Gabe had little doubt that Rafael Martinez would rather eat dirt than stay with his in-laws, and he couldn’t blame him.
‘So, Gabe, why have you summoned us to this family conclave?’
His heart hammered in his ribcage. This was the moment of truth—the point in time when this nightmare would become completely real. Hope tugged at his heart as he looked at the aquiline features of his father and his mother’s serene beauty. The same hope he’d felt all those years ago when he’d run away from school. That they would show empathy, understanding... Even then he’d known that love was too high an expectation.
Gabe closed his eyes briefly, braced himself, unclenched his jaw. ‘I can’t have children.’
The room rang, echoed with absolute silence. His parents’ expressions morphed from disbelief to disdain and Gabe’s heart plummeted in his chest. Disappointment and near revulsion twisted the Duchess’s mouth into a grimace of distaste. As for his father—his blue-grey eyes were colder than the Arctic at its worst. He was looking at his son as if he could not believe that a Derwent could have let him down on so spectacular a scale.
Then Kaitlin spoke. ‘Gabe, I am so sorry.’
As if her sister’s voice had broken the spell Cora jumped up, moved around the table to his side, and pulled him into a hug. For a second he resisted, and then he hugged her back, before looking towards his parents.
‘I know it’s a shock—’
‘A shock? It’s a disgrace.’ The Duke banged his stick on the floor. ‘A let-down.’
‘It’s not Gabe’s fault,’ Cora said quietly.
‘Fault is irrelevant,’ the Duchess said. ‘We need the next heir and now our son is unable to provide him.’
The look she gave Gabe was equivalent to one she might give to an experiment that hadn’t worked to plan. Pain twisted his gut, but he refused to show it—after all, he had toughened up Derwent-style, and he would be damned if he’d let his parents see that their attitude hurt. He understood—always had understood—that the title, the land, the manor, and the Derwent name came first.
Yet in that instant his brain reeled as realisation socked him—that whole creed was wrong. Etta would never make Cathy feel like this—would be constitutionally incapable of it. He could almost hear her voice, knew exactly what she would say. Nothing is worth more than your child’s worth—their happiness and well-being is paramount. Etta had lived her life by that principle and that made her truly wonderful. That was one of the reasons he loved her—she lived by her beliefs, had done so in the toughest conditions and won through.
What? Love?
That was preposterous. But true. The sheer incredibility of the knowledge, the strange joy that swirled inside him alongside panic threw his thoughts into turmoil.
Not now, Gabe.
‘Actually, I have located the next heir. Matteas Coleridge. Late twenties, seems decent, lives abroad.’
‘Never heard of him. Never heard the name.’ The Duchess shook her head. ‘How can you have let this happen?’ For the first time there was a crack in her voice, as if the truth were sinking in. ‘A line unbroken for centuries. And now, thanks to you...’
Cora spun round. ‘How about thanks to Gabe for finding this other heir. I bet it wasn’t straightforward. Plus, has it occurred to you how Gabe might be feeling? That he may be sad? Upset? Grieving? For himself? In his own right?’
‘Cora. It’s OK.’ Gabe reached out and took his sister’s hand. ‘But thank you for the support. Truly, little sis.’
The Duchess turned a basilisk look on Cora. ‘You always were vulgar, Cora. Marriage to a Martinez hasn’t changed that.’
She rose to her feet and the Duke followed suit.
‘We need to meet this Matteas Coleridge. Make it happen. If he is malleable and we deem it best you must step aside, Gabe.’
‘Excuse me?’ This time it was Kaitlin. ‘You can’t do that to Gabe. That’s inhuman—and it’s not your decision.’
‘Enough.’ Gabe kept his voice low but authoritative. ‘This has been a shock. There is no need to make a decision yet. When it is t
he right time I will decide what I’ll do.’
The Duke opened his mouth, but before he could speak Gabe rose to his feet.
‘I think it’s best if Dad gets some rest.’
The Duchess glanced at her husband’s expression and gave a curt nod.
Once their parents had left the room Cora shook her head. ‘They are unbelievable. But, Gabe, why didn’t you tell us?’