“I hope you’re right,” Nathaniel said. “I know I wouldn’t have done this.”
“The truth is that you don’t know what you would have done,” Gabriel said firmly. “Neither one of you has a niece to care for, and you know that Helena is like a daughter to me. I’ve spent the last seven years raising her. I would do anything to ensure that her future is bright and her prospects aer good, even if it is a little unorthodox. There is nothing at all that will stand in the way of me providing my niece with the best care I can.”
He sipped his drink for a moment, thinking of his brother, George—Helena’s father. It had been a long time since George had died. Helena’s shock and grief had been so sharp at first—she had barely spoken for the first few months, and when she did, it had been only in whispers. But all of that was a very long time ago. She was happy and thriving now. She was in a good state of mind. All that remained was to see her married to a man who was worthy of her. If he could do that, Gabriel knew, he would have fulfilled his duty to his brother.
At least I would have fulfilled my duty to someone, for once in my life.
And now he was thinking about his mother. About the long and terrible grief that had taken over the second half of her life. She had expected a third child after George, but the baby had been lost in childbirth, and she had never gotten over that pain. Gabriel had done all he could to care for her after his father’s death, but he had never managed to alleviate her misery.
But Helena is happy. Helena is well. I have nothing to worry about with her. She’ll find a good man, and she’ll marry and be happy for the rest of her days, and when she does, I will finally have something I can turn to and say that it was done right. I will finally know that there was at least one person, in all my life, for whom I was enough.
Yes, he told himself once more—he would do anything to ensure that she got the happy ending she deserved. He would never allow anything to ruin the beautiful future he had in mind for his brother’s child. More than anyone else in the world, she deserved some happiness.
CHAPTER 5
“Are you going to sit there the whole time I read this?” Agnes asked.
The duke regarded her calmly. “I said that you could come over to my house to read your book,” he told her. “I didn’t say that I was going to leave a known thief alone with my personal possessions.”
“You know I’m not going to take anything.” She was exasperated. “The book was the only thing I ever wanted, and I did my best to borrow it from you first. I’m not a thief, not really. If you’re allowing me to read the book, I have no need or desire to take anything at all from you.”
He crossed his arms. “That doesn’t mean I trust you. And I don’t see how you can expect me to do so.”
“Just leave me in peace to read.” It was incredibly awkward to read such a risqué book right in front of him. She could onlyimagine what thoughts must be going through his head—surely he had looked through the book himself to try to find out what had so fascinated her. He must know what she was reading about. How uncomfortable for him to sit right here in the room while she did it!
“You really won’t leave?” she asked. “Couldn’t you leave me with a member of your staff?”
“Your insistence on being alone isn’t making you seem more trustworthy,” he said.
“I’m not going to steal anything! Just search my pockets before I depart, for goodness’ sake.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe there are other things than theft I’m worried about.”
That threw her for a loop. “What things?”
“Don’t trouble yourself about it. Read your book. I don’t have all day,” he said. “I have other duties I’m going to have to attend to, and eventually I’ll have to send you on your way, so you should make the most of your time here while you can.”
Agnes sat back in her seat, annoyed. She wished he would at least pick up a book of his own and read, rather than just sit and watch her like she was here to be his personal entertainment. She sighed and flipped back a page. It was difficult to take anything in under the circumstances.
They remained like that for a quarter of an hour, with Agnes barely managing to get any reading done at all. Finally, the duke rose to his feet.
“I’m going to get some paperwork from my study,” he said. “You’re to remain in this room—if I find out you’ve left it for any reason, you will not be invited back.”
“You know,” Agnes commented, “if this was a real courtship, I would be tempted to end it right now.”
“It’s not a real courtship,” he said sharply. “This is only for the sake of appearances.”
“And I can see why a false courtship for the sake of appearances is something you need,” she agreed. “If you really wanted to court someone, you would be out of luck. Ordering people around like this, treating them like common criminals…”
“You broke into my home,” he seethed. “You can’t be surprised at being treated this way.” He shook his head. “Just stay in here. I’ll be back shortly.”
Agnes had no intention of going anywhere else. He’d finally left—now she was free to read in peace at last. The moment the door was closed, she turned her attention to the book.
She had barely gotten through one page, though, when the door opened again. Her irritation spiked—could she not have evenfive minutes to herself? She looked up, ready for another round of trading barbs with the duke?—
It wasn’t the duke.
A girl in her mid-teens hovered in the doorway, looking hesitant. She glanced over her shoulder.