The Lady Forfeits (18 page)

‘Very well.’ She turned to request that her maid wait for her here before she preceded Gabriel into his study.
She stood just inside the room as he closed the door behind him and then went to stand behind his mahogany desk. ‘I trust it is something important that you feel the need to interrupt a lady who only wishes to shop!’ Her attempt at humour sounded flat to her own ears, but she could see by the tightening of his mouth that he did not appreciate even that effort. And it
was
an effort to try to appear even remotely like her usual composed self after a night of sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. She had excused herself from having dinner downstairs with the rest of the family on a plea of lingering tiredness from her journey. She had requested breakfast in her room this morning for the same reason. Knowing this avoidance of his company could not continue indefinitely, Diana had finally decided to take herself out of the house completely for a few hours, but even that had been foiled by Gabriel.

‘You have news of Elizabeth, perhaps?’ She looked hopefully across the imposing desk at him.

‘I am afraid not,’ Gabriel frowned. ‘I had thought, as you have been so involved in the matter, that you might be interested to learn what progress has been made in regard to the Prescotts?’

Her brow cleared. ‘You have managed to ascertain their whereabouts?’

‘Not yet.’ His jaw tightened. ‘But with Vaughn’s help and resources, I have managed to learn more of my uncle’s debts, at least.’ He suddenly looked uncomfortable at having revealed that knowledge about Dominic to her.

Diana gave a rueful smile. ‘Do not concern yourself,
my lord; I spoke with Caroline earlier this morning and I am now fully conversant with Lord Vaughn’s ownership of one of London’s better-known gambling establishments!’ Caroline had visited her bedchamber after breakfast and confessed all in regard to the weeks she had spent alone in London. Despite her sister having ended up embarking on a brief stint singing in Lord Vaughn’s club, which Diana admitted was far from ideal, she had nevertheless realised that Caroline had been fortunate indeed to land in such a safe pair of hands.

Gabriel quirked a dark brow. ‘You are?’

‘Yes.’ Diana gave a rueful smile at the memory of the shocking tale Caroline had to tell. ‘I am very grateful to Lord Vaughn for looking after my sister so well.’

‘As am I,’ he said grimly.

Diana bristled defensively. ‘Caroline is very young.’

‘She is not much younger than you are,’ he pointed out.

‘In years, perhaps,’ she conceded. ‘I trust that upbraiding me for not maintaining more control over my sister’s actions was not one of the reasons you asked to speak with me?’

‘God, no!’ Gabriel exclaimed. ‘I defy anyone to maintain control over that particular young lady.’

‘Even Lord Vaughn?’ Diana teased.

His expression softened into a genuine smile. ‘Vaughn seems to relish the challenge.’

Diana felt her cheeks warm at thoughts of the effective tactics Lord Vaughn might use in order to put an end to Caroline’s challenges any time it suited him.
‘You were about to tell me something of the Prescotts, I believe?’

He nodded. ‘With Vaughn’s inside knowledge into the gambling world, I have managed to ascertain the exact extent of my uncle’s debts.’

‘They are considerable?’

‘They are enormous,’ he admitted.

Diana shook her head. ‘But that does not excuse his or his wife’s treatment of your mother.’

‘No, it most certainly does not!’ Having nothing and no one else to turn his frustrations upon, as Gabriel could not bring himself to feel in the least angry towards Diana for ending their betrothal if it meant she secured her own happiness, he was instead concentrating all of his efforts on finding his uncle and his wife.

‘Was that all you wished to tell me, my lord?’

It was all that he
could
tell her! Having spent most of the previous night thinking about her, Gabriel knew he was no nearer to accepting the end of their engagement than he was to bearing the thought of her being in love with another man.

Because he wished to have Diana’s love for himself.

Oh, he ached to make love to her again, but that was not all that he wanted from her. He also wanted her gentleness. Her warmth. Her courage and her dignity. Nor did he believe for a moment that Castle was deserving of the unique and beautiful woman that was Diana. Any more than Gabriel believed that he was worthy of those things either.

‘Is that not enough?’ he rasped.

‘Of course,’ she accepted coolly, any hopes—futile hopes, admittedly—that he might have reconsidered
his decision concerning the ending of their betrothal totally dashed. ‘If there is nothing else, I should like to be on my way.’

Gabriel returned her gaze wordlessly for several seconds before turning away. ‘No, there is nothing else. Except…’

Diana raised golden brows. ‘Yes?’

Gabriel clenched his jaw to stop himself from saying words he should not, words that begged her to change her mind about him. ‘What would you like me to say to Castle if he should call again this morning?’

‘The truth, of course.’

‘Which is?’

‘That I am out,’ she said before quietly leaving the study.

Once again he could not help but admire her pride and dignity; she had obviously decided she did not intend to make it at all easy for Castle to believe he might recapture her affections.

When, as Gabriel knew perfectly well, her affections for the man had remained constant and unchanging…

Diana had absolutely no idea where she went or what she did for at least the first half an hour after she left Westbourne House, the carriage ride passing as if in a haze. Then, once at the shops, she found it an effort just placing one slippered foot in front of the other. So lost in thought was she, so mired down by the inner misery she suffered at the futility of the love she felt for Gabriel, that it took some seconds to recognise the familiar face she saw pressed against the window of a passing carriage…

‘B
eg pardon, my lord, but I have an urgent message to deliver from my mistress.’

