Diana shook her head. “Remember we decided that you needed to graduatefirst?”
Adam frowned. “Butnow…”
“No, Adam. An early marriage would only distract you from your goal of a degree. You promisedme.”
“Yes, but that was before we becameengaged.”
“It does not matter. And besides, a wedding takes time to organize.” She turned to her mother. “Does itnot?”
Mother caught the plea in Diana’s eyes. “Yes, it most certainly does, young man. Proper arrangements must be made. You just ask your mother and I am sure she will concur. We will need at least sixmonths.”
Adam’s face fell. “Six months?” he wailed. “I shall be an old man bythen.”
Mother shot him a stern smile. “Oh, Adam, I am quite certain you willsurvive.”
* * *
That evening,Diana took her father aside after supper and sat him down in his study. She had already told him about the wedding and the offer from Robert Donnelly. Now she wanted to discuss thedetails.
“Are you marrying Adam because of the loan?” he immediatelyasked.
“Partially.”
“And do you lovehim?”
“I took your advice to heart, Father. Love is not always the primary reason for marriage, you advisedme.”
“So you do not,” he said with a hint of sadness, as he tapped his pipe on the fireplace grate and added fresh tobacco and relit hispipe.
Diana was patient with him as he played out his pipe routine, as she knew it gave him time to think through an issue before hespoke.
“I care for him a great deal,” she said as he turned to look at heragain.
“I am sorry I burdened you with that idea, daughter. And now I fear you are marrying him to secure theleasehold.”
Diana could not dispute his claim, remaining silent, and did notrespond.
“And tell me more about this offer from the Earl? It does not sound quite right, somehow. Is it not dishonest to publish under another’sname?”
Diana explained again why the Earl could not publish under his ownname.
“To publish under another’s name would be unthinkable in my day,” Fathersaid.
“But Father you are an academic, and your name must be associated with your writings. You have gained wide recognition for your books and rightly so. But in the case of the Earl, it is fiction with different standards and expectations. It would hurt the Earl socially if he were to publish using his ownname.”
“And do you plan to accept hisoffer?”
“Yes, Father, Ido.”
Father sat back in his chair and studied the fire as he smoked before he said, “And you are certain you want to go through with this loan from Adam’s father? You think itwise?”
“Yes. I do. And I will need all the details from you as to how to set up the new leasehold and to whom the payment must bemade.”
“I will take care of the details,” Father said. “Once Adam’s father agrees, I will contact him and make all the arrangements. There is no need for you to be involved. It sounds to me like you will have your hands full dealing with the Earl’soffer.”
Diana laughed. “Strange times, are they not, Father? I never foresaw any of this. I thought my life would just chug along like a little locomotive, spending my days at my little desk quietly churning out my little romances. And now everything is all changed and our lives are allrearranged.”
“Daughter, not much surprises me anymore. I learned long ago to accept what comes into our lives and make the best we can of the circumstances that come our way for either good orill.”
Diana sat back in her chair and contemplated what an extraordinary day it had been and how her life was running away with her. It seemed she no longer had control over her own life. She did not know what would come of all of this craziness but she was content to let the events flow and reveal themselves in their propertime.
