Chapter Two
Gabriel closed the door to the library behind him and welcomed the familiar quiet and the scent of old paper and polished mahogany.
He had entered in search of refuge, for the pressure of the ballroom had grown intolerable.
Perfumed air, artful smiles, and murmurs behind fluttering fans offered nothing but reminders of the image that society imposed upon him.
He had borne their scrutiny long enough for one evening.
He took three measured steps before halting.
A woman stood near the far wall, perched halfway upon a ladder, her attention wholly absorbed in the large folio rested across her arm.
The fire in the hearth had burned low and cast a dim, flickering light across her figure and the shelves that rose around her like cathedral pillars.
Her posture, though somewhat strained from balancing, manifested an instinctive ease as though she belonged among the books instead of the glittering chaos outside.
Gabriel remained silent, his heart held by the calm scene before him.
She turned a page with care, the delicate motion revealing the skill of practiced hands, and tilted her head as if examining the image from several angles.
Her hair was chestnut and pinned simply.
Even though her gown was of a modest silky texture and not on a par with society’s higher standards it suited her perfectly.
He had no name to attach to her face; nevertheless, there was something familiar in the arch of her brow and in the way her mouth curved, unconscious and genuine, when she found pleasure in her reading.
That expression stirred something within him. It was not merely her beauty that detained his attention, for her appearance was pleasing indeed. It was the honesty of her interest and the absence of pretense that captivated him.
When she uttered a soft exclamation in response to a particularly compelling illustration, he determined that his silence must come to an end.
He cleared his throat.
She was startled, and the folio in her hand quavered as she looked down. Her eyes widened when she saw him. Her surprise gave way to embarrassment, and a brief blush touched her cheeks before she straightened and spoke.
“I beg your pardon,” she said. “I did not hear anyone enter.”
Gabriel shook his head, giving her a formal bow that, for the first time all evening, did not feel forced.
“I ought to beg yours, for I intruded on you,” he said.
The woman shook her head with curiosity in her eyes as she studied him.
“You did not intrude, my lord,” she said. “I was sent to retrieve a fan for my aunt, Lady Harrington, but I became distracted.”
said.
Gabriel glanced at the item in her hands and smirked.
“By plants?” he asked.
She looked down and half-laughed.
“Yes,” she said with a wry smile of her own. “How silly of me.”
Gabriel advanced nearer, trying to peer closer at what she held.
“Not at all,” he said. “I have a greenhouse at my home, Mountwood Manor. It is rather modest, but I love my botanical work, and I take pride in its collection. I have been attempting to cultivate vanilla orchids, though they remain obstinate.”
Her eyebrows raised with mild surprise.
"Do you personally undertake the care of the plants?” She asked.
Gabriel shrugged, strangely pleased that he had attracted genuine interest from the strange woman.
“I employ a gardener, yet I delight in the experiments,” he said.
“I have little patience for idleness.” He paused, realizing his lack of politeness.
“Forgive me. I have intruded on you in someone else’s home, and I did not even introduce myself.
I am, as you may already be familiar, Gabriel Montgomery…
“Earl of Mountwood,” she said with a deliberate nod.
It was not horror that dawned on her face, but vague recognition and a bit of humor.
“I deduced that when you said you reside at Mountwood. My name is Genevieve Barrett. I act as my aunt’s companion here at her home, Harrington Estate.
” It was her turn to pause and blush. “That is why I took such a liberty as wandering around the mansion unattended.”
Gabriel nodded, his lips twitching at how attractive he found her fumbling.
“You need not explain yourself, Miss Barrett,” he said. “As I said, it is I who encroached on your privacy.”
She did not answer. Instead, she opened the folio fully between them, her smile widening. When she looked at him again, her eyes did not settle on any one feature. Not even my scars, he observed with cautious intrigue as he glanced to where she was pointing.
“This plate is from Calcutta,” she said with soft wonder. “One can observe how the artist adjusted the scale to emphasize the structure of the bloom.”
