Chapter 14 #2
Gabriel stepped in smoothly. “The circumstances required immediate action, Mrs. Bigsby. I assure you that my intentions toward your daughter have been entirely honorable from the beginning.”
Henri flushed at the recollection of their lovemaking, a fact which did not escape Mama’s watchful gaze.
Fortunately, the sound of the front door opening interrupted any further interrogation, and Henri heard the familiar sound of Uncle Reggie calling out to the butler.
Within moments, her great-uncle appeared in the doorway, his usually amiable expression clouded with concern.
Tall with stooped shoulders, in his early seventies, Reginald Wells was a welcome sight after the travails of the past week.
“Henri, my dear!” Uncle Reggie embraced her, his relief evident. “When I learned of your disappearance, I returned from the country immediately. With no word of your whereabouts … well, I feared the worst.” He turned to Gabriel with a brief bow. “Lord Trenwith. What brings you into this affair?”
Gabriel rose and extended his hand. “Mr. Wells, a pleasure to see you again. I am afraid the circumstances have been rather extraordinary.”
“You two are acquainted?” Eleanor asked, her eyebrows rising with interest.
“Indeed,” Uncle Reggie replied, settling into his favorite chair.
“Lord Trenwith and I have had occasion to correspond on various parliamentary matters. His diplomatic work has been quite valuable to the Foreign Office.” He studied Gabriel’s face with the shrewd attention of a seasoned politician.
“Though I must say, I was surprised to learn of your involvement in my niece’s sudden disappearance. ”
Henri immediately launched into her account, her natural inclination to share taking over, only hurried along by her nerves regarding this awkward encounter.
“Oh, Uncle Reggie, it was the most terrifying experience! I was in Sir Alpheus’s library examining the Malory manuscript when this dreadful man appeared with a pistol.
He demanded I hand over the book and was clearly prepared to use violence to get it! ”
Mama’s face went pale, and Henri felt terrible to impart such terrifying news when her own twin had been poisoned just months earlier. Fortunately, Maddy had had Lady Trafford at hand who was a gifted healer, or else Henri would be a twin no longer.
“A pistol? Henrietta!”
“Yes, Mama, and he was absolutely menacing about it,” Henri continued, gesticulating as she spoke. “He wanted the manuscript and Signor di Bianchi’s sketch, but then Gabriel appeared through the terrace doors like a hero from a novel and seized the man by the throat!”
Gabriel inclined his head politely. “I was fortunate to arrive when I did.”
“Fortunate!” Henri exclaimed. “Uncle Reggie, you should have seen him. One moment this villain was threatening to shoot me, and the next Gabriel had rendered him completely unconscious. It was quite the most impressive thing I have ever witnessed.”
“By George,” Uncle Reggie breathed, his customary composure momentarily shaken. “You mean to say there was an actual attempt on your life?”
“Oh yes, absolutely,” Henri said earnestly. “The scoundrel was clearly prepared to kill for what I was carrying. And then, of course, there was the matter of my reputation being quite thoroughly compromised by the whole affair.”
Gabriel nodded gravely. “Given the circumstances, and the likelihood that this individual might have accomplices, I felt it necessary to remove Henri from immediate danger.”
Eleanor’s sharp eyes moved between Gabriel and Henri. “And this danger required taking her out of the country?”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened slightly. “The man’s identity and motives were unknown to me at the time. I could not be certain that leaving Henri in England would guarantee her continued safety. My primary concern was ensuring she remained out of harm’s way until I could better assess the threat.”
Uncle Reggie leaned forward in his chair. “This manuscript must have considerable value to provoke such violence. What exactly was Henri examining that would inspire murder?”
Henri glanced at Gabriel, uncertain how much he wanted revealed. “It was the Malory manuscript. Sir Thomas Malory’s original work on King Arthur. Signor di Bianchi believed it might contain clues to his ancestor’s lost artwork.”
“Ah, the art historian,” Uncle Reggie nodded. “Yes, he’s been quite beside himself with worry. Called on me twice, and I understand from Lord Blackwood next door that Signor di Bianchi and the Scott brothers have been searching for information about your whereabouts.”
Her mother’s expression had grown increasingly grave during this exchange. “Let me understand this correctly. You are telling me that my daughter was threatened with violence, possibly death, over some medieval manuscript? And your solution was to take her to France and marry her?”
