“Good heavens,” mama said, clattering her fork onto the plate. “This is a ghastly story. Did the man live?”
“Hard to tell,” Richard said around a mouthful of bacon. “What was even more shocking is it is someone we know.”
“Who?” several voices caroused while Ester’s belly pitched.
“It was Lucien’s brother. Edmond Glendevon.”
Ester stood so fast that she felt faint. She certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.
Colin lowered his fork. “Ester?”
“Edmond Glendevon?” she whispered, the pain and fear in her chest a living entity. “Is he…did he die?”
Richard stood, looking concerned. “No. He hitched a ride with us back to town, and once we stopped here, our carriage continued with him to his abode. Ester, what is going on! Tears are on your face.”
“So he is safe and on his way home,” she said hoarsely.
“Yes, he—”
“Did not quite go home,” a soft voice said from the dining room doorway.
Ester stifled her gasp and spun about. A breathless sensation swept through her body, and she almost fainted at the sight of her love.
“Good God, Glendevon, what are you doing here?” Richard said, staring at him.
But Edmond only had eyes for her. Ester wiped the tears from her cheeks with trembling fingers. She tried to appear calm, but inside, her heart raced and felt like she would shatter. “You fool,” she said softly, “How did you fall overboard.”
His eyes gleamed. “I jumped.”
Her entire family gasped.
“I love you, Ester,” he said, “I was a damn fool for leaving you, and I swear nothing will ever unchain me from your side again, my love.”
Delighted laughter rippled from her, and she stared at him with her hands pressed over her chest.
“What is the meaning of this?” her mother gasped, standing. “Ester?”
She was smiling like a loon. “I love you too, Edmond. So very much.”
“Marry me,” he said, pressing a hand over his chest. “Travel with me and let us build our life together with many adventures.”
“Yes!”
“Ester!” her mother cried, slapping her hand on the table in a show of temper.
Ester hurtled herself forward and hugged Edmond. His arms closed around her, holding her tightly to his chest. “There were boats that you could have perhaps taken to shore,” she whispered against his chest, ignoring the excited chatter that exploded around her.
“That only occurred to me after I jumped. then I decided what the hell, I must swim to shore and race back to London for my darling. Damn well near drowned.”
Ester laughed and allowed him to extricate himself from her clasp. They faced her family, who stared at them with varying degrees of astonishment and happiness. Only her mother wore an expression of disapproval and doubt.
“Mama,” she said softly, “I love Edmond, and he is the only gentleman I will marry.”
“But what will the dowager say?” Mama asked quietly.
“Who cares?” said Colin with a grin and a wink at her. “Edmond is already a part of the family. You must be starving. Take a seat and tuck in. We can’t have Ester’s betrothed taking a cold and pining away.”
Edmond chuckled, bowed courteously to his mother and greeted her family. He pulled up a chair next to Ester, and silent servants provided him with all the necessary porcelain and cutlery. The butler bent over Edmond’s cup and poured him black coffee, knowing how he liked it. The other servants made sure that his plate was piled high with good things to eat. Most of the ladies had finished eating and had tried to offer their congratulations.