“I’m always enjoying myself, Mother!” Edmund protested. “I’m out with Jacob at least once a week, and I’m certainly no puritan in my entertainments.”
“Edmund…” She smiled, shaking her head. “Precisely. Once a week when all your work is done, your family is taken care of and no one around you needs assistance. Do you know that I’ve never seen you do a single irresponsible thing in the whole of your young life?”
Edmund thought of kissing Diana for the first time in the library at Fernside, of allowing her into his bedroom late at night, and then of her lips sighing against his neck in the woodland glade as their bodies joined. He flushed slightly and looked away.
“I cannot pretend to that,” he demurred. “But you’re right that I always take my responsibilities seriously."
“As you should,” Unity said. “I only wanted to say that there’s nothing wrong with spontaneity and following your heart when you can see that it’s on an honourable path. I hope that falling in love with Diana has taught you that.”
“Yes,” Edmund agreed, smiling again. “I learned a great deal at Fernside…”
“Good. Now, to business. I’ve done all that you and Esther requested with regard to arrangements for Diana’s season. I wrote personally to every hostess involved and also had Diana reinstated in the order of presentation at court. Luckily, the Chamberlain had not yet filled her spot with any other girl.”
“Thank you, Mother. This first season means so much to Diana.”
Unity looked at him again, her eyes slightly narrowed as though considering her words with care, and then she spoke seriously.
“Are you sure it’s a good idea, Edmund? The Season, I mean. We could be arranging a wedding instead and launch you on the social scene together. It might be easier for Diana that way, you know.”
“It’s certainly unusual for an engaged girl to be presented with all the other young ladies, but there are no rules against it, and Diana has looked forward to her presentation for so long. As we’re making no public announcement of the betrothal yet, no one outside the family need know anyway.” He shrugged.
“That wasn’t what I was referring to.”
The Dowager Duchess tapped her fingers thoughtfully on the table and then continued to speak.
“As I said, I wrote to all the society hostesses who had previously invited Diana to their events. Lady Alton, the Duchess of Stratton, the Marchioness of Greyson and all the others. But you should know that some of them have been… less than welcoming in their response.”
“What?” Edmund asked in puzzlement. “In what wayless than welcoming? I don’t understand.”
Unity gave a long, sympathetic sigh.
“News travels very fast in these days of mail coaches and gossip broadsheets. With a ruptured betrothal to a notorious drunken gambler behind her and an aunt who has been certified insane, it seems that there are already those who do not want Diana in their homes.”
Edmund swore and then excused himself to his mother. This was something that had never occurred to him.
“Especially not if she’s accompanied by her cousin, Lady Katherine Arnold, the daughter of the insane aunt,” Unity added. “You should know that the whole affair has quickly become a scandal, perhaps not a major one by London standards, but big enough to do some damage to the reputation of both Diana and Kitty.”
“But none of this has been Diana’s fault!” Edmund emphasized. “Nor Kitty’s, come to that. Are the whole Arnold family now going to be forever tainted by association with those who tried to harm them?”
“Society can be very cruel,” Unity said gently. “Especially to women. Once married to you, Diana would be the Duchess of Colborne and none of these hostesses would dare to snub her, with or without her cousin in tow. Think about that.”
“There’s also Lord Templeton to consider,” Edmund added, shaking his head. “He’s still recovering. We hope he’ll have enough strength to get to London for the Season, but he will probably still be kept to the house for a good while. We wanted to have the wedding when he’s strong enough to take part and enjoy it. Diana is his only daughter after all.”
“I understand, Edmund, I really do. Diana having her fun and Richard being part of the wedding are clearly very important to the two of you as a couple. But there are other considerations, too. Tell me, how else can you protect Diana from such humiliation as these hostesses are threatening?”
Edmund felt all his innate stubbornness and rejection of unfairness rising in his blood. He could not bear the idea of these bigoted people looking down on Diana, slighting her and bringing her yet more unhappiness.
“Well, if they won’t have Diana and Kitty, they can’t have me,” he said firmly. “And I dare say they can’t have Jacob either. Or some of the other fellows we know once we speak to them. Show me these letters right now, and I will begin writing to every single hostess to politely decline any invitation I have already accepted.”
“And when these good ladies ask me why, as they undoubtedly will?”
“You can tell them that this season, I will only be attending events where the Arnold ladies are present.”
“That will start tongues wagging, my boy, earlier than you would like,” Unity warned, but with a smile that told him she approved of his plan.
“Let them wag. It can do no real harm when we’re already betrothed.”
Abandoning the remains of his meal, Edmund stalked from the dining room and went to the study to begin writing his regrets to all the biggest events of the Season.