“I’m not speaking of Gabriel,” he interrupted. “I’m referring how you’ve always seemed to go out of your way to gain the censure of society. You were careless tonight, and if I didn’t know better, I would think you wanted to get caught.”
Triana felt her irritation beginning to flare. “You sound just like Mother,” she returned bitterly.
“Do I?” Travell shot back. “Well, perhaps I finally agree with her, because I’m sure as hell having trouble understanding you right now!”
“That’s because you don’t care to know anything about me!” she retorted angrily, her hands clenching into fists, tears smarting in her eyes. “You stay in this room and barely associate with us anymore! Sometimes I wonder if you even love me at all.”
Travell instantly went still. After a time, he walked over to the bookcase and clutched one of the shelves so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Grim resignation was written in every line of his face as he stared at the floor, as if something in the polished wood might hold the key for what he was about to say. “I never meant to hurt you, Tri.” With a weary sigh, he pushed away. “I need to tell you something that’s been long overdue.”
He sat behind his massive, mahogany desk, and waved to the seat opposite him. Triana numbly walked over and sank down. She crossed her arms and waited for him to continue. “There’s something you don’t know about Gabriel, Triana.” A meaningful pause. “About me.”
He eyed her directly, but she didn’t say anything, just waited. He took a deep breath. “We both work for the Home Office — in secret. In fact, we’re working on a very delicate case right now.”
Triana blinked, not sure that she’d heard right. “You’re a… spy?” She whispered the word as if it was sacred.
Wordlessly, he nodded.
She sat back in the chair and gave this all a moment to sink in. “For how long?”
“Nearly five years for Gabriel and seven for me.”
She tried to keep her voice steady, but it wavered, nonetheless. “So you were enlisted in service before…” She cleared her throat and tried again. “Before…”
He knew what she was trying to say. “Yes. I had already made my commitment to the Crown before Father left. At that point, I couldn’t very well back out.”
She closed her eyes, feeling as if her lungs were closing in on her. It was getting increasingly difficult to take a deep breath. “So all this time, you’ve hidden this from me?”
“I was trying to protect you, Triana,” he attempted to explain. “You have to understand that the nature of the cases we deal with are very delicate. What I do is dangerous.” When she remained silent, he said softly, “Can’t you see that I couldn’t live with myself if I let something happen to you or Mother because of me?”
“So you would rather we just live in the dark?” she shot back, allowing her anger to override her pain. She’d been such a fool, because it all made perfect sense now. The worst part of it all being that the one person she’d trusted wholeheartedly had lied to her for years, and during the most tumultuous time of her life.
She had never felt more alone.
She rose slowly and said in a surprisingly calm voice, “I can’t… comprehend this right now. I need some time to… think.”
Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision.
“I will not apologize for my actions, Tri,” her brother said in a level voice. “It was for the best that you didn’t know.”
Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Triana allowed them to flow freely. Years of pent-up frustration and hurt began streaming down her face. “Best for whom, Travell?” Her voice cracked. “Maybe for you, because it certainly wasn’t best for me.” With that, she turned and fled the room.
Chapter Ten
Triana had been surprised when a new article did not appear in the Times the following morning. But even more shocking was the fact that her mother didn’t accost her with one of her usual rants, even though Triana had spent the majority of the morning in her bedchamber. She’d had her breakfast sent up, although she found she didn’t have much of an appetite and only picked at the tantalizing selections on her plate before setting it aside virtually untouched. She refused to admit that she was hiding out and purposefully avoiding Travell, but deep down, she knew that was a lie. While part of her was miserable for their terrible argument the night before, she couldn’t help but continue to feel a touch of resentment. She hadn’t realized he’d hidden quite so much from her. It was still hard to swallow that he was a spy, of all things.
And then, of course, there was Gabriel.
He hadn’t bothered to pay her a call, although why she ever thought he might was ridiculous. “I shall be glad to give you all the details. Perhaps somewhere more… private?” The implication had been clear, and his coarse words to Cordelia still rang in Triana’s ears.
She’d drawn out his handkerchief more than once throughout the morning and stared at his initials, trying to make sense of it all. The linen still carried a hint of smoke from that long ago cheroot, and she breathed in the scent with a sigh.
No matter how deplorable his actions were in front of Cordelia, Triana just couldn’t accept that he truly was just another despicable bounder, for she had been the recipient of another side of him, the one he chose to hide from the rest of the ton. It wasn’t always visible, but when his guard was down, like that very first evening on the terrace, she knew it existed.
But then, if that were true, why had he tried so hard to humiliate her?
When the kitchen maid knocked on her door to bring in her luncheon tray, Triana quickly tucked the handkerchief out of sight. But in the next instant she froze — a sense of unease trickling down her spine — for right next to her steaming plate of food laid a neatly folded copy of the Times.
As soon as the maid set the tray on her dresser and took her leave, Triana shoved back her bed covers with trembling hands, stood, and walked toward the paper as if it were an executioner ready to deliver the final blow. She picked up the seemingly harmless, black and white print and closed her eyes momentarily, dreading another twisted headline. But as she scanned the various editorials, she finally found her name in one of the many articles, although what she read was not at all what she’d expected to find.
