Page 103 of A Bluestocking for the Wicked Duke

The Earl placed two fingers on his eyes and pushed back, tilting his neck backwards too as if to help in pushing the fingers into his eye sockets.

“She does,” he answered. His voice wasn’t bold and loud anymore, it was gritty and solemn. It was broken.

“Let me go find her sir,” William said.

He walked out of the room and jumped over a few steps, getting to the bottom of the flight in four leaps. He walked into garden. He heard her whimpering cries before he saw her. The cries led him past the two seats and the fountain, deeper into the huge garden till he saw a topiary he hadn’t seen. It was a figure of Esther. She was green and beautiful; wearing a gown that fanned out greatly at the skirt and a hat with a net in front that almost covered the entire face. But he knew it was her, the gardener got her posture excellently. The straight pose, the arc of her arm close to her face that had once deceived William to think she was shy, it was Esther. The lower part of the figure’s face was uncovered; the lips were in a thin line. The expression was grim as if it knew how she felt at that moment.

William walked around the figure and saw Esther curled up in a ball. Her head was on her knees and her hair had come loose, it sprayed around her neck and over her turned-down face. William bent in front of her and laid his hands on her arms. She looked up, allowing him a glimpse into the split of her white skin at her bust, the swell and fullness that bulged out. Hers was white and small not like the darker, bigger bulbs that Joane had. William looked at her eyes and remembered the plea Joane held in them in the field.

Please take me.

He shook his head.

“Those were really strong words you told your father,” he said.

“Those words are true,” she replied him.

“He looked hurt,” William said.

Esther’s enlarged eyes told him she was surprised.

“I am hurt,” she answered after a brief silence.

“Well the deed has been done, your father now knows of the dissolution of our courtship. Give him time Esther, he will accept Andrew.”

Esther nodded and extended her arms to William. He pulled her up, trying to get her to her feet when she leaped into his embrace. She crushed herself on him, her softness making William’s body respond in ways inappropriate to the situation. He thanked the stiff set of the fabric of his trouser for pushing the obstinate hardness of his cock back. William looked over Esther’s neck and saw someone standing beside the stone seat, looking at them.

The man was tall, much taller than William. He had a stern face, not necessarily handsome but a face that made an impression. He was built; his arms were sinewy, adding to his menacing stature. William drew Esther away from him. Still looking over her shoulder, he spoke to her.

“I think he is waiting for you.”

Esther turned back and ran to the man. She shouted his name as she jumped into his embrace.

“Andrew.”

He caught her and lifted her up her feet, holding her in the air for a few seconds. Then he brought her down and cleaned the tears off her cheeks with his thumbs.

William walked him and stretched out his right hand for a handshake. The hand that shook his was strong and rough.

“You must be William. Esther told me a lot about you, thank you for understanding,” he said.

William nodded. Andrew’s voice was deep and reaching like it was coming from depths further than the length of his insides.

“Her father is a bit raw from our last conversation with him; Esther told him some truths that hurt the man. Wait a bit before going to see him again. She’s a wonderful lady, take care of her,” William said to him.

Andrew smiled. His smile managed to be wide without showing any teeth.

“I will. Thank you once again.”

William nodded and walked away from them. He hadn’t planned to even leave home that day but now he was going to Buckingham. His heart was already with Joane. He turned back to look at the two of them before he turned the corner. They were engaged in a soft, caressing kiss that made William’s heart thump.

They don’t know I’m not gone.

He turned the corner and walked into the courtyard. The steward in charge of the stable saw him and ran to bring his horse, without William even asking.

“Thank you,” William told him as he collected the reins.

He mounted the horse and rode out of the compound.