Page 66 of The Duchess Debt

“Well…yes. She criticized him for caring about the village and wanting to improve it, about loving Grangely Park, and for all other kinds of things.” She censored herself before she listed them all, summarizing instead by saying, “It was as if dark clouds had settled over Grangely.” She turned a smile onto Helena. “Until you arrived and brought out the sun. Now he laughs and smiles more than I can ever remember him doing, and when he speaks of the future, it’s not from a sense of obligation or fatalism. It’s because he’s actually looking forward to the future. With you.”

Guilt flooded through Helena and seized her chest until breathing pained her. Her eyes blurred as she watched one of the boys snatch off Gabe’s hat, only for Gabe to set chase after him along the riverbank.

Unaware of the truth behind Helena’s sudden emotion, Maggie squeezed her arm. “He’s going to be such a good father when you have children.”

Helena didn’t dare glance at her friend. Gabe was happy,trulyhappy… Helena knew that, and she hadn’t needed to seehim laugh and play with the boys to prove it. After all, she had seen the change in him herself. The past few days—and nights—together had been among the happiest in her life, too, and although he had yet to say he loved her, she knew he cared for her and wanted to claim the future that fate had denied them before.

But if she told him about Adam, would she rip that happiness away? Adam’s threats were most likely empty, she knew, and couldn’t be easily carried out. After all, she had no money to give him, and a simple chat with Verity or Mr. Putnam could easily prove that. He also couldn’t linger in England long enough to create the rumors and scandal he’d threatened, not if Gabe was right that his younger brother was staying barely one step ahead of men who wanted to harm him. He needed to move on as quickly as possible, and even delaying his departure until their wedding was a great risk.

If Adam was a barking dog without a bite, all she would accomplish by telling Gabe would be to create a permanent rift between the two brothers. How could she live with herself if that happened?

Helena bit her lip. She wanted no more secrets between them. And yet…perhaps some secrets were better kept from the light of day.

Shaking the boys off his legs, Gabe charged toward her. Her eyes widened when he scooped her into his arms, slung her over his shoulder like a sack of flour, and carried her off toward the grassy patch by the river where he’d been playing with the boys. He slid her off his shoulder, then laid her on the ground on the grass. Within moments, she was caught up in the wrestling melee with the boys, a tickling match breaking out that left all of them squealing with laughter—all except Helena, who did her best to scramble away.

“I win,” Gabe declared as he grabbed her around the waist to keep her there, then rolled her over onto her back and pinned her to the grass. Hoots of laughter and cheers went up from the workers who’d all stepped to gawk at the ungentlemanly mischief their boss and lord had gotten into.

Even then, clearly beaten, she had her pride. “No, you don’t.” But when she tried to shove him away and climb to her feet, she couldn’t move his large body an inch. “I won’t surrender without a fight.”

A happy gleam lit his eyes as he stared down at her. “Helena,” he said in a low voice so the others wouldn’t overhear, “I wouldn’t want you any other way.”

Just as he lowered his head to scandalously kiss her right there in the middle of the village, a loud bell clanged out. Maggie forcefully clanked the bell hanging from a tall post in the center of the building site to signal to the men for their afternoon break, and they all eagerly set down their tools and jogged to the water barrel and basket to claim their refreshments, Helena and Gabe instantly forgotten. The boys gave up their play, too, and raced up the bank to steal their own treats before the basket was emptied by the hungry workers.

“Saved by the bell,” Helena announced. This time when she pushed at Gabe’s shoulders, he fell beside side on the grass with a groan of defeat.

She began to rise to her feet.

“Wait,” he ordered softly, his hand covering hers in the grass. She settled back down to sit beside him as he sat up on his hip, his forearm resting across his bended knee. “I’m glad you decided to visit today.” He leaned in and placed a soft kiss to her lips, claiming the kiss the lunch bell had denied him. It was only a touch, yet in that kiss she tasted the growing affection between them, and her chest tightened achingly. At moments like this,convincing herself that he loved her was easy. “You should stop by more often.”

“I’d only be in the way.”

“Never.” He squeezed her hand.

“Constantly,” she corrected.

When he laughed and reached out to caress his gloved fingers across her cheek, she took a deep breath. They were happy. At that moment, they were happy and looking forward to the bright future they’d always wanted.

But Adam stood in their way. If she told Gabe now what he’d said to her…

“Nevertheless, I’m glad you’re here so you can see for yourself how fast we’re progressing on the embankments.” He shifted closer to her and pointed at the two short terraces being leveled on both sides of the river. “We have to clear off the spots for the foundations first, but we should be done in two days.”

If I tell you, I will ruin your happiness.

“Then, we’ll place the first foundation stones and let those settle into the ground for a few weeks while we work on the piling for the river pillar from wooden rafts tied in place in the river by cross ropes.” He crooked a grin at her. “That is,the menwill. I’ll be safely dry—and not seasick—supervising from the bank.”

Your new fatherly feelings for Alice will change, perhaps be destroyed…She nodded absently as he explained the next steps in the project, but she never heard a word. Her thoughts had strayed to a dark place of worry and guilt.You’ll cast Adam out of your life forever, if you don’t pummel him first, perhaps grievously hurting him…or worse.She swallowed. Hard.And I could never live with myself if I caused you pain.

“So what do you think?” He playfully nudged her shoulder with his.

“I think…” she choked out, her voice cracking to the point that she couldn’t continue.

They would be married in a matter of days, and then Adam would no longer be able to harm them. All his threats would turn to dust, but how much distrust and doubt could he sow before then?I think I won’t let your bother rip apart my marriage before it even begins.And in the meantime, she would somehow convince Gabe to ask his brother to stay at the village inn instead of Grangely Park for these last few days until the wedding.

“I think,” she started again, slipping her arm around his and pressing her breast flirtatiously against his bicep.I think I should not stray from your side.Until her name was entered next to his in the parish registry, she would make certain she would never be alone so that Adam couldn’t approach her again. She’d be his constant shadow until they said their vows. “I think you should let Caleb finish supervising for the day and walk me home to Grangely Park. We’ll have the house all to ourselves. Wouldn’t an afternoonnapbe lovely?”

A wolfish gleam lit his face, and he stood, pulled her to her feet, and escorted her quickly toward his saddle horse.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO