Page 34 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke (Duke Wars #2)

CHAPTER 34

T he garden party stretched well into the evening, after the sun had fallen and the brightest of stars managed to break through the twilight sky. With a glass of strawberry gin-and-tonic in hand, Gabriel entertained himself with polite conversation between guests, eyes scanning the crowd in search of Thalia for the third time that night.

He’d been right, of course; it’d taken only three minutes to find Thalia the first time, as she thought herself clever to hide among the wave of arriving guests. She demanded the best two out of three, and of course, Gabriel agreed. But this time, she enlisted both Robin and Charlotte’s aid, keeping the man thoroughly off the scent. Every so often, Gabriel thought he saw a blur of lilac, only to find his empty-armed sister standing alongside Robin, a branch of purple flowers in hand, a coy smile across her lips.

That round, much to his frustration, went to Thalia.

They met once more at the center of the garden, a slow waltz guiding them across the dance floor as Thalia caught her breath for their last bout. She propped her head against his chest, allowing him to guide her entirely as they swayed gently to the bright thrum of violin strings. “Seems we’re tied,” she finally said.

“Hardly,” Gabriel scowled playfully. “You cheated that last round.”

“You never said I couldn’t use outside help,” Thalia teased. “Besides, a rabbit has to use every trick she has to escape.”

He spun her gracefully, daring a slight dip as childish giggling escaped her lips. “You’re going to get us caught,” he admonished, glancing around at the drifting gazes of other partygoers.

“Me? You’re the one being obvious!” Thalia bit back more laughter, pulling herself upright as she took control of her portion of the dance. “Gracious; must I do everything?”

That got a chuckle from Gabriel, and he allowed Thalia to dictate their direction for a moment. It had been ages since he’d played such childish games, hide-and-seek especially, and was thrilled at how much of a challenge Thalia put up. “I feel for this last round, perhaps we limit it to hiding places that don’t cause damage to the garden.”

Thalia made a slight face, eyes following Gabriel’s hand as it plucked a stray leaf from her hair. “I swear, those bushes looked like that before I dove into them.”

“Charlotte is going to have a fit if you ruin that dress,” Gabriel chuckled.

Thalia sighed, head settling against his chest once as she relinquished control once more. “She would, wouldn’t she…?”

* * *

The pair took to the farther reaches of the garden for the last round, laughing and teasing while following the bends of the stream. It eventually spilled out into a more impressive river, flowing just outside the home’s property line and into the forest beyond.

Between it, a large field swayed in the springtime air, having cooled significantly since that morning. Thalia shivered in his embrace, and Gabriel was quick to offer his jacket.

“I promise not to give it back this time,” Thalia smiled sheepishly.

“You could certainly try to,” Gabriel replied coolly. “But I’d sooner let it fall to the ground.”

Thalia chuckled lightly, grasping around the coat’s collar and pulling it tighter against her body. She inhaled deeply, eyes fluttering, and Gabriel wondered what could possibly be going through her mind. So, he decided to ask for himself.

“What are you thinking about, Thalia?”

She exhaled loudly, her hands clinging tighter around the coat. “I was wondering… if this stream fed into the one at the park. If this open field connected to that forest, and if I could follow the path back to the grove we spent that afternoon in.”

Thalia paused, taking in another audible breath. “And, I was thinking… now that the pretense of our courtship being a facade is over, it’s easier to remain at ease around you. To simply enjoy the moment as it is, and not overanalyze every spoken word between us.”

Gabriel found himself in complete agreement. Still, Thalia’s expression looked troubled, and thus, he persisted.

“What else are you thinking about?”

Thalia hesitated, wiping her face with the back of her gloved hand before offering a nod. “Occasionally…I am beset with a terrible wave of guilt.” A tear caught against the moonlight, and Thalia left it to run down past her chin. “It doesn’t seem as if I should be allowed to feel so happy. Or, that such joy can still bring me such waves of painful memories.”

“We are creatures of complex emotion,” Gabriel offered gently. “You are allowed to experience pleasure, alongside pain.”

A weak giggle escaped her lips, and Thalia exhaled sharply once more. “I hardly knew him growing up. Robin, I mean; he’d gone to live with his mother once Father believed him old enough, and while I certainly wrote…” she paused, tugging at Gabriel’s jacket once more. “I feel I owe him so much. For taking me in after the disastrous encounter with Giles, and caring for me so intently, when I myself never thought to do so.”

“And now he’s here,” Gabriel reminded her gently. “Enjoying this night alongside you.”