It was far worse than she could have imagined.
Her mind spun in disbelief as she bit the knuckle of her index finger to keep from crying out as she absorbed every dreaded line.
To our esteemed ladies and gentlemen — the hound has finally been caught! It is this reporter’s great pleasure to announce the upcoming marriage of Lady Triana Abernathy to Lord Alfred Durning, the Earl of Eastbury. How fortuitous that such an admired member of the peerage should ensnare this unsuspecting prey! Quite a twist in an otherwise tangled web of deceit, wouldn’t you say? Perhaps the Duke of Chiltern can finally breathe a sigh of relief now that he is free to pursue more accommodating interests. It is our belief that Lady Cordelia Worthington would make a fine duchess...
***
“Oh, Triana, is it really true?” Rowena’s concerned voice preceded the warm hug she offered the instant she was shown into the Abernathy’s front parlor, where Alyssa already held a cup of tepid tea.
Triana gave the tall blond a watery smile and nodded. “Yes, I’m afraid that it is.”
She paused and took a steadying breath, recalling the way she’d run into her mother’s boudoir that morning — and the horrifying shock that had followed, leaving her more betrayed than she’d ever felt toward Travell.
Even now, Amelia’s harsh, condemning words rang in her ears. “You are no longer a threat to me or this family’s good name, Triana. Since your brother doesn’t see fit to put you in line, then I have taken matters into my own hands. If you truly wish to lay blame, then perhaps you should point that accusing finger at yourself. After those shameless fiascos with the Duke of Chiltern, you left me no choice but to act accordingly and you will wed Eastbury or else face, not only my
wrath, but the Regent’s as well, for he gives his highest blessing upon the match.”
Afterward, a steady stream of tears, shouting, and yes, even a bit of begging had occurred, but when it was all said and done, every effort Triana had made to change her mother’s mind was in vain, for regardless if the union was horribly undesired or not, Amelia was as determined as her daughter. For the sake of the precious ton’s acceptance, Triana’s hand had been bartered to the worst man imaginable.
Triana’s mouth twisted, knowing that the words she now uttered came out bitterly. “Mother was the first to offer her heartfelt congratulations on the match.”
She took a sip of her tea, and then set it aside when it promptly turned to ash in her mouth.
Rowena’s mouth immediately drooped in silent despair upon finding that the rumor hadn’t been as false as she’d hoped. Alyssa had worn a very similar expression less than a half hour ago when she’d arrived. It was the first time Triana had known her friend when she didn’t have a humor-imbued reply at the ready.
Rowena sat next to Triana and glanced over at Alyssa. “You haven’t come up with a solution yet?”
Alyssa just sighed. “No. Unfortunately, breaking a betrothal is not my forte.”
Triana listened as the two quietly conversed, trying to come up with a solution to her dilemma, but since neither crying off nor running away were in the realm of possibilities, given Prinny’s stamp of approval on the union, the conclusion was inevitable — she would have to go through with the marriage.
“You just have to have faith it will turn out all right someday,” Ro finally said with an encouraging smile, reaching out to squeeze Triana’s hand. “Maybe you can even learn to care for the earl in time. Perhaps after you have children…”
Triana didn’t hear the rest, her head suddenly buzzing as she focused on the one key factor to her marriage with Eastbury. As if it wasn’t a bleak enough future knowing the rest of her life would be spent in the man’s company day in and day out, but to imagine all the nights she’d have to share his bed…
The very thought was enough to make her stomach turn.
But just as she was about to become even more despondent, some foreign voice in the back of her mind whispered defiantly, Change the rules. As you carry out this lifetime sentence, why not enjoy one night with the forbidden? If you’re going to lose anyway, you might as well go down in flames with something to remember — with Gabriel — the man you love.
Suddenly, her mind began racing for another reason entirely. Thus, she made a silent promise to herself — that by the time she gave herself over to Eastbury as a wife forevermore — a virgin she would no longer be.
***
Gabriel threw the latest edition of the Times across his study, where it hit the wall with a firm thwack! He considered letting the brandy decanter and anything else he could get a hold of follow the same fate, but instead, he poured himself another two fingers worth of the amber liquid. After a brief pause, he changed his mind and made it four, then downed it all in one scorching gulp.
“Pour me one of those, would you?” A familiar voice resounded from the doorway and Gabriel spun around with a dark scowl.
He slammed down his empty glass with enough force to shatter it, and advanced on Travell. “What the hell is the matter with you?” he demanded, the thunder evident in his voice. “Have you lost your bloody mind?”
“And good afternoon to you too,” the viscount replied evenly. He walked past Gabriel’s irate form, and helped himself to a splash of brandy before sinking down in one of the plush, leather chairs by the fireplace. “I take it you’ve heard?”
His only response was the sharp tightening of Gabriel’s jaw.
“Indeed. What a silly question.” Travell nodded, answering his own query. “Well, since we happen to be on the subject of my sister, I should probably tell you that she knows about my work with the Home Office.” Looking straight at Gabriel, he stated in a matter-of-fact tone, “I told her.”
