Page 10 of Duke of Emeralds
His gaze held hers, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. “Pray tell, what have ye witnessed?”
Hester swallowed nervously, her heart weighing heavy at the recollection of her mother’s state. “It is a matter you need not concern yourself about,” she dismissed.
Thomas regarded her for a moment, his gaze softening. “Well, whatever it is, this arrangement seems most convenient for you then. I cannae offer love, and you do not even want it. Sounds like the perfect match.”
Hester took a deep breath, her shoulders relaxing slightly. “Very well,” she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her.
Thomas’s eyes lit up with a mixture of triumph and warmth. “I take that as a yes then?” he asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
Hester met his gaze, her own lips curling into a smile. “I will marry you, Your Grace,” she finally accepted, her heart fluttering with a strange blend of excitement and trepidation.
“Thomas,” he said, his voice deep yet soft.
Hester regarded him with a questioning look, her eyebrows lifting slightly.
“I would like for me wife to call me Thomas,” he clarified, his eyes never leaving hers.
Hester couldn’t help but chuckle, her heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. “I am not your wife yet, Thomas,” she said then chuckled.
He was a man who did not wait after making his decisions, she was coming to observe. “We will just have to rectify that now, won’t we?” he laughed. “I would like to speak to your brother and formally offer for you.”
Hester’s heart raced. “Well, he…” She began to tell him that her brother was not home, but just then, Leonard appeared from the direction of the stables.
“Oh, there he is,” she said, filled with relief and a touch of surprise.
Leonard was indeed surprised to see the Duke, his eyebrows lifting as he approached them. “Leo,” she smiled. “May I present His Grace, Thomas Green, the Duke of Lushton.”
“A pleasure, Your Grace.” Leo bowed, visibly making an effort to conceal his surprise.
“I was hoping to speak with you privately,” Thomas said.
“Certainly. We can speak in my study.”
Hester watched them leave the gardens, her heart pounding and her thoughts in mild chaos.
After Thomas’ departure, Leonard found Hester. “I didn’t realize you two were well acquainted, Hester,” he said, his gaze searching her face.
“It… happened unexpectedly,” Hester replied, avoiding his eyes. She did not wish to go into the details of how Thomas had found her in tears after Townstead’s rejection.
Leonard looked thoughtful for a moment. “But is this what you truly desire, Hester? Do you wish to marry him?” he asked.
Hester nodded, her throat tight with emotion. There was such earnestness and concern in her brother’s eyes that she couldn’t trust herself to speak without giving way to tears. She looked down at her hands, twisting her skirts between her fingers.
It was time she removed herself from the marriage mart as Thomas had suggested. It was time she stopped disappointing her mother and brother, even though they had never considered her a disappointment. An offer like Lushton’s did not come every day, especially to someone like her. She took a deep breath, her shoulders squaring with resolve. It was an opportunity she would be foolish to waste.
“Very well, dear sister,” Leonard said, his hands gently squeezing hers. “If this is what you truly desire, then I give my blessing.”
She wanted to make her mother smile, to quit lying to her. Even though she wouldn’t be entering into the kind of union the woman dreamed for her, at least she would be off the marriagemart. She would have security, a good life. And so far, the Duke seemed like a decent gentleman, nothing like the cad Townstead had been to her.
But did he maintain this decency even at night? An anxious little voice in her head prodded as she recalled Nancy’s words about him. She shook her head, dismissing the thought. Those were only ridiculous rumors. Werewolves were things that existed only between the pages, figments of people’s wild imaginations.
Hester’s heart ached with a mix of relief and sadness. “It is high time. I cannot continue to let you and Mama down,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled with her emotions.
Leonard’s grip on her hands tightened, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had begun to fall. “Do not speak of yourself as a disappointment, Hester,” he said, his voice firm yet gentle. “You’ve never been and never will be a disappointment.”
At this point, Hester lost the war. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, followed by another, and another. Leonard pulled her into a warm embrace, his arms wrapping around her protectively.
“I only want what is best for you, dear sister,” he murmured, his hand stroking her hair. “I want you to be happy. And I am sure Mother desires nothing but the same for you.”
