Page 48 of The Lady No One Noticed

“No!” Ian cried almost immediately, and George smiled at him.

“If you were truly in love with your sister-in-law then you would still be in love with her now. Love doesn’t fade Ian, it only progresses. Look into your heart deeply and find out what love truly means for you and who are you actually in love with. The answer is not far from here,” George said, lightly tapping his index finger on Ian’s chest. Ian felt George’s words hitting him somewhere deep inside his heart, forcing him to tread in a direction he had never stepped before. A place that made Ian feel as if all the world’s weight was suddenly on his shoulders.

When Ian headed home he was still confused but knew one thing for sure, that the incident three years ago no longer held any significance in his life.

Ian wasn’t sure if he loved Esther or not, but the one thing he knew was that it was time to move on with his life. He couldn’t allow his past to hold him back any longer. It was time to meet Lord Hathershire to formally ask him for Esther’s hand in marriage.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

Ian reached Hathershire Manor after having headed home to wash up and change after leaving Jackson’s. He had no idea what suddenly had made him so certain about marrying Esther, but something had indeed. It was probably George’s words and affirmation about Ian never having been in love with Lisa. He still was not convinced that he loved Esther, but now he had no choice but to consider the possibility. The one thing Ian did know was that he enjoyed being with Esther and had feelings for her. He couldn’t classify those feelings, but he knew they existed, and he could no longer ignore them.

“Lord Gilbert.” The butler greeted him with a formal bow as soon as Ian entered the main doors of the manor. “I am afraid that Lady Esther is not at home.”

“I am here to see Lord Hathershire. Is he home?” Ian asked after a moment’s pause, his thoughts still on Esther.

“Yes, My Lord, he is. I will escort you to his study,” The butler answered, and Ian breathed a sigh of relief. This was his moment of courage, and he did not wish to waste it.

The butler took Ian to Wilson’s study, and Ian remembered the last time he had been here. Today, Ian needed to have a much more serious discussion with him. Marriage was not like a courtship. Marriage was real, something that actually mattered, something that would change the course of their lives forever.

The butler announced him and Ian walked inside confidently. The familiar surroundings greeted him.

“Lord Hathershire,” Ian said. Wilson looked up at once, shut the ledger he was reading and stood up from his chair with a smile. Ian felt as if he was expecting him. He was an experienced man and he probably already knew why Ian was here. This fact unsettled Ian even further.

“Lord Gilbert, what a pleasant surprise,” Wilson said as he walked out from behind the table. He came to stand right in front of Ian, and Ian smiled at him. He was trying to appear calm even though his brain had turned to mush. His heart was accelerating, yet he knew he must act like he was in command. He had a certain position to maintain, even in front of his future father-in-law.

“How are you, My Lord?” Ian asked respectfully, and Wilson smiled.

“I am good, my boy. Would you like a drink?” Wilson suddenly asked, as if knowing that he might need one for the conversation that was about to happen. Ian nodded gratefully, without saying anything.

Ian walked forward to sit down on the couch as Wilson moved towards the sideboard. Ian watched Wilson take out two glasses and pour scotch in both of them. He picked up the glasses and walked back to where Ian was seated, handing him one of the glasses. Once Wilson was seated comfortably opposite Ian, he raised the glass to him as if in a silent toast.

The two men drank in silence for a few minutes. Ian had no idea how to start the conversation, while Wilson seemed in no hurry at all. It was as if he was allowing Ian to take as much time as he needed to prepare himself for the question he had to ask.

“I heard Lady Esther isn’t at home,” Ian said, wanting to say something to kill the silence that had descended between the two men.

“Yes. She’s out somewhere with her mother and sister. Some tea party, I believe,” Wilson replied casually.

“I see,” Ian said, not knowing what else to say.

“Were you here to see her and came to me instead when you found out she wasn’t home?” Wilson suddenly asked, and Ian looked up from his glass to stare at him.

“No, My Lord, I came to see you,” Ian replied easily. He knew this was the moment. He had to show courage and be done with it. Wilson would never say no to him. A man like him wanted his daughters to make prominent matches, and Ian held an excellent position in society. No other suitor could reach Ian’s social status.

“Do you have something you’d like to discuss?” Wilson asked, staring at Ian pointedly, helping him along.

“Yes, My Lord, I need to ask you something important,” Ian finally said, placing his glass on the table between the two men. He leaned forward slightly, trying to appear sedate yet in control. His expression was calm though it was entirely the opposite of how he felt on the inside.

“I am listening,” Wilson said, mirroring Ian’s posture.

“I would like to ask you for Lady Esther’s hand in marriage,” Ian said his voice unwavering. He had no idea how he had blurted out the words or how he had remained so calm about it. His pulse was constantly rising, and he was trying his best to keep his nervousness from his face.

Ian noticed how Wilson’s face changed into a comfortable smile as if he was expecting nothing else. He sighed deeply before sitting back up straight as he continued to stare at Ian.

“Ian, may I tell you something?” Wilson asked, and Ian looked at him quizzically.

“Of course, My Lord,” he answered as he picked up his glass from the table and drank the remaining contents in one go. Ian didn’t want to hear anything Wilson had to say unless it was to acquiesce to Ian’s request, but Ian had to be polite.

“When I went to my father-in-law to ask for Hildred’s hand in marriage, I was extremely nervous. It took me a full thirty minutes to gather the courage to face the man and an extended thirty minutes to finally ask. When Neil came to me with the same question, it took him about an hour to finally get to the point. Today, when you entered this room, I had a feeling that you were here to ask me exactly that. Though what I didn’t know was that you would ask me this soon,” Wilson went on, and Ian couldn’t help but smile at the story.