A Curse of the Heart

“I am, and I’ve been a member for years.” It was not out of choice. His uncle insisted on securing membership for all the gentlemen in the family, but this was the first time it had proved useful.

“Then sit.”

Gabriel pulled the chair out and sat down. “Does being a member mean I’m now on your list of respectable gentlemen?”

The corners of Wellford’s mouth turned up into a half-smile. “Have you come to declare your intentions?”

“There is nothing to declare,” he shrugged. “I had the utmost respect for your father, and I offer his daughter the same courtesy. What more do you want me to say?” It was not a lie, and so he could accept the fact it was not entirely the whole truth.

Wellford leaned forward. “Look, I was angry when I insulted you. I’m sure your intentions towards Rebecca are respectable. Besides, last night you had the look of a man obsessed, besotted. Now you have the look of a man in love. Forgive me, if I jumped to conclusions.”

Gabriel snorted. He was a man in lust; a man ravaged by the needs of his body, there was a vast difference. He could not deny that his affections were engaged, but it would not be fair to either of them to allow it to develop into anything deeper.

“You have a right to your opinion, but that’s not why I’m here.”

The steward returned with their drinks and Gabriel informed him he would pour his own coffee, much to the man’s chagrin.

“Men like to earn their wages, Stone,” Wellford said once the steward moved out of earshot. “If everyone poured their own drinks the man would be out of a job.”

Gabriel did not need a lecture on etiquette. “Forgive me, if I lack the refinement necessary to lounge about at my club all day, waiting for the staff to wipe my nose.”

Rather than appear offended, Wellford chuckled. “What? Are we to share barbed insults for the rest of the afternoon? Don’t despise me for being concerned about my sister.”

“Don’t despise me for being concerned about your sister.” Gabriel knew he was provoking the man, but he just couldn’t help himself.

Wellford relaxed back in his chair. “Look, let us draw a line and begin again. You obviously see more of Rebecca than I do. It appeases my conscience to know someone is looking out for her, in a brotherly way.”

There was a hint of sarcasm as he stressed those last few words. Deliberate or not, it caused guilt to flare in Gabriel’s chest.

“Why do you even care what happens to her?” Gabriel sneered. The question was blunt and to the point, revealing an inner frustration and Wellford reeled from the shock of it.

“She’s my sister,” he said making a quick recovery. “Why would I not care about her?”

“Because she reminds you of your father’s indiscretion.” There, he’d said it and could not take it back now. “Do your brothers feel the same way as you do?”

Wellford shrugged, choosing not to address the first comment. “I assume so, yes. What is this all about, Stone? I came here for peace and relaxation not to be dragged over hot coals for some unknown transgression.”

Against his own counsel and because he thought it would help determine who wanted to hurt Rebecca, Gabriel revealed something he had always kept secret. “When my mother died, my father remarried quickly. I despised him for it. I despised my stepmother and chose to pretend that my sister did not exist. Your father’s indiscretion was deemed far worse.”

Gabriel saw a flicker of uncertainty in Wellford’s confident gaze. “I suppose you think one truth deserves another.”

“Isn’t that the way it works?”

Wellford reached for his glass and downed the remainder of his port. “My father’s actions were unforgivable. After Rebecca’s birth, my mother was never the same again. She died of a broken heart years before her body grew cold. Love does strange things to men, as I am sure you will agree. But I have come to terms with my parents’ weaknesses and have decided to respect the wishes of my father by protecting the daughter he loved.”

“Rebecca believes your interest lies in the museum. That she is an embarrassment to your family, and you want rid of her.”

Wellford gave a mocking snort. “My father was unfaithful to his family long before he met Rebecca’s mother. His work was his mistress, and we all suffered greatly for it. Why would I want to be reminded that he chose to worship the dead ov

er the living?”

An unsettling thought entered Gabriel’s head, a recognition that his work was his mistress, and he preferred the dead to the living. “Is she an embarrassment to you?” he asked focusing his frustration elsewhere.

Wellford snorted and shook his head. “No, she is not an embarrassment. Would I have escorted her out into Society if she were? I want her to marry, to have protection and security. I want her to have the respect she deserves and not be judged for my father’s mistakes. That is all.”

Gabriel took a sip of coffee, letting the warm liquid soothe his agitated mind.

Was he guilty of judging his own sister for their father’s mistake?