Rescuing Lord Inglewood by Sally Britton

Author:Sally Britton
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2019-05-22T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

April 19, 1814 - London

With the end of the war, Silas’s fortnight in London began to look more like a month. He had written Esther the day before to apologize, explaining why he must be delayed as many decisions had to be made in regard to bringing the troops home.

Sitting at his desk, his London study lit by candle and lamp, he stared down at the latest drawing arrived from Suffolk. At first, receiving Esther’s artwork had amused him, but he had begun to suspect she was doing more than sending him random sketches and paintings. There was something more to them, and the single words or lines she scrawled along the edge of the paper offered the barest hint to what she intended him to know.

This was another watercolor, in a more simplistic style than he had seen from her thus far. It was a view from inside the house, at the front door, looking outward. Rain appeared to be falling, blurring the outside landscape into nothing more than a wash of color.

Beneath the somewhat melancholy image were the words, “Waiting for Company.”

Was Esther lonely? Had his friends not gone to her as he wished? Jacob had sent him a letter not long ago, announcing they had been found out, but he did not say the visits had ceased.

Whose company did Esther wish for?

Silas had a letter to her started next to the drawing, but he could not bring himself to tell her of any political doings. Would she care? Yet his life consisted of little else. He had been to the club that morning where many a man still toasted the end of the war as if they had contributed personally to that outcome.

He put his elbows on the desk and dropped his face into his hands, exhausted. He had turned away another invitation to a ball. The social events had always been somewhat irritating, but necessary, for him to attend or else risk offending members of his party by offending their wives. As a married man, he had more leeway with invitations, and he had no desire to attend parties without Esther by his side.

Perhaps it had been a mistake to leave her behind. Though he had his reasons, of course, he had begun to doubt them. What would it have hurt to ease her into Society from their London townhouse? Could he really better prepare her over the course of the summer?

Though used to being alone, now that it was not strictly necessary, he caught himself often wondering what Esther would say and do in certain situations. What sort of wife would she be to him? Attentive, coming to see why he was yet awake after two in the morning? Or would she be a silent support, sending the servants with tea to fortify his late evenings? He had no doubt she would be kind. One had only look into her beautiful brown eyes to see her compassionate nature. Sometimes, he supposed with a smirk, he might glimpse her stubbornness, too.

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