AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He could have taken the easiest route to call the man out for a dawn appointment with pistols cocked at Hyde Park—but no, he had chosen another way. And that was slowly dragging him to hell.
When the carriage stalled at his doorway, Felton left the vehicle, and went inside. His dinner had been removed from the table, and he disrobed in silence. He barely got his nightclothes on before he slid under the covers and soon—was dead to the world.
***
Spooning milk and sugar into her tea, Esther felt a lightness inside her heart at the thought of Arthur. The Captain was undoubtedly an exceptional man, and she tried to tell herself that she was not imagining herself as Mrs. Morgan—she failed. Esther knew that Arthur was the only man for her and thanked the stars that she had gone to Lady Ashcroft’s ball that night.
“Esther,” John greeted her as he stepped into the breakfast room, his tone light, and his expression mischievous. “I’m glad I’ve found you. I ran into your dashing captain last night at Whites.”
My dashing captain!
She pulled the tiny silver spoon from the cup and tried to not let her happiness show too much on her face. Taking a delicate sip, she asked, “Good morning, John. How was he?”
“Hm,” John mused while fixing his coffee. “I’d say he’s well. I mention you and marriage in the same sentence, and I dare say he might ask you to marry him.”
Esther nearly upended her cup's contents on her lap but managed to drop the cup onto the saucer. “John! Why would you do such a thing?”
His brow ticked up under his perfectly combed hair, “Why wouldn’t I? I can see it in your eyes that you want to marry him. What would a little prodding hurt?”
“It would make me look like a desperate spinster,” Esther ripped the napkin from her lap and dropped it on the table in a huff of frustration. “Now, when he sees me again, what in the heavens will I say to him?”
“Why would you have to say anything?” John asked. “From what I saw, the man was probably agonizing about the same matter.”
Esther’s head snapped to his, “What?”
John put down his coffee and shook out his newspaper, “When I first saw the chap, he was in a dark corner nursing a brandy. We spoke, and let’s just say the conversation centred around a future with you.”
Against common sense, Esther allowed her secret hope to emerge to the forefront. “And what did he say to that?”
Turning a page, John shrugged, “He did not say, but I believe he gained food for thought.”
The balloon of hope in her heart deflated as if a pin had been jabbed into it. She looked down into her cooling tea with this conflict heavy on her chest. Any sense of hunger vanished from her, and she had to force herself to finish her tea.
“John, that was very thoughtless of you, and please, in the future, refrain from subtly dropping hints or just outrightly putting me on the marriage mart without my consent,” Esther said while standing.
“But why not?” John asked. “It's clear that you would like him to be your husband.”
Esther twisted her head over her shoulder, and her eyes held a mix of impassiveness and fear. “Because I’d prefer such an offer to come from him freely, and without coercion.”
“Esther—”
She left the room and strode to her quarters, trying to battle the hollow feeling trying to envelop her. The conflict came from the uncertainty of trying to know what Arthur felt for her. She paused in her step as she remembered the passion in his gaze when he had kissed her, and she knew he desired her, but was there more to it than lust?
Dare she believe that Arthur loved her? If he did, would he say it, or would he prefer to show it by giving her gifts?
That is if he loves me.
By instinct, her fingers of her left hand drifted to the wrist of her right to dance over the thin circlet there. If he proved his love by objects, would she accept it? Entering her rooms, she spottedThe Countercharmthat she had read halfway through, then her eyes shifted to her bedside drawer where the other one,The Lost Love of Lady Madeline,rested.
Going to her desk, she took up the book and opened it to her marked place. Esther wondered what was going through Arthur’s mind about her when he thought of the book.
A soft knock interrupted her, and Esther looked over her shoulder to greet Margaret, “Good morning.”
“Good morning, My Lady,” Margaret smiled. “I have something for you…” she came around with a silver plate in her hand, and upon it was a note, “It’s from Captain Morgan.”
Nearly dropping the book, Esther managed to close it and picked up the card. Opening it, she read, “He’s inviting me to sled in Green Park and-oh! Skating on the Serpentine River! H-how did he know that I adore skating. I haven’t been in ages! I certainly didn’t tell him.”
Margaret rested her hand on Esther’s shoulder, “Maybe it's providence, My Lady. If he can sense what you like from afar…it could be true love.”
I hope it is, or I’ll be crushed because he already holds my heart.
