The Unexpected Marriage of Gabriel Stone (Lords of Disgrace 4)

‘You mean so she can conclude that I will turn out like my father and flee screaming?’ Gabriel enquired.

‘You never would. You wouldn’t be worrying about it if there was any danger of that.’

‘What a comfort you are,’ Gabriel retorted to cover the fact that, yes, it was a comforting thought. ‘I hardly recognise you.’

‘I know it. It must be the effects of marriage. What do you say, shall we see if Alex can join us and we’ll have a bachelor night out on the town?’

‘Perfect. I’ll call in on him on my way home.’ He got to his feet, but stopped at the door. ‘Did I tell you I found a new hell just off Hill Street?’

‘I am not playing cards with you! Have you any idea how expensive wives are?’

Gabriel was still smiling when he collected his hat from Benson. Thank heavens for my friends. ‘Would you give my compliments to Lady Caroline and tell her I will call tomorrow? I imagine she is closeted with Lady Avenmore at the moment.’

He tipped his hat to a rakish angle, pulled on his gloves and sauntered along King Street, passing Almack’s with a faint shudder. Yes, thank heavens for his friends. There was no one else he could talk freely about his demons to, no one else he would admit weakness or anxiety to either. Certainly none of those things were to be discussed with a wife, a woman who needed only his strength and his protection, not his doubts and fears and secret nightmares.

* * *

‘Madame Fleur, this may be a quiet wedding, but I can assure you it will be an important one,’ Tamsyn said with a steely determination that sent a shiver down Caroline’s spine. It looked as though it was having a similar effect on the modiste who stood in the middle of Tamsyn’s bedroom surrounded by what appeared to be the entire stock of her shop, a number of half-finished gowns and several twittering assistants.

‘You are being given the opportunity not only to provide the wedding gown for the new Countess of Edenbridge, but her entire wardrobe. And to demonstrate that I was right to select you to dress me exclusively,’ Tamsyn continued.

The calculatio

n was plain on the dressmaker’s face: upset a number of clients who were waiting for gowns or seriously displease the Marchioness of Avenmore and lose the publicity surrounding what might well be the most talked-of wedding of the summer.

‘But of course, my lady.’ Madame rose to the occasion, gathered up her tape measure. ‘My hesitation was merely while I acquainted myself with Lady Caroline’s colouring and style. If you would condescend to disrobe and to stand here, my lady, we will begin. The entire wardrobe, you say?’

‘Everything except a court dress. That can wait,’ Tamsyn said, brushing lightly past the fact that one might never be needed.

* * *

Two hours later Tamsyn was still talking of lists as they descended the stairs. ‘Millinery, shoes, stockings, corsets, lingerie, ribbons, hairdresser...I need more paper. I will go and jot all this down while I think of it. Why don’t you go and have a rest in the drawing room for a while? Do ring for the tea tray.’ She swept on, leaving Caroline feeling like a wilted nosegay in her wake.

‘Never mind tea, I need brandy,’ she murmured as she walked into the front reception room.

A young man clutching a leather portfolio rose to his feet. ‘Lady Caroline? Benson said I might wait for you in here.’

Sandy hair, green eyes, half a head shorter than Gabriel and not yet twenty. ‘Are you by any chance Mr Louis Stone?’ she enquired, holding out her hand to him. At last, a glimpse into Gabriel’s home life.

‘Yes, I am.’ He peered at her myopically. ‘We haven’t met, have we?’

‘No, Gabriel described you. I was just about to take tea. Will you join me, Mr Stone?’ She rang the bell, then gestured to the sofa and sat down beside him so that he did not have to squint across the room at her. ‘I am delighted to meet one of Gabriel’s family at last. Are you in London permanently?’

‘No, just for the vacation. I go back to Cambridge at the beginning of October for the Michaelmas term,’ he explained. ‘But I am staying with Gabriel for the moment and helping him as much as possible.’ He was flushed with earnest enthusiasm and Caroline was reminded painfully of Anthony, even though Lucas was almost a young man. ‘I finished today’s tasks, so I have come to see if I could be of any assistance to you, Lady Caroline.’

‘Caroline, please.’ She smiled at him, liking his earnest manner. The contrast with Gabriel was almost amusing. ‘We will be brother and sister very soon.’ He grinned at her, suddenly a student and no longer the earnest man he was trying to be. ‘Tell me how you assist Gabriel.’

He talked readily, even when the tea tray had been brought and he had to juggle cup, saucer and a plate of cakes.

Why, he worships his brother. This was far from the distant relationship that Gabriel’s few references to his family had left her imagining. ‘Do you see much of your brothers?’ she asked. ‘I have not yet been to Edenvale and I am looking forward to that very much. I imagine you all get together there as often as possible.’

It was as though he had brought a shutter down over his face. Louis said stiffly, ‘No, not often. Ben is with his regiment, of course, and George has his parish and Gabriel avoids the place like...I mean, he prefers London. I usually visit friends during vacations, but this summer Gabriel has started teaching me about the estates so I have seen much more of him.’

‘Tell me more about Edenvale,’ she encouraged him. ‘Gabriel has hardly mentioned it. It must hold wonderful childhood memories for you.’

This time the shutters positively slammed down. ‘I was never very fond of it. I have written to Ben and George and I have every expectation that they will be able to come to the wedding. Can I help with anything here? Place cards, perhaps? I have a good hand.’

So what on earth was wrong with Gabriel’s country house that he avoided it? And it certainly seemed to hold no good memories for Louis either. Yet Gabriel had made no mention of any problems to her and she assumed that was where they would go after the wedding. It occurred to her abruptly that the subject had never even been discussed.