A Season of Masks and Masquerades

Chapter 10: A Crazy Conversation

"Nonsense!" The word stumbled out of Esther's mouth before she could think of a more ladylike reaction.

It was indeed completely nonsensical.

The Duke didn't want to marry her? Of course, he did. All his actions said so. A blind man could read his intention clearly.

"It is not." Lord Greycoat replied calmly. "And I have a concrete explanation."

"There is no explanation required, sir." Esther interrupted him confidently. "I do not wish to sound proud, in fact, there is not but an ounce of glee I get from this however, the Duke really does intend to marry me. You might not be aware but this is the sole motive for him visiting London this season."

Lord Greycoat's blue eyes went wide at her words. "You say it with so much confidence as if the Duke himself must have informed you."

Esther scoffed to her side and fanned her face before speaking. Little droplets of sweat had started appearing at the edge of her hairline. "I reckoned you were a dear old friend of the Duke's but turns out you're not as close."

Greycoat only raised an eyebrow and she continued. "Sir, you must not know this but there exists an arrangement more than a decade old, established between the late Duke of Dales and my father whic-"

"I am aware." He said causing Esther to lose words.

"Pardon?" She mumbled.

"I am aware, Miss Sherborne. Of the arrangement and the Duke's opinion thereof."

"I see. So you're aware." Esther's voice had gone low on confidence. Shifting from one foot to another she searched her mind for something sensible to say. "Well, then I don't see why you shall carry any doubts in the solidarity of the Duke's intention of this visit. For I've indeed heard of his careless rakish ways but I'm hoping he's not so insensitive and wild to go against his late father's promises. Once again, pardon my words."

Esther watched Greycoat's face slowly lit up with a hint of amusement. His lips picked into a smirk on one side of his face. "Miss Sherborne you seem to voice your opinion quite boldly irrespective of your authority or knowledge on the man the said opinion relates to."

"I hope that does not offend you for that is not my motive at all." Her response only strengthened the smirk on his face, to her sheer disappointment.

He scoffed lightly looking at the ground and took two unnecessary steps closer to her, as she waited for him to spit out whatever evil thoughts were boiling in his head.

"In my friend's defence," he started speaking the smirk long gone from his hard face that now styled a clenched jaw instead, "he is indeed not so insensitive and wild a son to pay no heed to his late father's words, I assure you. But he is also not so immature and irresponsible a Duke, to just marry any undeserving vile woman and award her the status of the Duchess of his dukedom and the people thereof, on the mere account of an old arrangement."

It wasn't the words he used that offended Esther, it was rather the contempt and compassion they carried as he bore wells in her eyes with his own. He'd stopped speaking and if this was Esther's cue to respond. She was not in a position to do any such thing.

Slowly he took two backward steps restoring the decent space between them. "Pardon my words, Miss Sherborne." He added shortly after with mischief evident in his eyes and once again the smirk was back at its place.

After a long unnatural pause, Esther breathed out in shudders and still looking into Lord Greycoat's eyes she spoke demurely, "I see. Well, that's a relief, isn't it?" She awkwardly asked while Greycoat only watched her with a delightful expression that did not sit right with Esther's nervousness.