Her laughter came stronger this time. “He’s enjoying it alongside that scheming sister of your’s.”

Gabriel pretended to be insulted, a playful scowl crossing his face as he let out a gasp. “How dare you say such horrible things about my sister! This will not stand, Thalia Sutton; when I win this final hunt, I will take my time devouring you wholly.”

A visible shiver ran across Thalia’s body, and she offered a sly smirk of her own. “Bold proclamation, Mister Wolf. Let’s see if your actions are equally so.” She quickly darted into the treeline, jacket fluttering alongside her dress before being fully enveloped into the shade. Gabriel chuckled lightly, turning around as he mentally began to count down from a minute. She would need it, after all; he was hardly going to go easy on her this time.

A sharp click interrupted his internal clock, and something cold pressed itself against the back of Gabriel’s head.

“What a disgustingly sentimental scene to wander into,” Giles Tilbury hissed into his ear.

* * *

It didn’t seem real, at first. Certainly, this had to be a nightmare; Thalia had taken a midday nap, after all, just after lunch. She was still asleep, suffering from the unspoken fear her cousin had carved into her mind. That had to be the case. Certainly, that had to be the case.

But, no. Everything was perceived with far too much accuracy, felt far too real to be anything but a part of the waking world. Her arms trembled as she held fast to the tree she’d hidden herself behind, vision swaying between the shadows of the brush and the pistol Giles held in his hand. Held up to Gabriel’s head.

“What a disgustingly sentimental scene…”

Even from this distance, his words dug their claws into her, dragging Thalia into a horrific abyss. Every nerve stood on end, skin crawling with the desire to get as far away as humanly possible. But she couldn’t; Gabriel was there, entangled in a web of her own doing. Giles was here because of her, and he wouldn’t leave without her in hand.

* * *

Someone was going to die tonight. Gabriel knew that, had instinctively resigned himself to the fact once the pistol’s muzzle had pressed firmly against the back of his head. But as God for his witness, that fate would not be dealt unto Thalia Sutton.

“What? Suddenly lacking that charming wit of yours, Your Grace?” Giles spat the title in disgust, forcing Gabriel forward across the field. He moved at a sluggish pace—or had time simply slowed in Gabriel’s perspective?

Whatever the reason, Gabriel had to take the opportunity. “A shame; I had hoped to end your life in the boxing ring, but the coward’s approach suits you.”

The pistol stuck the back of his head, and Gabriel caught a glimpse before stumbling to the ground. A flintlock—he knew it had to be, for certain—which meant he only had to handle one shot.

One shot, and he could end things. One shot to decide which of the two men walked away.

“You don’t know when to shut up, do you!” Giles’ voice was practically shrieking, barrel pointed to face Gabriel head-on. “Even staring death in the eye, you act so smug!”

Gabriel gritted his teeth, trying to find his window. The flintlock was trembling in the man’s hands, but he was so close. Too close to hope for a misfire, a slip of his aim. He could grab it, but when? “Didn’t your father teach you not to play with grown-up toys?”

“I could say the same for you,” Giles mused. “I would think you would’ve learned not to touch other people’s belongings. But we can blame your mother for that confusion, I suppose.”

He just needed the right moment–a brief second of hesitancy from Giles.

“But what you lack in refinement,” Giles went on. “You’ll make up for in continuing your family’s legacy.”

“Elaborate.”

Giles’ smile slipped into the deranged. “I’m sure by now you’ve realized what sort of gun this is. I admit, I never thought I’d use it myself—terribly macabre business, duels are—but fate has a funny way of playing out, doesn’t it?”

Gabriel’s eyes narrowed, an unspoken dread clawing its way from the back of his mind.

“Poor Gabriel Harding. Fallen into the same trap his father did all those years ago…” Giles’ laughter was cruel, cutting, and he angled the pistol forward once more. “And once you’re gone, I can tell whatever story I wish. How you and your little clubmates belittled and blackmailed me into giving away my fortune. How you set me up to lose my estates during the tournament–”

“–they weren’t yours to lose.”

“And how horribly you’d treated poor, sweet Thalia!” Giles shrieked, raising his voice to overpower Gabriel’s remark. “I had no choice but to try and protect her honor with a duel, really! What else was I supposed to do?”

“No one in their right mind would ever believe that,” Gabriel hissed.

“It doesn’t matter,” Giles sneered. “I’ll be their only source to rely on.” He cocked the gun, and Gabriel readied himself for the fight of his life. He only had one chance—one chance to ensure death remained off the table.

Only for the world to drop out beneath him as Thalia Sutton burst out from the forest.