Chapter 12
“Diana!” The call rang across the gravel drive just as the carriage wheels crunched to a halt, the familiar voice carrying a burst of excitement that reached her even before the footman could step forward to open the door.
Diana was already hurrying down the path that cut through the front gardens of Rosewood House, lifting the skirts of her gown just enough to keep them from brushing the damp stones beneath her feet.
The early morning sun lay warmly over the grounds, gilding the hedges and flowerbeds in soft light while the carriage door swung open with a quiet creak.
Emma appeared first.
For a moment, Diana simply laughed in delight, the sight of her friend stirring a warmth in her chest that she had not realized she had been missing. Emma descended the carriage step quickly, her bright smile already widening as she spotted Diana approaching.
“Good heavens,” Emma said, barely waiting before throwing her arms around her. “You look positively radiant.”
Diana returned the embrace at once, the familiarity of it loosening something inside her that had been held tightly for days.
“You arrived earlier than I expected,” she said as they pulled apart, though the smile on her face betrayed how pleased she was by the surprise.
Emma did not answer immediately.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly, studying Diana’s face with an expression that was half curiosity and half unmistakable mischief. Her bright eyes moved slowly over Diana’s features as though searching for some secret she suspected might be hiding just beneath the surface.
“Do not pretend you are not pleased to see me,” Emma said at last.
Diana laughed softly.
“I am,” she admitted, the warmth in her voice entirely genuine. “I simply did not expect you quite so soon.”
Emma squeezed her hands once more before stepping aside, turning slightly as the rest of the carriage party began to descend.
Benjamin appeared next, jumping lightly from the step with his usual easy confidence. The moment his boots touched the gravel he straightened and swept Diana an exaggerated bow that immediately made her laugh.
“Your Grace,” he said with theatrical formality, though the mischief dancing in his eyes ruined any attempt at seriousness.
“Benjamin,” Diana replied warmly.
He straightened with a grin before immediately turning back toward the carriage, extending his hand upward. Georgina placed her gloved fingers in his with grateful elegance as he helped her step down.
Georgina’s pale skirts rustled softly as they brushed the carriage step, the sunlight catching the delicate embroidery along the hem. The moment her feet reached the ground, she looked up and spotted Diana.
“Oh!” she exclaimed with unmistakable affection.
She crossed the short distance between them almost at once, gathering Diana into a warm embrace that smelled faintly of lavender and rosewater.
“You look wonderful,” Georgina said as she pulled back, her hands still resting lightly on Diana’s arms as though reluctant to release her entirely. “I was beginning to think we would never see you again.”
Diana laughed softly. “You saw me last week. At the ball.”
“Yes, but that hardly counts,” Georgina replied with cheerful exaggeration.
Behind them, Martin finally stepped down from the carriage.
He paused briefly on the gravel to straighten the cuffs of his coat before looking up toward Diana, and the moment their eyes met his expression brightened with unmistakable warmth.
“Diana,” he said.
There was something deeply genuine in the way he said her name, something so open and pleased that it immediately softened the last lingering tension in her chest.
He crossed the distance between them in a few easy strides and took her hand with a familiarity born from long acquaintance.
“My dear Duchess,” he said with a smile that reached his eyes. “It has been far too long.”
His fingers closed gently around hers, warm even through the thin fabric of her glove. There was nothing improper in the gesture, yet there was an unmistakable affection in the way he held her hand, the easy comfort of someone who had always appreciated her friendship.
“I was beginning to wonder if you had decided to abandon all of us entirely,” he added lightly.
Diana smiled, feeling the quiet ease of his presence immediately. “I would never be so cruel.”
Martin laughed softly and released her hand at last, though his gaze lingered on her face with open fondness. “I am relieved to hear it.”
For the first time in several days, the tension that had been sitting quietly in her chest seemed to dissolve completely. She had not realized how much she had missed the simple comfort of their company until that moment.
They had not all been together like this since the ball. And the memory of that evening, with all its strange turns and unexpected revelations, flickered briefly through her mind before she gently pushed it aside.
