Protecting Lady Esther: Regency Romance (The King's League Book 1)

by Lucy Adams

  “You will accept dances from me, I hope?” he murmured in Lady Esther’s ear, who laughed and handed him her dance card at once. “I will steal the very best dances of the evening and keep them solely to myself.” He wrote his name down for the two waltzes and then the supper dance, knowing that the ton were now fully aware of his intentions towards Lady Esther and having no qualms about revealing them again. “And there will be plenty of other gentlemen to seek you out, I am certain of it.” He gave her a roguish wink, knowing that the gentlemen who would make their way to her side would be, for the most part, gentlemen who belonged in The King’s League. There were a few present here this evening, and Charles knew that they would also be keeping a close eye on Lady Esther.

  Perhaps, he thought wryly, I shall be able to relax and enjoy this evening for what it is - a ball where I can dance with the lady that I have come to adore. Of course, Charles knew that such a thing was almost entirely impossible, for he would always be on his guard when it came to Lady Esther—until the whole situation had been brought to a satisfactory end.

  “You are very kind, Lord Westbrook,” Lady Ware said, as he led Lady Esther forward into the ballroom. “I am glad that my niece has decided to accept your courtship. I am certain her father will be very pleased. I have written to him, of course.”

  Charles shot a glance towards Lady Esther, who gave him the most miniscule of nods.

  “You have not received a reply then?” he asked, knowing that Lady Esther had encouraged him to ask such questions. “Do you think he is returning to London?”

  Lady Ware bit her lip and looked away, before putting a false smile on her face that betrayed her anxiety. “I do not know, but I am certain that he is still caught up with business,” she said. “However, I have no doubt that once he receives the news, he will be very pleased indeed.”

  Charles smiled, aware that Lady Ware was doing all she could to encourage him and wanting to reassure her that he needed no encouragement when it came to Lady Esther. “I should be glad to see him whenever he returns to London,” he said, catching Lady Esther’s eyes. “For there are some things I should very much like to discuss with him.” His smile grew at Lady Esther’s blush, leaving Lady Ware with a knowing look that he was certain was one of encouragement.

  “And the first dance is upon us!” he exclaimed, hearing the strains of the waltz beginning to play. “Come, Lady Esther, and we shall begin this ball in earnest.”

  More than an hour had passed before Charles had the pleasure of dancing with Lady Esther again. The joy of having her in his arms was indescribable, as was the disappointment that followed when she was soon secured by another. It did not matter however; he reminded himself that she was his and his alone. There was no doubt in his mind when it came to Lady Esther’s affection for him. It had grown and blossomed in the time they had spent together, and he was thrilled with the knowledge that, one day soon, she would become a permanent part of his life. The moment Lord Leighton was returned home, safe and secure, he would speak to him about his intention to propose.

  “Westbrook.”

  He turned, hearing his name being spoken in a hushed, urgent whisper. Lord Watt was standing just behind him, beckoning him to come to a quieter corner of the ballroom.

  Charles’s stomach sank, seeing the look in Lord Watt’s eyes. Had something gone wrong?

  “What is it?” he asked, hurrying over to his friend. “Have you discovered something?”

  “Lord Riggerton has just sent word,” Lord Watt said, his voice low and his eyes darting about the room. “Lord Leighton has been discovered.”

  Charles sucked in a breath, fearing the worst.

  “He is alive, but only just,” Lord Watt continued quickly. “He was discovered just outside of London. Lord Riggerton caught sight of a gentleman with a scar running from his eye and down his cheek and so he followed him. He discovered the man was holding Lord Leighton within a tiny, dank room in one of the squalid parts of London. Lord Leighton is quite ill however. Riggerton states that they can barely make sense of what he is saying.”

  Swallowing hard, Charles allowed a little relief to creep into his heart, only to feel it chased away by the realization that Lord Leighton might not be long for this world. “I must speak to Lady Esther.”

  “You must come to Lord Leighton’s side at once,” Lord Watt interrupted. “You and I run The King’s League. We must, therefore, do our duty and seek to discover anything we can from Lord Leighton.”

