A Chaotic Courtship (Rough Draft)

Chapter Eighteen

The next morning, everyone was slow to get around. Dancing had lasted for many hours, much longer than I expected. Will had been astonished to find yet another person capable of beating him at piquet. James had been at Miss Delan's beck and call, and I suspected a romance was growing there. Sarah had displayed herself to perfection on her harp. All in all, it had been an enjoyable evening and one I knew we would all remember for some time.

"So now you're officially engaged to a highwayman," Sarah said, tossing a blossom at my basket with little care. Mother had asked us to arrange some bouquets to freshen the house up some, though I believed 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 flower. "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? I wasn't surprised he had come, as he had made a habit of visiting every day, but 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?"