Rathbourne cleared his throat. “Unfortunately her brother was the former Comte De Valmont.”
“Valmont’s sister?” Ash sat up straight. “This is the first we’ve heard that he had a sister.”
“I was aware of a sister, but it was assumed she died in the Revolution,” Rathbourne said.
“He hid his sister in a convent,” Michael added.
“Valmont, the French spy?” Brinsley asked.
“Yes, the one who was shot by an unidentified assassin,” Ash added.
“Gabby knows nothing about her brother’s activities in England. She is an innocent. And I will honor my promise to Mother Therese to help her get situated in England,” Michael said.
“How can we be sure?” Brinsley asked.
“We cannot assume. We’ll have to keep her under surveillance,” Ashworth said.
Michael watched all three men nod in agreement.
“For God’s sake, she’s been in a convent. She’s not a spy.”
“He does have a good point.” Ashworth looked at Rathbourne and shrugged his shoulders. “I think we’ve been in this spy business too long, Cord. We suspect everyone.”
“When it comes to the secrecy of my wife’s work, I will not take any risks. Mademoiselle De Valmont can’t stay in this house.”
Discovery of Hen and his secret work could cost British lives. Their work as code breakers needed to be carefully guarded. He took a big gulp of his brandy. What a conundrum. Rathbourne’s concerns about Gabby were legitimate. But his brother-in-law didn’t know Gabby like Michael did. She was not a mastermind spy. “She is going to be devastated to learn about her brother. She knows no one else in England.”
“My wife is very savvy about guarding the secrecy of her work, but I worry more about Charles letting something slip.” Rathbourne rubbed his jaw with one finger. “His discretion is questionable.”
Michael sat up. “Be careful what you say about my uncle.”
Rathbourne gave him a compassionate look. “Your uncle has changed. Once you see him again, you’ll understand. I mean no disrespect to the old gentleman.”
Michael hated to admit that Rathbourne was correct about Uncle Charles’s lack of discretion with the change in his mental status.
“She’ll move in with Ash and Gwyneth. Ash can keep an eye on her,” Rathbourne announced.
Ash laughed. “You’re not worried about my wife’s safety? She is your sister.”
Michael protested. “My God, she is a twenty-two-year-old woman, not some French assassin.”
“What say you, Ash?” Rathbourne looked at his friend. “This will give us a perfect chance to discover if she has been sent here by Talleyrand, her brother’s handler.”
“This is ridiculous. She is escaping France. The nuns brought her to my home in Paris and asked me to help her escape. She’s not working for anyone,” Michael protested.
Rathbourne shrugged his shoulder. “Then it won’t be a problem if she stays with Ash.”
“Gwyneth will be delighted to have the mademoiselle stay with us. I know Gwyneth misses all the activity of the Rathbourne household.”
“I would also like to ask my Aunt Euphemia to stay with you as an added precaution,” Rathbourne added.
A strange, combustible mix of outrage by Rathbourne’s overbearing plans and fear for Gabby left Michael taut with emotion. “Gabby will not be treated like a traitor because her brother was a spy. She has done nothing wrong.”
“My God, man. Have you considered that her life might be in danger? Napoleon wants her back in France. You don’t think he’ll give up a fortune that easily? He probably has men looking for her in London at this very moment,” Rathbourne said.
Michael hadn’t had time to consider the possibility, having been hell-bent in getting them all out of France. “You really think that Napoleon would come after her here?”
“I think Cord has a valid point. What prevents Napoleon from kidnapping her in England?” Ashworth asked.
Rathbourne stood, dismissing them. “Tomorrow she’ll be moved to Ashworth House. Tonight she can rest before learning of her brother’s demise.”
Michael’s gut churned with unfamiliar feelings of protectiveness and tenderness. In her short life, Gabby had suffered and now she was left alone. And she wasn’t safe, not even in England. He’d do anything to protect her. Unfortunately, he couldn’t protect her from the trauma of tomorrow’s terrible news.