He uttered a curse and ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. “God, Travell…”
“She deserved to know the truth,” the viscount said on a heavy sigh. “While I didn’t feel it necessary to give her any specifics on our current investigation, I have to admit that a part of me is relieved it’s all out in the open.”
Gabriel gave a snort as his eyes narrowed. “Please tell me that’s not why she’s marrying Eastbury — because you think that weasel will actually protect her?”
Travell glanced at him, his expression solemn. “What would you have me do? Demand that you marry her instead?” A firm silence enveloped the room to which Travell gave a knowing scoff and shook his head. “I know you may find this hard to believe, but I had nothing to do with my sister’s impending nuptials.”
“You’re right, I don’t believe you.” Gabriel replied, without any hint of remorse. “You’re her brother, so how can you deny any involvement?”
Travell met his raging gaze and calmly took a sip of his drink before answering, “True, I am head of the house, but in this instance, the decision was taken out of my hands.” Gabriel was about to argue further, but Travell lifted a hand. “Apparently my mother petitioned the Regent some time ago, and as I understand it, Prinny gives his utmost blessing because he believes it is a love match. Not only that, but he has no reason not to approve.” With a heavy sigh, he continued, “Triana absolutely detests that man, but Mother will stop at nothing to keep herself elevated in the eyes of society, even sacrifice her own daughter for the cause. I honestly think after Father left, she forgot what it was to be selfless.” He paused to stare thoughtfully into the fire. “Sometimes I wonder if I did too. I’ve been focused on my work for so long, that I lost sight of what was truly important, and now I fear Triana is lost forever.”
For several minutes, the only sound was the crackle of logs in the spitting fire, and the light rustle of Travell’s jacket as he continued to sip his drink.
Finally, Gabriel broke the tension with a quiet murmur. “So what happens now?”
“What do you mean?”
“The smuggling investigation.”
Travell’s brows drew together in confusion. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. Nothing has changed in that respect. We continue to move forward.”
“But what about Triana?” Gabriel challenged. “Where does she fit into all of this?”
The viscount’s eyes sparked a warning. “Triana will not be anywhere near this investigation.”
He smiled tolerantly. “Come now, Travell. We both know Triana’s nature. Do you really believe she’ll turn a blind eye that easily?”
“She’ll have no choice,” Travell reiterated firmly. “Besides, I imagine Mother will keep her plenty occupied with the upcoming wedding.”
Gabriel paused. It just made him sick to think of Triana wed to a man like Eastbury. And while he vowed that he would never marry and take his place as the next Duke of Chiltern, it appeared the choice had been taken from him. “Has a date been set yet?”
“I don’t believe so, but I imagine it will be soon. Perhaps within the month.” Travell glanced at him with a curious expression. “Why do you ask?”
Gabriel downed the last of his brandy. “Only that if we intend to free Triana from this engagement, then we’d better solve this case so the Regent will consider our plea to break it off.”
Travell cocked his head to the side. “Why do you care if she’s married to Eastbury or not?”
He clenched his jaw. “Let’s just say I have personal reasons to stop this wedding.”
Something in his voice must have mollified Travell, for he gave a nod. “All right, then. Let’s get to work.”
***
The next few days that followed were nothing short of a blur for Triana. She felt as if her mother had dragged her to every modiste in London as a wedding trousseau was hastily prepared. As if the monotony of endless dress fittings wasn’t punishment enough, she had to deal with Eastbury and his i
ncreasing presence in their house. It was like some sort of miserable play where she had suddenly taken center stage.
It was only in the darkest hours, when she was in her bed that the nightmare ceased to exist. It was here that she kept Gabriel’s handkerchief close to her heart and dreamt of his lips on hers — his hands caressing her body — as she drifted into a wonderland of fantasy. And while she hadn’t yet contrived of the perfect scheme to rid herself of her virtue, she promised herself it was only a matter of time.
Unfortunately, time was not a commodity she had in abundance, for her wedding was only four weeks away. She’d actually had to beg and plead for that long, as Eastbury had already procured a special license. However, she’d given the excuse that her trousseau was not yet ready and she wished to have plenty of gowns to take on her honeymoon trip, as horrifying a thought as that was.
Thus, it was on a night like this that not even a restless sleep would claim her, so after shrugging on her dressing gown, Triana padded downstairs and headed toward the library, her favorite sanctuary, hoping that a bit of reading might grant her that semblance of tranquility she was needing.
But as she passed by her brother’s study, she hesitated, thinking that she heard a noise. After a few minutes, she heard it again — a light scratching coming from within.
She ignoring the apprehension clawing at her gut and raised her hand to knock, but then slowly lowered it. She had barely exchanged three words with her brother since their confrontation in this very room. Perhaps she ought to just ignore the noise — whatever it was. She had no doubt that’s what her brother would want. But even though they were hardly on speaking terms at the moment, she still loved him, and now that she knew the sort of danger he posed to himself every day, that concern had only grown.
With a deep breath, she pushed opened the door enough to peek inside.
It was dark; the only illumination coming from the ghostly glow of the moon shining through the windows, but she was able to make out Travell’s outline. He was standing by the bookcase, his back to her.
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