But Hugh held up a hand to forestall her words. “It’s all right,” he said. To Caroline, he added, “I’m sure that’s what your mother thought at the time. But I hope to prove to you that I’m not like that at all.”
“Well,” Caroline said, “If you can prove it, maybe I’ll allow you to court my sister. Do you want to play chess?”
Hugh laughed. “Do you know how to play chess?”
“Yes,” Caroline said. “I’m very good.”
“All right, then,” Hugh said.
Caroline went to get the chessboard as the tea cart was wheeled in.
“She likes you,” Esther said to Hugh.
“I hope so,” Hugh said. “I feel as if winning her approval is much more important to our future than winning your parents’ approval would be.”
“It certainly means more to me,” Esther said. “Caroline likes you because of the person you are, not because of titles or money. She’s too young to care about things like that.”
“Hopefully she’ll be able to hold onto that innocence as she gets older,” Hugh said.
“I’m going to try to make sure that happens,” Esther said. “The last thing I want is to see her become the kind of person my parents convinced me to be. I don’t want her going to London in ten years laughing at the idea of finding love. I want her to be able to have what I have.” She gazed fondly at her sister. “That’s what it was always about for me, you know. Not money for the sake of money. It was about providing a future for Caroline.”
“I can understand that,” Hugh said gently. “And I’m sorry I was so hard on you about it. I should have listened. You tried to explain, but I didn’t try to understand. Not until Eugenia told me that I had you all wrong, and that you really did care for me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Esther said. “What matters is that we found our way back to one another in the end. That’s what’s really important.”
Caroline returned with the chessboard and set it up in front of Hugh.
“You can play the white pieces,” she said. “You might as well have an advantage, because I’m very good.”
“She really is,” Esther said.
“How did you learn how to play chess?” Hugh asked, making his opening move. “You’re quite young.”
“Esther taught me,” Caroline said. “She teaches me everything. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
“She’s right,” Esther said with a smile. “We don’t.”
“And we never will, right, Esther?”
“That’s right,” Esther said.
Caroline looked up at her. “Are you going to marry Hugh?”
Esther felt a blush creep into her cheeks.
“You have to answer,” Caroline said. “You promised you would never keep secrets from me. You just said it. You heard her, Hugh, didn’t you?”
Hugh laughed. “I did hear it,” he said. “Checkmate. But I’ll answer this question for your sister, if she’s willing to let me?”
Esther nodded, grateful.
“I would like very much to marry your sister,” Hugh said. “But I’d also like the two of us to have a proper courtship. We’ve spent so much of our time together worrying about what other people thought. I think Esther and I deserve a chance to get to know each other without that worry, and to simply enjoy each other’s company.”
Esther smiled. He had answered perfectly. It was as if he was looking straight into her heart.
“What do you think?” Hugh asked Caroline.
Caroline pondered. “I suppose that would be all right,” she said. “But I think you need to marry her by the time the Season ends.”