Chapter Eight
The next afternoon Michael pulled his horses to a halt in the circular driveway at Rathbourne House. Still unable to sit comfortably in a saddle, he had driven his curricle. Inhaling the warm summer air filled with the scent of freshly mown grass revived him after his fitful sleep. After returning to an empty Kendal House last night, he wandered the halls and the bedrooms alone, lost in his own home. The task of informing Gabby of her brother’s demise weighed heavily on him.
“Hen.” He shouted across the sloping grass hill to his sister, bent over her garden on the south side of the house.
Henrietta stood and waved, her face relaxed and bright in what he hoped was anticipation of seeing him.
He picked up his pace, his mood lightened by the sight of his sister’s smiling face.
“Aren’t you industrious this morning?” he teased. His sister, like their mother, spent a great deal of time in the garden.
“Morning? It’s afternoon.” Henrietta pulled her gardening gloves off and dropped them into the basket at her feet before she hugged him. “I’ll stop hugging you soon. I promise.”
He gave his sister one last embrace before releasing her. “I’m sorry I’m so late, but I had a rough time of it last night. I couldn’t sleep, knowing…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m going to shatter Gabby’s happiness.”
“The poor woman. And I can’t help but feel a bit guilty for my happiness at your safe return.”
He understood Hen’s feelings. He also was glad to have returned home to his family—a joy that Gabby would never enjoy. “She has been so blasted happy, anticipating her reunion with her brother.”
“She is a very gentle woman.” Hen patted his arm. “Exactly as you said.”
“Not a French spy plotting to extract secrets from you?”
“With the war heating up, Cord is correct to be cautious. But after last night’s interactions, I don’t believe she is a risk to our work. And I like her.”
“I told Gabby that you would enjoy each other’s company.”
“If there weren’t new changes in our household, I’d insist on having her stay with us.”
Michael stared at his sister. “What is wrong? Your face is flushed. Did you exert yourself with the gardening? Shall I take you inside?”
“I’m fine, but let’s remain outside to talk. When the sun is shining, I want to enjoy the last moments before the rain resumes.”
Michael looked up at the clear blue sky. “I don’t think it will rain.”
“Oh, that would be delightful, except my plantings need the rain.”
Michael led his sister to a bench under a large old elm tree.
Hen sat down and leaned her head against the mighty tree trunk. She closed her eyes and raised her face upward, basking in the sun’s heat.
Michael sat down next to her. “Tell me how you came to marry that old stick-in-the-mud.”
Hen popped her eyes open and then covered her mouth to suppress her laughter. “He’s not old and not a stick-in-the-mud. He really isn’t always so…persnickety, but Gabby’s appearance did upset him. He is very protective of me and our work.”
Michael chuckled out loud. “Don’t let Rathbourne hear you call him ‘persnickety.’ Not exactly a manly description.”
“He is quite confident in his manly pursuits.” His sister kept her eyes down and fiddled with her dress. She finally looked up. “I didn’t mean what you’re thinking.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” he joked.
“I meant… This is so e
mbarrassing. There is no easy way to say this… You’re going to be an uncle.”
“Uncle?” Michael grabbed Hen’s hands and pulled her off the bench into a tight embrace. Swinging her around in a wide circle, he laughed aloud. “Hen, you know how to level a chap. I’m just getting used to the idea that my baby sister is a married woman.” He spun her in another circle. “But a mother…”
Hen laughed gleefully. “Honestly, I can’t believe it myself.”
He put her down and held her at arm’s length to examine her face. “I’m thrilled for you. You deserve all the happiness, even with the dark-haired ogre. But why did you marry so quickly?”
Hen batted at his arms. “He’s really not an ogre. Cord refused to wait. And with the end of the peace treaty, we both felt with uncertain times we wanted to be married. He is a gentle and devoted husband, and if you give him a chance, you’ll like him.”
“He’s growing on me.”
“Fine praise, I’m sure.”
