Gabriel narrowed his eyes at her as she clucked at him. “Is that what you wish? For the ton to hear of this? To start issues for the lady? Why have you come at all?”
“It is indeed my fervent hope that the ton would hear of the success of this day, may they say whatever else they must,” His response was swift, his conviction unwavering.
Clara’s features contorted in confusion, a slight worry gracing her features at last as she pressed, “I beg your pardon?”
Jame’s clearing of his throat only seemed to thicken the tension in the air, his voice quivering slightly as he added with a note of concern, “Is everything all right, Your Grace?”
He hesitated for a moment, his lips tightening before he continued, “Has my daughter acted in a manner unbefitting a lady in recent times?”
His words sliced through the tense silence, his words heavy with suspicion and concern. Gabriel watched Evelina’s eyes widen in horror, and for a few seconds, fear whizzed by her face.
His head snapped towards the Viscount right after, his eyes meeting the older man’s with a steely gaze as he retorted firmly, “There is no cause for such insinuations. Miss Balfour’s conduct has always been beyond reproach.”
His gaze shifted back to her, right on time to catch her cheeks flush lightly at his words, before allowing her gaze to fall to her feet.
Gabriel frowned. Returning his attention to the Viscount, his voice rang with conviction once more, “One would expect as a father you would know your own daughter well, my lord. She is a woman of grace and virtue, any one else could tell that. I am uncertain if you understand the magnitude of asking such a question.”
“Oh, no, no,” the viscount, seemingly taken aback by his unwavering defense of Evelina, softened his tone slightly, “I meant no offense to- I mean I did not insinuate- I was only asking, Your Grace.” His laughter was tense, “it is merely a father’s concern for his daughter’s well-being on the eve of her union. Your presence is welcome, yes, but also quite unexpected.”
Gabriel’s irritation simmered with each word the man spoke, his eyes narrowing as he fixed a piercing glare on him, silently challenging any further doubts cast upon Evelina’s honor.
Satisfied when the man dropped his gaze from his at last, Gabriel drew in a deep breath, and spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully, “I do apologize for arriving on such short notice. It is improper planning of mine.”
“For heavens’s sake, dearest nephew, do not drag this on any longer!” Clara’s tone was light, yet there was a eagerness behind it. “You are slowly chipping away at our souls with such suspense!”
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed at his aunt for a moment, before returning to where Evelina stood quiet in the corner. He breathed in deeply once again before shifting his gaze to the viscount.
“My lord, I have come to formally request for your daughter, Evelina’s hand,” His voice rang out, firm and resolute, cutting through the stunned silence that had enveloped the room. “I implore you to call off the wedding tomorrow, for I am madly in love her and I know I could cherish and protect her in a manner the earl never could.”
Gasps and wide-eyed expressions painted the faces of the three as they registered his words, the air thick with disbelief and tension as the echoes hung.
“My goodness, what delicious predicament have I brought myself to bear witness to?” Clara’s delighted murmur was douzed in shock, a smile filling her face despite her jaw dropped in disbelief.
“A-Are you?” The Viscount shook his head for a moment as though to clear it, before he began stammering in disbelief, “Are you serious, Your Grace? Are-Are you certain? Are you- T-This is unprecedented.”
Gabriel’s kept his unwavering gaze fixed on Evelina, her eyes mirroring the shock and disbelief of everyone else. In that charged moment, he wished to cross the room, to envelop her in his arms, to dispel any doubts or uncertainties that clouded her expression.
I speak nothing but the truth, my love.
This is what I’ve always felt. Please, accept my feelings.
“I have never been more certain than anything else in my life, my lord. I wish nothing more than to marry your daughter. She is everything I have ever wanted for. I could not forgive myself if I lost her,” He met the viscount’s gaze with a firm tone once again.
“Yes, but,” the man nodded for a moment, before suddenly shaking his head once again. “Your Grace,” he hesitated as he began, an uncomfortable chuckle leaving his mouth as he did so, “this matter is hardly workable.”
While Gabriel narrowed his eyes at him, the viscount clasped his hands tightly, a desperate smile lighting up his face, “How about we try this instead? My daughter, Margaret; she’s a much suitable match in every aspect. She’s younger, accomplished, and unattached. Consider her virtues; she would make a fine companion for you. As I a father, I had already planned out-”
“My lord, while I have understood your attempts in matchmaking, I fear you cannot stop neither change matters of the heart. Evelina is where my loyalties lie, she is whom I want,” he struggled to keep his tone as polite as possible, “One simply cannot negotiate with love.”
“Maybe so, but, Your Grace,” there was hint of exasperation in James’ voice as he spoke, “there are times when we must think logically and not with matters of the heart. My second daughter is a much better choice in every way, most importantly, she is not about to be married less than a day from now.”
Gabriel’s tone failed to hide his irritation as he shot back, “Evelina is the one who holds my heart, and the logic my mind has chosen. She is irreplaceable to me, my lord, and that is that.”
The tension in the room simmered, and Gabriel could nearly feel the physical weight of impending decisions hung heavily in the air. The viscount’s face scrunched slightly in the face of his confessions, seemingly uncomfortable by them.
“Yet, perhaps it is not such a hefty replacement?” Attempting to diffuse the intensity with a forced chuckle, he remarked, “Surely, Your Grace, you have witnessed the similarities between Evelina and Margaret.”
Are my words that difficult for him to comprehend?
