Page 18 of The Countess's Awakening (The Lovers’ Arch #3)

CHAPTER 18

A utumn filled the air as Wang helped Esther into the open carriage. The air was sharp but invigorating, carrying the mingling scents of roasted chestnuts and spiced apples from a nearby vendor. Before them, The Mall stretched like a golden tunnel. Beneath their carriage wheels, leaves crunched softly, a reminder of the season’s inevitable shift.

Esther tucked a woolen shawl around her shoulders, but raised her cheeks, pink from the cold, towards the cool autumn sun.

“Ah, this is glorious. I’ve lived in confinement for so long that I almost forgot how lovely the outdoors can be.”

“Yes, you have. These past few months, you have only gone outside to travel from the house to the hospital and back. And before we started the therapy, you were almost a recluse.”

Her smile held a tint of sadness. “I didn’t want to put people to the trouble of having to cart me around and was ashamed to be seen in public. What a waste of time and life.”

“But you have been going out with me even before you could walk.”

She shrugged. “Your presence imparts courage. I feel…stronger. Not so alone. Like I can face the world.”

She could not know how much those words moved him. He wanted to be her rock. Her protector. Always. Lifting one of her gloved hands, he placed a kiss on the palm.

When the carriage reached The Boathouse, Wang stepped down first, lifting his arms to circle her waist and bring her down from the carriage. Gently, as if she were made of glass, he set her down on the ground. But he needn’t have worried. She stood, steady and sure—so much more than she had been months ago.

They walked along the lake, where the water reflected the hues of the trees. Now and then, her steps faltered. Every time, Wang caught her elbow without thought, steadying her was a reflex more ingrained than breathing.

“Are you tired?” he asked softly.

She exhaled. “A little.”

“Then we rest.”

“No, I can keep going. Let’s reach that kiosk. I want to eat something.”

“Stubborn.”

She looked at him askance, her lips curving seductively. “Where is the hard taskmaster who would demand I keep going when my strength was faltering?”

He huffed a small laugh. “Today is your resting day. Enjoy it. The hard taskmaster returns tomorrow.”

This time, her gaze held pure wickedness. “Do you promise? I rather like you hard…and masterful.”

Good God. She was going to make him go hard indeed in the middle of the damn park.

“Stop looking at me like that, you minx, or you’ll find the outing cut short.”

Her smile reflected triumph. She liked to tease him. Make him burn at inappropriate times. Keep him simmering with desire and then revel in the explosion when his passion erupted in private.

They reached a vendor selling roasted chestnuts, baked apples, and sweet pastries. Wang bought them both a treat. He handed her a paper cone filled with warm chestnuts, watching as she peeled one delicately, then popped it into her mouth.

A voice—crisp and unmistakably English—-interrupted her sigh of pleasure.

“Lady Hartfield?”

Esther turned, mid-bite, blinking in surprise as three elegantly dressed women approached. The one in front, a tall, stately blonde in a dark green walking dress, studied Esther with a look of pleasant shock.

“My goodness, it is you,” she said, her gaze flicking briefly to Wang before dismissing him with the effortless ease one dismissed a servant. “What a delightful surprise! We did not know you were in New York!”

Esther swallowed, dabbing her lips with her napkin. “Lady Caroline. Yes, I arrived some months ago.”

The other two women—poised and impeccably dressed—smiled at Esther, studying her with avid eyes. They were probably American, eager to further their acquaintance with an aristocratic lady. This country may eschew monarchy and nobility, but they certainly were awestruck by them.

“And you are walking! I’m so happy to see you have recovered after your unfortunate accident.” Without missing a beat, Lady Caroline continued, “Please allow me to introduce my companions, Mrs. Morgan and Mrs. Livingston.”

Esther inclined her head graciously. “How do you do, Mrs. Morgan, Mrs. Livingston.”

The women returned the greeting warmly. None of them had so much as acknowledged him, but that wasn’t surprising. Esther, however, wasn’t about to let that stand. She gestured toward him. “May I introduce my dear friend, Dr. Wang? He was instrumental in my recovery.”

The moment stretched.

Lady Caroline hesitated—barely a flicker—but Wang, used to such pauses, remained composed. He inclined his head politely.

“How…fortunate,” Lady Caroline said finally, her lips pressing into something that was meant to be a smile. “Dr. Wang.”

The other two murmured similar greetings, their voices cool, their gazes already shifting back to Esther, as though Wang was an unfortunate incident in an otherwise delightful encounter.

Esther held their gaze, unimpressed, before shifting the conversation. “And what brings you to New York, Lady Caroline?”

“Oh, the usual—business, travel. My husband has investments here.” She glanced between them, curiosity flickering in her gaze. Then, as though making a sudden decision, she retrieved an ivory-embossed card from her reticule.

“We are hosting a ball two weeks from Saturday. A rather exclusive affair,” she added, as if to remind Esther of her own status. “Only la crème de la crème of New York society will be attending. You must come.”

Her tone made it clear—the invitation was meant for Esther alone.

Esther took the card, turning it between her fingers. She glanced at Wang, then back at Lady Caroline, her lips curling slightly.

“How kind of you,” she said smoothly. “I shall attend.”

Lady Caroline beamed. “Excellent.”

Esther turned to him and smiled. “With Dr. Wang as my escort.”

The silence that followed was thick and telling.

Lady Caroline’s lips parted, just slightly, before she schooled her expression. “Oh.” Another forced smile. “Well, I—Of course.”

The other two women’s gazes flickered between Esther and himself, assessing. They shifted on their feet while sporting stiff smiles. Obviously uncomfortable, but not wanting to antagonize a countess.

Lady Caroline recovered quickly. “We must be off, but we shall see you soon, I hope.”

With another brief nod toward Wang—distantly polite but utterly dismissive—they strolled away.

Esther watched them go, expression unreadable. Then, slipping the card into her pocket, she turned to Wang.

“I shall only attend if you escort me,” she said.

Wang exhaled slowly, shaking his head. “Esther, that is a terrible idea.”

She raised a brow. “You sound like you doubt my social prowess.”

“I doubt their willingness to accept me,” he said frankly.

She tilted her head, lips curving mischievously. “Then I shall teach them some manners. Lady Caroline is the daughter of an earl, but she married a man of industry. She, of all people, shouldn’t be so haughty.”

“Wealth can cover a lack of aristocratic pedigree. But they will never accept me in the world you belong to.”

Her smile softened. “There’s no world I wish to belong to that doesn’t include you.”

Her fierce loyalty speared his heart. He had expected no less from her. But he feared it was the world that was about to teach her a lesson.

He studied her for a long moment, his jaw tightening just slightly. “Why does this matter to you?”

She stepped closer, her fingers brushing his sleeve. “Because you deserve to be included. Because there’s no finer man than you. And because I am craving a dance with you.”

He shook his head, sighing. “Then I suppose I must attend…if only to prove my point.”

Yet beneath his exasperation, a quiet wariness simmered. An unspoken warning that she was about to lead them both into a battlefield where the rules were already stacked against them.

Despite that, he would go.

Because there was no battle he wouldn’t fight for her.