Chapter 10

CHAPTER10

Lady Esther arrived at the Irington Estate early that morning, dressed in what Lady Farthingon must have considered her best outfit for a picnic. Indeed, the deep indigo of her garments brought out the blue-gray tint of her eyes and made her fair skin glow even more.

As for Amy...

"You... truly are not going to wear that to the Leonbridge Estate, are you?" she asked her friend dubiously.

Amy had traipsed down the grand staircase of her home dressed in a riding habit that clung to her voluptuous curves like a second skin. The deep emerald velvet swished about her legs as she walked and hinted at the generous curve of her hips.

Amy gave her best friend a jaunty smile and a wink. "If I had chosen my most worn out riding habit, Aunt Dorothy would have had an attack of the vapors. Although," she paused thoughtfully and looked down at her outfit, "I could find some way to make it seem much more ridiculous. Should I pile some flowers on my hat? There are still those flowers from His Grace yesterday."

"I don’t think—"

"Yes, that should do the trick!" Amy’s eyes lit up. "You just wait here, Esther. Let me fetch some of those flowers!"

Esther just sighed as her best friend sprinted up the stairs in a most unladylike manner. She looked out of the window and noted that the sun was already shining brightly in the sky. If Amy took any longer, it would be too hot to ride, and Esther herself had never been fond of the outdoors.

She felt that her constitution was not suited for such an environment. She would much rather be cooped up comfortably on her couch, preferably with a pile of books to keep her company. After all, there was no chase more exciting than the pursuit of knowledge.

Thankfully, Amy did not take overlong. When she came back down, her hat was now decorated with a bunch of slightly wilted flowers. She had even stuck one behind her ear.

Not only that, but the colors clashed horribly with her outfit.

Esther could only sigh at her friend’s antics. "Are you sure about this?"

"Positive," Amy beamed at her. "After all, I should show my appreciation for His Grace’s generous gift, should I not?"

"I do not think he intended you to... ah, enjoy them in such a manner."

"My dear Esther," the irrepressible Amy Clarke grinned at her, "that is precisely what I want him to learn—that I am as unpredictable as a natural disaster and just as devastating!"

Amy comparing herself to a hurricane or a calamity was quite...apt. And no doubt about it, she was going to leave a trail of destruction in her wake, just as she intended.

At that point, Esther began to feel some pity for the Duke, who—she supposed—only meant well.

It was just unfortunate that her dearest friend was quite set against marriage and would much prefer the life of a spinster.

"Lady Amy, Lady Esther, your carriage awaits."

Esther craned her neck beyond the open door to where George was gesturing. A handsome carriage, emblazoned with the crest of the Duke of Leonbridge, sat just outside the door. It gleamed black in the early morning sunlight, and the horses looked to be the finest ones she had ever seen.

Not that she was an expert in judging steeds, but just looking at them, she could tell that they were very fine creatures indeed.

"His Grace certainly spared no expense for us," she remarked in astonishment. She looked back at Amy. "Do you really intend to humiliate him?"

"I must," Amy told her firmly. "Otherwise, I will never be able to achieve my dream."

Most young ladies dreamed of marrying a handsome gentleman and living a life of idle luxury. Amy dreamed of spinsterhood.

As for Esther, as long as she had her books, she knew she could be suitably satisfied.

If only men were not so averse to a woman of knowledge, she sighed inwardly.

Unfortunately, men disdained women of learning. Did they not think that it would be much more pleasant to have conversations about things other than the weather or the latest fashions?

But then again, men had no interest in young ladies like her, other than the creation of heirs and the continuation of their family lines.

Perhaps Amy is right...perhaps it would be much better to live on my own terms…

But Esther knew that her mother would never permit such a thing. Her only hope now was to find a gentleman who would look kindly upon her strange hobbies and treat her well for the rest of her married life.

Maybe that, and hopefully, she would not die during childbirth.

* * *

The ride to the Leonbridge Estate was rather uneventful. Of course, His Grace had made sure to send out his finest carriage, driven only by the finest horses in his stable. The coachman he had sent to bring Amy and Esther to his estate was also quite adept, and by far, it was the most comfortable carriage ride Amy had ever had the good fortune to sit through. Even her personal maid, Edith, who had a great fear of horses, was rather unperturbed throughout the ride.

Unfortunately, all good things came to an end, and soon enough, she was peering out of the window as they entered the gates to the seat of the Dukes of Leonbridge—the grand Leonbridge Estate—with its sprawling gardens and a mansion that was perhaps large enough to house a small town.

Amy had always wondered why the nobles loved to boast of such grand houses when they hardly ever used all the rooms. Even when they held weekend parties and hosted guests in their homes, it was never enough to fill their abodes to full capacity.

There is only one answer to that, and that is pride, Amy thought. The people of the ton do so like to boast about their properties and estates in addition to their generous incomes.

On the other hand, she would have been content with a house in the country, away from the maddening crowd.

"Oh my!" Esther breathed in awe as she peered out the window from the opposite side of the carriage. "The Leonbridge Estate truly is astounding!" She turned to Amy and smiled. "An estate of this size... do you think they have a great library as well?"

"Of course," Amy smiled at her. "If His Grace’s library suits your tastes, would you be inclined to marry him?"

