Page 58 of Rescuing Lord Inglewood

“This is uncomfortable,” Hope whispered to her sister, who immediately glared at her for breaking the silence.

“Most uncomfortable,” Isaac agreed, removing his glare from Silas to Esther. She immediately lowered her eyes to her lap. “Esther?”

Her hands clenched together so tightly, her knuckles had gone white. “He married me to save my reputation.”

Isaac’s hand appeared in her field of vision, reaching to cover hers. His hand was calloused and tan, strong, and it grasped her pale hands firmly. “What happened?” he asked.

“I compromised myself,” she said softly, the confession causing her heart to ache. “I acted like a fool, and Silas was kind enough to save me from what people would say.”

“Compromised? Esther, how—?”

She yanked her hands out of his and stood, all in one swift motion. “I did nothing wrong,” she said hastily, imploring Isaac with her expression.

“You did something,” Isaac argued, his jaw sticking out and his eyes blazing. “Something that forced my friend to marry you?”

“It is not as bad as it sounds,” Silas said, coming to his feet as well. Esther flinched, his words squeezing pain from her heart.

Not as bad as it sounds. Oh, yes it was. She had put him in a horrible position. And Isaac’s summation, that she had forced something from his friend, made those words sting.

Isaac rose, with some difficulty, only the one arm to push himself up. He gestured with his hand to Esther, then back to Silas. “Do explain.” The words were not gentle.

Her eyes darted around the room, looking to the other friends present. The day of the picnic, of her ridiculous behavior that led to falling in the brook, came to mind. Silas’s resolved expression when he announced their engagement to the crowd had smote her especially hard.

The last week of her life, her heart tender from mourning her brother, had also been filled with moments when she thought her marriage to Silas might be something more. He had acted with such gentleness toward her. Shown such affection.

But Silas did not love her. Though she had lost her heart to him, the earl attempted to make the best out of a situation he had never sought for himself.

Hope whispered something to Grace, bringing Esther’s attention back to the people in the room who might be as family to Isaac but were not to her. She would not have this conversation here. Not before them all, where they could pity Silas and commiserate with Isaac right in front of her.

“I would prefer to have this conversation another time,” she said aloud. “But you are welcome to discuss it amongst yourselves. I needn’t be present. Excuse me.” She fled the room, her steps hurried. She flung the door open and broke into a run, ignoring Silas calling her back.

The Silver Birch Society could do as they pleased without her. As they always had.

Chapter Twenty-four

Watching his wife’s retreat pulled at Silas’s heart. He started to follow her, but as he walked by Isaac’s chair the soldier grabbed him by the arm.

“Explain, Silas,” Isaac said firmly. “Now. Esther will be fine for the moment and I deserve to know what she has done.”

Silas had the strangest urge to shove his best friend aside, ignore the question, and go straight to his wife. Esther needed him. Isaac could wait. He opened his mouth to declare this very thing when Hope started talking.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Isaac! Stop being ridiculous. This is Silas, the stalwart Earl of Inglewood. He did absolutely nothing dishonorable. Your sister saved his life and all of London decided to wag their tongues about it.” Hope had risen to her feet, as had Grace. Jacob was looking from Silas to Isaac with a deep frown, but his stance suggested he was ready to step between them if need be.

Jacob had always been the peacemaker, and a time or two had prevented hotheaded arguments from becoming more serious.

“Esther saved his life? How?” Isaac asked, not loosening his grip on Silas’s arm.

It would probably be bad form to shove his brother-in-law and friend, an injured war veteran, out of his way. But Silas needed to get to Esther.

“She pushed me out of the way of a falling statue,” Silas said, biting out the words. “And then the gossip started. I attempted to curtail it, but there was another incident that prohibited any other course. Let Hope explain it to you. They all know the story. I need to see to my wife.”

Isaac met his glare again, his eyebrows shooting up. “You were forced to wed her? I am sorry it came to that. If I had been home—”

“You were not home,” Silas said, at last pulling out of Isaac’s grip. “You left your sister and all your responsibilities behind to go play at being a soldier. As noble as I once thought that decision, I have seen the other side of it. You left a hurt and lonely girl to grow into a woman while you were gone, handed the responsibility of her care over to people who could never love her as her own brother should have, and now I am her husband. I was fortunate enough to be here when she thought you dead, to offer my comfort and support, as poor as it was, while she mourned you deeply. Do not apologize to me. Apologize to her.”

He said no more, nor did he regret his words. Though Isaac’s service in the military was honorable and good, it had hurt his sister, and there was a balance that must somehow still be paid for that.

Silas marched from the room. He did not look back. Did not bother to see how the others took his words. Let them think what they wanted.