Page 51 of The Lady No One Noticed

“What? Oh, I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” Esther said startled. She had no idea how much time had gone by.

“Yes, you have been asleep for the past hour. The Gilbert’s have arrived, and it is time for dinner,” Ruth informed her. Esther got up and quickly freshened up and changed into a maroon gown that made her face glow. She stared at her reflection and couldn’t help but smile. Once her hair was made up, she descended the stairs. Voices could be heard from the dining room, and Esther quickly made her way towards the dining room. As soon as she entered, her eyes immediately found Ian, who was seated right beside her usual spot on the table.

Esther knew that he was probably tired too but still managed to look extremely handsome. He looked effortlessly gorgeous every single day.

“Esther, my dear.” Esther’s attention was turned towards the Duchess as she walked towards her with a beatific smile on her face. Esther couldn’t help but smile back at her as she came and engulfed Esther in a familiar hug.

“Your Grace,” Esther said with a formal curtsey, addressing her respectfully.

“My darling, you look stunning. I can’t explain the extent of my happiness over you becoming my daughter-in -aw. You and Ian will make the most beautiful couple in all of England, I am certain,” she went on, sounding ecstatic. Esther blushed at the praise and looked down, unable to meet her eyes. She suddenly felt very uncomfortable being the center of attention as all eyes, including Ian’s, were focused on her and her alone.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Esther managed to say. The Duchess held her hand and walked with her to the table. Ian immediately stood up as she approached and pulled out her chair for her. Esther looked at him with a smile. She thought back to when she had sat beside Fergus for dinner, and he hadn’t even made the gesture. Esther remembered thinking that if Ian were in his place, he would have done it for her, and he had proven it today.

She thanked Ian before sitting down, and Ian sat down beside her. There was a considerable distance between them, but Esther could still feel his proximity keenly. The conversation went on all around Esther, but she couldn’t find it in her heart to contribute. The proposal, the engagement, and everything happening seemed a rushed, and Esther wished that things had happened differently. She would have wanted a longer courtship.

Ian had never even hinted that he was planning to ask Esther’s hand in marriage, and thus, it had come along unexpectedly.

Did he suddenly ask for my hand in marriage because he saw Lady Lisa last night?

Esther’s heart went somber. She immediately dismissed the idea, knowing she was probably overanalyzing the situation, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Ian was only doing this to make Lisa jealous.

Every single thought perplexed her even further, and she had no idea what to think any longer. She had spent an a large amount of time with Ian in the last two weeks and the connection they shared could simply not be faked. Esther was certain that those moments with him had been genuine. Every single moment mattered to her, and she knew that they mattered to Ian too. She finally forced herself to believe that Ian at least had feelings for her, although she knew she was completely in love with him.

Ian had no idea what the conversation was that went on around him. His eyes and complete focus had only been on Esther. Since the moment she had walked inside the dining room dressed in the beautiful maroon color, he had been awestruck.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but wonder about the reason behind her worried expression. He had noticed how she had hardly eaten anything at all, which meant that she was troubled about something. Ian was sure that the news of their engagement had shocked her, but she looked positively morose about something.

Is she having second thoughts about marrying me?

He did not know what else to believe. He was sure that Esther had feelings for him, thus, it was unreasonable to think that she would not want to marry him.

She is probably just stressed after the tiring day.

He felt as if he was overthinking it. Esther must be happy with the match, just as he and both their families were. They did indeed make a perfect couple.

He decided to dismiss the matter entirely and focus on simply having a good time, but his subconscious continued whispering softly in the back of his mind, causing a sense of guilt to build up in him. He knew that he needed to inform Esther about his past with Lisa. She had every right to know. However, he had no idea how he would ever gather the courage to tell her of it.

And then there was the matter of his father’s ultimatum and his initial reasons for marrying her. Though the very thought of confessing something like that made Ian feel sick. He knew he was doomed yet still hoped everything would work in his favor anyway.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Esther entered the drawing room at the Hathershire Manor and sat down, feeling extremely tired. A week had gone by since her engagement with Ian had been announced in the London Times, and she had never known that life could turn out to be this hectic. Her mother had been dragging her to the dress maker almost every day. An entire new wardrobe was being prepared for her. Dress fittings were a very tiring business, and Esther felt immensely fatigued.

“Esther, you look as if you’ll pass out right there on that chair!” her mother exclaimed as she entered the drawing room just behind her.

“What do you expect, mother? I have been up since dawn, and you have taken it upon yourself to make sure that we visit every modiste in town. Of course, I am tired,” Esther replied softly.

“I understand love, but what am I supposed to do? You are to be married, and that requires a great deal of preparation. We have an entire wedding to plan, and your wardrobe matters greatly,” her mother explained, and Esther knew she was right.

“I understand, Mother. I just wish we could just be done with it all,” Esther said, closing her eyes as she rested her head at the back of the chair.

“Thank god the banns still need to be read out two more times, but we still need to be done with the preparations as soon as possible. We also have to attend the engagement ball she is throwing, and your dress for the day is still not ready. I am losing my mind,” Hildred said, and Esther nodded. She knew her mother was already stressed enough and needed time to prepare for the wedding ceremony. The engagement ball was in two days’ time and Esther was slightly worried about how it would unfold.

Esther was still in a state of disbelief. She hadn’t met Ian even once in the past week as both of them were busy in their own preparations for the wedding. The fact that they were to be married soon still somehow felt false. It felt as if Esther was simply biding her time, waiting to wake up from this dream that was swirling around her.

“I understand Mother, I need time too,” Esther whispered.

“What do you mean? What do you need time for?” her mother asked, her brow rising quizzically.