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"It isn't. Archer hated this place so when he became Earl he sold it and erased every reference of it from Scarcliff history. I am sorry, Gabriel, that you unknowingly purchased a place you vowed never to return to."
"What makes a home is not the history of the place and who lived there but who lives there now. I don't care about the past of this place, only the present and the future." He ran his finger along her jaw before he added, "But I can't deny that I'm damn glad you trashed that room."
"Mr. Payne must think I'm crazy."
In a fluid move, Gabriel rose, with Quinn in his arms, and started for the bed. "Quite the contrary. I think he's prepared to give you a medal, maybe even declare a Quinn day."
"Really?"
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Yes." When he placed her in the bed, he thought how very small and delicate she looked.
"Aren't you coming to bed?" she asked as she settled more deeply into the warmth of the blankets.
"Soon."
Her voice was soft but fierce when she vowed, "You can sleep now, Gabriel, you're not alone anymore. I'll protect you."
And in that moment he fell completely and irrevocably in love with her, again. His voice was thick with emotion when he whispered, "I love you."
Surprise flashed across her face then it turned to a look of love and finally a grin curved her lips as she whispered, "I said it first."
His chest hurt from the magnitude of love he felt for her and long after she fell asleep he remained at her side watching over her.
It was dark and cold, his breath exhaled into mist, as a chill seeped into his bones. He was running through the blackness as his hands blindly searched but came away empty. Something infinitely worse than fear gripped him. He looked for her, shouted her name, but his desperate calls went unanswered. He searched the house and beyond, every room and every patch of trees, but she wasn't there and then he heard her call. Blindly, he followed the sound of her voice as he prayed that he was not too late. When he found her she was huddled in a corner, her hair a mess as it hung dirty and tangled over her face. She called to him, reached her hand out to him, but as he stepped forward he felt it, felt death breathing down his neck. He turned to look the Reaper in the eyes and heard the sound of a gun shot. He instinctively reached for his chest, to the smoldering wound that would seal his fate and take him from his love, but he was unmarked. It was then that he realized how very quiet it had become. He turned to see her lying on the ground, a red spot spreading over the white of her blouse. Her silver-gray eyes were dull, the light that burned in them was fading, as she clutched the wound that was slowly stealing her life away. He tried to staunch the flow of blood but with each pump of her heart the closer she came to death.
"No!" he roared in anguish as he pulled his shirt over his head and pressed it to the wound but he knew when her eyes fixed on his that she was leaving him and this brought searing pain to his chest. He watched as the light of her life started to dim and she reached for his hand to hold it over her heart. Love flickered in her eyes and then her body spasmed and the hold on his hand weakened. Her beautiful eyes dimmed until they looked at him but did not see.
Gabriel woke with a start as his heart pounded hard against his ribs. He reached for Quinn, who was sleeping peacefully at his side, and pulled her into his arms. She sighed and in sleep her arms came around him to hold him close. He pushed the last remnants of the nightmare from his mind as the reassurance of her warm body cradled against his settled him back into sleep.
The attic was huge, damp, musty and so full of dust that Quinn felt her sinuses packing up to leave. Gabriel was called away for a meeting and wasn't expected home until the morning so she decided to explore the attic: the last place in the house that she had left to see. As she walked around poking into the boxes Quinn wondered if any of this could possibly be from Archer's time. How many families had owned this house after Archer's father and before Gabriel?
She didn't know how long she spent going through the boxes but clearly there had been many families who called this place home, based on the span of years for the items that were left behind. It was in the last box that Quinn made a disturbing discovery. This box was filled with stuff on Gabriel, pictures of him when he was younger, articles on his businesses, even an old news clipping. She pulled it out and sat down on the floor to read it and felt a shiver of dread when she read about his attempted murder. Quinn was happy to read that they caught the shooter but it was disturbing to learn that someone had tried to kill him. There was no date on the article but the thought that Gabriel almost died terrified Quinn. Who would want to kill him? And why hadn't he ever mentioned it to her?
She left the attic and decided to have dinner in his room while she watched some television. Later, she grew bored so shut off the television and walked into the dressing area just so she could smell him and feel closer to him. There was a well-worn shirt in the back of his closet, clearly a favorite of his, so she slipped out of her own clothes and pulled the soft cotton over her skin. His scent enveloped her as she closed her eyes and breathed him in. She walked back to the bed and climbed in but as soon as she rolled onto her side, she felt something sharp digging into her ribs. She reached down and found a concealed pocket on the inside of the old oxford and that was when she found the ring, a wedding ring of diamonds and platinum. But it was the inscription on the ring that broke her heart.
Always and Forever, Gabriel
She just sat there holding the ring, evidence that his heart had belonged to someone else, someone he clearly loved deeply because he still carried her ring. It was then that she remembered Ireland and the look of devastation on Gabriel's face. He had lost his wife. How could he fail to tell her something as significant as the fact that he had, at one time, been married and that his wife had died? He didn't tell her of the murder attempt. What else hadn't he told her?
She couldn't describe the emotions that were running rampant in her at the thought of Gabriel loving another, marrying another. She pulled the shirt off and headed back into the dressing room to dress in her own clothes. Her vision blurred as she blindly stuffed things into her bag. She had really believed that she and Gabriel had something special, rare enough that even time couldn't keep them apart, but how special could it be if he had married another? She wiped at her eyes as she placed the ring into the pocket of the shirt then hung it back where she found it. She finished packing and called for a cab and then she made her way downstairs to the front door but was stopped by Mr. Payne.
"Quinn?"
"Please. I need to leave."
"Shouldn't you wait until Gabriel comes back?" he asked, his expression was one of sympathy.
"I can't."
"Whatever you think you know he deserves to explain himself."
"Let her go, Tommy." Mrs. Payne offered but there was a tone in her voice that had Quinn eying her and it was then that Quinn realized, despite her manners, Mrs. Payne was not a big fan of hers.
Quinn dismissed Mrs. Payne's obvious disregard and met Mr. Payne's gaze squarely. "There isn't an explanation that can make it any better."
"Are you sure about that?" he asked and in that moment he looked so very wise.
Quinn thought of Gabriel loving a woman so much that he married her, one whose ring he still carried around with him, before she replied, "Yes."
