“You were much more sure of yourself half an hour ago,” Eugenia said.
“Well, my parents have a way of making me doubt my ability to do anything right,” Esther said. “I suppose that’s something you and I have in common, isn’t it? Doesn’t your mother have that very effect on you?”
“Now that you mention it, she does,” Eugenia said. She gave a wry smile. “Parents can be awfully troublesome. I would be just as happy if they would all go out of town for the remainder of the Season and leave us to get on with it!”
“Oh, I agree with you,” Esther said. “Nothing would make me happier than to see my parents turn around and go back home.”
“Did they say when they would be leaving?”
“Not any time soon, I fear,” Esther said. “They don’t trust me to do what needs to be done, so I think they’ll be staying for a while.”
“You and I will have to confide in one another, and only in each other,” Eugenia said. “I’m beginning to feel as if you’re the only person I can truly count on to have my best interests in mind this Season.”
“Well, youcancount on me,” Esther assured her. “No matter what our parents have to say. You know they’ll spend the rest of the Season trying to force us to compete against one another for the attention of gentlemen. But I promise here and now to never consider you my rival.”
“As if I could rival you,” Eugenia laughed.
“You could,” Esther assured her. “But you’ve offered to leave the Duke to me, and that’s all I care about. When it comes to other gentlemen, I won’t get in your way.”
“Nor I in yours,” Eugenia promised.
Thankful that there was at least one person left who trusted her fully, Esther fell quiet and sipped her tea. She wouldn’t let her parents’ presence destroy the contentment she’d felt on the journey home from Bolton Manor.
I’m off to a good start. This Season is off to a good start. Now all I have to do is wait and see what the Duke will do next.
Chapter 14
“They’re going to be all over me to tell them who I met at the ball last night,” Esther said as Amelia helped her dress the following morning. “It’s going to be abysmal, Amelia. You’re so lucky you don’t have to have breakfast with us.”
“Stand up straight, My Lady,” Amelia admonished. “I can’t tie your gown when you slouch.”
Esther sighed, but she straightened up. “I half wish I could slouch right back into bed, and never mind the gown,” she admitted. “If I could get out of this breakfast somehow, I certainly would. I know it’s going to be very unpleasant.”
“Don’t you think you’re worrying unnecessarily, My Lady?” Amelia asked. “After all, youdidmeet someone. You and the Duke of Hallowbinder had a conversation, and that’s a match of which your parents would surely approve.”
“It is,” Esther agreed. “I know Eugenia thinks I should just tell them about the Duke and be done with it.”
“You still don’t plan on doing that?”
“No,” Esther said. “Not just yet.”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand why. Wouldn’t it benefit you if they knew you had done something they would approve of?”
“You don’t understand them like I do,” Esther said. “They might be happy with me if they knew the Duke and I had spoken to one another, but that wouldn’t lead them to be less controlling of me in the coming weeks. If anything, it would have the opposite effect. They would be so afraid that I would ruin my prospects with the Duke that they would take over managing every step of my Season. They would select my clothes for me, monitor my hairstyles, coach me on what to say…I believe they might even attend the next ball with me, just so they could make sure my behavior was to their liking. I would never get a moment alone with the Duke of Hallowbinder again!”
“Sit.” Amelia guided her to a chair in front of the looking glass and sat her down. “Are you afraid that their interference would hurt your chances with the Duke?”
“Not exactly,” Esther said. “It’s just that I want to show them I don’tneedtheir help to accomplish what I’ve set out to do.”
She sighed. “Perhaps I’m being too prideful. Do you think so? After all, the most important thing is that Caroline gets the money she needs to provide for her future. It doesn’t much matterhowwe get there. If my parents can arrange things for me, perhaps I should just let them.”
“May I speak frankly, My Lady?” Amelia asked.
“Of course.” Esther was surprised. “You know I always value your counsel, Amelia. You must never hesitate to share your opinions with me.”
“Well,” Amelia said, “I don’t think your hesitation here has anything to do with pride. You’ve never been a prideful lady, and I don’t think that’s why you want your parents to stand aside.”
“What other reason could there be?” Esther asked.
