He certainly did not seem happy when they had arrived back to the house, and he was brooding most of the way. In fact, he didn’t even say goodbye. He simply walked in behind Esther and Ruth and turned down a hallway near the entryway. Before going into their separate rooms, Esther had told Ruth what had happened between her and Harry, and Ruth had assured her that she had done and said the right thing.
“Just a few more curls around your face, I think, Madam,” Rose said, as she moved the hot iron close to Esther’s face. Esther nodded, and she could feel the heat. Though she trusted Rose, she much preferred paper curls. But the iron did a nicer job on her hair.
Esther could see her reflection in the mirror, and she had to admit that she looked quite beautiful. This was a good thing, as she was planning on trying to speak with Lord Wiltshire tonight.
“Perfect, My Lady,” Rose said, as she stepped back with a wide smile. “You look stunning.”
Esther took another look in the mirror, now that Rose had stepped away, and said “You have done a marvelous job, Rose. I greatly appreciate it.” She looked up and saw Rose beaming.
“It is always my pleasure, Madam,” Rose replied. “Shall I look in on Lady Ruth to see if she is ready?”
“Yes, please,” Esther replied. She certainly didn’t want to have to walk downstairs alone and risk running into Harry.
Just as Esther stood, though, she heard a knock at the door. Rose stepped over to answer it, and when she opened it, Esther saw Ruth standing in the doorway.
“You look fantastic!” Ruth said loudly, as her eyes laid upon Esther. Her sister was one who sometimes forgot her manners.
Instead of scolding her, Esther simply smiled at her sister. “You look amazing, too, Ruth.”
“Are you ready to go downstairs? I would like to mingle with the other guests before dinner,” Ruth said.
“I am ready,” said Esther as she stood. She then turned to Rose. “Thank you so much, again, Rose.”
Rose smiled and nodded, and then Esther turned to walk down to the drawing room, hoping that the hallways would be free of Harry.
* * *
Allan wasn’t quite sure what was wrong with Harry, but since he had gotten back from his ride, he thought that his cousin was avoiding him. In fact, when Allan walked back into the house and began to make his way upstairs to dress for dinner, he saw Harry sitting in the library as he passed. Allan smiled and nodded, but Harry, who had obviously seen Allan, just sat there with his normal, brooding expression.
“Is that tailcoat acceptable, My Lord?” Harley asked him as he gestured to a dinner jacket hanging near the wardrobe. “If not, we also have this one.” Harley held up a second tailcoat.
“The one you have out and hanging is perfect,” said Allan, as he sat staring at himself in front of the mirror. His silk breeches were on, but he had yet to put on any shirt. He was facing the mirror, and his body looked normal. He could see the muscles beneath his skin, and a bit of ginger colored hair covering his chest. He knew, however, if he turned ever so slightly to the right, the scar that started at his left shoulder would be visible.
It had taken him several years to even be comfortable around Harley with his scars, and now, thinking of the possibility of others seeing them, he cringed. Of course, he was thinking of both Lady Esther and Bridget, but in this case, Bridget had already seen his body. So it wasn’t as intimidating to think of being intimate with her.
The thought of being with a lady like Lady Esther, however, was totally frightening to him. She was stunningly beautiful, and he simply couldn’t see how she would ever want to be with someone who was so broken and scarred. He felt he wasn’t worthy of her beauty.
“Your shirt is ready, My Lord,” Harley said, as he brought it over to Allan. Harley helped him to slip it on, and then brought his waistcoat over. Made of silk with a stiped pattern, Allan thought that it looked perfect for a dinner such as this one. The cravat was tied, and then, Harley also brought the tailcoat over from the wardrobe.
Allan slipped his arms through, and Harley pulled the coat over his shoulders. Allan then turned towards Harley, who began adjusting the buttons and examining it for debris. He took a brush, and began moving it across the surface, ensuring that the coat was totally clean.
“What do you think, My Lord?” Harley asked with a smile.
“Splendid,” Allan replied. “Very nice, Harley.”
Allan smiled, and took a final look in the mirror. He looked the best as he possibly could, considering what was lurking beneath his clothing. He turned to Harley, said “Thank you,” and then made his way out into the hallway.
Allan walked down the length of the hall, stopping briefly to admire a statue, which sat on a pedestal. It was a bust of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love.
As he turned from the bust to walk towards the stairs, he saw his cousin, Harry, coming towards him. He was not smiling, nor did he seem happy to see Allan.
“Are you all right, Harry?” Allan asked as Harry approached him.
“Yes, of course,” Harry said flatly. “Why?”
“You seem a bit down,” Allan replied.
“Oh, no,” Harry responded. “I feel quite happy.” He immediately showed a forced grin. “See? I’m even smiling.”
Allan didn’t like Harry’s tone, but he chose to ignore it. Instead, he said, “Are you heading down to the drawing room? I thought a glass of Scotch would be nice before dinner.”
