“And thank you, too.” Esther said with a smile.
“There you two are!”
Esther turned around and saw her mother and father coming down the stairs. Both of them looked perfect for the wedding. Esther’s father embraced her, and then her mother did the same. “Are you two ready for the wedding?” Esther’s father asked.
Esther nodded, and Ruth said, “Yes.”
“Wonderful,” their father said. “Let’s go to the chapel. Edward and Mary should be there very soon.”
The family walked from the bottom of the stairway, through the hallway, and passed the groups of people whom Esther had previously met with Lord Harry. She also noted that Lord Harry was standing alone, leaning against the wall. He surely looks lonely.
It didn’t much surprise Esther that Lord Harry was standing alone. She knew that he didn’t have a lot of close friends, if any. And seeing that, just verified her thought that he was trying to show her off to people he knew. She wasn’t even sure that one could call those people friends.
The family walked towards the front door of the home, and when the footman opened the door, a large carriage was waiting for them. They all were helped in, and then took the quick ride to the chapel making small talk about the wedding and the upcoming marriage of Mary and Edward. Once they arrived, the family entered the church.
Esther followed her father and mother into the narthex at the west end of the chapel. They would only be there for a moment, as both Esther and Ruth would serve as Mary’s attendants, and her father would have to walk Mary down the aisle. Their mother would go into the chapel and wait.
Esther could see into the chapel and saw that it was fairly unremarkable, but there were some flowers decorating the area where the vicar was standing. The other guests had begun to gather, and Esther started to look around for Lord Wiltshire. She didn’t see him, however. Perhaps he was one of Edward’s attendants.
It was then that Edward walked into the chapel, looking extremely handsome and noble. He walked over to the vicar, and they had a brief conversation. He then turned towards Esther and Ruth and walked over to them.
The two ladies smiled at their future brother-in-law, and Edward said, “I believe Mary is waiting for you in the room next to the chapel.”
Esther and Ruth took their leave and walked over to a door to the left of the chapel’s entrance. As they walked in, Esther gasped. Mary looked beautiful in her pale yellow gown. She was holding a small bouquet of white and yellow flowers in her hand and had a look of nervousness across her face.
“I am so happy to see both of you,” Mary said. She embraced Esther, and then hugged Ruth. “You both look beautiful.”
“You look stunning,” said Esther to her younger sister. “His Grace is a very lucky man.”
“You are making me blush,” said Mary, and Esther could see the redness building in her cheeks.
“Esther is right,” said Ruth, wiping her eyes. “The moment is getting to me.”
All three sisters embraced in a group, and there was a knock at the door. The footman who was standing nearby opened it, and their father stepped in. He paused for a moment and looked at his three daughters.
“I am a lucky man to have such gorgeous and wonderful daughters.” His voice cracked at the end of the sentence. “Esther and Ruth, take those flowers and walk into the chapel. Mary and I will be directly behind you,” her father said.
All three ladies looked at each other and smiled. Esther and Ruth picked up bouquets, which matched the one Mary held, and turned to go back to the chapel. When they arrived, the doors were closed, but a footman was there to open it for them.
As Esther and Ruth walked in side by side, Esther focused on the vicar, who was standing behind a small table on the other side of the chapel. She could feel the guests staring at her and Ruth as they walked towards the altar.
As they walked deeper into the chapel, she could see Edward out of the corner of her eye, and after a few more steps, she could see Lord Harry standing next to him, beaming in her direction. Next to Lord Harry, she saw Lord Wiltshire and her heart momentarily stopped beating. He looked so handsome.
She swallowed hard, and once again tried to focus on the vicar, but it was difficult knowing that Lord Wiltshire was standing to her side. She didn’t even understand why she was having these feelings, as she had never much contemplated love or had a romance with anyone. Perhaps it was just the wedding atmosphere.
Esther and Ruth approached the vicar, and he motioned for them to stand to the side of the table. She saw him look up and towards the far side of the chapel, so she did the same, just in time to see Mary and her father standing in the doorway.
The father and daughter began to walk down the aisle that she and Ruth walked, and when Esther glanced over at Edward, she could tell that he was feeling nothing but love for Mary.
When Mary and her father stepped in front of the vicar, her father announced that he was giving his daughter to Edward, and then he went and stood next to his wife.
The vicar began speaking, but Esther wasn’t paying much attention. Her attention, instead, was focused on Lord Harry and Lord Wiltshire, who were standing side by side directly across from her. Lord Wiltshire was looking at the vicar and listening to what he said, but once again, Lord Harry was longingly looking in her direction.
The vicar began to read from the Book of Common Prayer, and then asked Edward and Mary if either of them had to confess any impediment, which would stop them from being married lawfully. He then explained the vows, and both Edward and Mary exchanged the words with each other, and Esther couldn’t help but be touched by their love.
