Page 34 of Rescuing Lord Inglewood

Esther checked her hair in the mirror outside the library, pleased it looked neither elaborate nor sloppy. All interactions with Sir Neil were a delicate balance between being welcoming and being rude. She sincerely doubted he wished to befriend her, forever speaking of Silas’s absence as though it was a shocking thing. Although she agreed with some of Sir Neil’s words, she would never let him know it. From the moment she wed Silas, his honor was hers to protect.

She entered the library with her head held high and a pleasant greeting upon her lips. “Lord Neil, what a surprise. You know I do not usually take callers until after noon.”

“But I am a special case, am I not?” he asked, raising one eyebrow and smiling in that cocky way of his. Perhaps another might think him charming. Esther glanced at the clock so as to be certain when a quarter hour passed.

“You are a near neighbor, and I have known you since childhood,” she said, “so I suppose I must grant you some concessions.” Nothing about her words betrayed her dislike for him, which she counted as a victory. She had never had to be so politic in her speech before.

“You are graciousness itself, my lady.” Sir Neil hovered near the fireplace, ostensibly for its warmth.

Esther debated where she might sit without giving him too much encouragement. She chose a chair next to the sofa, and as soon as she was comfortable, he came to settle as near to her as the other piece of furniture would allow.

She did not shift away from him. “It is such a cold morning, I am surprised you ventured out of doors. I had no wish to leave the warmth of my house.”

He adjusted his coat and leaned against the arm of the sofa. “I cannot blame you, my lady. In fact, that is the very reason I came. I know you enjoy being out of doors and I thought this ghastly weather might have caused you some regret.”

“Not at all,” she answered primly. “There is work enough to do indoors, and I have a growing fondness for the library.” She gestured to the shelves of leather-bound volumes, an impressive collection by any standard.

“Ah, your indoor pursuits are as varied as your outdoor adventures.” He sighed deeply and cast his eyes toward the shelves, then shuddered dramatically. “I am afraid I am not one for reading. I prefer much more active sport myself.” He met her gaze with a strange expression in his own. One which made her most uncomfortable.

“Then this weather must be taxing on you, my lord.” She drew herself back in the chair, as much as possible without compromising her posture.

His eyelids dropped halfway, and his smile softened. “Yes, my lady. It is good I have a friend such as you to visit.” The way he said the last word made her think he meant something else entirely. Darting a quick look to the clock, she realized only five minutes had passed. She could not expect him to leave for another ten.

“With whom did you visit before my marriage?” The question hurtled from her too quickly, betraying her discomfort.

Sir Neil moved to the edge of his seat, staring all the while at her with an uncomfortable intensity. “No one in particular, my lady. No one whose company I enjoyed nearly so much as—”

“Good morning.” The deep voice startled her enough that Esther jumped where she sat and Sir Neil abruptly stood, his back to the door neither of them had heard open.

The flood of emotions Esther felt upon seeing Silas standing there were too numerous for her to name, let alone settle upon one. Though relief seemed forefront among them.

Silas, home at last, and come upon her when she most needed rescuing. Esther rose to her feet and went to him, hoping he might sense her distress and play along, pretending to be a doting husband.

While she walked across the room to him, his glare remained on Sir Neil, but the moment she stepped to his side his attention fixed upon her. “My lord, you are returned early,” she said, true pleasure in her words. “I had not looked for you for another week yet.”

To her surprise, her husband’s stony expression melted into a gentler look. He reached out for one of her hands, clasping it warmly in his own. “I had to come home at once, my lady, to see you.” His acting was better than she would have given him credit for. Then, without looking away, he addressed their unwanted guest. “Sir Neil, I hope you will excuse us. I have been away from my bride for too long. Perhaps you can continue your visit another time.”

Then he swept her out the door, not even looking back, which was shockingly rude.

It seemed her estimation of Sir Neil and Silas’s relationship was not far off the mark. They politely tolerated each other, at best. That was something of a relief.

“Silas.” He led her gently to the stairs but paused when she spoke his name. His fingers were still entwined with hers. “Why didn’t you send word you were coming home?”

For a moment his expression darkened, but he shook his head, turning gentle again. “Come upstairs. I have something I must tell you, and it would be best in private.”

“Very well. My sitting room will do.” She drew him along, leading the way by half a step, up the stairs and to the eastward-looking room. She dropped his hand when they entered, a thrill of excitement shooting through her. What would he think of all her work upon the shelves and walls, and her paints scattered upon the tables? Would he be glad she delighted so much in his gifts? She had even begun dabbling with oils, though they were a far less forgiving medium than watercolors.

Esther walked to the window, peering out. The sea was a strip of gray rather than blue, reflecting the dark sky above. Not the cheeriest of backdrops for their first meeting in weeks, but still lovely. She turned to face him, squaring her shoulders confidently. “What do you think?” she asked.

He was not glancing around him with even the least curiosity. Instead, Silas stared down at his feet, and he’d raised one hand to the back of his neck. His eyebrows were drawn down and his lips pressed together in a hard line.

Oh dear. Had she displeased him already?

“Esther,” he said, her name sounding more hesitant when he spoke it than ever before. “I think it best you sit down. My news cannot wait.”

She took in his expression, the dark circles beneath his eyes she had not noticed before, the firm set of his jaw. The air around him hung heavy with purpose and emotion. And then she saw it; the black band around his arm. Someone had died.

Esther took a few steps and leaned onto the back of her favorite armchair. “Silas,” she said, her heart thudding loudly in her ears. “What happened? Not—not Hugh. Or one of their children.” Hadn’t Diana written to her just last week that one of the little girls had a cough and had been sent home from school to be brought back to health?