“No! I’ve had enough of the way people speak to Eugenia, and I won’t sit and listen to one more word of it! She’s the best friend I’ve ever had. If it weren’t for her, I would be marryingLord Waltoninstead of reuniting with the Duke!”
“Who is Lord Walton?” Hugh asked, bemused.
All the eyes in the room went to him.
“Never mind that,” Lady Cliffdall said quickly.
“No,” Esther said. “He has a right to know.”
“Esther, for once in your life, keep your foolish mouth shut!”
“Every time I’ve listened to your advice, Mother, it’s steered me wrong,” Esther said. “You said I ought to place more value on wealth than on love, and I nearly lost the Duke by doing so.”
“What happened with His Grace was your aunt’s fault, not your mother’s,” Lord Cliffdall said.
“Except that neither of you believed me, did you, when I tried to tell you what Aunt Tabitha had done?” Esther said. “You insisted that I must have been the one in the wrong. Another example of a time when listening to me would have been the wiser decision.”
Her father shook his head but said nothing.
Esther turned to Hugh. “Lord Walton is a friend of my father’s,” she said. “At least, that’s what I was told. At this point, I’m not sure who to believe. I get the feeling I’ve been lied to about a few things.”
Certainly she had been lied to about whether she could expect loyalty from her parents. Hugh nodded, encouraging her to go on.
“My father was about to compel me to sign a marriage contract with Lord Walton when you arrived,” Esther said. “You saved me from that fate. I’m grateful to see you again for more than just the obvious reason. If you hadn’t gotten here when you did—”
“It might have been too late,” Hugh realized.
Esther nodded. “Exactly.”
Hugh felt a shiver run down his spine. He had known how close he had come to losing her—at least, he’d thought he had known. But now he realized that it had literally come down to moments.
If that contract had been signed, she might have been beyond my reach forever.
It was just one more reason he owed a debt of gratitude to Lady Eugenia for getting him here.
“I won’t be marrying Lord Walton,” Esther said. “Though if it weren’t for Eugenia, I would be. And for that reason, among many others, I won’t listen to this talk about her for another moment.”
Her parents were staring at her as if they had never seen her before. Lady Harcourt looked as if she had just swallowed a live fish.
“Eugenia is the kindest person I know,” Esther said. “She is generous of spirit. And if she lacks the ability to manipulate others that you’ve all so perfected, you ought to consider that that’s a virtue, not a flaw.”
She turned to her father. “You say I’m better than Eugenia, Father. But in many ways, she is better than me. She has known all along what I’m only just beginning to learn. She knows the value of honesty and the importance of love. She would never manipulate someone into giving her what she wanted.”
Hugh stared admiringly at Esther. He had loved her for only a short time, and now he was amazed to see her standing up in defense of her cousin like this. It made his feelings for her even more powerful than they had been already.
Esther now held out her arm to her cousin. “Come, Eugenia,” she said. “Enough of this. Let’s take our leave.”
“Where do you think you’re going?” Lord Cliffdall demanded.
“Out to the garden,” Esther said mildly. “Don’t worry, Father. We’ll take an escort with us. I’m sure there’s a maid or footman out there who would be happy to walk with us.”
Lord Cliffdall looked as if he wanted to object, but he seemed unable to think of any reasonable grounds for doing so. After a moment, he sat back in his chair.
Lady Eugenia turned to Hugh. “Will you accompany us, Your Grace? I’m sure you’d enjoy a look at the gardens.”
“Of course,” Hugh said. “I’d be delighted.”
Lord and Lady Cliffdall looked distressed. Lady Harcourt’s face was unreadable.