  Charles hesitated, wanting to argue but knowing that he could not. His duty to the king came first. Besides which, he could entrust Lady Esther to someone else’s care. There were plenty of gentlemen here he could trust.

  “If he is to die, then we must speak to him before such a tragedy occurs,” Lord Watt continued, a little more gently. “You know that is what we must do.”

  “I do,” Charles admitted sorrowfully. “I pray that he will survive, however, for Lady Esther’s sake, as well as for his own. We owe him a great debt.” Taking in a deep breath, he set his shoulders and steadied his resolve. “Allow me to inform Lady Esther of what has been discovered and then entrust her to someone else’s care. Then we shall go together.”

  Lord Watt nodded gravely. “Time is off the essence,” he said. “I shall be in the carriage.”

  Without waiting for another moment, Charles left Lord Watt and hurried back through the crowd of guests, seeking out Lady Esther. She was still dancing, he realized, gritting his teeth hard as he forced himself to wait. Thoughts began racing through his mind. If Lord Leighton was alive, if he had been kept by the French, then what had they managed to pull from him? Had he told them about the cipher’s location? Had he had it with him, and so now was it back in the French’s possession? Gritting his teeth, he clasped his hands tightly together, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

  “She will return to you in a few moments, Lord Westbrook.”

  He turned to see Lady Ware smiling at him, her eyes warm.

  “I have not seen such devotion in a long time, I confess,” she continued, quietly, “but I am glad to see it now. My niece is a lovely young lady, and I would not have wished for anything less for her.”

  Charles cleared his throat, knowing that he would have to ensure that Lady Ware now knew the truth. “My dear lady,” he said, coming closer to her and lowering his voice. “I must ask you to remove Lady Esther from this ball at once and take her home.” He saw Lady Ware’s startled look and knew he would have to explain a little further. “Lord Leighton has been found and is not in a good way.”

  Lady Ware’s eyes widened, her lips trembling and one hand reaching out to him, clearly needing to steady herself.

  “I did not think all was well,” she whispered, as he grasped her hand. “He has not written at all, which is unlike him. I did not know where he was and did not want to frighten Lady Esther by telling her of my concerns.”

  Charles smiled grimly. “It is concerns that she herself has shared with me, Lady Ware,” he told her, patting her hand and seeing how she collected herself. “I must go to Lord Leighton and do what I can to aid him. Might I have your townhouse prepared for his return? I will make the arrangements to transport him there just as soon as I am able.”

  Lady Ware nodded furiously, her chin lifting and a steadiness coming back into her eyes that reminded him a good deal of Lady Esther. “But of course,” she said firmly. “We will do so at once.”

  “And I shall bring him to you as soon as I can,” he said, reaffirming his words to her. “And one or two of my close acquaintances will accompany you.” Looking about him, he caught sight of Lord Hogarth, whom he beckoned over at once. Lord Hogarth made his way quickly to Charles’s side, looking at Charles with concern.

  “Lord Leighton has been found, and I must go to his side at once,” Charles said, seeing Lord Hogarth’s expression turn to one of utter astonishment. “Might you accompany Lady Ware and Lady Esther back to their townhouse? Take my carriage. I am to
go with Lord Watt.”

  Lord Hogarth seemed dumbstruck for a moment before he collected himself and began to nod fervently, turning towards Lady Ware and doing his utmost to reassure her. Grateful that his friend had stepped into the breach, Charles turned to find Lady Esther coming towards him, her face lit with smiles.

  It soon dissipated when he reached for her, clearly seeing the expression on his face.

  “My dear,” he murmured, taking her hands and leading her to a quieter spot in the ballroom. “I must go from your side. Lord Hogarth will take both you and Lady Ware home.” He took a breath and pressed her hands again. “Your father has been found.”

  Lady Esther’s hand flew to her mouth, her eyes blinking furiously as they swam with tears.