The bluntness of the question hung in the air like a challenge. Henri watched Gabriel’s face, seeing the careful calculation behind his eyes as he formulated his response.
“Mrs. Bigsby,” Gabriel said finally, “I will not pretend that this is ideal. But I found myself in an impossible situation. Henri had been compromised by events that could endanger her life. Subsequently, she had been in my company, unchaperoned, for an extended period. Her reputation was at risk, and her safety remained uncertain.”
Uncle Reggie’s tone was sharp. “And so marriage became the most practical solution to multiple problems.”
“Uncle Reggie!” Henri protested, though she recognized the pragmatism in his assessment.
“My dear,” Uncle Reggie said gently, “I am not criticizing Lord Trenwith’s decision.
In fact, from a purely practical standpoint, it was rather elegant.
He protected your reputation, ensured your safety, and solved the immediate crisis.
Though I confess I am curious about the longer-term implications. ”
Eleanor was studying Gabriel with the keen attention she usually reserved for difficult business negotiations. “And what of this criminal individual? Has he been apprehended?”
Gabriel’s expression grew guarded. “The matter is … ongoing. I have reason to believe the threat may not be entirely resolved.”
“Which is why,” Henri interjected, with sudden understanding of what he was about, “we are not staying in London. Gabriel insists we must travel to Yorkshire to follow the clues in the manuscript so we might learn who attacked me at Danbury’s.”
Uncle Reggie’s eyebrows rose. “Yorkshire? What is in Yorkshire?”
“Roseberry Topping,” Henri replied. “It appears to point to ruins there. Gabriel has solved part of the mystery.”
“How fascinating,” Uncle Reggie mused. “And you are certain this is not simply an elaborate treasure hunt that has put my niece in unnecessary danger?”
Gabriel grew firm. “Mr. Wells, I give you my word that I would not expose my wife to any risk I deemed avoidable. However, given what we have uncovered, I believe completing this investigation may be the surest way to resolve the threat permanently.”
Mama was quiet for a long moment, clearly weighing everything she had heard. “And you believe Henri will be safer traveling with you than remaining in London with us?”
“I do,” Gabriel replied without hesitation. “She will be more difficult to find. Moreover, her expertise may be crucial to solving this puzzle. She has already proven invaluable to the investigation.”
Henri felt a flutter of pride at his words, even as she remained frustrated by how much he was still withholding. She could see her mother and uncle exchanging meaningful looks, conducting some sort of silent communication that spoke to decades of shared family responsibility.
“Very well,” Eleanor said finally. “Though I insist on a proper wedding breakfast before you depart. The staff can prepare something suitable for tomorrow morning. Henri’s friends and family should have an opportunity to acknowledge this union properly, even if the ceremony itself was … unconventional.”
Gabriel inclined his head graciously. “That is most generous, Mrs. Bigsby. Though I am afraid we cannot delay our departure long.”
“A single morning,” Eleanor said firmly, “is hardly an unreasonable request for a mother who has just learned of her daughter’s marriage under such extraordinary circumstances. Regrettably, Signor di Bianchi is presently beyond our reach. He would be grateful to know Henri is alive and well.”
Gabriel was silent for several seconds. “May we make it a wedding dinner?”
Henri wished to object. She had hoped to speak with Signor di Bianchi and return the sketch as she had promised, but she held her tongue, uncertain who would win the quiet standoff.
Her mother exhaled sharply, before conceding. “Very well.”
As the conversation continued, Henri found herself observing a fascinating dynamic between Gabriel and her mother.
Eleanor Bigsby had built her empire through shrewd observation and calculated decision-making, and Henri could see her applying those same skills to assess her new son-in-law.
For his part, Gabriel seemed to recognize a kindred spirit in Eleanor’s businesslike approach, responding to her directness with respectful deflection.
It was almost like watching two generals negotiate a treaty, each measuring the other’s strengths while maintaining perfect civility.
Eleanor’s questions were pointed but fair, probing Gabriel’s character and intentions with the same determined intensity she used to evaluate potential business allies.
Gabriel, in turn, appeared to appreciate her straightforward manner, offering more substantive answers to her inquiries than he had to Uncle Reggie’s more diplomatically phrased concerns.
Yet he still kept many details to himself, and Henri felt it would be disloyal to reveal anything he was not willing to disclose himself.