To her surprise the Marquis readily agreed to her terms. Seeing the obvious question on her face he laughingly explained it to her.
“It will be all the sweeter revenge on Adderly, a constant reminder in the flesh of what he has lost.” Alexis was sickened by his words, but she nodded her head.
“Then I will marry you.” The Marquis left shortly after and Alexis sat down to pen Gabriel the hardest letter she had ever written. She could not tell him of the Marquis’s blackmail, for he would try to find a way around it and any way Alexis thought it through the only way out of it was to sacrifice her sister.
Gabriel was meeting with his man of business; a lot had happened in the past two days since he had been away. He was in real danger of losing a massive shipping contract with the French. The contract was worth over half a million pounds and would sink his business if he lost it. Gabriel was going to have to go across the channel himself to France to sort it out. He was making preparations to leave the following day when an urgent letter bearing the Grant crest was delivered via a liveried footman.
He had not yet had a chance to explain the situation to her, but had been planning on a visit later that afternoon. Excusing himself while he read the letter, his face blanched and he threw the paper into the flames of the fireplace after reading it. What in the hell did she mean she had changed her mind, and she wanted to marry Delacourt. Had the woman gone daft? She had written that she did not want him to try and stop her, nor, in fact, did she want to see him ever again.
Like hell, Gabriel thought as he shouted for his coachman, leaving his man of business sitting forgotten in the library.
Outside the palatial Mayfair mansion, however, Gabriel found himself barred entrance, he even tried to force his way through, but Alexis must have been anticipating that and several burly footmen were waiting to escort him unceremoniously back to the street. Cursing Gabriel penned Alex a note and waited tersely on the street for a response. The response was his letter returned un opened on a silver slather.
Sickened by her sudden change of heart Gabriel turned dejectedly and headed for home.
Alexis watched him pace the street like a caged lion as tears streamed down her face until Alexis could no longer see at all... She felt her heart breaking into tiny pieces and when he turned and left, she felt her heart crumble and leave with him. Turning back to her bed, she curled up in a ball and sobbed. After she was wed she would write him a note and explain, it would be too late then, but for now she could not risk his interference.
He must hate her; she thought as pain so severe tore through her chest, leaving behind only a dull, empty ache, but it was better this way…
Gabriel returned home and immediatly jumped aboard a ship for France. The ride across the channel allowed him time alone with his thoughts, which only served to haunt him with memories of Alexis. He could not eat; he had never before had sea sickness in his life, but he was terribly ill and it did not go away when he reached the shore, for it was his heart that was aching, not a sea sickened stomach.
Gabriel arrived at his meeting with his French counterparts, dressed smartly in his best navy colored waistcoat, black jacket and snowy white cravat tied perfectly. He had not eaten a thing since he had left England four days ago, for he could not find the will to eat, nor could he keep anything down. He quickly smoothed over the issue and left, it had taken less than an hour to negotiate and had not been worth the trip, but when half a million pounds were on the line, he supposed even one second of his time was worth the trip.
Gabriel stopped at a bistro and ordered a scorching hot cup of coffee, the only thing keeping him upright now was the caffeine.
As Gabriel sat on the patio, he watched
“It will be all the sweeter revenge on Adderly, a constant reminder in the flesh of what he has lost.” Alexis was sickened by his words, but she nodded her head.
“Then I will marry you.” The Marquis left shortly after and Alexis sat down to pen Gabriel the hardest letter she had ever written. She could not tell him of the Marquis’s blackmail, for he would try to find a way around it and any way Alexis thought it through the only way out of it was to sacrifice her sister.
Gabriel was meeting with his man of business; a lot had happened in the past two days since he had been away. He was in real danger of losing a massive shipping contract with the French. The contract was worth over half a million pounds and would sink his business if he lost it. Gabriel was going to have to go across the channel himself to France to sort it out. He was making preparations to leave the following day when an urgent letter bearing the Grant crest was delivered via a liveried footman.
He had not yet had a chance to explain the situation to her, but had been planning on a visit later that afternoon. Excusing himself while he read the letter, his face blanched and he threw the paper into the flames of the fireplace after reading it. What in the hell did she mean she had changed her mind, and she wanted to marry Delacourt. Had the woman gone daft? She had written that she did not want him to try and stop her, nor, in fact, did she want to see him ever again.
Like hell, Gabriel thought as he shouted for his coachman, leaving his man of business sitting forgotten in the library.
Outside the palatial Mayfair mansion, however, Gabriel found himself barred entrance, he even tried to force his way through, but Alexis must have been anticipating that and several burly footmen were waiting to escort him unceremoniously back to the street. Cursing Gabriel penned Alex a note and waited tersely on the street for a response. The response was his letter returned un opened on a silver slather.
Sickened by her sudden change of heart Gabriel turned dejectedly and headed for home.
Alexis watched him pace the street like a caged lion as tears streamed down her face until Alexis could no longer see at all... She felt her heart breaking into tiny pieces and when he turned and left, she felt her heart crumble and leave with him. Turning back to her bed, she curled up in a ball and sobbed. After she was wed she would write him a note and explain, it would be too late then, but for now she could not risk his interference.
He must hate her; she thought as pain so severe tore through her chest, leaving behind only a dull, empty ache, but it was better this way…
Gabriel returned home and immediatly jumped aboard a ship for France. The ride across the channel allowed him time alone with his thoughts, which only served to haunt him with memories of Alexis. He could not eat; he had never before had sea sickness in his life, but he was terribly ill and it did not go away when he reached the shore, for it was his heart that was aching, not a sea sickened stomach.
Gabriel arrived at his meeting with his French counterparts, dressed smartly in his best navy colored waistcoat, black jacket and snowy white cravat tied perfectly. He had not eaten a thing since he had left England four days ago, for he could not find the will to eat, nor could he keep anything down. He quickly smoothed over the issue and left, it had taken less than an hour to negotiate and had not been worth the trip, but when half a million pounds were on the line, he supposed even one second of his time was worth the trip.
Gabriel stopped at a bistro and ordered a scorching hot cup of coffee, the only thing keeping him upright now was the caffeine.
As Gabriel sat on the patio, he watched
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