by Ruby Hill
Esther’s voice grew quiet and her face fell, her whole body relaxing into a depression. Her gaze moved from his face back to the floor as she felt the enormity of her decision crashing down on her.
“Then what will you do?” Amos asked, softly, moving a little closer to her.
She raised her eyes, water-filled emerald pools, to his own. “I shall marry Lord Thompson,” she whispered. “I can see no other way out.”
His mind going wild at the thought, Amos strode to her, catching her up in his arms and pinning her against the wall. His breath came hard and fast as he watched astonishment climb into her eyes, her mouth opening slightly at the suddenness of his actions. Without even thinking, he dropped his mouth onto her own, kissing her with such a ferocity that she was momentarily stunned, unmoving under his caress. Slowly her resistance began to thaw, and she allowed her arms to twine around his neck, softening her lips as he continued to kiss her.
Amos’s senses were swimming as he pushed his body closer to Esther’s, finding no objection as he pulled the pins from her hair and dug his hands into the fallen tresses. It glided over his hands as he ran his hands through it, down her shoulders and arms. Grasping her hands in his, he angled his head and intensified his kiss.
A sudden knock at the door threw them apart. Gasping for breath, Esther stared at him with terrified eyes, putting a hand to her unpinned hair.
“Duke, I...” Bernard walked in, closely followed by his mother.
The atmosphere grew tense as they each stared at one another.
Bernard spoke first. “I see,” he said, quietly, moving to a chair. “So this is how it is to be? May I congratulate you, Duke.”
Esther took great gulps of air, hastily pinning up her hair as her cheeks flamed red. Whatever had come over her?
“My dear,” Agnes said, coming over to her clearly distraught goddaughter. “Are you all right?” There was not a hint of disapproval in her voice, but Esther stood, humiliated nonetheless. Agnes patted her hand and walked with her to a small couch.
“Heber, I am sorry,” Amos said, walking to the chair opposite and flinging himself into it. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He stapled his fingers and looked honestly at his friend, quite prepared to take anything that Bernard threw at him.
Bernard took a long breath, looking first at Esther, and then back to Amos. “It is quite all right,” he said, heavily. “Whilst I admit I had been hoping that she would become my bride, I know you would not have done this had your heart not been engaged.”
Esther hardly listened, the blood roaring in her ears as she felt her cheeks still hot. She was barely able to look at either man.
Amos swallowed a sudden lump in his throat, hating how humiliated she was. "I must apologize, Lady Esther," he began, using her given name without permission. "I didn't mean for that to happen. I wanted to show both you, and Lord Heber, the respect you deserve, but my heart would not let me."
Esther's head shot up. "I beg your pardon?" she exclaimed. "Your heart?" She let out a mirthless laugh, feeling panic and mortification pulling her under with every moment she spent in his presence. "I know your reputation well, Your Grace. Telling me to make sure the servants do not seek you out for a dalliance? And your previous two housekeepers gone, for similar reasons, I am sure! I am another conquest, no? And I gave in to you so easily."
Amos did not know how to respond, his reputation one of his own making. He had once thought it a good thing, and now it was the biggest stumbling block in his path. Bernard, wishing to ease her discomfiture and the situation, got to his feet and came to sit beside her. Lady Heber, wishing to leave them both alone for a time, got to her feet and moved to talk to Amos, trying to hold back a smile at his embarrassment.
“Lady Esther,” Bernard began, taking Esther’s hand, “I would have married you tomorrow, should you have wished it, but my heart would not have been yours. I know that I said that it did not matter to me, and perhaps it still doesn’t, but wouldn’t you prefer to marry a man who has already starting falling in love with you?”
“It is all a farce,” Esther whispered, refusing to believe it. “I know of his reputation, and I cannot allow myself to be another notch on his bedpost.”
Bernard smiled, patting her hand. "Do not believe everything you have heard about this man," he said softly. "He has encouraged his reputation undoubtedly and, at times, flirted with his staff in a way that ultimately led to their dismissal, but he is not the rake you imagine him to be."
She studied his face for a long time, trying to spot any tell-tale signs of a lie, but she found none. “Truly?” she whispered. “You are not just saying that to make me feel better, Lord Heber?”
He kissed her cheek. "No, not in the least," he said, smiling. "I am not in the slightest bit upset over our proposed engagement being so swiftly at an end. Not when I know you will be vastly happier with him than you could ever be with me.”
Esther got to her feet, thanking Bernard before turning to Lady Heber and Amos. “I am just going to wash my face,” she said, a little tremulously. “When I return, perhaps we can have a conversation, Your Grace.”
Amos got to his feet, moving forward to take her hand. “Please, call me Amos. I will be waiting for your return.”
Gently removing her hand, Esther gave him a wobbly smile before exiting the room.
13
“Esther has been gone for quite some time,” Agnes commented, looking a little worriedly.
Bernard frowned. “It has been quite a while, Duke. Where could she have gone?”
“I’m not sure,” Amos replied, getting to his feet. “Excuse me while I go downstairs to check.”