The words left her with a bitter taste on her tongue. Somehow, she did not like the thought of the Duke marrying someone else—even if that someone was her most beloved friend.

But Esther only blushed and shook her head with an expression akin to horror on her innocent, youthful features.

"Oh, no, no, no, no!" she exclaimed. "His Grace and I would not suit at all!"

That was quite true, for Amy had always felt that only a kind man who would be gentle with her best friend would suit Lady Esther Follet. Of course, he had to appreciate her keen intellect and her gentle nature as well.

Unfortunately, such men were a rarity amongst the ton.

"I heard that His Grace is a good friend of the Viscount of Drew," she teased her best friend.

But Esther just shook her head. "If you do not think he is good enough, then I most certainly trust your judgment on that one!"

Truth be told, she had only ever seen the Viscount in some balls although she heard that he was a rather nice gentleman, all things considered. If he was in attendance, she might be able to see if he truly was as he seemed...

After all, you can tell much about a man’s character from the people he often spends time with, Amy thought. Maybe if she took the time to observe the Duke’s friends, she might be able to figure him out.

"Well, we are here now," Amy said, trying to keep her voice steady as she smoothed out the skirts of her riding habit. "I suppose we will be able to learn a lot about our companions today."

"I would still much rather learn about philosophy and botany," Esther mumbled. "I had just gotten a copy of Plato’s—"

Her words were cut off when the carriage slowed down to a stop. They heard the crunch of boots against gravel, followed by a smart rapping on the door.

"Lady Esther Follet and Lady Amy Clarke," the footman announced. "We have arrived at Leonbridge Estate."

However, when the carriage door swung open, it was not the face of the footman that greeted them.

Rather, it was His Grace, Evan Hatcher, the Duke of Leonbridge himself.

* * *

When Evan opened the door to the carriage, he half-expected Lady Amy to pull some sort of stunt. He sighed inwardly at that. With her, he was never quite sure just what she would do next. She was always keeping him on his toes wondering what sort of insanity she was going to serve again.

So, when he pulled open the door, he was quite surprised to find two beautiful young ladies seated on the plush velvet seats. Lady Esther, in her usual fashion, was dressed quite sensibly in a deep indigo riding habit. As for Lady Amy, she was quite reasonably well-dressed, save for the wilting flowers she had pinned to her hair and hat.

"Your Grace!" she exclaimed breathlessly. For a moment, her vibrant green eyes appeared surprised before they resumed their infatuated gleam.

And I suppose it was too much to ask for that she behave reasonably today, he grimaced inwardly.

"Good morning, Lady Amy, Lady Esther," he greeted both young ladies, smiling politely at both of them. "Welcome to Leonbridge Estate. I do hope you will have a pleasurable time here."

"Of course, I will!" Lady Amy beamed at him as he helped her out of the carriage. "Anywhere Your Grace is will be a paradise to me!"

"I have to admit that I have never heard that one before!"

He saw how Lady Amy started a little at the sound of his best friend’s laughing voice. Lady Esther just turned a faint pink from within the confines of the carriage.

No doubt about it—these two are not used to enjoying the company of gentlemen. Even the young ladies of the ton might not have invited them to much...

The truth was that Society could be very cruel to outcasts like Lady Amy and Lady Esther, but it seemed like the former did not care about for it, and the latter was too absorbed in her books to notice.

"This is my friend, the Viscount of Drew, Benedict Burk," the duke introduced drolly. "Lord Drew?"

The Viscount grinned in a most affable manner as he went up to the carriage and extended his hand to Lady Esther. "May I, My Lady?"

The known bluestocking of the ton turned an even deeper shade of pink before accepting the proffered hand. "Certainly," she squeaked.

Evan smiled at that slight exchange before turning back to Lady Amy. "I trust that your journey here has been bearable?"

Of course, he had made sure to send his finest coachman to ensure their comfort.

"Well, I could bear anything for the sake of Your Grace!" Lady Amy declared, much to the amusement of Benedict, who could barely keep in the laughter bubbling up his throat. Evan shot him a warning glance, and he immediately pulled himself back together although Evan imagined it could not have been easy to keep a straight face at his predicament.

"However, Edith—my companion—she is terribly afraid of horses..." she trailed off with a devastated pout.

"Do not fret, for Edith can remain here in the house with my other staff. She will be taken care of extremely well," he reassured her, casting a wry glance at the quiet young woman who trailed after them.

To her credit, she did look visibly apprehensive at the thought of having to ride horses...

"Thank you, Your Grace!" Lady Amy beamed up at him. "You truly are the soul of generosity and kindness!"

Evan doubted he had ever done anything in his life to deserve such a title.

"In that case," he proceeded smoothly, "shall we proceed to the stables? I have prepared a chaise for your comfort."

Lady Amy just shook her head, and he could not help but notice how her hair gleamed when it caught the morning sunlight.

"I would rather ride beside Your Grace," she simpered. "Oh, how romantic it would be!"

From the corner of his eye, he could see Benedict shaking his head.

Evan had the distinct feeling that today was going to be... interesting—as was always the case with the Lady Amy.

It was quite fortunate that he had managed to rope Benedict and Charles in today to share in his torment.

Misery does love company...