the people pass by. A tall red head, dressed in the latest fashion sauntered by in a group of young ladies, and Gabriel craned his neck to catch a better glimpse of her; for a moment, it had looked like Alexis, his mind was playing tricks on him.
Gabriel shook his head mournfully, after everything he had shared with her… for her to choose Delacourt over him. It was surreal.
Gabriel paused, cup halfway to his lips. It was surreal. Alexis would never willingly choose to wed a monster like Delacourt, of that Gabriel was suddenly certain. The bastard had to be holding something over her head, or he had threatened her somehow. Gabriel shot to his feet; he had to get back to England and save her. He had once told Alexis that he would fight for her against one hundred armed men… well here she was facing only one, unarmed man, and he had run off to France.
He felt a total cad; he only hoped that he was not too late. Not watching where he was going Gabriel came up short when he collided quite hard with another person. A woman, “I am so sorry Madame.” Gabriel began to apologize; putting his hand out to steady the woman he had nearly run down and froze as he glanced up and saw her face.
It could not be. The gasp of shock from the woman opposite him contradicted him. It looked like her, and it was.
“Emmaline? How can this be? You died.” It was perhaps not the most couth thing to say to one’s sister. But when one’s sister had been dead for the past six years, a social faux pas here and there was probably allowed. Gabriel’s head spun, the woman quickly ducked her head murmuring away in French.
“Non, non, Monsieur you are mistaken.” But he was not, he knew it.
“Damn it Emmy! Look at me.” The woman grudgingly lifted her head, and Gabriel saw tears glittering in her eyes, his sister’s eyes.
“Gabe, I am so sorry…” She began, but Gabriel cut her off, wrapping her up in his arms he embraced her, lifting her feet off the ground, he spun her around before he gently set her down. When he did so, his own eyes were damp.
“But how are you alive after all these years? I saw your body?” Gabriel was perplexed. Pulling him over to the seat he had just vacated Emmaline held his hand tightly in her own.
“I hated to leave you… but I could not live that way another moment, it was disgusting. ” Gabriel nodded his head; he was still too excited at finding his sister alive to be angry.
“He beat me so badly the last time that I pleaded with Doctor Perry, begged him to give me a sleeping draught that would make me appear as though I had died. I paid him handsomely to remove my body from the house. A few hours later, I awoke in his private parlor and fled for my life.”
“So you were never sick?” Gabriel’s head was spinning at this tale straight from bedlam.
“Non, that part was true. I was terribly ill, and Delacourt was killing me day by day with all his menial tasks. I think he was purposely trying to kill me… I only gave him what he wanted.” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly
“Why did you not confide in me?” The hurt was obvious in his voice and on his face, and Emmaline’s eyes filled up with tears as she shook her head.
“I thought you would be better off… ”
A thought suddenly occurred to Gabriel. His sister was alive. His sister was the rightful Marchioness of Blakely; Alexis could not marry Delacourt because he was already married… to his sister.
“Emmy” Gabriel interrupted her, seizing her by her hand in his fervor. “You must come back with me… I need your help.” Emmaline was already shaking her head, her eyes large and fearful.
“For me Emmy please, Delacourt is about to marry the woman I love and only you can put a stop to it.” Emmaline started at the information that Gabriel was in love, Gabriel himself was fairly surprised by the admission.
“For me, please” He
Gabriel shook his head mournfully, after everything he had shared with her… for her to choose Delacourt over him. It was surreal.
Gabriel paused, cup halfway to his lips. It was surreal. Alexis would never willingly choose to wed a monster like Delacourt, of that Gabriel was suddenly certain. The bastard had to be holding something over her head, or he had threatened her somehow. Gabriel shot to his feet; he had to get back to England and save her. He had once told Alexis that he would fight for her against one hundred armed men… well here she was facing only one, unarmed man, and he had run off to France.
He felt a total cad; he only hoped that he was not too late. Not watching where he was going Gabriel came up short when he collided quite hard with another person. A woman, “I am so sorry Madame.” Gabriel began to apologize; putting his hand out to steady the woman he had nearly run down and froze as he glanced up and saw her face.
It could not be. The gasp of shock from the woman opposite him contradicted him. It looked like her, and it was.
“Emmaline? How can this be? You died.” It was perhaps not the most couth thing to say to one’s sister. But when one’s sister had been dead for the past six years, a social faux pas here and there was probably allowed. Gabriel’s head spun, the woman quickly ducked her head murmuring away in French.
“Non, non, Monsieur you are mistaken.” But he was not, he knew it.
“Damn it Emmy! Look at me.” The woman grudgingly lifted her head, and Gabriel saw tears glittering in her eyes, his sister’s eyes.
“Gabe, I am so sorry…” She began, but Gabriel cut her off, wrapping her up in his arms he embraced her, lifting her feet off the ground, he spun her around before he gently set her down. When he did so, his own eyes were damp.
“But how are you alive after all these years? I saw your body?” Gabriel was perplexed. Pulling him over to the seat he had just vacated Emmaline held his hand tightly in her own.
“I hated to leave you… but I could not live that way another moment, it was disgusting. ” Gabriel nodded his head; he was still too excited at finding his sister alive to be angry.
“He beat me so badly the last time that I pleaded with Doctor Perry, begged him to give me a sleeping draught that would make me appear as though I had died. I paid him handsomely to remove my body from the house. A few hours later, I awoke in his private parlor and fled for my life.”
“So you were never sick?” Gabriel’s head was spinning at this tale straight from bedlam.
“Non, that part was true. I was terribly ill, and Delacourt was killing me day by day with all his menial tasks. I think he was purposely trying to kill me… I only gave him what he wanted.” She shrugged her shoulders helplessly
“Why did you not confide in me?” The hurt was obvious in his voice and on his face, and Emmaline’s eyes filled up with tears as she shook her head.
“I thought you would be better off… ”
A thought suddenly occurred to Gabriel. His sister was alive. His sister was the rightful Marchioness of Blakely; Alexis could not marry Delacourt because he was already married… to his sister.
“Emmy” Gabriel interrupted her, seizing her by her hand in his fervor. “You must come back with me… I need your help.” Emmaline was already shaking her head, her eyes large and fearful.
“For me Emmy please, Delacourt is about to marry the woman I love and only you can put a stop to it.” Emmaline started at the information that Gabriel was in love, Gabriel himself was fairly surprised by the admission.
“For me, please” He
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