"I'll come with you," Bernard said, following him from the room. Lady Heber, of course, was not about to be left behind, so the three of them trooped downstairs, only to find her parlor empty. There were only a few servants about, who all quieted their chatter the moment the Duke and his guests arrived.
"Have you seen Mrs. Edwards?" Amos asked the cook, who shook her head. Further inquiries were met with no positive answers, and Bernard, Amos, and Agnes made their way outside, now becoming highly concerned over her disappearance.
“Pardon me, Your Grace," came a quiet voice, and Amos spun around to see a scared looking chambermaid at his elbow.
“Yes?”
“Tis only that there’s been talk that Mrs. Edwards is, in fact, Lord Bertram's lost daughter."
Amos's face lost all its color.
"When did you hear this?" he asked, trying not to sound too severe.
"Within the last couple of days," she replied, her eyes staring at his boots.
“Thank you,” Amos replied, watching her scuttle away. Dread rose in his heart. “If the servants know, I must assume that her father also knows,” he said, seeing Lady Heber’s face whiten.
“What shall we do?” she cried, grasping Bernard’s arm. “If he has her, she will not easily escape him!”
Amos thought quickly, his mind running through various possibilities. “He will want her to marry Lord Thompson as soon as possible,” he said aloud, seeing the comprehension on Bernard’s face.
"So, he will have taken her to Lord Thompson's townhouse," Bernard continued. "That way he can claim she has been staying with him, make it look like some lovers’ tryst. She will have no choice but to marry the man."
Amos did not wait to hear another word, taking off towards the stable, shouting for his horse. Bernard followed quickly, telling his mother to wait behind. She kissed his cheek and bade him hurry, watching them thunder away a few moments later.
* * *
Esther’s eyes fluttered as she became aware of a strong pounding in her head. Lifting her hand, she found her hair wet and sticky, struggling to open her eyes through a haze of pain.
“If you had not struggled, then I wouldn’t have had to hit you so hard.”
Blinking hard to focus her vision, Esther saw her father’s face come into view.
“What h
ave you done?” she asked groggily, struggling to sit up.
Her father studied her with distaste in his expression. “Nothing a father wouldn’t do for his daughter,” he sneered. “Hiding yourself as a housekeeper and thinking the servants wouldn’t talk. Foolish girl!” He sat back, the carriage rocking her from side to side as she tried to remain upright. “Luckily for you, Lord Thompson is most eager to make you his bride. Your foolish ways have not dissuaded him in the slightest.”
“I will not marry him,” Esther replied, resolutely. “You cannot force me.”
“I can, and you will,” her father said, his face becoming red and spittle flying from his mouth. “Should you not, you and I will find ourselves in the gutter.”
Esther closed her eyes, blocking out the light and the sight of his fury. “What do you mean?” she asked, wearily.
Her father let out a wicked laugh that shook Esther to her very core. “Lord Thompson is willing to pay a great deal for you, my girl. He has been watching you for a long time, and we were able to strike quite a deal.”
Esther shuddered. “I am not for sale, father.”
“Oh, yes you are,” he replied, leaning forward. “You are for sale as much as anything else in my possession. You are the most valuable, it has to be said. The price I will get for you will cover my debts and set me up for the rest of my days.”
Esther shook her head, in spite of the pain that shot through it. “I will not marry him, Father.”
He sat back, seemingly unruffled by her words of refusal. “You will have no choice. When you are found at Lord Thompson’s house, you will have to marry him or have such a stain on your reputation that even I will not be able to have you in my house.”
“I shall go to my sister’s house,” Esther replied, panic rising up her throat.
“And mar her reputation also?” her father asked, mocking her. “I should have thought you cared more for your sister than that.”
Esther closed her eyes, not able to find a way out. She knew that her sister would welcome her with open arms, but Esther would not allow her to be besmirched by what would then be her own tattered reputation.
“You have become a monster,” she whispered, keeping her eyes shut. “When did you stop being my father and instead become my captor?”
He said nothing, the turn of the carriage wheels on the cobbled streets the only sound. Esther wanted to cry but refused to allow a single drop of moisture to fall. She would not show any weakness to her father, would not allow another word to pass her lips.
“Almost there,” her father jeered. “I am sure Lord Thompson will be expecting us.”
A sudden sound of hooves met her ears as the carriage began to slow, and the sounds of shouting caused Esther’s spirits to lift. Had the Duke come for her?
14
Thundering down the street and pushing his stallion to its limit, Amos finally caught sight of the Bertram carriage, making its way towards Lord Thompson’s townhouse. Relieved, yet filled with rage, he spurred his horse on, hearing Bernard close behind him.
"Esther? Esther!" he roared, riding alongside it and managing to catch a glimpse of her face before her father pulled the curtain closed. "Stop the carriage!" he shouted to the coach driver. "Stop it now!" Moving his horse directly into the path of the carriage, the driver had no choice but to rein the horses in, and slowly, the carriage stopped moving.
