Page 28 of The Lady No One Noticed

“You seem to know quite a bit about her.” Ian commented with raised brows. He had no idea why Jack’s comments about Esther bothered so much, as that was had been his intention, but he wanted Jack to stop talking about her that way. He was suddenly feeling very protective of Esther even from his own friend.

Jack motioned to the footman to bring another round and Ian didn’t object. He hadn’t been out drinking for quite some time and wanted to stay at White’s a little longer.

Ian once again thought about Esther as he gulped down his drink. He knew that Jack would probably not understand it but there was much more to Esther than being a mere wallflower. She was a lovely person with an excellent mind. Ian knew that in her, he would not only find a wife but also a friend, someone he could feel close to. Someone who would understand him and care for him. He had a feeling that she was falling for him already, and even though he did not wish to hurt her, he knew he had to keep to his plan.

Now that he was permitted to court Esther formally, he could soon propose marriage to her. This would fulfill the ultimatum his father had given him and he could go on with his life as he saw fit.

But as happy as he was that his plan was progressing well, he couldn’t but feel a bit bad for not being entirely honest with Esther. To console himself he thought that he had at least saved her from a bad marriage to Fergus.

“Let’s go play whist,” Jack said, standing up, and Ian followed in his wake. He couldn’t help but think he would end up hurting Esther by following his selfish desires, but his course was set. He would never marry for love. Esther would learn to live with it and he would make sure she had everything she desired except his heart.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Esther woke with a start, and a sharp sigh escaped her lips. She opened her eyes in the semi-darkened room and realized the sun wasn’t entirely up yet. She had been having a nightmare, but the details eluded her now. Her brow was coated with a thin sheen of sweat, and she quickly wiped away the perspiration before sitting up.

She had been restless all night, sleep feeling like a foreign entity. Her mind had been burdened with thoughts of Fergus with her father. What if her father had agreed to wed her to Fergus, and she was betrothed to him now? Her eyes widened in horror. If that happened, she wouldn’t be allowed to meet with Ian any longer, and that saddened her even more than the prospect of marriage with Fergus did.

“Oh, it is hours till I have to go down for breakfast,” she whispered to herself. She wished she could barge into her father’s room this very moment and ask him straight away what had happened between him and Fergus. Her heart was in torment, and she needed a concrete answer or she would fall sick with worry.

Her picnic with Ian was also set for today, but Esther couldn’t even feel excited about that. It was as if her life was caught up in an endless turmoil, and she wished to escape the storms that were encircling her.

She got out of bed and paced the room waiting for the horizon to be graced with the presence of the sun. Soon enough, Ruth walked inside her room and seemed confused as she watched Esther pacing from left to right.

“My Lady, you are already up,” Ruth said, bobbing in front of Esther. Esther walked quickly towards her and clasped both her hands tightly.

“Ruth, when did Father return home last night?” Esther questioned fervently. Ruth must have noticed the wild expression in her eyes but didn’t comment.

“I do not know the exact time, My Lady, but it was rather late,” Ruth answered truthfully.

“Did you see his expression? Did he look happy or glum or angry?” Esther asked, trying her best to find out anything she possibly could.

“He looked exactly like he always does, My Lady, expressionless,” Ruth answered, and Esther sighed in resignation.

She raked a hand through her hair, not knowing what to make of the situation. The only way to know what had happened was asking her father directly. When breakfast time finally came around, she got dressed as quickly as she possibly could and descended the stairs to reach the dining room. Her father, mother, and Astrid were already seated, and Esther walked inside demurely, trying to grasp the situation from their expressions.

“Good morning,” she murmured as she settled down in the empty chair. She was served tea by a servant, and held the warm cup in her hands, not knowing how to broach the subject.

“How are you this morning, Esther darling?” Her father asked jovially, and Esther noticed that he looked a little too happy.

Oh, god, I hope that doesn’t mean that he arranged my marriage already.

“I am well Father, how are you?” she questioned, trying to smile for her father’s sake.

“I am excellent,” he replied before standing up from his chair. Esther’s heart fell as she thought he was leaving without announcing anything, but she was proved wrong when he cleared his throat to gain the attention of the three ladies of his household.

“I have an announcement to make,” he said before turning to look pointedly at Esther. His happiness made Esther believe that Fergus must have asked for her hand in marriage, and he had obviously agreed. There was no other reason for him to make an announcement in front of everyone during breakfast. She felt her heart break into a million tiny pieces before he even said anything, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to take the news.

She wished to step out of the dining room, not willing to subject herself to such torture.

“Stop creating unnecessary suspense, Wilson. Get on with it,” Her mother said impatiently, and her father chuckled.

“Ian Gilbert asked for my permission to court Esther formally, and I gave him my blessing. I am sure he will be asking for your hand in marriage very soon, Esther,” he announced, and Esther felt as if she would faint.

Not even in her wildest dreams could she imagined this. Her mind had been so focused on Fergus that she hadn’t even considered that the announcement might be about something related to Ian. Esther had never felt happier, and her expressions showed it. A blush crept onto her pale skin, and she couldn’t stop smiling. She couldn’t believe that Ian had been so straightforward with his intentions and wished to court her properly.

Her mother's gasp forced Esther to turn and look at her, and she noticed how her face was scrunched up into a frown.

“What do you mean you gave Lord Gilbert your blessing to court Esther? What about Fergus? I thought he was going to ask for Esther’s hand,” her mother exclaimed, and Esther wanted to roll her eyes. She had no idea why her mother was set on getting her married to Fergus despite being aware of all his shortcomings. It was as if Esther’s happiness didn’t matter to her at all.