Chapter Nine
May Day Ball
Gabriel glanced at his reflection in the cheval glass. When he’d come up to dress for dinner tonight—with the assistance of his valet—he’d been disappointed that Mary was no longer in the room.
It was the second evening in a row that he’d missed the opportunity to help with the ritual of seeing her into a gown. Of course, last night, he’d once again shown himself for a jealous, possessive idiot, and that behavior had turned her away from him.
Why couldn’t he temper that reaction? Well, he knew the reason—he was losing her to a still unknown suitor who was wooing her with the little niceties he hadn’t had the time to give to her.
Would the mystery man make himself known tonight due to it being May Day?
After meeting him, would Mary decide to walk away from the life she’d built with him—Gabriel—and leave him with two young children, just as his previous wife had done?
Have I been so wrong about her?
Until his dying day, he would fight against that thought. After all the time he’d spent with his wife, after everything they’d shared, he swore he knew her better than anyone, and in no way was she the same type of woman as his first wife.
So, then, how did he counteract the stranger’s courtship of her?
If it was flowers she wanted, he would do that, but he rather suspected it was simpler than that.
He needed to think back to the basics of their relationship, on what he’d done to initially win her, and the truth plowed into his chest with the force of a blow.
She merely wants my time, not to be showered with gifts or fripperies. Over and over, she has told me she just wishes me to be present in her life.
But he’d been so focused and determined on building said life for her and their family, that he’d forgotten the very woman who’d made all of it possible.
He’d postured and let jealousy get the better of him.
Showing emotions wasn’t a bad thing, but acting like a bounder certainly was, and that is what he’d been doing.
Did he regret the honest and raw talks they’d had in recent days?
No, for those things needed to be said, but then he’d erased those vulnerabilities by acting like a heel.
It was a wonder that one of the guests didn’t land him a facer.
God, Bright, can you be more of an cock up than you are right now?
Because of that, he’d intentionally not attended dinner this evening.
Instead, he’d taken it with his valet down in the servants’ hall.
There had been more than a few glances of confusion and curiosity, but when Jameson chastised him for a fool in the way that he had of conveying truth exactly when Gabriel needed it, realization smacked him upside the head.
It didn’t matter what was going on outside of his marriage.
It didn’t matter who wished to draw Mary away.
What mattered was the fact that he was still bound to her, he still loved her, and damn it all, if he wanted to keep her, he had to continue to grow as a man without letting anything else distract him.
Once dinner had concluded, and after he’d checked his appearance, he went downstairs toward the ballroom, for the May Day ball would start at any time. Francis had been in his element tonight while presiding over dinner, and that would continue when he and his wife opened the ball with a waltz.
A longing to find Mary, to cajole her into sharing a few sets with him, took hold.
He’d been apart from her for two nights, and he was decidedly sick of it.
He wanted her beside him, both in bed and out, in all the ways that mattered, because she was the only woman for him, and he’d be damned if he would allow another man to woo her.
Where would she be during this time of night? Had she already gone to the ballroom?
That was where he headed first, and it was fairly easy to locate her.
His heart gave a massive skip, for she wore a silk gown in a royal purple hue with soft golden lace around the bodice and a gold sash that emphasized her waist. Hints of embroidery work on the skirting made themselves known with each step she took, and for a few seconds, he paused with a hand to his pounding heart, for she was so damned beautiful.
How could he have ever been angry with her? Why the devil had he said horrid things to her when he knew deep in his heart she would always remain true to him?
With his gaze, he followed her movements.
A sprig of violets had been pinned into her upswept blonde hair, and that detail made her seem sweet and innocent, or the embodiment of spring.
Trying to stay hidden, he watched as she lingered in the corridor that led to the ballroom.
For all her trepidation of not fitting in with women of the beau monde, she certainly had many acquaintances that she greeted with a touch or a few words here and there.
Pride for her welled in his chest; she was his foil and partner in every way. Even with the men she greeted or paused to speak with, she had the power or talent to set them all at ease. And what was more, she didn’t act as if they had a secret, carnal relationship.
You are a bloody idiot, Bright.
Icy fear that his behavior might have lost her twisted down his spine.
Knowing he needed to make things right immediately, he tried to keep an eye on her as the crowds in the corridor built while everyone headed into the ballroom.
Conversation and laughter buzzed in the air; the scents of perfumes, pomades, and powders aggravated his nose.
When he sent his glance around, he frowned, for he’d lost sight of his wife.
Thinking she had no doubt gone into the ballroom, he wanted to ensure he had an offering for her, something that might encourage her to bestow that special grin she reserved only for him, Gabriel quickly made his way out to the rear gardens.
That is what he should have done all along, but he’d fallen back on the assumption that he didn’t need to continue to win her after they’d married.
Twenty minutes later, he had a decent-sized bouquet featuring purple and white tulips along with a few delicate lilies of the valley in hand.
As he followed the path that led to the terrace so he could gain the ballroom in that manner, movement at the stone railing caught his attention.
Once more, his heart skipped a beat, for Mary stood there, her gloved hands lightly resting on the stone as she tipped her head slightly upward to peer into the heavens.
Twilight had softly given way to the midnight shadows, and it was quite gorgeous punctuated with thousands of bright stars.
Good God, I will never tire of gazing upon my wife.
With the soft golden glow of the candlelight from the ballroom at her back, she fairly sparkled and gleamed in that ambience. And it was time to reassure her that he wasn’t the arse she thought, and that he would continue to fight for her for as long as it took.
“Mary.” Just uttering her name as he joined her on the terrace made his nerves feel strung too tight. What if they were too far gone to bridge the gaps between them?
She startled, clearly not expecting anyone to join her. “Gabriel…”
“We need to talk.” As of yet, they were the only ones on the terrace as the ballroom behind them began to fill.
The opening waltz with Francis and Vivian would begin soon.
“Also, these are for you.” He’d wrapped his handkerchief around the stems. I thought they would match your gown; purple, as always, is wonderful on you. ”
“They’re lovely. Did you cut them from the gardens?” When she put her nose to one of the blooms, his heart trembled.
“Yes. I realize I could have done a more artistic bouquet, but—”
“These are perfect.” Carefully, she laid the floral offering on the stone railing then found his gaze with hers. “I don’t wish to argue with you again. It nearly broke my heart two days ago.”
You’re a proper bounder, Bright.
“I’m sorry for that, and I don’t want to argue either.
” Taking a few tentative steps closer to her, he leaned a hip against the stone railing.
“So let’s talk about what we do want, from this relationship now that we are parents with full schedules.
” Briefly, he touched her arm. “How can we spend more time together without damaging both our marriage as well as what we are working to build for the future?”
“Adelaide wrote to me, said she wanted the chance to become your secretary to keep your diary organized and scheduled. We can start there. Once we train your clients to make appointments, perhaps Adelaide could write down preliminary details for your perusal before you ever speak with them.”
“That would definitely help. Far too much of my time is taken up with listening to potential clients but then discovering that I can’t help them.
Having someone sift through those folks would be most welcomed.
And Adelaide could write reports once the cases are solved.
Have them filed properly away would be lovely if we ever need to refer back to a case.
” Slowly, he nodded as he considered the possibilities.
“Perhaps I could hire someone to take over the accounting work. Though I can tolerate numbers, that is not where my skills lie.”
“And I simply don’t have the time to devote to the books.”
“This is all to the good.” Not wanting to show his excitement, Gabriel led her over to a stone bench on the terrace. When she sat, he settled beside her. “I know you are protective of Cassandra and Charlie because they came from the streets and had been abused.”
“Can you blame me? Those children need someone to look out for them.”