused by the whole situation.
John was the one to help me up and adjusted the stirrup. I remembered to wave goodbye to Father as I rode away from home. “Where are we going?” I asked, looking over at my escort.
“You’ll see.”
AS IF TO CONFUSE ME, Richfield chose an aimless course across the countryside. But he didn’t take into account I knew this county like the back of my hand. I recognized the orchard Mr. Davison had taken such pride in before he died. We crossed the creek at a different place but we were still headed to the east. We were drawing closer to the Knighton estate with every step we went, a fact I was not particularly pleased to think of.
The further we rode, though, I realized we were headed straight for a small estate the Knightons had purchased alongside their family estate five years ago. I held my tongue since my betrothed had wanted to surprise me with something there. Still, why would he be taking me there?
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“I had a letter from my mother this morning.”
Pulled out of my wonderings about what John had planned, I frowned. “Not bad news, I hope.”
“She looks forward to meeting you,” Richfield said quickly. He hesitated, and my concern grew. “She did express some concerns we have not known each other long. That we —I— might be rushing into this engagement without properly considering everything.”
“I see.”
“When she meets you, she will adore you, I am sure of it. How could she not?”
How could I not be delighted by his confidence that I would get on with his mother? “I’m looking forward to meeting her and your sisters.”
“It won’t be long before you will.”
Clearing my throat, I sought a way to change the subject. “Oh, look! It’s the Vanderson estate.”
We had arrived at the front gate of the estate. “Yes, this is what I wanted to show you,” Richfield said with a smile. He led the way down the lane, going through the open gate.
There were servants hard at work all along the lane leading up to the house, and they all nodded respectfully as John and I rode past them. I couldn’t keep from frowning in puzzlement. The Knightons had purchased the estate but had never done anything with it. Why the sudden need for repairs?
“Do you not like the Vanderson estate?”
Was that worry in his voice? “I don’t know.” I paused and then tried to explain. “I mean, I do like the house. What I have seen of it. Which is only the outside. There has never been an opportunity for me to think on the matter any further than that.”
A relieved smile appeared on John’s face as we neared the house. It was more of a cottage, one of the more modest homes in the county. The windows were open, and I could see several maids moving inside.
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