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“Esther?”
It was Lord Westbrook. She knew that voice. It was her protector come to find her and save her from the clutches of Lord Hogarth.
“Esther?” Lord Westbrook said again, a catch in his voice. “Say you are not gone from me, my love. Say that you are still of this world.”
She felt his hands on hers, his fingers gentle on her cheek, and she forced herself to move. With all the strength she had, she forced her eyes to open, dragging in what felt like the longest breath of air she had ever taken.
A burst of sobbing came from her left.
“She is awake, Lady Ware,” Lord Westbrook said gently, looking down at Esther as she blinked sluggishly, trying to focus on his face which was nothing but shadows and shapes. “Esther? Are you able to sit up? You were hit by one of the horses and fell.”
Swallowing, Esther held Lord Westbrook’s hand with as much strength as she could, seeing his face slowly become clear. There was a lantern being held by Lady Ware, allowing her to see everything with clarity.
“You came,” she whispered, as his strong arm went behind her, helping her to sit up. “You came to find me.”
“I did,” he replied, his hand tight about her shoulders. “I did not know of Lord Hogarth’s treachery until only a short time ago, else I would never have allowed you to go with him.”
Esther sighed and leaned her head against Lord Westbrook as he crouched beside her. Lady Ware, still weeping, pressed one hand to the top of her head. “We are safe now?”
“Yes,” he murmured, his chest rumbling. “You are all safe. Your father is in the depths of a fever and is being taken to his townhouse at this moment. Lord Hogarth has been captured by Lord Watt and will be tried for treason to the Crown – as will his associate, Leadsom.”
Esther blinked, trying to make sense of all that was being said but feeling her mind slower than usual. “Leadsom?”
“The man with the scar,” Lord Westbrook explained. “Your father has been held captive for some days, as they have tried to force him to tell them the whereabouts of the cipher.” His voice rang with pride. “But Lord Leighton told them nothing. The cipher is safe, and once we have it again, we shall be able to decipher the book and ensure that those named within it are caught and tried.” His hand tightened on her shoulder as she lifted her head. “Your father is a very brave man, Esther.”
“He is,” Lady Ware agreed, as Esther began to try to stand up. “As is his daughter.” Quickly, she told Lord Westbrook what Esther had done, how she had saved Lady Ware and then used the brooch to defend herself.
“But we were almost caught,” Esther murmured, as Lord Westbrook rose to help her to her feet. “Had you not appeared at that very moment, we might now be under his control.”
Lord Westbrook sighed and held her close, and Esther leaned into him, hearing her aunt move away as the lantern light faded just a little.
“You are safe,” Lord Westbrook told her gently, his words only for her alone to hear. “I shall not be parted from you again, my love. After all that has occurred and all that you have endured, I am determined that you shall know nothing but safety and security for the rest of your days.” He bent down and kissed her forehead lightly, his arms about her waist and his strength allowing her own fortitude to grow. “What you have done, Esther, the courage you have shown and the determination that has been evidenced time and again – I am in awe of you.” She looked up at him, seeing the warmth in his eyes. “When I thought I might lose you to Lord Hogarth, when I feared we would be too late, my future opened up to me like a darkness, like a terrible fog that I might never escape from.” His expression clouded for a moment, making her heart ache for him. “When I saw you lying here, I…” He trailed off, his voice cracking with the emotion of what he felt, and Esther shook her head before sliding her arms about his neck.
“Do not think of it now,” she whispered, as he held her close, his forehead resting against hers. “That has not come. That fate did not reach us. We are safe. I am well, and Lord Hogarth did not succeed. All is at an end. We can look to our future now, Westbrook. There is nothing left for us to fear.”
He let out his breath slowly, and Esther felt it brush across her cheek. Drawing in a deep breath, she lifted her head and looked up into his face. “Will you take me to my father, Westbrook?” she asked, a sob catching in her throat as she thought of her poor, dear papa, lying on his bed in the depths of delirium. “Will you take me to him, please?”
“At once.” Lord Westbrook leaned down, kissed her cheek, and then turned to lead her back towards the carriage, his comforting arm about her waist as they walked together. Esther leaned into him, wanting to be close to him, never wanting to separate herself from him. It was as she had said. All was now at an end, and they could now consider their future together. Nothing would separate them now. They were bonded together, their love for each other forged together by the fire of their difficulties. But they had come out from it with a stronger bond than ever before, a bond that Esther knew would not ever be broken. She would belong to him and he to her, for nothing could separate them now. The danger was passed. She had made her escape, and he had come to her rescue. Nothing would separate her from him now.
* * *
“He is very weak.”
Esther nodded, her hands twisting together as Lady Ware came to stand beside her.
“I have managed to reduce his temperature a good deal,” the doctor continued. “It is not the way of other doctors, Lady Esther, but I find that it produces better results.” He opened the door and Esther was immediately hit with a wall of cold air, making her shiver violently. “Please, come in.”
Esther hurried inside despite the cold, looking desperately about the room only to see her father lying in his bed, his face grey and his eyes closed. Quite what the doctor had done to make the room so cold, she did not know, but when she touched her father’s forehead, it soon became apparent that, despite the chill, he was still very hot indeed. He did not move nor speak when she spoke his name, sitting down in a chair beside him and grasping his hand.
“He has been through a great ordeal,” the doctor said gently, coming to Lord Leighton’s other side and shaking his head gravely, his white hair seeming to float above his head as his sharp, blue eyes looked ponderously at Lord Leighton. “I will not say that I understand why he has endured such things, but he has been very badly beaten on at least two occasions.” He threw a sharp look towards Esther, who felt her eyes fill with tears as she nodded jerkily. She could not tell the doctor why such a thing had occurred but instead merely accepted such a truth from his lips. Her father was one of the bravest men she knew, Esther thought, bending her head to press her father’s hand to her cheek.
“Will he recover?” she asked, her voice hoarse and filled with dread as she forced herself to remain silent, listening for the answer she did not truly want to hear.
The doctor cleared his throat, making Esther look up. Much to her surprise, he was smiling gently which, in turn, made her heart cry out in relief.
“Your father is a very strong man, Lady Esther,” the doctor said quietly. “He has endured a great deal and yet has not given up. I am certain this fever will break soon and that he will recover.”
Esther closed her eyes and began to sob with relief, as Lady Ware came to settle a hand on her shoulder.