Gabriel stepped nearer. The image she showed him had nothing to do with the orchids he had mentioned, except in comparison to their beauty, but he did not mind. She spoke with such abandonment, as though she had never had anyone to listen to her, that he felt compelled to listen.
Her hand rested gently beside the drawing. Her skin appeared pale and almost translucent at the wrist. She spoke with calm authority, without hesitation or boast, and she seemed surprised at doing so. He listened with an intensity he had not experienced for many months.
“Are you a botanist?” he asked.
Her blush sent a thrill up his spine as she averted her gaze, seeming surprised that he had a genuine interest in what she was saying. It was a feeling to which he could relate, which made her company all the more compelling.
“I am merely an amateur,” she said. “I remain entirely unrecognized, and it is unlikely that any work of mine shall ever be published. I derive pleasure only from the pursuit itself.”
Her gentle manner did not diminish the clarity of her mind.
She turned another page, and Gabriel found himself standing much too near, yet making no move to withdraw.
The warmth from the fire did not account for the heat rising beneath his collar as he smelled lavender soap radiating from her skin.
It was strange that a lady had such an effect on him.
It is strange that a lady would allow me so close as to have such an effect, he thought, realizing again that she had not so much as flinched with his proximity.
Before he could speak again, the door to the library burst open.
A collection of gentlemen entered, led by a young, blond-haired, blue-eyed gentleman of evident refinement.
Their laughter filled the room as they soon engaged in discussions of politics and brandy.
The atmosphere changed at once. Miss Barrett turned abruptly at the intrusion and clutched her folio. Her balance wavered, and she stumbled.
Gabriel advanced without hesitation. Years of instinct refined in war directed his movement.
He extended his arms and caught her before she could hit the floor, placing one arm about her waist and the other around her shoulders.
Her form pressed against his chest. She emitted a gasp and grasped his coat for support.
Their faces came exceedingly near, the closeness impossible to ignore.
The brief silence that followed told Gabriel they were not the only ones who noticed.
Gentlemen halted their conversation. The fire crackled as a log split in its burning mass.
Miss Barrett remained still in his arms. He perceived her breath near his neck and observed her lashes fluttering.
His own breathing became shallow, and the thrill he felt earlier returned with ferocity.
She filled him with an unfamiliar awareness, yet it was not one he found unpleasant.
The moment lasted only seconds, yet they were both aware of its significance.
Lady Hastings entered at once with impeccable timing, followed by a flurry of maids and one startled footman. Her eyes swiftly focused on the pair, a scene that would later be recounted as beyond all questions of innocence.
“Genevieve, come,” she said brusquely. Without turning her head, she spoke to someone behind her. “Richard, I trust you know how to handle this.”
While her aunt spoke, Genevieve staggered to an upright position, and with reluctance, Gabriel released her. Her hands fell to her sides, and she kept her head bowed.
“Yes, Aunt,” the blond-haired man said. His eyes appeared dull, but his mouth twitched with something that resembled either agitation or amusement.
Gabriel opened his mouth to explain, but Lady Hastings swept her niece away with decisive purpose, allowing no protest. She placed a protective hand on the young lady’s back as she led her through a side door and closed it firmly behind them.
Gabriel turned to follow, but the blond gentleman blocked his path.
“I believe you have done quite enough,” he said softly. “It is best that you depart at once. You have provided them with a matter that they shall recount throughout the season.”
Gabriel clenched his jaw as his hands flinched at his sides.
“Move aside,” he said, glowering at the man.
The smug man tilted his head.
“They are already speaking of it,” he said, the odd expression which Gabriel now knew as mocking returning.
“The Earl of Mountwood, alone in a library with an unwed woman. Caught in so delicate a position, and yet you would make demands in my aunt’s and my home.
And where my cousin was living as a guest with certain expectations, no less. ”
Gabriel looked at him, barely concealing his irritation.
“No matter in whose home I am, one would consider it appropriate to address an earl with more respect,” he said. “Especially when the earl does not even know who you are.”
The young man smirked, giving Gabriel a taunting bow, as if he had just won some imaginary game.