“Brilliant!” said Lord Harry, beaming from ear to ear.
A footman came and removed the soup bowl from in front of her, and then another hand placed the second course.
Esther was a bit surprised that her father was talking about buying more horses. As far as she knew, his business ventures were not doing well. But that was a discussion for the men to have.
Lord Wiltshire looked down briefly, and then said, “It is very nice that we can bring our families together.”
“Yes, it is,” said Esther.
“Allan,” said Edward, “Lady Esther is very involved in charity work and caring for orphans.”
With that comment, Esther noticed that Lord Wiltshire’s eyes lit up. “That’s amazing,” he said. “I would love to hear more about your work.”
“Oh, she loves to talk about it,” said Mary with a giggle.
Esther turned to her sister and made a face. Then she turned to Lord Wiltshire. “Yes, I am quite focused on my work. I have been doing it for several years, now.”
“I think it is fantastic that you give your time to those less fortunate,” said Lord Wiltshire. “It’s the only way that society can really function.”
Esther nodded. “We all must play our parts.”
“Allan, how is Oliver?” Lord Harry asked randomly.
“Oh,” said Lord Wiltshire, as if he was caught off guard. “Oliver is wonderful. I just saw him this past week.”
Esther didn’t know who Oliver was, so she turned her attention back to the conversation that was taking place between her mother and Ruth.
“Ruth, he is a lovely man, it’s true, I just worry that he’s not as serious about you as you are about him,” said Esther’s mother.
“Oh, Mother,” Ruth responded. “He is very serious. I already told you that we have talked about our future together.”
“He just seems as though he likes to have too much fun,” her mother argued. Esther could agree with that. The few times she had met Ruth’s beau, he had certainly seemed to be a bit uninterested in settling down. He also seemed to like his whiskey a lot, though many men did, she supposed.
“Mother, he’s simply trying to live a life of leisure before he has to take things seriously,” explained Ruth, trying to make him sound more serious than he probably was. “You know his father is in ill-health, and it is just a matter of time before he will have to step into his father’s shoes.”
“Yes, Ruth,” said Esther’s mother. “I do know all of that. All I am saying is that I think you should take things a bit slower. We don’t need two weddings back-to-back.”
Ruth was still quite young, a full seven years younger than Esther, but she had always had her own way of doing things. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were two back-to-back weddings in this family.
A new course had arrived, and the delicious dinner and wine was starting to go to Esther’s head. She thought she had heard something about the British Army in the men’s conversation, but she was trying to pay attention to the dialogue between her mother and sister, so she wasn’t sure.
Esther was not impressed with stories of war and valor. In fact, she knew that being part of these battles could change even the best of men and turn them from nice family men, to men who were drains on society. She saw examples of this all the time, whether it was a man who drank his memories of war away, or a man who abandoned his family and children because he simply couldn’t handle the pressure.
“We will have a very light meal here in the dining room in the morning before the wedding ceremony,” she heard Mary explain, as she once again focused on the conversation between her mother and sisters. “And then I will ask all of you to gather outside of the chapel. The vicar should be ready around ten o’clock in the morning.”
“Are other people coming to the wedding?” Ruth asked.
“Some of Edward’s friends are coming in the morning,” clarified Mary. “But his only family besides Harry is his cousin, Lord Wiltshire, Allan. So, it will be Allan and Harry, plus our family, and a few close friends at the wedding itself, and everyone else will join us for the wedding breakfast.”
“I’m looking forward to the cake,” said Ruth with a smile. All of the ladies began to laugh.
“Leave it up to you to ignore our sister’s blessed event, and instead focus on the sweets,” said Esther with a smile.
“Oh, it’s all right,” said Mary, who was always a little protective of her younger sister. “Ruth, you can have all of the cake you can eat!”
Ruth laughed. “I’m sorry, I just love sweets, and this dessert is divine.”
Esther couldn’t argue with that. The dessert had just been served, and it was certainly delicious. If she were honest with herself, she, too, was looking forward to the cake tomorrow. But she was also looking forward to the wedding itself, as she knew the importance of her sister marrying into a family like Edward’s.
As Esther took the final bite of her dessert, she felt eyes upon her. Before she looked up, a small part of her was hoping that it was Lord Wiltshire. But, as she lifted her head, she found herself staring into the eyes of Lord Harry, and her heart fell just a little. Harry looked like a smaller version of Edward, though his features were sharper and almost cold. She did not find him to be attractive, and his eyes made her feel uncomfortable.
* * *
Allan was standing in the drawing room again, this time holding a glass of Scotch. Dinner had been delicious, as he had always come to expect when visiting his cousins, and now the men had met for after-dinner drinks.
Though he was visiting for a happy occasion, he felt a bit glum. Perhaps his cousins were right. Bridget wasn’t his peer, necessarily, but on the other hand, she did have a respectable position. It wouldn’t be out of the question to at least reconnect with her.
