Chapter Three

Ramsbury Manor was abuzz with preparations. The day had finally arrived when the Duke of Trowbridge was scheduled to pay them a visit for their first official meeting. All morning, Esther had been locked in her room with her lady's maid on the strict instructions of her mother. She was to help Esther prepare for the occasion.

"I have bought you a new dress from the market," her mother had handed a pale dress to her the night before that cinched at the waist and flowed beautifully in a sea of ruffles, "It will help make a good first impression."

A good impression. Because, of course, appearances were what mattered the most. The idea had been ingrained in Esther since childhood, and although she felt ambivalent after what her sisters had said, she was determined to make a great first impression regardless.

Her sisters flitted in and out of her room intermittently to help her with preparations. Frances, in particular, wasted no opportunity to relay her worries about the entire thing. But ultimately, her parents" decision held more weight and she could do nothing to prevent the visit.

"There, My Lady," Maria, her lady' maid, finished braiding Esther's hair. "You look positively resplendent."

"Do you really believe so?" Esther examined her reflection in the vanity mirror. Now that the time to meet drew nearer, she was consumed by nervousness.

She had very little experience with interacting with men outside of her own family. All she really knew about them was through books, and what her mother had told her.

Men love beautiful things, her mother had always told her. A part of her wanted to believe that there should be more to a person than their physical appearances. But as this was their first meeting, she was not going to take any chances and ensured that she looked her best.

"Of course," Maria nodded eagerly, "The duke is a very lucky man."

"Lucky enough to trap her," Harriet muttered under her breath in her usual blunt manner. Esther glared in her direction.

"Enough," she chided.

"You still have time…"

"Time for what exactly?"

"To feign sickness so that you do not have to meet him."

Esther turned to face her, "He might end up being your future brother-in-law and you'll have to interact with him. Don't be so crass."

"Sure but..."

Harriet's words were cut short as the door swung open to reveal Albina Cooper.

"I need a moment alone with Esther," she announced to the rest, "The Duke has arrived."

Esther exhaled a sharp breath as both Maria and her sister slowly exited the room, one by one. Her mother then turned to face her, giving her a once over.

"The dress suits you well," she said, a small appreciative nod. "It is important that you make the very best impression on the Duke this evening, for he will officially propose," she reminded her for umpteenth time.

Esther nodded, keen to not let her nervousness show in fear of disappointing her mother.

"I will try my best."

Albina glanced at the door and then her expression turned serious, "I know that your sisters have been feeding all manners of ridiculousness to you. I have heard their whispers. You should not let it impact you."

Esther rubbed the side of her arm awkwardly, "I was not planning on it, Mother."

"Good," a smile spread across her lips and she kissed Esther on the top of her head, "Remember that your parents only want what is best for you. Now, we should not keep him waiting. Let us head downstairs."

Her mother led Esther by the hand. Outside of the drawing room, Esther could hear muffled voices. She braced herself. In her nervousness, Esther realized that she had chewed the inside of her cheek raw. Folding her hands, she followed her mother inside the drawing room, and kept her eyes trained to the ground.

A lady must wait until she is spoken to. Esther reminded herself. Though, her wait more closely resembled purgatory.

"Here she is now," William announced as soon as Esther entered the drawing room. She dared not look up just yet.

"My Lady."

Have I heard that voice before?

"I…. Your Grace," color drained from Esther's cheeks as she finally looked up to see the man in flesh. She tried quickly to hide her shock and ducked her head down again.

Her heart thudded loudly in her eardrums, and she felt as though the ground had slipped away from underneath her feet. Her mother cast a worried gaze in her direction, wondering what had suddenly happened to her daughter.

The worst had happened, she thought to herself. Of course, trust her luck to always be this rotten. The man who sat just a few feet away from her, the man that was here to ask for her hand in marriage was the same man she had encountered at the park the other day.

Her ambitions to make a good impression were already soiled. She had somehow managed to mess things up for herself even before she knew about the proposal.

Esther sat on the sofa, directly opposite the Duke. Her mind was playing back their argument from the park, causing her fingernails to dig nervously in the sides of the sofa.

Oh, he must think I'm terrible already…

Mustering up an ounce of courage, she looked over to his direction again. Perhaps she had been mistaken. Perhaps he was just a look alike, and not the same person.

His steely gaze bore into Esther with an intensity that made her squirm uncomfortably. It confirmed her suspicions. This was indeed the same person.