“But I always thought you’d marry a fellow linguist.”
“I thought so too. But the ways of the heart aren’t exactly logical, as you’ll soon learn.” Hen sat down and placed her hand on her stomach in a telling way.
“I didn’t spin you too much?”
“No, I’m finally over those symptoms. But these days I need a nap every day.”
“Of course, you must rest. But you’re in good health? Your doctor allows you to garden?”
“Oh, not you too. Cord is driving me insane with his worries. You have to promise me you won’t start treating me as an invalid.”
Michael took his sister’s hand into his. “Grant me permission to worry about you. I promise to keep my thoughts to myself.”
Hen squeezed his hand and giggled. “You silent? That will be a first.”
“You should be resting, not taking care of Edward and Uncle Charles. Maybe they should come home with me now.”
Henrietta rolled her eyes to the sky. “We’re managing fine. Brompton looks after Uncle Charles, Mr. Marlow is still Edward’s tutor, and Cord is good with both of them.”
Michael had witnessed Rathbourne’s obvious concern for his sister, brother, and Uncle Charles at dinner last night. “He is very patient with Uncle Charles and Edward.”
“I wouldn’t marry him unless he accepted my entire family.” Hen tucked her fly-away hair behind her ear. “I know this has been a shock for you. I’m sorry I didn’t wait for your return, but I didn’t know when you would come home and I couldn’t expect Uncle Charles and Edward to live in Kendal house without me.”
Michael had not yet adjusted to all the changes. His thoughts in turmoil, he couldn’t sit still. He did some of his best thinking when he paced. He jumped off the bench and went into motion.
“It wasn’t the homecoming I had expected.” Michael didn’t mention his hurt feelings. “During my sleepless night, I realized how poorly I behaved last night. I knew at some point you would marry and leave Kendal House and that Uncle Charles and Edward would need to move with you. And even though Rathbourne does seem a bit peeved about the code book, I’m sure we’ll bump along fine.”
“But you know no one will ever replace you in all our affections?”
“Not yours, I hope,” he teased.
Henrietta’s face flushed a deeper pink. “There are different affections for those we love.”
This must be the effects of her pregnancy. Hen wasn’t the sort who blushed.
“It is obvious that the stick-in-the-mud makes you very happy. And I saw at dinner how protective he is of you and the Harcourt family.”
“When I finally got word that you were…” Hen brushed away her tears. “Since my pregnancy, I cry all the time.” She gulped. “When I learned you were on your way home, I planned that Uncle Charles, Edward, and I, with the Bromptons, would greet you at Kendal House and have a big dinner party to celebrate your return. But you didn’t tell us of your arrival. I hate that there was no family to greet you.”
“It is totally my fault. I wanted to surprise you. And see the shock on your and Mrs. Brompton’s faces.”
Hen’s eyes again filled with tears. “Can you forgive me for all the changes?”
Hen didn’t need to ask his forgiveness for marrying Rathbourne. It was evident that his sister was deeply in love with her husband.
“I also planned that you would come and work with us each morning like we did at Kendal House. I could use the help, since the load has gotten pretty heavy, thanks to the end of the peace treaty. And, in that way, you’d be part of our daily lives. You’d still have your gentleman’s life in the evenings.”
He looked forward to the hours discussing the codes, Greek particles, and all the linguistic intricacies with his family.
“But will Rathbourne approve of me in his daily life?”
“With the war escalating, Cord is at Upchurch offices a great deal of the time. It will almost be like old times, except a different library.”
“You’ll have to catch me up on the work. With my gunshot wound and then fever, I’ve been out of the game a long time.”
“I’m glad you had Mademoiselle Gabrielle to tend to you. When you told me last night of her singing in French, I got goose bumps. I think our dear mama sent the lady to you.”
“It is strange. I had the very same thought.” He didn’t add that he also thought his mother would have been very pleased to have Gabby as her daughter-in-law.