Today, at least for the moment, felt pleasantly uncomplicated.
Emma reached for Diana’s hands again, squeezing them lightly as though reassuring herself that her friend truly stood before her.
“You look well,” Emma said, her voice lowering slightly with open curiosity.
The words were simple, yet Diana understood immediately what Emma truly meant. Emma had always been the most observant among them, the one most likely to notice the subtle changes others might overlook.
Diana smiled in response, though the warmth rising in her cheeks had very little to do with the pleasant sunlight resting across the gardens of Rosewood House.
It came from the faint sound of footsteps behind her.
They were muffled against the gravel, yet distinct enough that she recognized the rhythm almost immediately. Each step felt steady and controlled in a way that set it apart from the lighter, more careless movements of the others gathered in the garden.
Diana felt her pulse quicken before she had even turned to look.
Alexander. The recognition came to her instinctively, almost before the thought had fully formed in her mind.
She turned slowly just as he stepped onto the garden path.
Alexander moved toward them with the same composed assurance she had begun to associate with him. His expression was calm, his posture straight and effortless, yet something about the quiet certainty of his presence drew her attention immediately.
For a brief moment, the rest of the garden seemed to fade from her awareness. And all she could see was him approaching across the gravel.
Lady Salford appeared beside him, her posture upright and dignified in the way she always carried herself when guests were present.
She moved with the confident energy of a woman who fully intended to oversee every moment of the gathering, her expression bright with satisfaction as she surveyed the scene before her.
“My dear children,” Lady Salford declared, her voice bright with unmistakable satisfaction as she stepped forward across the gravel.
She extended both hands toward the small group gathered before her as though welcoming them into her own drawing room rather than the open garden. “You are most welcome.”
Emma curtsied at once, her skirts dipping gracefully. Georgina followed, her movement equally polite though accompanied by a cheerful smile.
“It is lovely to see you again, Lady Salford,” Emma said warmly.
“And you as well, my dear,” Lady Salford replied, patting her arm with clear affection before turning her attention toward the others.
Benjamin bowed with easy charm. “The pleasure is entirely ours.”
“Flattery already?” Lady Salford lifted one brow. “You have been here less than a minute.”
Benjamin grinned.
Behind her, Alexander stepped forward.
The subtle shift in movement drew everyone’s attention almost at once.
Though he had said nothing yet, the small gathering seemed to shift around his presence all the same.
For a fleeting moment, Diana felt a strange jolt of recognition. She had not seen that particular composure in him since before the accident. It resembled the man she had first met so closely that the familiarity of it stirred something unexpected inside her chest.
Emma noticed it too. She straightened slightly where she stood, her bright eyes settling upon him with open curiosity as she studied the man before her.
“Your Grace,” she said politely.
Alexander inclined his head in greeting. “Lady Pentbury.”
His tone was calm and even, his voice carrying across the garden with effortless clarity. There was nothing stiff nor overtly unfriendly in the exchange, yet the quiet formality of his manner carried a faint coolness that made the greeting feel more distant than warm.
Emma did not appear troubled by it. If anything, her smile deepened slightly, the expression on her face suggesting both polite approval and a spark of curiosity as she studied him.
Benjamin stepped forward next.
“Your Grace,” he said, offering a respectful bow.
Alexander shook his hand briefly. “Lord Pentbury.”
The exchange was brief but courteous, and Benjamin stepped back with an approving nod as though satisfied by the encounter.
Georgina followed.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” she said with gentle composure.
Alexander offered the same polite inclination of his head. “And you, Lady Tilbridge.”
Then Martin stepped forward. “Your Grace,” he said easily, offering a polite inclination of his head as he addressed Alexander.
There was nothing stiff about his manner. Martin had always carried himself with that same relaxed warmth, always moving comfortably in nearly every social setting he entered. Even now, standing before the Duke of Rosewood, his tone remained open and cordial.
Alexander regarded him for a brief moment before replying. “Lord Tilbridge.”
The words themselves were entirely correct, but their tone was not.