She found herself hoping that Zeus did not make an appearance, as he sometimes did when guests were visiting. That would only make things worse, knowing the distaste he had for dogs

"I hope that the journey was not too difficult, Your Grace," her father filled the space with menial chatter. His tone was careful, much more so than usual. Esther realized that she was not the only one who wanted to make a great impression on the Duke.

"It went very well," the Duke's tone was calm but intimidating, his countenance stern.

"It is a distance from here, is it not?" William said. "How are things at Trowbridge Estate?"

As the conversation between the two men continued, Esther found herself sinking further into the background, her presence all but forgotten in the midst of their polite but formal exchange. The Duke made no attempt to speak to her, and she wondered if he even remembered their meeting.

Could she be so lucky that it slipped his mind entirely? In her own experience, she never usually was. But despite her prospects already seeming bleak, Esther was not going to back down so easily.

Yes, the two of them got off on a terrible start. But surely opinions can change? She would do whatever she could to win his favor this evening.

Conversations between her father and the Duke divulged into business matters. Her father began to tell him about some property that he owned up north, likely in an effort to impress him. The Duke's responses were concise, but held weight. It was clear to anyone who held the most power in this exchange.

Esther longed to interject, to assert herself in some small way, but she knew that now was not the right time. If the Duke was to bring up their meeting, if he even remembered their meeting, in front of her parents, she would have a different problem on her hands entirely. She had to wait for the right moment.

The right moment arrived during dinner time when Esther found herself seated right next to the Duke. Determined to not let anything go wrong, she had specifically excused herself to go out and instruct the staff beforehand not to let Zeus anywhere near the dining room.

If she had any hopes of him not remembering their encounter, she had to keep Zeus away from his sights.

The Duke had not exchanged a single word with her, barring their initial greeting. Every so often, she noticed that he spared the odd intense glance her way but nothing more.

She was determined to change that.

"I hope that the food is to your liking, Your Grace," she smiled brightly, looking at his plate. He seemed to be a picky eater, as he had rarely touched his meal of steak and gravy.

He nodded, and then swallowed a forkful.

"And quite the lovely weather we are having, too," she continued, grasping for any conversation topics she could conjure in her mind, "A very short rainy season this year. Quite unlike London weather."

He looked up at her from his plate, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Yes, favorable for a stroll in the park," his tone betrayed no hint of emotion, but the message was clear.

So he does remember, after all.

Heat pooled in Esther's cheeks and she began to nervously play with the food on her plate, using her fork to rake the peas against the cool ceramic. Gulping loudly, she tried to think of what she could say that would salvage her situation.

"Indeed, a stroll in the park is best enjoyed on a day like this," she replied.

"Best when it remains uninterrupted by vermin, of course."

Esther's hands balled themselves into fists. Rat, vermin. What did he have against her poor Zeus that he was not willing to let it go even now? It was not as though Zeus had bit his flesh, he had only barked at him.

"It was not his fault that you were in the way," she muttered under her breath, and then regretted it almost immediately.

"I beg your pardon?"

She composed herself again, trying her hardest not to get offended.

You must make a good impression.

"I mean… truly vermin have no place at the park," she said, feigning a smile, "As does their mention have no place at the dinner table, Your Grace."

Her reply seemed to have caught him off-guard and for a quarter of a second, his face betrayed the surprise he felt. She used his surprise to her advantage, launching into the next topic with ease.

"Spring is upon us, and the streets will soon be covered in all manners of flowers. I, for one, am quite excited for it," Esther's excitement was genuine this time. She was fond of nature and loved being in the sun. Spring time was her favorite in the entire year, for she got to witness mother nature at its best, and most beautiful. "As the saying goes, a thing of beauty. A joy forever."

He hmphed in response, choosing to focus on his plate instead. Esther pressed her lips together in a tight line. Across the table, she could see her mother casting curious glances in her direction every few moments. She knew that her mother would be waiting to hear every detail of their conversation after this dinner was over.

But so far, Esther had nothing valuable to share. What was she supposed to report?

He dislikes me because my dog misbehaved with him, and I am grasping at straws trying to get him to speak to me.

That was likely not the answer her mother would be looking for. Her father, oblivious to the tension that was brewing between them, engaged the Duke in conversation. And the Duke happily diverted his attention away.

Is he looking for a reason to not speak to me? It seemed that was the likely explanation.

