Page 10 of Lily and the Duke
Damn Hellsmere.
Damnanyonewho would dare to keep Gabriel from pursuing the deep desire currently raging through his body for Lily.
An intensity of passion Gabriel had not allowed into his life since, at the age of sixteen and home from school for the summer, he had fallen in love with one of the dairy maids at St. Albans Park.
A healthy and ultimately harmless infatuation, most would say, considering his age.
But not so when Gabriel had spent his every waking moment following the girl around like a lovesick puppy, dreaming of her at night, and feeling resentful of anyone whom he thought was trying to steal her away from him.
The whole situation had come to a violent end after Gabriel had almost killed one of the grooms when, one afternoon, he had found the other boy and Gabriel’s dairy maid naked together in the loft over the stables.
Gabriel had beaten him almost to the point of death. It was only due to the head groom managing to pull him off the other boy, and the diligence of Gabriel’s father’s physician, that his life had been saved.
After that incident, Gabriel had learned to keep tight control of what he now recognized as the depth and strength of his passions.
Oh, he had loved Mariah. It was impossible not to do so when in the presence of her laughter and lightness. He had adored his daughter since the moment she was placed in his arms as a newborn.
But there nevertheless remained a wall Gabriel had deliberately erected about the more…intense of his emotions.
A wall, Gabriel now recognized after a single hungry kiss shared with Lily Tremayne, that had begun to crumble.
CHAPTER FOUR
“Are you even listening to me, St. Albans?”
Gabriel pulled himself out of his reverie. Not because George, the Prince Regent’s question had made him feel guilty for his inattentiveness to their discussion. No, his startled reaction was because of the painful kick his friend, Lucien Lyons, the Duke of Hellsmere, and seated across from him at the table, had given to Gabriel’s now bruised shin.
Arranging this hasty meeting was the reason Hellsmere had been called to attend the Prince Regent earlier today and so had been unable to join Gabriel for luncheon at their club. Hellsmere had come to St. Albans House to explain later that afternoon, and also to inform Gabriel of this meeting the moment he was able to do so.
There were nine gentlemen seated at the long rectangular table. Prinny resided at the head of it, of course, the other eight men seated four either side. A group of gentlemen Prinny had brought together during the years of the war against Napoleon.
They were gentlemen whom Prinny trusted implicitly and liked to call his own private army. All the men gathered here had connections both here and in France, and so were able to gather information that was of paramount importance, during the years of battle to subdue Napoleon’s despotic reign and since.
The Prince Regent had seen no reason, despite the Corsican having now been incarcerated for a second time, to disband that army of powerful gentlemen. Indeed, their strategic places in Society had become even more necessary when there were still French spies, abroad and at home, who were intent upon causing unrest and freeing their emperor before restoring him to his despotic rule.
“Of course I am listening to you, Your Majesty.” Gabriel gave his full attention to the Prince Regent. “You have stated your belief that there is a French spy amongst the members Salisbury’s government.”
“Possibly several of them,” Prinny confirmed.
Gabriel knew that their Regent took a great interest in his government, sometimes too much so for certain ministers’ comfort.
Admittedly, Prinny could sometimes be a little…paranoid, regarding the possibility of there being spies in England, near or far from him. But it was a paranoia which was perhaps understandable when several members of Society had already been proven to be colluding with the rebellious section of the French people who wished to have the king removed and their emperor returned to them.
“Then we must discuss what is to be done about it,” Gabriel stated firmly.
The next hour was spent doing exactly that, most importantly dividing up the investigation into Salisbury’s cabinet ministers between the eight gentlemen attending the Prince Regent.
The meeting ended with an agreement for the nine gentlemen to meet up again in a week’s time to discuss any progress made. Unless one of them attained crucial information on the subject in the meantime, in which case they would reconvene earlier.
“Bit of a witch hunt, don’t you think?” Hellsmere prompted as the two men walked out to their waiting carriages.
They had been at school together from the age of eight, their friendship having continued through Gabriel’s brief and ultimately tragic marriage. It had endured in the years since.
Gabriel shrugged. “Prinny thinks it worth investigating, so that is what we shall do.”
The other man eyed him curiously. “I did not ask before, but can that pretty young lady I saw leaving St. Albans House earlier possibly have been Lady Lily Tremayne?”
Gabriel stiffened, both at the question and the fact that Hellsmere knew exactly who she was. “She is a friend of Chloe’s.”