Following the exchange of vows, the vicar blessed the gold ring that Mary would wear. Esther watched as he handed it to Edward, who gently placed it on her sister’s hand.
The vicar administered communion to the couple, and then read several scriptures about love and marriage. Finally, he asked the entire room to join him in a prayer. Mary and Edward both signed the registry, and then Esther and Allan did the same. The wedding was complete, and Edward and Mary turned to walk outside to greet the family and friends who were waiting to greet them.
People outside of the chapel began to gather to offer their congratulations. The vicar, the newly married couple, and the attendants formed a receiving line, and there were hugs and tears as people walked through. Esther, too, got caught up in the moment, and when Lord Harry caught her eyes and smiled at her, she smiled back.
* * *
The family had arrived back at Edward’s estate and gathered in the drawing room. Several footmen began walking around the room with trays of champagne, and Esther was happy to take a glass. Now that the wedding was over, they could all relax and celebrate during the wedding breakfast and celebration.
“She looked so lovely,” Ruth said to Esther, quietly. “I can’t believe that I will be married soon, too.”
Esther turned towards her sister and looked at her with confusion. “Do Mother and Father know?” she asked with trepidation.
Ruth shook her head. “I haven’t told them, yet, but yes, he has asked for my hand in marriage.”
Esther gasped. “You have to tell them,” she said. “You cannot let this go, Ruth.”
“I will tell them when we go home,” her youngest sister said. “I wanted this to be Mary’s special time. I will have my own.”
Esther didn’t really know if Ruth telling their parents that she was engaged would be a special time. If anything, she would expect her parents to be a bit upset by the news.
Esther just nodded at Ruth. This will be an interesting conversation.
Other people were coming in the doors now, and the drawing room was becoming full. Esther could see a tall man walking through the crowd, and he began approaching people and directing them out of the room. He approached Esther and Ruth, and said, “I am His Grace, the Duke of Daftwood’s, steward. In a few moments time, we will begin the wedding breakfast.” He then walked on to th
e next group of people.
Esther tried to look through the crowded room to see where her parents were, but they were lost in a small sea of people. She just hoped that Ruth was true to her word and that she would not tell her parents about her engagement.
She did, however, see Mary, and catch her eye. They smiled at each other, and Esther was so happy that Mary’s dream of marrying Edward had come true for her. It truly was a momentous occasion, and wonderful for her family.
Near the door of the drawing room, she could see the ladies gathering to go into the dining room, so she held Ruth’s arm, guiding her to meet the other ladies. The wedding breakfast was about to begin.
Chapter 7
It had been many years since Allan had sat at a table with this many people. He was sure that he was in for a marvelous feast, but all of the bodies around him was making him a bit uncomfortable. He took a sip of wine and looked at his immediate surroundings.
He was hoping that he would somehow have been sat next to Lady Esther, but she was seated closer to her father, as she was the oldest daughter. If Allan leaned forward enough, he could see her, though.
Allan turned towards the youngest sister of Lady Esther, but he couldn’t remember her name. She must have realized that he was looking at her because she turned towards him and said, “You are Edward’s cousin?”
Caught off guard, Allan had a brief moment of silence, and then awkwardly said, “Yes, I’m Harry’s cousin, um, Edward’s cousin, too.”
The lady laughed, and said “I am Lady Ruth Nott, Lady Mary’s younger sister.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, My Lady,” Allan said. “The wedding was enchanting, wasn’t it?” he asked as plates of toast and jam were placed on the table in front of him.
“Oh yes,” Lady Ruth replied, taking a sip of wine. “I am so happy for Mary. Your cousin is a wonderful man, and our family is ecstatic about their union.”
“It is amazing that they found each other,” Allan concurred. “It is nice that my cousin can not only be married to such a delightful lady, but be connected to such a well-respected family, such as your own.”
He took a piece of toast and covered it with jam. It was delicious, and he was hungry. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lady Ruth doing the same.
“This toast is lovely,” she said to him between bites.
“Oh, yes,” Allan said. “I spent a lot of time here as a child, and the bread, which this toast is made of, has always been a favorite of mine. In fact, all of the food here is wonderful.”
“I’m jealous,” said Lady Ruth playfully. “We certainly don’t have food like this at home. My sister is lucky that she can have this type of food all of the time!”
Allan had to laugh. Ruth’s personality was certainly contagious, and he was greatly enjoying sitting next to her. She seemed young and playful, and it was refreshing for Allan to have a bit of fun during a meal. Fortunately, wedding breakfasts were known to be celebratory.
“I don’t have this type of food at home, either,” said Allan. “I’m a lowly Earl though, and my cousin, the Duke, got all of the good cooks.”
