Chapter 17
Christina burst into the kitchen the next morning, her face red and her eyes bright with concern and curiosity.
“Gabriel, Mrs Matilda Newham, the great-aunt of Miss Kathleen and Miss Teresa Roberts, is demanding that you visit her at home at eleven o’clock. She asks that you be dressed as a gentleman and that you attend her in the drawing room using your correct title.”
“Do I have a title. My title is merely courtesy and my sire has never said whether I have the right to use it. We have all only ever assumed I am Cindermaine because that was how school addressed me.”
“Then Cindermaine you are.”
“I have no gilt-edged card to hand to the butler when I arrive.”
“I had some made for you a couple of years ago. I always thought the day might come when you might need them, They are in my room. Come with me and I shall give you a book to return to Lord Stalwood for me.”
“Another book?”
“I did not read this one. I just asked for one in case I needed to send you on an errand. I think ahead, brother dear.”
“Ah, the wisdom of age, older sister.”
“Shut up, Gabriel.” Gabriel chuckled and tugged one of her curls free from her coiffure. “Oi, you beast.”
“You adore me.”
“I adore you so much I fought out of our mother’s womb first to be rid of you.”
“Ha! You were hoping they had changed the law and you could be Duke.”
“Not if I’m anything like the current one, no.”
“Well, feel free to stab me in the heart if I am anything like that brute.”
“Worry not, brother. I intend to.”
He grinned and followed her upstairs to her room. She produced some cards which already had his name and title neatly written on them. She also handed him a book.
“I thought you had read Mansfield Park.”
“I have. I have my own copy. That is why I took Myles’s copy. So that I would have no compunctions about giving it to you to return to him. I should hate to return a book I had started to read and was enjoying.”
Gabriel chuckled. “You are a real bookworm.”
“What else is there to do stuck in this mausoleum with Cedric and father.”
“And Godfrey.”
“Godfrey is fine when the other two are not around. I quite like him at times. He worships you. I think because, while you have been above stairs, you have been kind to him. Cedric is nasty to him and father ignores him.”
“Poor Godfrey. I suspect he is not a bad fellow, but he is stuck with horrendous people for relatives and would really like to just be accepted by someone.”
“Perhaps when this is all over, when Father is gone, we could accept him into our family as one of us.”
“You mean, offer him what he never offered me?”
“Gabriel, you know it is difficult to stand up to Father.”
“I did.”
“You are a strong person. Godfrey did not have the education you did. He did not have the friends you did—people like Myles and Lord Beattie. He had Father and Cedric brow-beating him. Perhaps you got your strength from Mother.”
“Mama was hardly strong, Chrissie. She killed herself.”
“We cannot know what went on in that marriage, Gabe. They were married two years before we came along. One illegitimate child to his mistress either side of us being born. He beat us, so he must have beaten her.”
“He did beat her. I saw him do it.”
“So you can’t know she was not strong. She may have been very strong and had to survive who knows how many beatings and injuries.”
Gabriel ran his hand through his hair.
“Aye, you are right of course. I judge her harshly because I… well it matters not.”
“You are still hurt by what you see as her defection. I know, Gabe. I still feel it too. She left us with that monster. And now our life is unfolding and it scares me. But we have survived thus far. We shall continue to survive. We have each other and Myles and Kathleen. And perhaps even Godfrey.”
Gabriel chuckled. “Aye. Perhaps even Godfrey. I must get going or I shall miss the time for my summons.”
“Yes. Do not be late.”
∞∞∞
Gabriel made it to the front door of the Roberts’ townhouse with only a couple of minutes to spare. The butler led him directly up to the drawing room, eyeing him suspiciously. Gabriel could not fault the fellow. He was wearing the same clothes he had worn while pretending to be Cedric and now he was claiming to be… well… himself.
He was shown into the drawing room and although it was not necessary because Kathleen’s great-aunt was of a lower rank than he, Gabriel bowed anyway. He was used to bowing and scraping and frankly, it would do no harm to butter the old lady up—whatever it was she wanted with him. She pointed to a chair on the other side of the fire to where she sat and he accepted it.
“I shall get to the point. The last two evenings I have seen your assignations with my great-niece in the garden.”
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “I… well… that is to say…”
“Save your excuses, young man. She has told me everything, my lord. She has told me you are now my great-nephew by marriage and that you plan to run off with her on Christmas night.”
“We have no choice, Ma’am. When word gets out, there shall be a great scandal and I cannot predict how the Duke will react.”
“Where will you take her?”
“I plan to hide in plain sight. Therefore I shall not divulge that information.”