Leaping from his horse, he threw open the carriage door, only to be thrown back as Lord Bertram punched him directly in the face. The force of the blow threw him backward, and, as he scrambled to his feet, he saw Lord Bertram was already dragging Esther from the carriage. Ignoring the blood pouring from his nose, he staggered to his feet and ran to them. Knocking himself bodily into Lord Bertram, he managed to loosen Lord Bertram's hold on Esther's arm and, pushing her behind himself, stood, ready to fight.
“Get out of my way,” Lord Bertram snarled, waving his cane menacingly. “She’s my daughter; you have no right!”
“She is betrothed to me,” Amos growled, his temper close to snapping. It was only by sheer force of will that he stopped himself from attacking the man. Glancing to his left, he saw Bernard stand next to Esther, putting an arm around her to help her stand without swaying.
Lord Bertram's eyes shot from his daughter to Amos and then to Bernard. He knew there was no way he would be able to take on both men and get his unwilling daughter back. The game was up.
"She belongs to me!" he screeched, his desperation beginning to show. "I need her!"
“I am not a possession, Father!” Esther cried, tears streaming down her face. “You do not get to choose my husband. It is a choice I will make for myself! I do not belong to anyone, most of all, you.” She took a few steps forward, her hands closing around Amos’s strong one. Her touch took the edge of his rage as he placed his free hand on top of hers.
“You are despicable,” Amos thundered, never taking his eyes from the Lord Bertram. "A man who would sell his daughter for his own selfish reasons. You disgust me."
He turned away, gently pulling Esther with him. He had nothing more to say, and Lord Bertram could do nothing to stop them.
"Can you ride?" he whispered, feeling Esther tremble. She nodded, allowing him to lift her into the saddle before he pulled himself up in front of her. "Let's go home," he said, turning his horse in the direction of his townhouse, feeling her wrap her arms around him as she leaned her throbbing head against his strong back.
* * *
"Esther, my dear!" Agnes rushed towards her, her face pale and drawn with anxiety.
Agnes grasped Esther’s hands as Amos helped her into a chair, his own face lined with concern.
“Good heavens,” Agnes gasped, seeing Esther’s bloodied head and Amos’s nose. “Whatever’s happened?”
“All in good time, Mother,” Bernard said, putting a gentle arm around her shoulders. “Let’s make sure they’re all cleaned up first; there will be time for questions later.”
Agnes nodded, pulling out a tissue as she dabbed her goddaughter’s cheek. “Of course. Bernard, fetch some hot water.”
“I’ll go with you,” Amos said, standing up.
“No,” Esther cried, reaching for him. “Please, Your Grace, stay with me.”
Amos sat next to her and held her hand. “Of course, I will stay with you. I just need to wipe the blood from my face. I must look quite a sight, and I’m afraid I will scare the servants!” He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I promise I will be right back.”
Esther nodded, her wide eyes showing the extent of her fear. “What if my father returns?”
“He won’t,” Agnes replied, shooing Amos away. “Amos has all the doors locked, and I am quite sure he will not try anything, given the circumstances. For heaven’s sake, the man assaulted his own daughter!” She tried to smile, managing only to cry a little. “I should have kept a better watch over you.”
Esther held her godmother’s hands tightly. “He came out of nowhere,” she whispered. “There was nothing anyone could have done.”
“You are safe now,” Agnes replied, finally managing a tremulous smile. “I am sure Amos will never let you go again.”
* * *
An hour had passed, and both Esther and Amos looked much more like their usual selves. Although, Esther was going to have a sizeable lump on her head for a few days. Esther felt herself growing tired and couldn’t hold back a yawn.
Agnes rose to her feet, also showing signs of weariness. “You are quite sure you are well?”
Esther smiled. “I am, Godmother. I will see you tomorrow.”
Bernard took his mother’s hand. “Come, Mother, it is late. A lot has happened today, and you need to rest. The Duke has had a room prepared for you.” He lifted his hand in farewell as he led his mother from the room.
There was a long silence, but this time, there was peace in Esther's soul. Amos sat next to her, and she had her hand in his, feeling the strength of his grip as he squeezed her hand.
/>
"Thank you, Your Grace," she said eventually, turning her body so she could look into his face. "I cannot imagine what would have happened if you had not rescued me."
He smiled, moving closer and putting a gentle kiss on her forehead, his eyes taking in the beautiful expanse of her long blonde hair, now let down in its entirety, so as not to pain her head further. “Do not think of it, my love. Nothing can come between us now. And if you are to be my wife, we can do away with formalities. Please, call me Amos.”
Esther let out a long, luxurious sigh, reveling in the tranquility she felt as he held her close.
“You will marry me, won’t you, Esther?”
She pulled back a little out of his embrace to look up at him as she gave her response, “Amos, I think my answer is quite obvious.”
A smile spread across his lips. He lowered his head and kissed her softly, running his fingers through her loose curls at her temples. Esther's heart swelled at his tenderness, feeling him hold his passion firmly in check.
“Tomorrow?” he whispered against her mouth.
“Tomorrow,” she replied, taking possession of his lips once more.
Epilogue