“I am,” Harry said, and began walking, not showing any indication that he wanted Allan to go with him. But Allan followed.
He didn’t know what was wrong with Harry, but this type of behavior wasn’t unusual to him. The truth was, this was more normal for him than the happier Harry that he had been portraying recently.
Allan followed Harry down the stairs and watched as he simply walked by the staff who were greeting him without even responding. Harry walked through the door of the drawing room, and immediately took a glass of Scotch from a waiting footman’s tray. Allan, too, took a glass and began to look around. Harry had already sat down next to a couple who were unfamiliar to Allan and seemed deep in conversation.
Allan turned towards the other end of the room. He saw Lady Ruth and Lady Esther speaking with Mary, and he couldn’t help but follow the curves of Lady Esther’s body with his eyes. He took a sip of Scotch and waited for the warmth to move through his body. Her hips were full and were well proportioned with her breasts, which were larger than both of her sisters’.
As Allan continued to stare, suddenly, Lady Esther’s head turned, and her eyes met his own. He felt a surge of energy flow through him, and he felt it directly in his manhood. She smiled at him, and Allan felt his knees go weak. He was not able to keep eye contact because he felt she was looking through him. He felt exposed, and then moved his eyes down.
Allan looked down at the floor, and then felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned quickly and found himself looking at his cousin, Edward. He was grinning widely, and he, too, held a glass of Scotch.
“Oh, Edward,” Allan said, “I didn’t know you were already here.”
“I wasn’t,” said Edward with a puzzled look on his face. “I just walked in. Didn’t you hear Bolt?”
Allan must have missed Bolt announcing that Edward had arrived. He was too focused on Lady Esther.
“I didn’t,” Allan said with a chuckle. “I must have been distracted.”
Edward laughed. “It’s perfectly fine, Cousin. I’m glad to have some time to talk with you. I feel as though I have been terribly busy over the past two days.”
“Yes,” Allan said, and then he grinned wide. “It has been hard to get your attention.”
Edward chuckled again. “How has your visit been?”
“It has been wonderful, as always,” Allan said. “The hospitality has been outstanding, and the company has been impressive.”
“Excellent,” said Edward, taking a sip of his Scotch. “How did you spend your time today?”
/> “Oh, I went around the property early this morning, and I just enjoyed the countryside. It was nice to see some of the places I remember from our youth.”
“Yes, I do that too,” Edward said with a smile. “It is nice to revisit those memories, isn’t it?”
“It is,” Allan agreed. “We had happy childhoods.”
It was true. Allan, Edward, and Harry did have happy childhoods, and Allan was always high-spirited and a charmer, but that was before the war.
“Were you able to see the horses?” Edward asked.
“I did,” said Allan. “Not only did I get to see them, I got to ride. It was great to get out and on a horse again.”
“Your face just lit up,” said Edward. “So I know that you are telling the truth.”
“Yes,” Allan said excitedly. “It was quite enjoyable. Harry, Lady Ruth, Lady Esther, and I took a walk around the grounds, too.”
“Oh?” said Edward. “Harry finally got Esther to take a walk with him. I’m a bit surprised. From what Mary has said, she doesn’t have much of an interest in him.”
Things are starting to make sense now.
“I’m not sure she does,” said Allan. “Between you and me, I don’t think that the walk ended like Harry wanted it to. I stayed behind, but he walked the ladies back to the house. When I got back, Harry was quite sullen.”
“Ah,” Edward said, taking another sip of Scotch. “That would make a lot of sense. I’ll try to talk to him about it. I hate to see him upset, but if she’s not interested, she’s not interested. Perhaps he is just jealous that I have found happiness with Mary, and that you have a prospect.”
Allan thought quickly. How would Edward know that he had been thinking about Lady Esther?
“I have been thinking about that, actually,” Edward said. “Who am I to say who you should court? If you want to court the doctor’s daughter, I support that.”
Oh, he’s talking about Miss Bridget.
“I appreciate that, Edward,” Allan said with sincerity.
“What do you appreciate?” Harry interrupted coldly. He had a way of breaking into conversations that he was never supposed to be a part of.
“We were just talking about Allan and the doctor’s daughter,” Edward explained. “But you will have to excuse me. I must go greet my guests.”
Allan watched as Edward walked away, and then turned to Harry who said, “Are you still interested in Miss Crampton?”
“Of course,” Allan said assuredly, and truthfully. Even though he had eyes for Lady Esther, it didn’t mean that he had given up on the thought of Bridget.
“Oh, that’s great,” Harry responded, and Allan could see his mood change from moping to happy in a matter of seconds. What does this mean?
“Perhaps we should create a plan for when you see her,” Harry said. “Do you think?”
“I don’t know,” said Allan. “I thought that I would keep it simple. Perhaps ask if she and her father’s assistant might want to walk through the city.”
