Chapter 13

It would serve us to spend some time together. Perhaps we should meet tomorrow for tea. Please accept my invitation.

As Esther read the last sentence of the Dowager Duchess's letter on her way to Harcourt Manor, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. The invitation had come unexpectedly, bearing the promise of a meeting with William which didn't sound very sincere.

If William wanted to see her, he would not have shied away from directly requesting an audience with her.

Despite her attempts to quell the rising tide of hope within her, she couldn't help but feel a sickening pit in her stomach at the prospect of seeing him again.

Especially after the way he'd rejected her.

However, as she stepped out of the carriage and onto the grounds of the Harcourt estate, a sinking feeling began to settle in her chest. There was no sign of William's familiar figure among the flurry of people that worked around the estate, only the imposing presence of Dorothea on top of the steps, who was awaiting her arrival.

The Dowager Duchess stood before the front doors of her home, looking down her nose at Esther, an emptiness in her eyes.

Despite the harsh reality check William had given her, Esther strangely wished he was there. Even his mere presence to watch over her from afar would have eased her anxieties, knowing that she would have someone to protect her or someone to run to, should his mother become agitated.

Her nerves intensified as she approached the Dowager Duchess, gathering her skirts and doing her best not to trip over them as she climbed up the stairs. Her mind raced with questions and doubts. Why had she been summoned here without any explanation? Did Dorothea have news about William?

"Your Grace, I received your invitation." She curtsied, hoping to get straight to the point of the matter.

Dorothea's demeanor was inscrutable as she returned Esther's greeting with a nod. "Thank you for joining us," she said calmly. "Please, come inside. There's something I wish to discuss with you."

As they made their way into the opulent halls of the estate, Esther's unease grew with each passing moment. Despite her attempts to maintain a composed facade, her heart raced with apprehension. They soon entered the drawing room, and Esther couldn't shake the sinking feeling that William might not join them, after all.

Sitting on the sofa opposite Dorothea, she struggled to find the right words to break the awkward silence that hung between them like a heavy curtain. She felt the Dowager Duchess's scrutinizing gaze on her, and though she tried to maintain a composed exterior, inwardly she braced herself for the woman's sourness.

Unable to bear the silence any longer, Esther cleared her throat with a newfound agitation, searching for something—anything—to say.

"Your Grace," she began tentatively. "I apologize, but I fail to comprehend whatever it is you're trying to convey with your silence. Did I misunderstand your prior statement at the front doors?"

"You really are quite sharp with your tongue," Dorothea replied contemptuously. "Do you not take your time to read your opponent?"

"I don't have the patience to make frivolous assumptions based on one's appearance, Your Grace," Esther replied as calmly and politely as she could. "I favor speaking one's mind bravely. Of course, that's a quality not many of the ton have acquired."

"That bravery of yours isn't doing your future any favors, child."

"My future?" she challenged. "Why does it concern you so?"

The Dowager Duchess raised her eyebrows as she exhaled through her nose, making her disdain obvious. "A na?ve woman like you, one who has purposely ruined her reputation, would not understand the influence she has in marriage, and on the families that will become joined through it."

"I doubt my mere existence is any real threat to the many distinguished members of your family, Your Gra?—"

"Do you really think I would allow William to dictate who I pass my title on to?" the Dowager Duchess said sharply, her steely eyes fixed on Esther. "Or are you so socially incompetent that you didn't even consider what would change in this household once you marry my son?"

Esther refrained from looking too shocked, although it had admittedly slipped her mind what marrying a duke entailed—becoming a duchess.

No wonder his family was so agitated. It all made sense now, and Esther felt pretty embarrassed. Given her disposition, she was in no way fit to become a duchess, and she had no trouble realizing that fact.

"You're not ready to become a duchess," the older woman continued scathingly. "You never will be."

"Were you?" Esther challenged. "How was it determined that?—"

"My husband had a sound head on his shoulders when he proposed to me!" the Dowager Duchess snapped. "I come from a distinguished line of nobles that has remained unchallenged, and I had just as much privilege being unmarried as I did when William's father made me his wife! But what do you have, Esther?"

