If the curse were real, she would be long since dead.
As Julian approached the house, his heart leaped at the sight of Ester emerging gracefully from a shaded path that wound through the lush park. She was a vision—her white dress, light and airy, clung to her curves in the gentle breeze, while a broad-brimmed hat shaded her honey-glazed eyes and demure smile. A pink sash was tied about her waist and she carried a parasol over one bare shoulder. The sight of her took his breath away, and as Rufus drew up beside her, she glanced up, her lips flashing a radiant smile for the pair of them. Julian couldn’t help but return the grin as he swung down from the saddle with a swift,practiced grace, eager to close the remaining distance between them.
“Ester, you have grown even more beautiful since last I saw you, I swear it,” Julian said in awe.
A soft, melodic laugh escaped Ester’s lips. “Do you truly think so? I cannot see how that could possibly be, but I shall accept your outrageous flattery all the same.”
“Please do,” Julian grinned boyishly, his gaze never leaving hers. “It is my sworn duty as your devoted suitor for today.”
She extended her delicate hand to him, and without hesitation, he took it, lifting it gently to his lips. His kiss was intimate and lingered a touch longer than propriety rendered permissible.
“My father shall have observed your madcap ride along the road and will no doubt be watching us keenly now,” Ester’s teasing voice broke the spell.
Julian glanced towards the house, seeing no face at the windows. “I did not realize I had an audience.”
“Oh yes,” she added with a playful smile. “I had the perfect vantage and father misses nothing. But don’t worry—he always appreciated a fine display of horsemanship. I daresay, you could not have made a better first impression.”
Julian cast another fleeting glance over the frontage of Loughton Grange before returning his gaze to Ester. He could not keep his eyes off her for more than a moment. This meeting had been anticipated with such intensity, yet now that it was here, all he could think of was how much he wished they were back at Theydon Mount—alone, away from prying eyes. His heart pounded fiercely as her flowery scent filled his lungs. Her emerald eyes captured him, reaching into the very depths of his soul, holding him fast. The warmth of her soft fingers entwined in his was a sensation he never wanted to lose. He did not want to let go. Not ever.
Ester’s cheeks blossomed with color when his grip firmed, and her lips parted delicately. Julian remembered their afternoon of sin vividly. It haunted his dreams, sleeping and waking. Now, taking in her flushed face, he could not help but recall that same face beneath him. Eyes wide, hands reaching for his, seeking and finding his body. Her memory of breathless moans, pleas for release, the sight of her pale, fragile, naked form. It seared into his mind, a vision he could never forget.
Ester’s blush deepened and she bit into her lower lip.
Julian leaned in slightly, his voice hoarse with desire. “I must confess, I was thinking of our time back at Theydon Mount.”
Her eyes flickered with something dangerous and delicious, as she whispered, “What a coincidence... so was I.”
The sound of hoofbeats announced Harper’s arrival. He was not the horseman that his new master was and was red-facedand puffing from the effort of remaining ahorse. The moment between them broke as Ester turned, her lips curving into a soft smile.
“Good day to you Mr. Harper,” she greeted warmly. “I hope it is finding you well.”
Harper, still catching his breath, nodded gratefully. “Exceedingly well in my new circumstances, thank you, my lady!”
A male voice suddenly hailed them both from the house. Ester had just opened her mouth to speak but now closed it again. She smiled, tight and forced.
“Coming, Papa!” she called back to the man emerging from the house. “I suppose we should introduce you to my father.”
Julian narrowed his gaze, following her eyes to the figure limping along the drive toward them. He leaned heavily on the arm of a servant and had a walking cane in his other. A thick blanket fell draped over his shoulders, and his head was bowed beneath thin, fiery red hair that matched his beard. His face was pale, nearly ashen, with the fragility of someone long burdened by illness.
Julian steeled himself, offering his arm to Ester perfunctorily. He felt no little nervousness. This was no ordinary meeting—this was her father, the man whose approval he would need if there was ever to be a future together someday for him and Ester.Taking a deep breath, Julian strode up the drive to meet Lord Kendrick.
“Well met, Your Grace. Welcome to Loughton Grange,” Lord Percival Kendrick greeted him, his voice gruff but carrying the weight of authority. “It is not mine, of course. My true lands lie in the north, but for now, I am the current custodian of this place.”
“A pleasure, Lord Kendrick,” Julian replied with careful formality, extending a respectful bow. “The Grange is a fine estate. You are doing a sterling job as its current custodian. I, too, find myself in a similar position. Custodian of a southern property, though my ancestry lies further in the north.”
“Indeed, Windermere, I have gathered. I have, of course, consulted colleagues in the Lords about your lineage,” Percival muttered, unabashedly.
Julian’s lips quirked into a faint, knowing smile. “Then I am certain they seized the chance to regale you with all the gruesome legends that surround my northern lands.”
The old man gave a weak but dismissive wave of his hand. “Bah. They tried to fill my head with that fairytale nonsense. I was a Colonel in the recent dispute with the French, East Cheshire Horse. You can’t be taking on a French Lancer with a head full of legends,” Percival grumbled.
Julian’s smile was sincere. “I am very glad to hear it. I have grown rather weary of the fanciful legends myself. You strike me as a very practical man.”
“Papa is,” Ester agreed, “always thinking of solutions.”
“Ah, yes, and speaking of solutions,” Percival interrupted breathily, “I believe I have yourself to thank for remedying the situation that drove us from the north in the first place?”
Julian inclined his head, modestly. “I merely did my part to assist a lady in distress.”