  “He is in a rather bad way,” he continued, not wanting to keep the truth from her. “Lord Watt and I are to go to him at once. We will return him to you as soon as we can, but you must go home and prepare a room for him.” He swallowed hard, wishing he could bring her more comfort in her current state of distress, but knowing that there was nothing he could do. “I would stay with you, my love, but I must go to your father.”

  “Go.” Lady Esther nodded, sniffed, and tugged her hands from his, once more displaying the strength that he had come to see in her. “Of course, you must go. We will await your return.” She swallowed hard and pressed her lips together, trembling slightly. “Thank you.”

  “Pray for him,” he murmured, wishing he could hold her close, kiss her gently, and reassure her that all would be well. “Your prayers may make all the difference, my dear.” Reaching out, he brushed away the single tear that had fallen from her eye. “Lord Hogarth will stay with you. There is nothing to fear.”

  She nodded, lifted her chin, and gave him a watery smile. “I trust you completely, Westbrook,” she said softly, as Lady Ware came to join them. “I trust that you will return to me safely.”

  He could not say anything to her one way or the other, knowing that he was about to step into a dangerous situation. The French might have become alerted to the capture of Leadsom, one of their spies, and might rally around in order to free him or in an attempt to get ahold of Lord Leighton again.

  “Come,” Lady Ware murmured, taking Lady Esther’s arm. “We must go.” She glanced at Charles, trust evident in her expression. “I thank you, Lord Westbrook.”

  “I will see you again very soon,” he said, his eyes on Lady Esther. “Thank you, Hogarth.”

  Lord Hogarth said nothing but gave a small, jerky nod before leading the way through the crowd of guests, with Lady Ware and Lady Esther following after. His stomach tight and his body rippling with tension, Charles hurried after them, knowing that Lord Watt would already be waiting in the carriage. It was time, it seemed, to bring this matter to a close.

  Chapter Twelve

  “If you would.”

  Esther could hardly get her breath as Lord Hogarth helped up Lady Ware into the carriage, followed by herself. Her mind was spinning, her thoughts going from one thing to the next. She was fearful, she realized, sitting down opposite her aunt and seeing the very same emotion etched on Lady Ware’s face. She was fearful that her father would no longer be of this world by the time Lord Westbrook got to him. Afraid that he would manage to be brought to their house only to take his last breaths before he realized he was home. Terrified that his life would come to an end and she herself would never again get to speak another word to him.

  “I am sure he will recover,” Lady Ware murmured, as Lord Hogarth spoke to the driver. “We must trust that he will recover.”

  Esther nodded but turned her head to look out of the window, not trusting her voice. Her aunt was right. They did have to trust that her father would recover, that he would be well again one day soon – but her fears were still building within her. Fears that she could not simply turn away from but rather had to allow to circle within her.

  Lord Westbrook. Esther lifted her chin and closed her eyes. She would think of Lord Westbrook, for that seemed to calm her fractious thoughts. He was trustworthy, dependable, and true. He had taken care of her, had protected her, and had now promised her a future with him, should she wish to accept it, and Esther had no doubt that she would do so. Her heart was filled with none but him, her affection slowly turning to love and that love beginning to burn brightly within her. No matter what was to happen next, she could be assured that Lord Westbrook would always be by her side.

  The carriage lurched alarmingly, making Lady Ware cry out in surprise as Lady Esther clung onto her seat, all thoughts thrown from her mind. What was occurring? They were meant to be returning to the house with all swiftness, but this speed was a little too quick for her liking. Besides which, Lord Hogarth was not yet within the carriage! Frowning, she looked out of her window, seeing a shadowy figure standing to one side, rubbing at his head. She could not work out what had happened or who it was, fearing that Lord Hogarth had been left behind by accident.

  Rapping on the roof, she tried to call up to the driver despite the noise of the carriage wheels on the cobbles.

  “We have left someone behind,” she called, fearing that the driver would return them to the house without the protection of Lord Hogarth. “We must go back for him.”

  Silence was her only response. Esther looked helplessly at her aunt, who was staring at her with wide eyes, and knew she had to try again.

  “We must stop!” she called, louder this time. “Please, we cannot go on without Lord Hogarth!”