“Oh, Allan,” Harry said happily. “She doesn’t need a chaperone. She’s not a lady, at least yet.”
“I know,” Allan said, feeling a bit offended that his cousin had said that about Bridget. “I would prefer it, though.”
‘It’s a good idea, as I said before,” Harry said. “I was just going to see if you could come up with another idea to woo her.”
“I don’t necessarily want to woo her from the start,” Allan said, “But I would like to get to know her a bit better. At least reconnect a bit.”
“You said she seemed interested?” Harry said.
“Yes,” Allan replied. “She did.”
“Then you probably won’t have to try too hard,” Harry said with a wink.
Allan laughed and started to look around. There were many more people in the room than before. Harry walked over to speak with another couple, and Allan was, again, alone with his Scotch. He used to be so charismatic, but since his injury, he was timid and quiet.
“Lord Wiltshire, I presume?” An older gentleman had approached Allan.
“Yes,” Allan replied. “And you are?”
“Lord Salington,” the man replied. “I have known your cousins for many years. Daftwood was going to introduce me formally, but as the host, he’s a busy man.” Salington laughed. “I was in the British Army, too, so we have something in common.”
“Oh,” said Allan. “Pleasure to meet you.” The men shook hands.
“I also understand that you are friendly with General Oliver Blackmore,” Salington said.
Allan smiled. “Yes, he and I are very close. He’s like a brother to me.”
“Did you serve together?” Salington asked.
“We did,” Allan replied. “In fact, he saved my life at the Battle of Waterloo.”
“Oh, amazing,” said Salington. Allan could tell that he was a typical military man, loud, boisterous, and intense. Oliver could be like that, too. “I fought at Waterloo, too, and I, too, was injured.”
“Oh?” asked Allan. Could this man understand what my life is like?
“Broke my nose and my arm, but I kept fighting!” Salington continued. “Thought I wouldn’t make it out of there alive, but I prevailed.”
Allan was disappointed. He would hardly call a broken nose and arm a life-altering war injury.
“There were a lot of injured men,” Allan replied.
“What was the extent of your injuries?” Salington asked.
“I was caught up in an explosion and thrown several feet,” Allan explained. “My back was ripped apart. If Oliver hadn’t been there to pull me out of the battle and get help, I surely would have died.”
Allan wanted to keep it as simple as possible if he had to talk about his experience.
“I’m very sorry to hear that,” Salington said. “Those injuries were quite severe, it sounds like.”
“Very severe,” Allan said. He was now caught in one of those conversations about who had a more severe injury. In his mind, the only person could beat him in that regard was a dead one.
“How long was your recovery? Mine was about seven weeks before I could start using my arm again,” Salington said.
“Several months,” Allan replied. “They kept me alive, but on opium, so I don’t remember much of it.”
“I see,” said Salington, realizing that he had lost the battle of the injuries. He tipped his glass at Allan. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Lord Wiltshire,” and he walked away.
Allan was happy about this, as he didn’t like the man from the start. And now, he had the war on his mind, again, a thought that he never welcomed, thanks to this gentleman.
He took a long drink of Scotch in an attempt to numb his mind, but Allan knew that it wouldn’t help much. He would just have the flashbacks later in his dreams.
Chapter 15
The sound of merry laughter was like music to Esther’s ears. She had just had a fantastic meal, a wonderful conversation with a lovely lady, and now the desserts were coming out.
They were decadent, and she could see Ruth’s eyes across the table widen as the cakes and puddings passed her. The footmen were filling wine glasses again, and Esther looked around the table gazing upon the happy faces.
As she looked down at the far end of the table, she noticed that one person looked like they were not having a good time: Lord Wiltshire. In fact, he looked quite sad. She wondered what was wrong.
Esther took another sip of wine, and she could overhear the conversation that Ruth was having with Lady Salington, one of Edward and Mary’s acquaintances. Lady Booth was also speaking with them. She didn’t know Lord and Lady Salington, but she had seen Lord Salington speaking with Lord Wiltshire in the drawing room. She did know Lady Booth, though she was not fond of her.
“The artist recently passed in an accident, and now his sculptures are expected to significantly rise in value,” Lady Booth said to Ruth and Lady Salington. “An art expert, such as myself, can see this before others.�
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Esther always saw Lady Booth as a vain and arrogant person, and just hearing her speak to the other ladies verified that.
“Lord Booth and I have an extensive collection,” Lady Booth continued on, “But we don’t often allow others to see it. Only the closest of our friends.”
It was difficult for Esther not to roll her eyes at this. She always had difficulties understanding why someone of Lady Booth’s standing wouldn’t use her influence in other ways, such as helping orphans. Instead, she was using it to prove how wealthy she was. Ruth, however, looked like she was very interested in Lady Booth’s arrogance.
Lusting For The Broken Earl (Steamy Historical Regency) Page 13
