ChapterTwenty
“Iwill miss you tremendously,” Diana said as Edmund and Jacob prepared to leave Fernside a few days later. They had already said their goodbyes to her parents, Kitty and senior staff like Jenson and Calum. Only Diana and Percy stood out in the driveway for their final farewells.
Jacob was adjusting the tack on their horses as the carriage with their belongings, a valet and a coachman rolled off ahead of them down the driveway. Edmund smiled at Diana, his dark hair and green eyes very striking in the morning sun as he bent down to kiss her briefly and softly on the lips.
Although they did not plan to announce it publicly until the end of the Season, they were betrothed now, with the full blessing of Lord and Lady Templeton and the knowledge of the household. A simple kiss did not feel unseemly here in the safety of their own grounds.
However, even such light contact thrilled Diana beyond bearing, reminding her of other deeper and more intimate kisses in the woods. She closed her eyes to control her dizzying feelings and restrain the urge of her hands to roam freely over Edmund’s face and body.
“I’ll see you in two weeks,” Edmund promised her. “If your father continues to make such excellent progress, your parents will bring you to their London house for the Season. If Dr. Hughs thinks Lord Templeton needs more time and rest, I will come with my mother and bring you to our London house.”
“I can’t wait,” Diana said.
“You’ll have to, I’m afraid, my love,” Edmund teased her. “Just imagine how good it will feel when we can finally… walk in the woods again.”
They kept their voices low so that even Jacob and Percy could not hear them and looked into one another’s eyes for long seconds.
Then, Diana tore herself from Edmund and glanced at Jacob, seeing the sadness on his freckled face.
“I’m going to miss you too, Jacob,” she said. “You’ve been such a wonderful friend to us.”
She shook his hand and kissed him on the cheek.
“Thank you. I’m glad things have turned out well in the end. I’m very happy for the two of you, you know. It’s a fine thing to see two good people find one another.”
He looked back towards the house longingly and then shook his head and turned back to the horses.
“Come on, Colborne,” he said with some of his more customary cheerfulness. “We need to be on the road, or our clothes will reach home before we do. You can write Diana long love letters from home.”
“She might even answer them,” Percy chimed in. “If she’s not too busy trying on all those ballgowns and evening dresses that have started arriving.”
“I always answer my letters, Percy, as you well know!” Diana objected, laughing.
Percy hugged each of his friends and gave his own heartfelt thanks for all they had done. Then, he stood back with Diana as Edmund and Jacob mounted their horses and rode away down the driveway, their work at Fernside complete.
Diana sighed as they disappeared from sight, and her brother put a comforting arm around her shoulders.
“It won’t be long, Sister, I promise. And there’s never been a man as loyal as Edmund Turner. You’ve nothing to worry about there.”
“I know,” she said, and they walked back into the house together slowly.
* * *
Unity Turner was delighted to see her son again after a month away from home and delighted also with the news he had written to her in his last letter about his betrothal to Diana Arnold. He had charged her to keep it secret for now, especially from his chatterbox younger sisters who could not be expected to hold such news in confidence.
Sophia and Beatrice seemed to alternately talk, argue and dance around him as he ate a cold lunch in the dining room on his first day home. At great length, they gave him all the news on friends, relatives, and preparations for Beatrice’s presentation and first Season in London. Despite missing Diana, Edmund couldn’t help being glad to be with his lively and loving family again.
Eventually, Unity told the two girls that Edmund would be tired and instructed them to go out for an afternoon walk with their maid. When they were alone, she sat back down at the table with Edmund and looked at him expectantly and with affection.
“So, Mother, are you pleased with how my visit to the Arnolds turned out? I wish I could have asked your counsel in advance about many things, but they were very strange times at Fernside. I had to do what I thought best.”
Unity only laughed and patted his arm.
“Dear Edmund, I could tell from your letters that you were falling for Diana, and she for you. I only hoped that it wouldn’t hurt you too much when she had to marry. The whole business seemed so desperately sad. If Lord Templeton had not been so ill, I would have written to Esther myself, but as you say, they were strange times.”
“I think I fell in love with Diana within five minutes of seeing her again,” he admitted. “She was like someone new and yet at the same time, someone I’d known all my life. I can’t imagine what I would have done if she’d been forced to marry that awful man.”
“She’s a wonderful girl,” his mother agreed. “I’m very glad that you found one another and that you’ve finally done something good for yourself, rather than living only for your family and friends.”