“I’m so glad,” Eugenia said. “That’s so generous of you both, Esther, truly.”
“Never mind that,” Esther said. “Just tell us about this gentleman! Who is he? What is he like?”
“Well, in truth, you already know him,” Eugenia said.
“Do I?”
Oh, please don’t let it be that awful Lord Kensington!
But to her surprise, Hugh was laughing. “I knew it,” he said. “It’s Charles, isn’t it?”
“Charles?” Esther repeated.
“Lord Lockwood,” Hugh clarified. “You remember. He came with us to the park.”
“Yes, I remember him,” Esther said. She turned to Eugenia, stunned. “Is Hugh right? You and Lord Lockwood are enamored of one another?”
“I was as surprised as anyone,” Eugenia assured her. “I always thought he was handsome, of course. And he’s utterly charming. Perhaps you remember that I danced with him at the Bolton Ball.”
“I do remember,” Esther said. “You were so happy after that.”
“And you told me that I shouldn’t get to excited,” Eugenia said. “That my mother would never give permission for me to be courted by, much less marry, someone of such low standing in society.”
Esther closed her eyes. “That was an awful thing to say,” she said.
“It was the truth,” Eugenia said. “You didn’t say it to hurt me or to demean Charles. You said it to remind me of something I needed to know—that my mother would never accept a Baron for me.”
“I was still so concerned with status at that time,” Esther said. “Instead of squashing your hopes, I should have found a way to help you. I should have listened to you when you told me how much you had enjoyed the Baron’s company. Perhaps we could have found a way together to persuade your mother.”
“Perhaps we still can,” Eugenia said. “Charles and I know that the road ahead for the two of us will be difficult, but we’ve decided not to give up on one another. I can’t imagine there’s another gentleman out there like him.”
Esther turned to Hugh. “You knew about this?” she asked.
“I guessed,” Hugh said. “I knew that Charles was involved with someone—or rather, that he was harboring feelings. Every time I asked him about it, though, he went quiet. I assumed he was just waiting for the right time to tell me what was going on. Now I see that the right time was unlikely to come any time soon, given that he couldn’t hope to court you openly, Lady Eugenia.”
“My mother has done more damage to my future than anyone,” Eugenia said. “And yet she continues to blame others for damaging my prospects.”
Hugh shook his head. “Charles must have been devastated when I sent word to him that I’d agreed to marry you,” he said. “Of course, I had no idea that he had feelings for you, but still…I’m sure that hurt him terribly.”
“You told him?” Eugenia asked.
Hugh nodded. “I felt I needed to tell someone what was going on,” he said. “Charles has long been my confidante.”
“That’s understandable,” Eugenia said. “But he must have been very upset. I wish I could talk to him!”
“You will, soon enough,” Esther reassured her cousin.
“I should go back to London at once,” Eugenia decided. “I wish I could stay here, Esther, but I have to let Charles know the truth about my so-called engagement.”
“That would mean going back with your mother,” Esther said. “Are you truly willing to do that? I know my parents didn’t express enthusiasm at having you stay, but I feel sure they won’t object.”
Eugenia shook her head. “I’ll have to go back to my mother at some point,” she said. “It might as well be now. It’s not going to get any easier to be around her. And…” She took a deep breath. “Having shared the truth with you, I feel…more confident, somehow. Perhaps I’m ready to tell her about Charles. Perhaps I’m ready to be courted by him openly.”
“You’re so brave,” Esther said admiringly.
“If I am, it’s because you’ve made me brave, Esther,” Eugenia said. “You were the one who reminded me, at my very first ball, how important it was to simply enjoy myself. If it hadn’t been for you, I might not have been able to relax enough to fall in love at all.”
“You’ve also impressed me tonight, Esther,” Hugh added. “You were the one who had the courage to stand up to your parents, and to your aunt, when they tried to exert their will over all of us.”
