to someone who would cherish the gift she gave him. But deep down, she was afraid that might not be possible.
Because there was a part of her heart he still possessed.
___
"Drink it," Austin said, holding the glass to Gabriel’s lips. "I don’t know why you didn’t take your medicine before. Not only would it have numbed the pain to your body, but maybe it would have dulled my sister’s sharp tongue." Austin tipped the glass to let him drink. "I’m sorry, Gabe. She had no right to say what she did."
Gabriel took a long swallow of the laudanum-laced wine then dropped his head back to the pillow. There was a generous amount of the opiate in the drink and Gabriel welcomed the relief he knew would soon come. "Don’t blame her," he whispered. "She didn’t deserve what I did to her."
Austin threw the rolled-up bandage he’d been holding onto the table and walked away from the bed. "How the two of you have suffered because of what Father did. I know it’s not much consolation, but Harrison estimates that in five years he’ll be able to buy back the notes Chisolmwood used to blackmail Father."
Five years.
He tried not to think of all that would transpire in five years. Liddy and Culbertson would be married, she would have presented him with at least one heir, perhaps two. Society would clamor to receive invitations to Lady Culbertson’s affairs, the same as they anticipated invitations to the Biltmore Ball. And perhaps, if he were lucky, in five years knowing what he’d lost wouldn’t hurt so much.
"I know it’s important to Harrison...to be able to pay off the debt. I’d feel the same. But the damage...is done."
Austin paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. "I’ve thought about this a lot, Gabe. What do you think was so bloody important about Lydia’s dowry that Chisolmwood would force a marriage to his son? Southerby Manor is a fine estate, but not nearly worth what it cost him."
Gabriel had to concentrate on what Austin said. The laudanum was beginning to take effect. "I’ve wondered the same thing. Is there anything special about the land? Its location?"
Austin shook his head. "Southerby has been in my mother’s family for hundreds of years. It was bequeathed to one of my maternal ancestors with the stipulation that it can only be passed down through the female line of my mother’s family."
"So, even if the Marquess of Culbertson marries Lydia..."
"...he can never gain possession of Southerby," Austin finished for him. "It will go to Liddy’s eldest daughter."
Gabriel let his body relax into the mattress. "There must be another reason he wanted the marriage then."
"Whatever the reason, it was something Father couldn’t live with."
"You don’t know—"
Gabriel heard the thud of Austin’s fist as he hit the window casing.
"I do know," he said. "You forget. I was the one who found him. He didn’t die in a hunting accident like Liddy believes. Father took his own life and Chisolmwood was as responsible as if he’d pulled the trigger himself."
Austin pushed himself away from the window and sat in the chair beside the bed. "I think Father couldn’t live with the thought of Lydia married to Chisolmwood’s son. Killing himself was the only way he could stop the wedding from happening. At least for a year."
Gabriel turned his head on the pillow and looked at Austin. His vision was hazy, which meant the laudanum was working well. "Has Chisolmwood’s name ever been linked to any scandal?"
"No," Austin retorted, the frustration obvious in his voice. "In fact, I can’t think of anyone more highly thought of."
"What about his son?"
"I wish I could say the praises Lydia extolled were exaggerations, but from what I’ve heard, even what she said doesn’t do him justice. He doesn’t simply have the Queen’s ear, he’s rumored to be instrumental in much of the government’s policy-making."
Gabriel fought to keep his eyes open. "If the reason isn’t Southerby Manor, then...that only
Because there was a part of her heart he still possessed.
___
"Drink it," Austin said, holding the glass to Gabriel’s lips. "I don’t know why you didn’t take your medicine before. Not only would it have numbed the pain to your body, but maybe it would have dulled my sister’s sharp tongue." Austin tipped the glass to let him drink. "I’m sorry, Gabe. She had no right to say what she did."
Gabriel took a long swallow of the laudanum-laced wine then dropped his head back to the pillow. There was a generous amount of the opiate in the drink and Gabriel welcomed the relief he knew would soon come. "Don’t blame her," he whispered. "She didn’t deserve what I did to her."
Austin threw the rolled-up bandage he’d been holding onto the table and walked away from the bed. "How the two of you have suffered because of what Father did. I know it’s not much consolation, but Harrison estimates that in five years he’ll be able to buy back the notes Chisolmwood used to blackmail Father."
Five years.
He tried not to think of all that would transpire in five years. Liddy and Culbertson would be married, she would have presented him with at least one heir, perhaps two. Society would clamor to receive invitations to Lady Culbertson’s affairs, the same as they anticipated invitations to the Biltmore Ball. And perhaps, if he were lucky, in five years knowing what he’d lost wouldn’t hurt so much.
"I know it’s important to Harrison...to be able to pay off the debt. I’d feel the same. But the damage...is done."
Austin paced back and forth at the foot of the bed. "I’ve thought about this a lot, Gabe. What do you think was so bloody important about Lydia’s dowry that Chisolmwood would force a marriage to his son? Southerby Manor is a fine estate, but not nearly worth what it cost him."
Gabriel had to concentrate on what Austin said. The laudanum was beginning to take effect. "I’ve wondered the same thing. Is there anything special about the land? Its location?"
Austin shook his head. "Southerby has been in my mother’s family for hundreds of years. It was bequeathed to one of my maternal ancestors with the stipulation that it can only be passed down through the female line of my mother’s family."
"So, even if the Marquess of Culbertson marries Lydia..."
"...he can never gain possession of Southerby," Austin finished for him. "It will go to Liddy’s eldest daughter."
Gabriel let his body relax into the mattress. "There must be another reason he wanted the marriage then."
"Whatever the reason, it was something Father couldn’t live with."
"You don’t know—"
Gabriel heard the thud of Austin’s fist as he hit the window casing.
"I do know," he said. "You forget. I was the one who found him. He didn’t die in a hunting accident like Liddy believes. Father took his own life and Chisolmwood was as responsible as if he’d pulled the trigger himself."
Austin pushed himself away from the window and sat in the chair beside the bed. "I think Father couldn’t live with the thought of Lydia married to Chisolmwood’s son. Killing himself was the only way he could stop the wedding from happening. At least for a year."
Gabriel turned his head on the pillow and looked at Austin. His vision was hazy, which meant the laudanum was working well. "Has Chisolmwood’s name ever been linked to any scandal?"
"No," Austin retorted, the frustration obvious in his voice. "In fact, I can’t think of anyone more highly thought of."
"What about his son?"
"I wish I could say the praises Lydia extolled were exaggerations, but from what I’ve heard, even what she said doesn’t do him justice. He doesn’t simply have the Queen’s ear, he’s rumored to be instrumental in much of the government’s policy-making."
Gabriel fought to keep his eyes open. "If the reason isn’t Southerby Manor, then...that only
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