Page 24 of The Lady No One Noticed

She could easily relate to Ian since she, too, wished to travel the world. Unlike him, however, she had never travelled anywhere outside of England.

She stood there staring at the map as a dreamy expression spread onto her face. She wished to get out of the boundaries of her existence and spend time at sea. She wanted to explore continents and islands. Ian must have noticed her expression because he turned towards her with a raised brow.

“May I know what is going on in that magnificent brain of yours?” He questioned with a chuckle.

Esther flushed at being caught daydreaming. “I would love to travel. It is one of my dreams,” Esther answered, trying to keep the longing from her voice.

“Where would you like to go?” Ian probed further.

“The Americas. I have read so many conflicting things about them that I would like to see them for myself. There is so much to explore in the world,” Esther confessed, a hesitant smile on her face.

She had never revealed her dreams of travel anyone, not even to her own family. She had no idea how Ian would take the revelation, but his face broke into a huge smile to her utter surprise.

“I can imagine you conquering America,” Ian said, his tone full of admiration. Esther blushed at his praise and looked down, unable to meet his gaze. He looked at her like there was no one else he would rather look at. It made Esther nervous and happy at the same time.

Her train of thought was broken as Ruth cleared her throat, trying to grab Esther’s attention. Ruth had been so quiet the entire time that Esther had even forgotten she was there beside them. The maid had wanted to give the couple time to converse without her hovering, so she had stayed back as far as she dared.

“What is it, Ruth?” Esther questioned, turning to look at her.

“I fear we must return home, My Lady. It is getting late,” Ruth answered, reminding Esther of the time.

Esther’s stomach tightened at the prospect of leaving Ian and returning home again. She could spend endless hours with the man without realizing how much time passed. However, she knew she had no choice but to return home and get ready for the dinner with Fergus. The thought made her sick. She looked up and found Ian staring at her, his expression clearly confused. Esther knew she had to give him an explanation.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ian felt a pang of disappointment as Esther’s maid told her that she must return home. He hadn’t had this much fun in a long time. He couldn’t believe how discussing historical artifacts with Esther had turned his sour mood considerably better. Simply being with her made him forget all his troubles, and he enjoyed that feeling.

Ian was still impressed by her desire to visit America. Any other Lady would have wished to visit France or Italy, but Esther was different than the rest of the ton. She was actually interested in travelling to explore the world rather than going to Paris for the latest fashions. It felt as if she lived to surprise him.

“It is not so very late, surely you can stay a bit longer,” Ian said and met Esther’s gaze. He noticed her expression had gone cold and she was clearly upset. He wanted to know what was bothering her so he could fix the problem. He didn’t like to see her disturbed.

“Unfortunately, Ruth is correct. I am afraid I have an engagement this evening,” Esther replied, her tone soft. Ian heard a hint of sadness in her words and knew she, too, didn’t wish to end their outing.

“What other engagement?” Ian asked, trying his best to not feel jealous. He didn’t know where the emotion was coming from, but he knew he had to control it. He couldn’t allow his heart to get involved in the matter at any cost.

“Baron Dunshire will be dining with us this evening, My Lord. My parents wish me to return home early to prepare,” Esther told him honestly, sounding defeated. It was a clear that she didn’t wish to be subjected to an entire evening with Fergus. But she had no choice, as an unmarried female, her parents ruled.

“And do you wish to dine with the Baron?” Ian asked, probing Esther to open up further. He already knew her family wished to make a match between the two but he wanted it out in the open.

“My wishes are not generally taken into account, My Lord,” Esther told him, her voice pitched low as if she was trying to keep her own emotions in check. “The Baron has made it known that he would like to marry me and my family encourage his suit. I have no choice but to spend the evening with him.”

Ian suddenly felt highly annoyed. How could her family even consider a match between her and that toad? The man wasn’t even fit to lick her shoes. Why were they not able to see that Esther loathed his attentions and didn’t wish to be in his company for even one second. Getting married to the man was out of the question.

He had heard rumors that Fergus was nothing but a wastrel and he himself had seen his bad manners during dinner at Willmeade Manor. He was clearly a drunk, and Ian couldn’t help but feel protective of Esther. Her family was forcing her to interact with the mongrel when they should be keeping her as far away from him as possible. He had no manners, no breeding, and no money. He was most assuredly only interested in Esther for her dowry.

“I see,” Ian said with a smile, trying to keep his frustration concealed. “Then I must return you home at once, My Lady.”

Ian felt that he needed to move things along with Esther. He couldn’t afford to take his time or Fergus might propose first. He needed to secure Esther before that happened or he’d have to start all over again. Esther was the perfect candidate for him but there was more… He simply couldn’t allow Esther to marry that horrible man. Hathershire was a sensible man and would undoubtedly prefer seeing his daughter married to the heir of a dukedom rather than a low-ranking baron. Ian was better than Fergus in all respects, and he would make sure that Lord Hathershire knew that before the man handed her over to that miserable creature.

“Of course, My Lord,” Esther replied with a small smile. She knew she had to fulfill her duty as a daughter, but she wanted too much to stay with Ian.

As the two made their way to the carriage, all Ian could think about was having a word with Wilson as soon as possible. He had planned to ask Esther out for a picnic tomorrow and would meet with Wilson right after. He had decided to clearly state his intentions with Esther so her father would know that he was pursuing her seriously and needed his blessing to continue the courtship.

The three of them settled back inside the carriage and made the short ride back to Hathershire Manor. Esther and Ian continued to discuss Egyptian culture with animation. The carriage stopped far too soon, and Ian looked out of the window to see that they had arrived at Esther’s home. Ruth descended from the carriage, followed by Ian, who then helped Esther once more.

“Allow me to see you inside, Lady Esther,” Ian said as he took Esther’s arm and walked up the stairs.

Esther nodded graciously said, “That is very kind of you.”