by Ella Edon
Stefan sat up, eyed the whiskey but decided against taking it. He didn't want to, not yet. He needed a clear mind. He had come with his horse and was to head to the orphanage later on. He didn't want to go to see the children smelling of whiskey.
"Papa!" a little voice called. Stefan looked behind him, running from the side of the house, a dark-haired child, tall and skinny, ran towards them. He had on black breeches and a white cotton shirt. His boots were stained with dust — from the market, Stefan presumed.
The child ran into the courtyard, staring at him. With one nod, he turned his head to his father and spoke some words in French. As the exchange went on, Stefan watched the child. His dark hair brushed his forehead and his jaw lined sharply. When he looked back at Stefan, his green eyes were a bit too bright. Brighter than what he had expected. The boy looked just as Eugene had looked like as a boy. Except for his mother's eyes, he was all Eugene.
He walked over to Stefan, a small smile on his face. "J'm'appelle —" he stopped himself, shook his head and tried again. His French accent was barely hidden in his English words. "Good morning, Your Grace." He bowed. "I am Francis Fitzgerald of Sutherland."
Stefan chuckled. He stood up and squatted before the lad. With his eyes glistening and with a wide smile, he pulled the boy in for a hug. Memories flooded in as he did. Agnes had once told Eugene that she would be a godmother to his first child, because to Eugene, Agnes had been like a sister.
As though Eugene read his mind, he smiled and spoke. "Agnes would have loved him."
Stefan nodded. "Agnes loved children."
The lad pulled away from Stefan. "Your Grace, will you teach me archery? Papa says you would."
Stefan grinned. "I most definitely will."
He would teach the boy, but he also had to do so fast as he wanted to meet up with Esther. The orphanage would be busy, and it was an opportunity to make word get to Lord Milway.
* * *
By the time he arrived at the orphanage, it was filled with people. Lady Kendal had wanted to organize a ball for Esther, but Esther had instead told her to throw a small charity ball at the orphanage, for the children. It would be a means to raise funds. Nothing too extravagant, just simple.
He had planned on arriving late, to draw a little bit of attention. Esther had said her mother would invite Lady Alastair and some of the other ladies. The ones who liked to spread gossip. And even, Lady Milway, Nicholas’s mother. A few young ladies would attend, as well as a few lords. He didn't know the details, but Esther had seen this as an opportunity to enrage Lord Milway. And she had assumed that her father was not to be in attendance as he had pressing issues to deal with.
He set out for the orphanage after he had said goodbye to his friend and son. On arriving, he saw that he was just in time. So many carriages were left outside, as well as horses tied to trees.
He alighted the horse and tied him beside the house before heading in.
He was taken aback by the number of guests in the room. Typically, it was only Lady Kinross and Esther or the physician. Now he saw almost the entire ton. His gaze scanned the room, seeking Esther. He spotted her, her head was bent, and her ears were listening to whatever Lady Alastair was saying. Stefan heaved a sigh. He preferred it when he avoided that lady. With no other choice, he walked over to where they stood.
With the tip of his index finger, he touched the small of Esther's back and walked before her to attract her attention. She smiled upon seeing him. And just as they had talked about, he took her hands and placed a simple kiss on them. "Lady Esther, you look most beguiling this fine day."
Esther retrieved her hand and inclined her head. A blush crept to her cheeks. "Thank you, Your Grace." Then, as though she had totally forgotten she was talking to someone, she turned to Lady Alastair. Her eyes were wide.
Stefan swooped in. He averted his attention to Lady Alastair.
"Lady Alastair, fine day isn't it?"
The lady giggled. "Of course, Your Grace. Tis such a fine day. I've seen the wonders you've done at this place. Tis amazing how, upon your very brief return, you have made a massive impact. The children are doing well. Well-fed, good clothes, books...it's magnificent."
Stefan shook his head. This time, he wasn't putting up an act to attract attention. He was sincere. "All the hard work, the time, the change. Tis not my doing most particularly. Lady Esther had devoted herself here for its betterment. I merely visit and leave. Lady Esther is no longer a visitor here." He smiled down at her. "This is like her home. She should be thanked. As well as Lady Kinross. More than anyone here, she has put in effort, patience and time."
Everything he said was simply the truth. Esther was so devoted to the orphanage. At every waking moment she was there, for the children. And he admired that about her. Her patience, her kindness, her loving heart.
Lady Alastair gazed at him in pure delight. After a few seconds of silence around them, the lady touched his arm lightly and sighed. "You're no longer the little lad I used to know."
They all laughed heartily.
"Darling," Lady Kendal walked up to them, her eyes on Esther. "We should start fundraising now. Perhaps you two would like to do so?" She looked between Stefan and Esther. Stefan gazed at her in shock.
"Me? How?"
"We'd simply place something up for sale and raise the stakes. The highest bidder wins."
Stefan turned to Esther for help. She simply shrugged. "This is for the children."