By the time dinner ended, Esther had still made no progress. She watched in desperation as the Duke was about to bid his leave. Her father, William, could not keep the smile off his face. That must have meant that the Duke had already moved forward with the proposal, and that their little meeting at the park was not enough to deter him.

But that was not enough. She wanted to win his favor, as well. Knowing that this was likely her last chance, she sprung herself into the conversation.

"I was thinking…" she started, all eyes on her now. They were all in the hallway, and the Duke was half-way through putting on his coat. "Wouldn't it be a good idea if I escort His Grace to the carriage?"

Albina nodded instantly, "Why, yes. I believe that is a splendid idea."

William seemed a bit more hesitant. But there was no reason to say no, as a proposal had already been made.

"You may," he replied, sheepishly.

Esther turned to face the Duke, bright eyed and eager. He shrugged, seeming as though he did not care either way.

The two of them exited the doorway, with both William and Albina waving goodbye. The Duke walked stiffly beside her. The walk from the front door to the carriage was not a long one, but it was enough to have a small conversation away from any listening ears.

"I had a splendid time today," Esther started.

"Lady Esther," the Duke spoke coldly. Mechanical almost, as though he was parroting a formality in order to fulfil a duty. "Before we move forward with our marriage, there is something you should know."

Esther felt annoyed at how he did not bother to return the favor, and say he enjoyed himself as well. But she did not let it show. "Of course."

Was he going to bring up her dog again? What other synonyms could exist for rat, she began to wonder.

The Duke looked back at the door where her family stood, as if to ensure that they were fully out of earshot.

"Your parents may have informed you about my title, and cursory details about my residence."

She nodded, unsure where he was going with this.

"But there is something that is not as obvious. I have kept this fact mostly hidden, but I have a daughter from my previous marriage," he admitted. "This is the reason why I have decided to marry you, as my daughter needs a motherly figure in her life."

Esther did not know what she had expected him to say. Surely, not a proclamation of love. But not this either. He sounded so warm when he spoke of his daughter, it made her curious to know if there was a side to him that was not so cold.

He seemed to soften, just for a moment. But then his ice cold demeanor returned.

"Since you are a spinster, I hoped that you would agree to this union," he paused, "which you have. But you must know that my daughter means a great deal to me."

Esther was taken aback by his bluntness. She pressed her lips together in a tight line.

"I have practically raised my two younger sisters," she assured him. "So I am fine with doing the same for your daughter. Do you mind telling me how old she is?"

She hoped that her eager acquiescence would be enough to win his favor and mend their relationship which had started off on the wrong foot. But he seemed to not have much of a reaction.

"She is ten," he nodded, the faintest trace of a smile on his lips, "growing up faster than I expect her to. Which makes the matter of her needing a mother even more prudent. You understand my reasoning well enough now?"

"Yes, Your Grace." She understood as much as she could. He hadn't given her too many details.

He nodded in her direction once. "I am glad that it is clear, as it will help you manage your expectations."

They had reached the carriage now, and she bid him a quick farewell. His words were still repeating themselves inside her ears.

Manage my expectations?

Her mind trailed to that day at the park, and she remembered how sorry she had felt for the woman he was to marry. He had not seemed interested in her then, and he certainly did not seem interested in her now.

A spinster weds the widowed Duke. Not exactly how Esther had imagined her life to end up as. As she watched the carriage pull away from their driveway, she began to head back to where her family was waiting for her.

Her legs felt heavy, and she began to think of whatever her sisters had told her.

A beast. A murderer.

She was not sure of those things. But she was sure that he was a difficult man to please. Never once had he even smiled in her direction, nor made her feel special in any way. It was truly a marriage of convenience that she was getting herself into, and the thought stung, even though she tried to cover it up with a smile.

"How was it?" her mother asked as soon as Esther walked inside the door.

"Agreeable," Esther replied, not letting her smile slip from her face so as to not rouse any suspicion.

Her mother, in return, beamed at her. She had never seen her look so proud of her daughter. "Splendid. I am quite proud of you for conducting yourself in a most agreeable manner," Albina clapped her hands together.

Any doubts Esther had about the Duke dissipated that very moment. It had been years since she had seen her mother be proud of her, for anything. It provided her with a temporarily soothing balm on a wounded soul.

If this was what it took for her parents to be happy with her again, then she was going to go through it with.

"Thank you, Mother," Esther replied, her voice tinged with emotion. "Your words mean more to me than you could ever know."