"A free mind!"

"With no dignity or respect to account for it!" Dorothea continued loudly. "You have no influence in Society, and you think you'll be respected once you become Duchess?!"

Esther was in a losing fight. She didn't want to back down, but Dorothea wasn't entirely wrong. None of the respect and admiration given to any individual in the ton was a choice of the individual alone. There were many wonderful people shunned by high society simply because the masses wanted to do so.

"If you want to keep what already remains of your dignity, you must leave my son alone to let us preserve our dignity," the Dowager Duchess demanded curtly. "In return, I'll personally ensure a marriage prospect that will be more suitable for you."

Esther didn't understand why she was fighting when she knew that things would end between herself and the Duke anyway. It would make sense to give in to Dorothea's demands and back away quietly without any hit to her already precarious image. Dorothea was making the fluke easy to leave behind.

Why am I resisting?

But then it dawned on her. She wasn't fighting to keep her engagement with William. She was fighting the disrespect that the Dowager Duchess had for her.

"Ending this engagement is not up to me, Your Grace," Esther declared curtly. "The Duke chose me."

"Yes, but given his fondness for you, perhaps his stubborn heart will give way to reason should you suggest parting ways," the Dowager Duchess insisted scathingly.

"But I…" Esther halted mid-sentence, wondering if she dared confess her feelings out loud.

What was even going to say? That she loved him? Did she love him? A man who was arrogant? Someone who could hardly smile? Someone who got on her nerves consistently?

Someone whose laughter sounded like an orchestrated melody. Someone who was kind and reliable and caring. Someone who stood so steadfast all on his own.

"I-I love him," she mumbled.

Oh, you foolish woman.

"I love him, Your Grace." She looked Dorothea in the eye. "That counts for something, right?"

"Of course, it does, my dear," the Dowager Duchess replied gently, reaching out to place a comforting hand on Esther's shoulder. "But you're not the only one who loves him so deeply. In a sea of very eligible women who have painstakingly prepared themselves for the role of a duchess, who are you to challenge them?"

Esther felt a lump form in her throat at Dorothea's words, the weight of their implications pressing down on her. She had never imagined that her existence could be seen as a hindrance to someone as powerful as William rather than a blessing.

However, she straightened her posture, her gaze meeting Dorothea's with unwavering determination.

"I appreciate your concern, Your Grace, but I cannot in good conscience agree to leave His Grace without agreement on his part," she said firmly, her voice steady despite her nerves.

"You cannot possibly comprehend the ramifications of your actions, Lady Esther," Dorothea retorted with thinly veiled aggravation. "Your reputation has already begun to ruin William's business dealings."

Esther felt a pang of guilt at the mention of William's business, knowing how much he valued his duties and the impact any scandal could have on his endeavors. Yet, she remained steadfast in her decision, unwilling to abandon the man she swore to upkeep the agreement with until the end, regardless of the consequences. Anyway, this conversation only served to convince his family that their faux engagement was real.

It would keep William safe from the other women of the ton for as long as he needed.

"I understand the gravity of the situation, Your Grace, but I cannot simply walk away," Esther replied, her voice gentle yet unwavering. "I made a commitment to him, and I intend to honor it, no matter the cost."

"You are a fool, Lady Esther," the Dowager Duchess muttered under her breath, but she paid the woman no mind.

As Esther made her way out of the room, a pang of sorrow pierced her heart, alongside the mutters of disapproval that followed from Dorothea.

As she sat in her carriage, her thoughts in disarray, a shadow flitted across her vision, catching her attention. Frowning, she glanced up, expecting to see the familiar outlines of the estate or the passing scenery. Instead, her gaze landed on a figure conversing with the Dowager Duchess.

She could feel her heart drop. A sudden wave of paralyzing fear gripped her as she blinked.

What is Richard doing there?