"Do we have items to put up for bidding?"
Lady Kendal nodded, averting attention to herself. "There's a Persian rug, a bow, and a painting."
Stefan nodded. "That seems fine. Lady Esther and I would lead this?"
"You both devote your time here, so why not?"
Stefan shook his head. "Lady Kinross is the matron here. She'd love to do it."
"She was the one who requested that you both do this."
Stefan wanted to argue a bit more, but Esther stopped him. "We'll begin the bidding now, mother. I'll talk to His Grace."
Lady Alastair, who had been watching them quietly for a long time excused herself while Lady Kendal raised a brow at Esther. "Convince him quickly." She left soon after.
Esther smiled up at him the moment her mother was gone. She bit her lip for a few seconds. She looked beautiful doing that. It was only then that he took her in. In a grey-colored dress that matched her eyes, and her brown hair left to fall over her shoulders, she looked like an angel. Her grey eyes shone happily, and her cheeks must hurt because she smiled too much. He yearned to place his palm on her face and tell her how beautiful she was. Not because he needed to, but because he meant it.
And soon, she broke into a grin. "Do you think Lady Alastair bought our act?"
He creased his brows. "What? What — oh. Oh. Pardon my forgetfulness." He blinked. He nearly laughed at himself. Of course, they were acting. Playing roles like people would on stage. He was supposed to act the part of a charming gentleman courting a lady. He was supposed to act the part so that word would get to Lord Milway and he would be blown away with jealousy. How could he forget?
"Are you alright, you seem to be thinking an awful lot." She frowned.
Stefan shook his head. "It's nothing, so about the bidding Esther."
Her smile fell. "Oh, yes, the bidding. I forgot."
"Yes. I'll do it with you. We'll discuss if our plan worked or not after we do this." He winked.
Her cheeks went red, and she turned away immediately, walking ahead of him to where her mother stood, her hair waving in the air as she did. He couldn't help but laugh. They walked over to where Lady Kendal stood, to ask her for the items they were to put up for bidding.
* * *
Lady Kendal was still in the hall, with some other ladies. They had been talking for a long time, and, even when the ball was ended, they were still talking. People had left and were riding home, but Stefan had to stay behind and wait for Esther to leave before he did. It was what a true gentleman would
do. So, while her mother spoke to her ladies, he kept Esther company.
After they had made a lot of money from the bidding, they had to give the records to Lady Kinross. The ladies in attendance had also made pledges to the orphanage which they promised to fulfill in due time.
"Today was a success! I'm so pleased that people are actually giving a lot to these children. They deserve this." Esther smiled.
They were standing by the window, opposite of where some of the ladies stood to converse. His hands were on the slab side of the window, and he gazed into the night. The moon was out, but it wasn't full, it was half. Surrounding it were bright stars. It looked beautiful. He gazed up at it in awe.
"It's so beautiful." Esther smiled. "They remind me of something."
"What?"
"Your eyes," she said casually. "See. With the stars surrounding the moon and behind it, the blue sky has a dark glow. It looks the same color as your eyes."
Stefan clenched his hands where it sat by the window. Lost for words, he kept quiet. He didn't know how to respond to that. He simply nodded, and he wasn't sure she saw him. A moment of silence passed before he finally broke it.
"What do we do tomorrow? Perhaps we could take a walk together on Old Street."
Esther shook her head. "Too open, for such outings. And I'd need a chaperone at my side for that. My papa won't approve of it."
He nodded. That was true. They were after all, only in courtship.
"And I'd be busy. I'm to be meeting my friends for tea," she added.
"Your friends?"
"You may know them. Lady Anne Huntington and Lady Katherine —"
He nodded quietly. "I do. Your very best friends, so I've heard. They are not quite fond of me. Lady Katherine to be exact."
"She's protective of me, I guess. She was there when it all happened. When Nicholas hurt me, she was there. She saw it all. She doesn’t want the same thing happening with you."
Stefan creased his brows. Slowly, he turned to her. "How did Lord Milway hurt you?"
Esther stated firmly. "It doesn't matter."
"Esther —"
"Stefan, I will only speak of what I wish to. Not what you want to hear."
He opened his mouth to protest, but he decided against it. It wasn't his problem anyway. All he wanted was to help her. It didn't matter what Lord Milway had done. What mattered was that Esther was happy in the end.
"Katherine was furious after we announced that I accepted to let you court me. She wasn't thrilled with the idea. We had a fight about it, and I feel guilty, Stefan. I just… Sometimes I get confused, and I wonder if this choice was the right thing." She breathed out in exasperation.
Stefan gazed on at the stars. "Perhaps you should tell your best friends the reason for everything. You should entrust this secret in their hands. They would understand. Friendships are important, Esther. Make peace with them. And of course, they'd needn't worry. I would do no harm to you. Simply talk to your friends, and they will understand. And remember that in friendships, honesty is key."
