“My dear Lady Esther,” the Duke said, “if there is one thing you’ll learn about me, it’s how highly I value the truth. Of course I want you to be honest.”
Esther sighed. “I don’t mean to be unkind,” she said. “But the truth is that the gentlemen haven’t been much to my liking thus far.”
“Not very entertaining?” the Duke asked. “Or too quick to round corners, perhaps?”
“Oh, you’re mocking me!”
He was smiling. “It was an inauspicious beginning for us, but I’d like to think that we can laugh about it now,” he said.
Esther smiled. “Perhaps we can,” she said. “In truth, I had hoped that you would forgive me for the way I spoke to you. I know it was impolite. I was distraught about other things.”
“What things?” the Duke asked.
“It has to do with what you asked me already, about the other gentlemen at the ball,” she said. “I don’t wish to be ungrateful, but everyone seems to gravitate toward me while ignoring my cousin. I fear her feelings will be hurt.”
“You are kind,” the Duke said. “I’ve known many a lady who would have been happy to have the attention, even if it meant that a sister or a cousin or a friend went ignored. After all, this is the Season when young ladies are in search of gentlemen to marry, and the competition is fierce indeed.”
“It is,” Esther said. “My Aunt Tabitha certainly thinks that way. She would have Eugenia and I view one another as rivals. But I can’t think of my cousin as an enemy. She is so sweet and kind, and she only ever wants to please people. She is the only friend I have in London. I can’t bear to see gentlemen treat her as if she’s unworthy of notice.”
“And this is why you were distraught, when you and I first met?” the Duke asked.
“Eugenia and I had spoken to some gentlemen who had been—in my view—unkind to her,” Esther said. “I feared you might prove to be the same. Now I see that I should have had more patience. I should have given you a chance. But I judged hastily. I was wrong.”
“Don’t worry, Lady Esther,” the Duke said. “You’re hardly the first person to make a hasty judgment at a ball!”
“If you had judged me so hastily, you and I wouldn’t be speaking right now,” Esther pointed out. “You would have avoided me for the rest of the evening. Possibly for the rest of the Season. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if you had spread the tale of the angry young lady who spilled your drink and then scolded you for it. You could have made me the laughingstock of London, if you’d cared to.”
“But why should I want to do such a thing?” the Duke asked. “Besides, I doubt I would have been successful, even if I had tried. Believe me, I have too much experience with young ladies who completely overlook my personality in favor of other attributes, like my title. I imagine that even if you were an unpleasant person—which you reveal yourself by the minute not to be—there are dozens who would overlook that flaw in favor of your other virtues.”
“My other virtues?” Esther asked.
“You’re lovely,” the Duke said frankly. “Beautiful, actually. Anyone can see it.”
She felt herself flush with pleasure. “You’re very kind, Your Grace.”
“Of course, I’m sure you don’t wish to be noticed only for your beauty,” the Duke went on. “I wouldn’t want you do think that’s the only thing about you that’s caught my eye.”
Esther couldn’t honestly say it would have bothered her if her lookswerethe only thing that had drawn the Duke’s attention. The point was that she had his attention. But she decided not to argue—there was certainly nothing to be gained by talking him out of liking things about her. “I’m just glad you’ve given me a second chance, Your Grace,” she said. “After the way I spoke to you, I feared you wouldn’t.”
“You needn’t worry,” he said. “As I told you, I was happy to meet someone who wasn’t afraid to speak up to me.” He leaned a little closer. “To tell you the truth, I often find social events like this a bit tiresome.”
“I thought I was the only one,” Esther said, smiling.
“People are soobviousabout their intentions. They wouldn’t care if I looked like a gargoyle, or if I was as stupid as pig, as long as I had the title of Duke.”
“I suppose that’s true,” Esther laughed, thinking of Aunt Tabitha. In truth, her aunt probably would have been pleased if the Duke had been ugly or stupid. She would then have thought him more worthy of Eugenia, and thus liked her daughter’s chances better.
As it stood, the Duke was incredibly attractive. His dark blue eyes seemed to shine through the night as if they were lit up somehow. He was tall, and Esther could see just by standing next to him how strong he was.
What would it feel like to be embraced by him?
She shook off that thought. She was here to do a job, not to indulge in girlish fantasies. Besides, if she performed as she was expected to, he would court her, and shewouldbe held in his arms before this was over.
People are so obvious about their intentions, he had said.
Well, Esther wasn’t. Already, he saw her as different from the other ladies he had met. Already she had distinguished herself.
“I suppose it’s much the same for you,” the Duke said.
