Page 43 of The Lady No One Noticed

“Were waiting for me?” Esther asked, wanting to confirm it.

“I have been waiting for you all day,” he said in reply, and Esther blushed deeply. He had made her feel as if there was no one else in the room, and Esther loved it. “I saw you enter with your parents and was coming to meet you, but you suddenly disappeared. I was naturally curious and followed,”

Esther’s breath hitched as Ian told her that he had been coming to meet her. The simple fact made Esther ecstatic.

“Would you like some punch?” Ian asked, and Esther nodded. The two made their way towards the refreshment table, and Ian poured punch for them both. She gratefully took the glass from him before the two moved away and found a quiet corner in the ballroom. They wished to talk more privately.

“Did you paint today?” Ian asked, as a way of beginning the conversation.

“I am afraid not, My Lord, I was much too busy today,” Esther replied taking a sip from her glass.

“You had an entire day to yourself! Even I didn’t call on you to disturb you and take away your precious time,” Ian said with a small laugh, and Esther looked at him with widened eyes.

“You could never disturb me, My Lord. I truly love your visits,” Esther replied as if the mere notion of Ian being a disturbance was unbelievable.

“I am aware of that, my darling. I was merely jesting with you,” Ian replied still laughing. He stopped the moment that he realized that he had called Esther his darling. He didn’t know when that became the truth, but it was. Esther seemed to pick up his slip but continued to talk about painting. She was a bit flustered, he was pleased to note.

Esther felt as if she could spend an entire lifetime conversing with Ian. He brought out the best in her and conversations with him were productive, constructive and enlightening.

“Shall we take a stroll about the room? I fear that we will cause comment if we stay here much longer,” Esther said suddenly.

“As you wish,” Ian replied, and the two walked leisurely through the ballroom. They were intercepted by several people along the way and stopped to converse. This prolonged the short stroll, but neither of them cared. Esther simply wished to be beside Ian, and to her amazement, he seemed to feel the same. Anybody watching would believe that they were glued together.

As the two stood in the middle of the ballroom, still involved in conversation, Esther suddenly felt like someone was watching her. The feeling was rather unsettling.. A woman about Madeline’s age was pointedly staring at Ian. Esther sighed as she noticed how utterly gorgeous she was, probably even more so than her sisters. Her dark blue gown made her pale skin luminous and her raven hair was perfect. Esther couldn’t help but suddenly feel plain in comparison to her. She was everything a man would desire. Her gaze was unwavering, and Esther had no idea what the reason behind such an intense look was. Then a terrible thought entered her mind. What if the lady was one of Ian’s former conquests, or worse, his current mistress?

She looked at Ian, who was still talking, oblivious to the stare. Esther wondered if she should question Ian about the woman or simply let it go, but she had to ask him for her own peace, even if the answer could be painful.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Ian noticed Esther was distracted. He was rambling on when he noticed that her attention was elsewhere. Esther’s expression was strange. He noticed that her eyes were locked somewhere else, and he couldn’t help but follow the direction of her gaze.

To his utter surprise, his eyes landed on Lisa, who appeared to be watching them pointedly. He locked eyes with her briefly, then turned to look at Esther.

“Do you know that woman?” she asked without a moment’s delay. Ian sensed a difference in her tone. Ian couldn’t blame her since Lisa was staring at him in an odd manner. He mentally cursed her for worrying Esther and knew that he had to explain things.

“Yes, she is my brother’s wife,” Ian answered, giving no other details.

He wasn’t sure if it was right for him to tell Esther about his past with Lisa. If he told her, she might better understand the reason he had acted so badly over the past three years. It would clear several things between them, which was something Ian wished to do.

“Adam? I haven’t seen him since we were children!” Esther exclaimed as if the thought had just hit her. “You two were so close.”

Ian noticed how Esther’s tense expression had visibly relaxed after he explained who Lisa was. She was a pure soul and couldn’t even imagine the hidden stories behind possible facades.

“Yes, we were close back then,” Ian replied, a fake laugh escaping from his lips. He still couldn’t believe that Adam had betrayed him in such an ugly manner. He had loved his brother with all his heart, and he knew that Adam loved him too. Though today, the two brothers were separated because of a woman. A woman who wasn’t even worth it, Ian was coming to believe.

“I haven’t seen him in London at all. You haven’t mentioned him either,” Esther remarked. Ian was aware that she was intelligent and had excellent observation skills. She remembered small details and must have obviously noticed Adam being out of the picture.

“We have been estranged for the last three years, and he lives in Bath now,” Ian replied, unable to keep the bitterness out of his tone. He no longer shared the same relationship with his brother, and he had no desire to conceal that fact from Esther any longer. She was the kindest woman he had ever come across and would never think badly of either Adam or him.

“Would you like to tell me why? Esther asked, then quickly added, “Only if you want to, of course. I have no wish to pry.” She wasn’t asking him for the gossip, for he knew that Esther was not a fan of gossiping. She never said anything bad about anyone and never spread rumors.

Ian decided to tell Esther the truth. She deserved to know his history with Lisa and how she had betrayed him alongside his own brother. After all, he wished to marry Esther, and even though it was a marriage for his own benefit, he did not want to cause her any pain. Esther had become a friend, and Ian knew she would understand.

“I would like to tell you,” Ian said, his tone hesitant because he was slightly scared of Esther’s reaction.

Esther smiled as she devoted all her attention to him. Ian sighed deeply as her honey brown eyes looked at him unblinkingly. Her stare made him forget all else.

“My Lord?” Esther asked and Ian came out of his trance.