“On that note, perhaps it’s time for you as well to join the trend. Perhaps it’s time for you to remarry, Your Grace.”
The Countess’s words cut through his turbulent thoughts, at last. Though her tone was light, there was a subtle seriousness—a reminder of his familial duty. Of what was expected from a duke.
Gabriel tensed up at her words, another wave of annoyance washing over him. His eyes narrowed on her.
His aunt had long since stopped pestering him about the issue of getting remarried. He’d made his intentions clear multiple times. What made her feel she could revisit the topic all of a sudden?
Despite his visible discomfort, however, the Countess pressed on, her demeanor unyielding.
“You have been a bachelor for way too long now. It’s the logical thing to do.” She nodded her head confidently. “And you need an heir.” there was a brief pause before she continued, her voice firm nevertheless.
With his heavy gaze fixed on hers, the tension between them crackled in the air. It felt as though the weight of tradition hung over the conversation.
As the Countess’s words lingered in the air, Gabriel’s glare intensified, serving as a silent warning. However, she paid no attention and continued.
“You would not need to worry about hiring another tutor if you got yourself a wife—your wife could take on that role if needed.” She gave him a small smile, before she added in an annoyingly casual tone, “What Eliza has always needed is a mother figure, Your Grace. It is not right for you to continue denying her that.”
Her words though masking behind a light tone were sharp enough to nearly feel like a physical blow.
“I believe I told you a long time ago that this is not a topic for discussion,” Gabriel growled, his tone laced with a steely resolve that brooked no argument.
The Countess, undeterred by his firm stance, shook her head. “But, Your Grace?—”
“Lady Claymont, it is not up for discussion,” Gabriel insisted, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper as he faced her.
The Countess pressed on hurriedly, trying to sway him with gentle persuasion, her voice soft but insistent. “Gabriel, you must consider the future of the estate, of your line,” she urged softly.
“I do not care about having an heir. I’ve made that clear once before,” he said in a low, controlled tone. Each syllable emphasizing his unwavering stance. “Let this be the last time you make me repeat myself.”
He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle between them before delivering the final blow to her expectations.
“I willnevermarry again,” he declared, his eyes locked on hers, daring her to challenge him.
The Countess’s calculating gaze shifted from him to Evelina across the garden and back again. Finally, she nodded at him, though her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “‘If that’s how it is, then that’s how it’ll be.’“
At that moment, Gabriel felt the gravity of his words settle on his shoulders like a heavy cloak. As he watched Evelina converse with the Earl of Oakwood, a sense of helplessness washed over him.
The implications of his decision hit him in the face.
He knew he should not interfere in Evelina’s life if he wanted to avoid potential entanglements with her. Despite how much he wanted to chase away the man speaking to her, her path was much different from his.
The Earl eventually excused himself, leaving her with her father. In the following moments, however, her eyes sought him out in the crowd, and a surge of emotions rushed through him.
His heart rate quickened with anticipation the moment their gazes met. He felt a strange excitement just to have her focus on him instead of another man. But soon after, reality crashed down upon him, the weight of his convictions pressing heavily on his spirit.
I cannot keep her away from everyone else. She can’t have eyes only for me.
As the sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground, with a heavy heart and a sense of resignation, Gabriel turned away, the defeat evident in his every step as he left the party.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
“Imust admit, your offer is intriguing, Lord Harrington. However, I am a cautious man, and trust is not easily earned in my world. Convince me further, gentlemen. Why should I choose to do business with you?”
As Gabriel abruptly ended the conversation with a desperate gentleman, across the room, a hushed conversation ensued, whispers about his shrewd business acumen circulating among the gathered elite.
Amid the grandeur of his gentlemen’s club, the Duke was sorely discontented. While he tried to engage in discussions with reputable businessmen, groups of lords approached him intermittently, their intentions veiled behind polite smiles and calculated words.
He let out a sigh as he caught another band of gentlemen approaching him right as Lord Harrington and his entourage sidled away.