Hen giggled. “I agree, but you must give her time.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t pretend to me. You also thought that Mama would have been pleased to see you make a match with Mademoiselle Gabrielle, a gentle, beautiful French woman.”
“Do you do this to your husband?”
“Excuse me?”
“Tell him what he is thinking?”
Hen’s green eyes, so much like his own, danced in amusement. “Sometimes, but Cord can be quite opaque after all the years he worked as a spy. You are very easy to read.”
“That makes me sound quite boring.”
Hen tittered. “I’d never describe you as boring. But, truly, you cannot pursue Mademoiselle Gabrielle. She will be grieving and needs us all to act as a supportive family.”
Supportive family—he didn’t want to break it to his sister, but he was in no way close to thinking of Gabby as family. He felt like the ogre now. The poor woman was going to soon learn about the loss of her only family and he didn’t seem able to contain his male thoughts.
“Of course, you’re right. This is not the time.”
He had planned he would pursue his attachment with Gabby once she was established and living with her brother, demonstrating to Gabby that he knew how to behave like a gentleman. Now everything had changed. And he wanted to take care of her, shelter her from hurt. He understood that his feelings for Gabby weren’t logical or precise, and couldn’t be deciphered like a substitution code.
Chapter Nine
Gabby rushed down the stairs and out the front door to speak with Lord Kendal. All morning she had been watching from her bedroom for him to arrive. Finally, she would be reunited with Lucien.
She had been separated from her only family for long years. She knew it wasn’t ladylike to rush after the gentleman, but she didn’t care.
She was wearing one of Lady Henrietta’s simple day dresses, nothing in her usual French style. After the exhausting travel and then with the changes in Lord Kendal’s household, she was grateful to have been spared dinner with the family. She begged off since she had no proper clothes, and Lady Henrietta allowed her to use the flimsy excuse to escape.
She awoke refreshed, knowing she was safe and that soon she would be with her brother. She’d be happy to finally resume her true identity as a sophisticated woman, not the schoolgirl in a convent or a young boy. Dressed in a stylish wardrobe, she would never be confused with a Mimi or Yvette.
Gabby followed a path that wound between the hedges, leadin
g to the back of the house. She quickly arrived at the garden where Lord Kendal and Lady Henrietta were sitting.
Lord Kendal was bent over his sister, his body turned in concern and brotherly love. She felt a deep yearning in witnessing his obvious care.
Lucien was much older than Gabby and they had never spent enough time together to become really close, but now they needed each other. They were each other’s only family. She wanted to be a loving sister to him. And despite how hardened he had become with the murder of their parents, he had always been a protective brother.
As if he sensed her approach, Lord Kendal twisted on the bench where he was seated next to his sister. He rose and bowed over her hand. “Good afternoon, Mademoiselle Gabrielle.”
His face was closely shaven. The golden stubble gone. Although dressed as a proper English gentleman in his buff riding breeches and perfectly fit forest-green riding coat, he exuded a boyish air. Maybe it was his disheveled curls that never stayed in place, or the way his eyes always were bright with curiosity.
Gabby curtsied. “Good afternoon, my lord.”
The formality between them hurt her. The adventure with Michael had ended. They were back in proper society. They would meet as polite strangers—Lord Kendal and Mademoiselle Gabrielle. She would assume her new life, and Lord Kendal would go back to his.
Last night she tried to reconcile her excitement to be reunited with her brother with the loss of being in Michael’s company. She didn’t want to give up his easy, light-hearted teasing or the promises in his touch and his intense stares.
They would meet in London, since she assumed the English aristocracy would be a small, intimate world as in Paris. Of course, with the war between England and France, she couldn’t be sure how often they would meet as polite strangers.
Gabby curtsied again. “Good day, Lady Henrietta.”
Lady Henrietta’s face glowed in the afternoon sunshine. “I hope that you slept well.”
“I did, my lady. Thank you for your generous hospitality.”
A Cantata of Love (The Code Breakers 4) Page 5