  Everything within her began to ring with warning. This was not right. Lord Hogarth should be with them, sitting in the carriage alongside her aunt and ensuring that they returned home safely. And yet, the carriage was now being driven along, haphazardly, through the cobbled streets, without any sign that they were being taken home. The driver was not stopping as she had asked, and he was not speaking to her as he ought, which led Esther to believe that there was something gravely wrong going on at present.

  This was Lord Westbrook’s carriage and Lord Westbrook’s driver. He would not have employed a man he could not trust, Esther was sure of it, and she was quite certain that the driver she had seen before entering the carriage was the very same as had been there before. Therefore, someone must have replaced the driver.

  Unless…

  Her stomach dropped to her toes, one hand at her mouth as she stared in horror at her aunt.

  “What is it?” Lady Ware asked, her face pinched with anxiety. “What is it, Esther dear?”

  Esther blinked rapidly, seeing her aunt’s features illuminated for only a moment by the gloomy streetlamps before being hidden from her again. “Something is wrong. The driver is pushing our carriage to the most ridiculous of speeds, and I do not think…” She had to stop, gasping with fright as the carriage careered around a corner, forcing her to hang onto the strap as her aunt clung to her seat. “I do not think that it is Lord Westbrook’s driver.”

  Lady Ware’s eyes widened all the more. “Then where are we going?” she asked, her voice high pitched and filled with fright. “And what is it that is going to happen to us?”

  Esther closed her eyes, fighting down the urge to panic. Instead, she took another breath and tried to think clearly, thinking of Lord Westbrook and all that he had faced in The King’s League. Surely, there must be something that she could do to prepare herself for what might soon occur?

  “I think it is Lord Hogarth,” she said loudly, as her aunt let out a terrified shriek. “I think he is driving this carriage. He does not intend to take us home, Aunt.”

  “Then where are we to go?” Lady Ware cried, scrabbling hard for the strap on her side that she might hold onto. “And why is he refusing to take us where we are meant to go? I thought we could trust him.”

  “I know,” Esther replied, her heart pounding with fright. “As did Lord Westbrook, but I fear that he is nothing more than a scoundrel.” She was working things out in her head as quickly as she could, realizing that Lord Hogarth, whilst
stating that he was loyal to the king, was, in fact, working for the French. It was the only explanation as to why he was now driving them furiously along the London streets and not taking them back to the townhouse as he had promised. Perhaps he had been unaware of her father’s discovery. Perhaps Lord Westbrook informing him of it had come as a shock and now Lord Hogarth was trying to work out what he ought to do next.

  “We must be prepared,” she said, remembering the attack on her hackney so long ago and how ill-prepared she had been. “Have you a brooch or anything, Aunt?” She fixed her gaze as best she could on Lady Ware, despite them being flung back and forth across the carriage.

  “I-I believe so,” Lady Ware said, trembling furiously. “Here.” She gestured to the front of her gown, where an emerald brooch was pinned. “What will you do with it?”

  It was the only weapon she had, the only chance that they would have to make their escape.

  “I must have it,” Esther replied, gesturing for it with her free hand. “If we are taken, if we are captured by Lord Hogarth, then this may be the only means of escape.” She tried to steady her resolve and build her courage as the street lamps began to fade away, making her realize they were leaving London. “You must run, Aunt. Run hard and in any direction you can. Once you have done so, then hide. Hide until Lord Westbrook comes to find you.”

  Lady Ware shook her head. “I cannot,” she wailed, as the carriage finally began to slow. “I cannot leave you.”

  “But you must,” Esther replied firmly. “I shall make my escape and hide also. Lord Westbrook will find us, Aunt. I am certain of it.”

  By the time the carriage came to a complete stop, Esther’s nerves were so tense that she felt cramped and awkward, sitting poised and ready to leap out at her abductor. Fairly certain that it was Lord Hogarth, she did not feel an ounce of surprise at the sight of him standing in the doorway. In one hand, he held the door and in the other was a lantern, the light illuminating his features and sending a thrill of fear down Esther’s spine.