Of course, if he was thinking about marrying, there were many other eligible ladies who would be ideal matches for him…including Lady Esther. At the same time, he had difficulties even being with a lady, thanks to his grotesque scarring.
“Allan, how is the Scotch?” Edward asked. “It’s a very special blend.”
Allan came back to reality from his thoughts. “It’s delicious. The smokiness is outstanding.”
“Yes, I agree,” said Edward. “Speaking of smokiness, can I tempt you with a cigar?”
“Absolutely,” said Allan with a smile.
Edward motioned for him to cross the room, and they were met with a footman with several cigars on a silver tray. Allan chose one, and another footman clipped the tip and held up a flaring match so that Allan could light it. As he inhaled, the mixture of the wine before and during dinner, the Scotch, and the cigar made him a bit lightheaded.
Allan blinked a couple of times, and then he saw a figure approaching him from the corner of his eye. He turned his head slightly and realized that it was his cousin, Harry. He was smiling, and like Allan, was carrying a cigar and a glass of Scotch.
“Did you enjoy your dinner, Cousin?” Harry asked politely.
“Very much so,” Allan replied. “I always marvel at the food your staff serves here.”
“That’s why we never let them go!” said Harry with a hearty laugh. “They are too good at what they do down in the kitchen. Our head cook has been with us since we were children, so that’s probably why you like it so much…the memories of excellent meals.”
Allan laughed. “Yes, that makes sense.” He took a puff of his cigar. “The dessert was fantastic, too.”
“Oh yes,” Harry replied. “Wait until you taste the wedding cake tomorrow. It is sure to be divine.”
Allan took a sip of Scotch. “You seem to be in a jolly mood, Harry.”
“Oh, yes,” Harry said. “I am happy for my brother and to have a new sister-in-law. Occasions like this are always exciting.”
“It was just surprising,” Allan said with a brief laugh. “You usually aren’t this animated.”
“Well,” said Harry with a grin. “It might be the Scot
ch, too.”
Allan had to laugh at that. He was feeling the effects of the night’s imbibing, as well. He would surely sleep like a babe tonight.
“You know, Allan,” said Harry. “I have been thinking. Perhaps it’s not a terrible thing about you and your nurse reconnecting.”
“She’s not that type of nurse, Harry,” Allan reminded him.
“I didn’t mean anything by that, I know she’s not a woman of pleasure.” Harry said.
“I am glad that is clear,” replied Allan.
“All I am saying is that if you want to reconnect with her, you should. Why let Edward’s opinion matter?” Harry asked.
“She has just been on my mind, is all,” said Allan. “That’s it.”
“Again, don’t let Edward’s opinion matter,” said Harry with a smile. “Do you know how to get in touch with Miss Bridget?”
“I don’t,” admitted Allan, “But I will look her up at some point. Perhaps when I get home.”
“I can help you,” said Harry. “It would be my pleasure. What’s her surname?”
“Crampton. Bridget Crampton,” said Allan.
“Hmm. I’m not familiar with the name,” said Harry. “But I am sure I can find out more about her.”
“I don’t want to know more about her,” said Allan. “I just want to know where she is and reconnect.”
Harry smiled. “Well, the future is not written in stone, of course, but you could make a move now, and see what the future has in store for you.”
“Yes,” Allan said, as he once again felt the combination of the cigar and Scotch in his head. He glanced at the clock.
“I think I am going to retire for the evening, Cousin,” Allan said to Harry.
“Good night. I won’t be far behind you,” said Harry. “We have a wedding in the morning!”
Allan nodded and smiled at his cousin, and then waved at Edward, who was across the room deep in conversation with his future father-in-law.
He walked to the door, the footman opened it for him, and Allan left to go to bed.
Chapter 6
The morning sun was bright and there was not a cloud in the sky as Esther gazed out the window. Mary’s wedding was this morning, and it looked like it would be a perfect day.
Esther’s lady’s maid, Rose, was brushing her hair, and Esther’s head kept falling back as Rose pulled on the strands.
“Are you happy with your chosen gown, My Lady?” Rose asked Esther.
“Oh yes,” Esther replied. “I am very happy with it.”
“The blue color will look nice with your hair, My Lady, and it will bring out your eyes,” said Rose.
“I agree,” said Esther.
Rose had twisted Esther’s hair around the curling tongs, creating curls that surrounded her face. “Did you decide which hat to wear, My Lady?”
“I believe I did,” Esther replied holding one with a wide brim up to Rose. “I brought it, so I might as well wear it. If I go outdoors at any time, I will be glad for it. It’s quite sunny.”
“Yes, Madam,” Rose replied. “You certainly don’t want to allow your skin to redden in the sun.”