“I see.”
“And how will you support her?”
“I have friends willing to help me but I plan to work. I have an education. We shall manage. For now, I must admit that my plans are a little… well, they are not fully formed, Ma’am, but it was a rather hasty decision. Your great-niece was in danger were she to have married Cedric. My father beat my mother. I have reason to believe that in Cedric’s case, the apple has not fallen far from the tree.”
“And what about you? What assurances do I have that you will not beat Kathleen?”
“I love her. I would never harm her.” Gabriel stopped after he said those words and drew in a deep breath. He had not even considered how he had really felt about the chit. He had called her my love. But that had just been an endearment. He had not supposed that he loved her. And yet the words had tripped off his tongue without thought as soon as he was grilled about how he felt for his wife. Did he love her?
“Good. She also loves you. You shall make a good match. Now as to your funds. Most of my money is in a bank in America. I need to find out how to have it sent to you. Kathleen is to get half of my wealth on my demise. She may as well get it now since you are both in need. Here.” She waggled a sizeable bag of coin bag at him.
“What is that?” he asked looking at it as if she were trying to hand him a live snake.
“It is gold coins. You can cash them in as you need to. Keep them on your person at all times from now on. Here is a belt my William always used to secrete his coins under his clothing. It is terribly old fashioned but it shall do the job.”
“I cannot accept this, Mrs Newham. It is my job to support my own wife.”
“You are supporting her by accepting help. Good God, boy, it sounds as if you have had no help and no family.”
“I have my twin sister. She is all the family I need.”
The old lady’s face softened. “I’m sure she is, child, but a young girl has no say and no power to help you. You know that. Please let me help you. Society has let you down badly, and it is time for someone to step up. It is money I do not need, and it is money that Kathleen shall inherit anyway. Please take it now so that I know you are both safe. So that I know that she is safe.”
Damn, she knew how to tug at his conscience. He sighed and held out his hand for the belt and the bag of coins.
“Thank you. I promise not to waste it.”
“I have no doubt you are a frugal man after the way you have had to live. Do not be too frugal though. You deserve to live life. And my great-niece deserves happiness too.”
“I promise to take great care of her.”
“I know you will. Now, she is standing outside the door, desperate to know what is happening, would you be so kind as to open the door and invite her in and we shall have tea?”
He did, and Mrs Newham called out to the servant behind the door that they were ready for tea. When the door was closed again, Gabriel pressed a soft kiss on Kathleen’s lips. Mrs Newham sighed and opened her fan and wafted it in front of her face.
They chatted about the Christmas entertainments and members of the ton and about nothing in particular. The Roberts’ house was now decorated for Christmas with evergreens over the mantel and a kissing bough near the door. He had never been allowed to be part of the festivities in his own house and had obviously never participated in visiting other people’s homes over the Christmas Season, so this was quite a novelty for Gabriel.
When tea was finished Mrs Newham stood with her two canes.
“It is time for my nap. Now, Lord Cindermaine, I am sure you will find your way out in a timely manner. I appreciate you two are wed, but I would appreciate if you would not frighten the servants with your carnal activities in broad daylight. If you are determined to wait until Christmas Day to leave, you shall just have to keep your legs closed and your skirts down, Kathleen.”
Kathleen groaned and hid her face in her hands as her great-aunt made for the door.
“Thank you, Mrs Newham.”
“Thank you, my lord, for saving my great-niece. I suppose you could make use of the Kissing Bough. As long as kissing is all you do. And do not get caught.”
When the door closed Gabriel pulled Kathleen so that her still covered face was against his chest.
“My poor darling, are you terribly mortified?”
“Completely. She saw everything last evening and the evening before. My skirts up, you thrusting into me.”
“You wanted to do it in the garden, my love. She does not seem too distressed. She did not pull smelling salts out of her bag once.”
“You are making light of this.”
“What would you have me do? What is done, is done. We can worry about something your great-aunt does not give a whit about or we can kiss under that kissing bough since tonight during our waltz, I shall have to dance with you the requisite distance apart so as not to start the tongues wagging of the gossip mongers among the ton. Which shall it be?”
“I heard you say something about kissing. I heard nothing after that.”
Gabriel laughed and stood, drawing her to her feet and walked to the kissing bough where he took her face in his hands and then pressed his lips to hers. Kathleen wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms moved around her waist and they kissed slowly, gently and passionately. When he started to harden in his breeches, he pulled away, lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.
“Until tonight, my love.”
“Gabriel?”
“Yes.”
“Be careful.”
He smiled at her. “You too.”