Now it was Lady Ruth’s turn to laugh. “That’s probably true. Though my father is a Duke, as I have said, the food at home doesn’t come up to this standard. I was just telling my mother and sister, Esther, last night, that I was really looking forward to the cake.”
Allan laughed again. “Yes, I am looking forward to the cake, too, but the eggs and ham are sure to also be delicious.” Plates of eggs and ham, along with bacon, fish, and more toast had appeared.
“Speaking of the cake,” Allan said, “my cousin Harry was talking about it last night. It seems we all have a bit of a sweet tooth.”
Ruth giggled. “Everyone loves sweets. Even my mother, who can be a bit…stuffy…loves sweets.”
Allan was greatly enjoying the conversation with Lady Ruth and he wondered how her personality compared to Lady Esther’s.
“There are just the three of you in the family?” He asked, even though he knew the answer, thanks to his conversation with her father the night before.
“Yes,” Lady Ruth replied. “I am the youngest of three.”
“I am an only child,” Allan said. “Edward and Harry were always like brothers to me, but I don’t know what it’s like to grow up with siblings.”
“Oh, I’m sorry about that,” Lady Ruth said. “Well, not about Edward and Lord Harry being like brothers, of course,” she laughed, “but because you didn’t have siblings.”
“You enjoy having siblings, I take it?” Allan asked.
“Very much so,” Lady Ruth replied. “I don’t know what I would do without my sisters. Both of them are very different, but both of them have been great influences on my life.”
“That is very nice to say,” Allan said. “I suppose Edward and Harry have been influential on my life, too.”
“My sisters are wonderful. Mary is so pleasant. She’s certainly the kindest one of all of us. She doesn’t have an unkind bone in her body,” Lady Ruth explained. “In fact, people just always comment about how polite she is.”
“Esther, on the other hand, is also agreeable, but she’s much more serious,” said Lady Ruth.
“How so?” asked Allan with curiosity.
“Well, Esther is passionate and opinionated, especially when it comes to her work with the orphans and with charity,” Lady Ruth explained. “She doesn’t have a lot of time for other things, and she just doesn’t care. She will, for instance, smile and be nice, just like Mary, but her focus is on her charity work, which she is constantly thinking about.”
“Interesting,” said Allan. “I did talk to Lady Esther last night about her charity work, and I was hoping to learn more about it.”
Lady Ruth got a refill of wine from a passing footman, and then continued. “In that case, all you have to do is ask her.” She laughed and said, “She would talk about her charity work all day if we would let her.”
“That’s a noble vocation, though,” Allan said, getting a refill on his wine, too.
“Oh, I very much agree with you,” Lady Ruth said, “I just don’t have the patience to do that type of work. It’s very sad, and I don’t like to be sad.”
“I can imagine that it would not always be pleasant to do that type of work,” Allan agreed.
“No, she has told me stories about the poor children she works with, and about the families. It isn’t pleasant,” said Lady Ruth.
The footmen began to clear the plates around them. “Not to change the subject,” said Lady Ruth, “but since they are clearing the plates, it can only mean one thing.”
Allan looked at her and said, “Cake.”
* * *
“That cake was delicious,” Esther said to her mother as they gathered back in the drawing room after breakfast. Each lady was sipping on a glass of sherry.
“I love a dense cake filled with fruit, and the icing was absolutely divine. I am going to have to find out how they make it so fluffy and tell the cook at home,” her mother replied.
Esther nodded. “Please do, Mother,” she said, as she saw Ruth walking towards them.
“Did you have cake?” her youngest sister asked.
“Of course we did,” said Esther with a smile. “It was delectable. In fact, the entire meal was divine.”
“It certainly was,” agreed her sister. “I had the loveliest conversation, too.”
“Oh?” asked her mother. “With whom?”
“Lord Wiltshire, Edward’s and Lord Harry’s cousin,” Ruth replied.
Esther’s heart skipped a beat. Ruth and Lord Wiltshire sat with each other at the wedding breakfast? What did they talk about?
“He seems like a nice young gentlemen,” her mother said.
“Oh, he is,” said Ruth. “If I was not already seeing someone, I would certainly be interested in him.” She grinned.
“Oh, Ruth,” her mother said, shaking her head. “I don’t know where you come up with
these things.”
Ruth laughed, and Esther began looking around the room for Lord Wiltshire. If Ruth was out here, and they sat next to each other and enjoyed each other’s company, perhaps he would come out to the drawing room again.
Esther didn’t see him as she looked around, so then she turned the other way. Lord Harry was making his way towards her. He smiled and waved when he saw her looking at him.
Lord Harry approached and said, “I hope that you enjoyed the wedding breakfast.”
“I did,” said Esther. “Your cooks are highly skilled.”
“Yes, they are,” said Lord Harry. “Your father and I are going to walk over to the stables. Would you like to join us?”
Lusting For The Broken Earl (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 6