Rose continued to work on Esther’s hair while she continued to stare out of the window. She had slept very well, but she kept thinking about the prospect that she could, perhaps, speak with Lord Wiltshire today at some point. She was curious to see if he would be interested in speaking with her. She knew without a doubt that Lord Harry would attempt to speak with her.
“Your hair is perfect, My Lady,” Rose said as she held up a mirror for Esther to look into.
“It looks wonderful, Rose,” Esther replied. “Thank you so much.”
“It is my pleasure, My Lady,” Rose replied. “Are you ready to dress?”
“Yes, of course,” said Esther.
Esther stood from her chair and followed Rose to where the wardrobe was. As Rose opened the door, Esther could see all of the gowns that she had brought. Rose pulled out the blue gown, and then picked up the matching hat, and sat them to the side.
Esther already wore her shift, and Rose began to help her put on the corset she would wear. The corset was pulled tight, and Esther took in a breath, as tying the corset pushed the breath in her body right out.
With her corset snugly into place, Rose placed a petticoat over the corset. Her white stockings came next, and finally, she was able to get into the gown, with Rose’s help.
The gown she had chosen was cornflower blue in color with white lace trim. The skirt was tailored perfectly, and even Esther admired her shape as she looked into the mirror once it was on.
“You look beautiful, My Lady,” Rose said, and for once, Esther had to agree with her. She looked good.
Rose helped place the hat upon her head, and then she pulled the curls out so that they framed Esther’s face. “Perfect,” the lady’s maid said. Esther noticed as Rose looked at the clock on the wall and then said, “It’s time for you to go downstairs, My Lady.”
“Thank you, Rose,” Esther said. She took one last look in the mirror, and then walked over to the door. She opened the knob and stepped out into the hallway. It was empty, save for a couple of maids at the far end. She wondered if her parents and sister, Ruth, were ready yet. She figured that she wouldn’t see Mary until right before the wedding.
The wedding would be held in the parish chapel, which was only a short carriage ride away, but she would be travelling with Ruth and her parents.
She began to walk down the hallway, and as she turned the corner, she came face to face with Lord Harry. “Oh,” she said, “You startled me.”
Lord Harry bowed to her, a bit elaborately, and said “My apologies, Lady Esther. I meant no such thing. I simply was waiting for you, to escort you to the drawing room.”
“Oh,” Esther replied. “That’s very nice of you, My Lord. I was just on my way to find my family for the wedding.”
“Please, take my arm,” he said, as he extended his arm out to her. Even in his Hessian boots, and she wearing slippers, they were almost the same height. He was much smaller than his brother and cousin, though Esther herself was fairly full-figured. “I will escort you downstairs to wait.”
Esther took Lord Harry’s arm, and he walked her to the top of the stairs. “It’s a beautiful day for a wedding, isn’t it, My Lady?”
“Yes, My Lord,” she replied. “From the window, it looks beautiful.”
“I have already been outdoors this morning, and the air is getting warm,” he said, as they began to descend the staircase.
“I’m happy that my sister will have a gorgeous day for her wedding,” Esther said, as she carefully made her way down the stairs. “She deserves it.”
The pair made it to the bottom of the elaborate staircase, and Esther noticed that several other people were milling around, people she was unfamiliar with, but whom were certainly here for the wedding.
“Let me introduce you to some of our friends,” Lord Harry said, still holding tight to Esther’s arm. She didn’t have much of a choice but to allow him to lead her to a small group of people and made introductions. Esther couldn’t help but feel as if Lord Harry was trying to show her off, or something.
“Esther!” she heard from behind her. She and Lord Harry both stopped and turned. It was her sister, Ruth, and she was walking towards them.
“You must come with me,” Ruth said as she motioned for Esther to come near. “Mother is asking for you. We are ready to leave for the wedding.”
Esther looked at Lord Harry and said, “It seems my mother needs me. Thank you for escorting me down here.”
Lord Harry let go of her arm and smiled. “It was my pleasure. I hope we can speak again, later.”
Esther just nodded, and then turned quickly on her heel and made her way to Ruth. “What does Mother want? Are we ready to leave?”
“We are,” said Ruth with a smile. “Plus, it looked like you needed help there.”
Esther smiled, and said “Thank you, Ruth. Pe
rhaps we should at least find mother to complete this charade.”
Ruth giggled. “Yes,” she said. “Good idea. I will escort you there.” Just like Lord Harry did, Ruth linked her arm with Esther’s, and the sisters walked back through the hallway to the bottom of the stairs. Esther turned around and noted that they were no longer in the view of Lord Harry.
“I’m so glad you saw me,” Esther exclaimed. You look wonderful, Ruth.”
“Thank you,” Ruth responded. “So do you. The blue is stunning on you. It really brings out your eyes.”
Lusting For The Broken Earl (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 5