He looked at her then. She smiled. "I just want them to see that you're a good gentleman. I want them to see you the way I see you."
Stefan sucked in a breath and looked away quickly. He wasn't sure why her words hit him so hard. He wanted to respond. It was at the tip of his tongue. He wanted to tell her that he never cared about how people saw him, only her.
"Esther, darling." Lady Kendal called. "Let's head home now."
Stefan looked down at her. "Make peace with your friends. And I know you all like the theatre. I could accompany you to the theatre on one of the nights you go on with them. Would you like that?"
Esther grinned. "You have to come to see my Papa. Mother says he wants to see you."
His eyes widened. He let go of the window slab and faced her fully. "Is he no longer annoyed at the decision?"
Esther looked confused, as well. "Mama says it’s alright for you to come to see him now. Talk to him about your intentions. Then, you may ask permission to take me to the theatre."
Stefan shook his head and Esther pouted. "We have to do this, Stefan. All of this will convince Nicholas that this is real, remember?"
"Esther," her mother called again.
Esther touched his hand lightly, smiled, and mouthed. “Please."
He tilted his head to the side and nodded towards the door. "Your mother awaits you. Goodnight, My Lady."
She nodded. "Goodnight, Your Grace."
He smiled at her just before she turned her back to him and went to meet her mother. As he stared at her walk away, a funny feeling set in, slowly. He wasn't sure what. Irritation and something else...emptiness, perhaps. He wondered why.
All the conversations they’d had flooded in. He enjoyed every moment, only the mention of Lord Milway had left him sour. He wondered what it was that made him so irked as he watched her walk away. Perhaps, just perhaps, it was the fact that he already missed the sound of her voice.
Chapter Seventeen
The seal of the Duke of York on the letter George had been carrying was enough proof of what she already knew. Stefan was sending her father a letter, announcing that he would come visiting. She walked with her eyes wide and glee taking over her features. Lady Kendal had told her that her father wouldn't mind if Stefan came to visit. That he was expecting him to come to visit. Finally, things were falling into place. All they needed was to pull through with the plan, and the rest would eventually fall in line.
"Darling, is breakfast ready?" Lady Kendal's voice jolted her from behind. Esther whirled around. Her mother stood at the bottom of the stairs, eyeing her curiously. "You're up so early, where are you off to?"
"Well, Anne has invited me to her home."
Lady Kendal walked away from where she stood and headed towards the dining room. "Isn't it too early?"
"She demanded we came early because she had to tend to some work and she may not be available later."
Lady Kendal turned her head briefly towards her daughter and let out a small laugh. "With running a duchy, she's bound to be quite busy."
Esther nodded slowly. They walked into the dining room and took their seats. The clump of boots averted their gazes, and they saw Lord Kendal walk in. Esther had been feeling awkward for the past few days since her father's outburst. Scarily, he said nothing else about it. When Esther greeted him, he responded. But it was nothing more than that. She figured he was still a bit disappointed in her. But what could she do? The deed had been done. The only way to pacify him was by Stefan coming to see him.
Esther was concerned about how it was all playing out. It mattered to her that Nicholas heard and even saw both she and Stefan. She wanted him to be driven by jealousy. The same way he had been at the ball.
"Darling, are you alright?"
Esther looked up. Both her parents had eyes on her. Her cheeks flamed red, and she looked down, nodding. "I'm fine, Mother. Just carried away."
She couldn't help herself, she kept smiling. Stefan was coming to see her father. It mattered to her that her father liked Stefan. It mattered to her that everyone liked Stefan. She stabbed the fork into the ham as she sliced it, thoughts about her last conversation with Stefan flooding her mind. She had told him his eyes were like the sky at night. She frowned. But he had been quiet after she had said that. Certainly, he knew that his eyes were beautiful. Didn't he?
"Esther," her father called. She turned to him abruptly, holding her breath. He raised a brow at her. "Are you well?"
She smiled, genuinely. "I'm fine, Papa. Just a bit carried away."
"You should eat," he muttered before going back to his meal. Esther nodded once. Moving all thoughts of Stefan away, she began to eat.
Minutes after, when they were done eating, her father— as usual — arose, kissed her mother on the cheek, patted her hair — like he had been doing since he found out about Stefan — and walked out of the dining room, calling for Angus. Esther swept her napkin aside and rose as well. She brushe
d her hands across her skirts and stepped away from the seat. She looked up to tell her mother she was off to see Anne, when she saw the Countess staring at her with a small smile on her face.
Her lips paused midway. She creased her brows and smiled jocosely at her mother. "Is everything well, Mother?"
Lady Kendal nodded quickly, still with her small smile on. "You look happier these days, brighter even. And I cannot help but marvel at the light in which your joy sheds, darling."
Esther simply smiled as she was short of words. "Thank you, Mother."
"No, I wasn't complimenting you, dear. I was making a statement."
