“Incorrect. I did climb the library shelves. The rest, alas, are embellishments.”
Leticia’s smile tilted. “My turn. I once escaped a persistent suitor by locking myself in a chapel. I speak conversational Italian. And I’ve never lost at whist.”
Gabriel leaned forward. “The suitor story is real.”
Leticia offered no answer, simply sipped her tea.
Lady Eastbury gave her niece a sideways glance. “She’s blushing. It’s true. And I know she speaks conversational Italian about as well as she does conversational English.”
Gabriel’s mouth curved. “Remind me never to have Lady Salisbury as my whist partner.” He turned to Leticia’s aunt. “Lady Eastbury, I believe it’s your turn.”
Lady Eastbury chuckled. “Very well. I once drove a phaeton through Hyde Park at dawn. I once beat a bishop at chess in under ten minutes. And I once turned down a marriage proposal from a duke.”
Leticia gasped. “A duke?”
Gabriel leaned back. “The phaeton is too specific. That one’s true.”
Lady Eastbury gave a mysterious smile. “Correct on the phaeton. But it was the bishop who won the chess match.”
Leticia stared. “You turned down a duke?”
“I did. But that’s a story for another day.”
The game continued for several rounds, laughter softening the shadows of the past.
Eventually, the hour grew late. Lady Eastbury stood and collected her gloves.
Leticia turned to Gabriel, her heart caught between gratitude and unease. “I wasn’t sure what to expect today. Now I have more questions than answers.”
Gabriel’s expression remained unreadable. “You’re not alone in that.”
She hesitated. “I thought perhaps this visit was about us. But it’s about the past.”
He reached for her hand. “It’s both. But more than that, I wanted you to see where I live. How I live.”
Her pulse fluttered. “And the future?”
“That’s not just my question,” he said quietly. “It’s ours. And we have two weeks to answer it.”
She leaned in and brushed a kiss against his cheek. “I shall have myanswer in two weeks.”
Lady Eastbury’s voice called from the room beyond. “It’s time, my dears.”
Gabriel offered his arm. “Shall I walk you to the carriage?”
Leticia nodded.
They descended the steps in silence, the air thick with possibility.
At the base of the steps, Leticia paused. “Thank you for today. For showing us the gallery, for sharing those memories, even if they raised more questions than answers. I hadn’t expected so much.”
“For what part?”
“All of it.”
He smiled. “You’re welcome. For all of it.”
She stepped into the carriage and turned to watch him as the door closed. He waited as the wheels began to turn before moving. The sight settled somewhere deep inside her, equal parts promise and uncertainty.
