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Gabriel stirred and mumbled something in his sleep.
“Oh, Gabriel,” she breathed and moved a lock of hair away from his forehead. “Do you remember when you asked me how I can still believe in God if bad things keep happening to me? Well, I cannot say that my faith isn’t shaken. But I have to believe now more than ever that you will recover.” She paused and looked at him forlornly. “When Peacehaven burned down, I cried and wailed that I had nothing left… How wrong I was.”
Evie reached out and caressed his cheek. Suddenly, Gabriel grabbed her by the wrist and tugged. Evie fell onto the bed with a slight yelp. Gabriel brought her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers. His lips were dry and scratchy; his breath was hot.
“Gabriel!” Evie sat up, scooting closer to him. “You’re awake.”
“Mm, yes,” he answered, his voice hoarse.
“Here, have some tea.” Evie poured some dandelion tea and fed him a few drops before he collapsed against the pillows.
“Vile drink,” he said with a grimace, and Evie laughed.
“Yes, I tried it to make sure not to poison you even more, but Matilda swears it works wonders, and since you trust her, so do I.”
“Poisoned?” Gabriel frowned.
“Yes, the Montbrooks poisoned the fish.”
Gabriel’s frown turned into a scowl. “Bastards.”
“I do not disagree.” She smiled slightly.
“One more reason to never have fish in the house, huh?”
Evie let out choked, nervous laughter. “Yes, well. Clydesdale had a conversation with my now former cook. Apparently, she’d been diligently blabbering information about my household situation to her former mistress. Including her concerns about the lack of nights we spent together. So Lady Montbrook sent her a packet of poison with the instruction to season the dish heavily with the powder. She said it would work like a love potion, an aphrodisiac.”
Gabriel laughed dryly. He took Evie’s hand in his and laced their fingers. “Doesn’t she know this is the last thing I need when you are around?”
She smiled sadly. “The Montbrooks want the dukedom. And they will stop at nothing until they get it.”
Gabriel struggled to sit up. “Well, we can’t let that happen.”
Evie placed another pillow behind Gabriel’s back and helped him into a comfortable position. “I rather think the best way to for us out of this predicament is letting them have the blasted title. Peacehaven is gone, and with it, most of the family heirlooms, everything I held dear. The Somerset townhouse doesn’t feel like home anymore. The rest of the estates… I shall have to trust that the Montbrooks will take care of them.”
Gabriel shook his head. “Don’t even speak this way. The title, the lands, are the most important things in your life; you said it yourself.”
“No. I have something more important now.” She caressed his cheek and pressed a kiss to his forehead. “And I’d rather not lose you too.”
* * *
The next day, Evie asked Clydesdale and the Earl of Winchester to accompany her to the Montbrooks’ townhouse. The moment the door opened, she pushed past the elderly butler without waiting to be welcomed inside. She wasn’t in the mood.
“Please ask your masters to meet us with all haste,” Evie said as she entered the old and drafty house. The butler eyed her and her two tall, aristocratic companions warily and hurried away with a bow.
This was the first time she had been in the Montbrooks’ residence. She looked around the bare walls and rusty interior with a grimace. A musty smell seemed to permeate through the walls.
“Well, if you wanted more evidence that your cousins are in a dire state, this should suffice,” Clydesdale said, with an air of revulsion.
The butler returned just then and beckoned them to follow him into the drawing room. The stairs creaked with every step they took, and the musty smell got worse the higher they climbed the stairs. They entered the small drawing room, empty save for the settee and a couple of armchairs.
“Would you like to sit?” Winchester indicated to the furniture in the middle of the room, and Evie shook her head.
“Apologies, I cannot possibly sit still; my stomach is tied in knots.” She smiled apologetically. She knew she needed to be here, needed to finally confront her cousins and put a stop to this animosity between them, one way or another. But she would rather spend this time with her husband. Her hands started perspiring inside the gloves, and she picked on the tips nervously.
About half an hour later, steps sounded outside the room. Evie turned just in time to see Lord and Lady Montbrook crossing the threshold. They stopped, looking about the room and taking in their visitors.
“My dear,” Lady Montbrook said, feigning delight. “What a pleasure to see you.” She stretched both hands out in greeting before turning to the gentlemen in the room. “My lords, a pleasure.”