In the hour since Diana had left the house Gabriel had not so much as looked at any of the work that had accumulated on his desk after almost a week’s absence. Instead he had spent that time composing the announcement of his broken betrothal before throwing it to one side and then sitting behind his desk in brooding contemplation of the shiny toes of his boots as he rested his feet on the desktop in front of him.

He turned now to frown at the young maid who stood so hesitant and uncomfortable in the doorway. ‘Yes?’

‘Lady Diana said I was to tell you—’

‘Lady Diana?’ Gabriel echoed sharply, his feet falling heavily to the floor as he sat forwards in the chair. ‘You are Lady Diana’s maid?’ Actually, he recognised her now from that night in his mother’s bedchamber at the Manor.

‘I am, my lord, yes. And—’

‘Did you not leave to go shopping with her just an hour ago?’

‘I did, sir, yes—’

‘Your mistress has returned from shopping and wishes you to relay a message to me?’ Had it come to such a sorry state of affairs between the two of them that Diana did not even feel she could come and speak to him herself?

‘No, my lord. Yes, my lord. That is—’ the young woman looked slightly discomposed ‘—Lady Diana does wish me to give you a message, but she has not yet returned from shopping.’

‘Then why the devil are you not still with her?’ Gabriel demanded as he stood up.

That discomposure turned to a look of panic. ‘She sent me back to the house, my lord.’

‘And you left her alone in the middle of London, without a chaperon? Unless she was not alone,’ he added as the thought of Malcolm Castle suddenly occurred to him. He scowled as he envisaged Diana’s quiet dignity as she listened to her erstwhile suitor’s pleas for understanding, to his declarations of having loved her all along.

‘Oh, she was alone, my lord. But—’

‘Come in and shut the door, girl,’ Gabriel instructed. ‘Now, explain, if you please.’

The maid’s hands were tightly gripped together in front of her as she eyed him nervously. ‘It was the woman in the carriage, my lord. Lady Diana saw her and we followed the carriage until it stopped at an inn and the lady got out, then Lady Diana sent me back to tell you that you must come to her there immediately.’

Gabriel would be more than happy to do as Diana asked and go to her. At any time. To any place. ‘What woman in the carriage?’ Could it be that Diana had spotted Elizabeth? That she had succeeded where he and Dominic had failed so abysmally?

‘It was that Mrs Prescott, my lord.’ The maid looked primly disapproving. ‘Bold as brass she was, riding along in the carriage as if butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth. When all the time—’

‘Mrs Prescott!’ Gabriel thundered. ‘And the two of you were daft enough to
follow
her?’ When Diana returned he was going to lock her in her bedchamber and throw away the key for behaving so recklessly!

‘It wasn’t too difficult to do, my lord.’ The girl looked pleased with herself. ‘There are so many carriages on the streets at this time of the morning, and—’

‘So you followed Mrs Prescott to an inn here in town?’ Gabriel cut in, having absolutely no time or patience to deal with this young woman’s long-winded explanation.

‘Yes, my lord.’

‘And Lady Diana is there still?’

‘Waiting outside, my lord.’

‘Take me there now, please.’ Gabriel needed to get to Diana as soon as was possible. He dare not leave her alone anywhere near Jennifer Prescott—that harpy was more dangerous than she looked.

‘If you are intending to look inconspicuous in your attempts at window shopping, then you are failing abysmally!’

Diana stiffened at the first sound of that familiar
taunting voice, drawing in a slow and calming breath before slowly turning to face Jennifer Prescott, her gaze coolly dismissive as she looked at the older woman. ‘I was attempting to decide which hat I might consider purchasing.’

The other woman looked unconvinced. ‘As this is one of the more unfashionable parts of town, I seriously hope you decided on none of them.’

The milliner’s was, Diana agreed, a particularly unimpressive establishment, but surely preferable to her simply lurking about on the street corner. ‘Perhaps you are right.’ She gave a falsely bright smile. ‘If you will excuse me?’ Diana turned with the intention of walking away, her heart thundering in her chest with the knowledge that she should not have allowed Jennifer to realise that she had seen and followed her back to the inn where she and, possibly, her husband were staying.

‘I think not.’ Surprisingly strong fingers reached out and took a firm grasp of her arm, preventing her from leaving.

Diana raised haughty brows. ‘Release my arm immediately, madam.’

The other woman took absolutely no account of the request. ‘Where is Gabriel?’

‘How on earth should I know that?’

Jennifer’s mouth twisted derisively. ‘Because I have learnt that wherever you are, he is sure never to be far behind.’

If only that were true, Diana yearned inwardly, at the same time as she sincerely hoped that her outward show of bravado was convincing—surely May must have reached Westbourne House by now and relayed
her message to Gabriel? ‘I believe you will find that you are in error on this occasion.’

The other woman looked completely unperturbed. ‘You had a maid with you earlier; no doubt she has gone for Gabriel.’ She smiled mockingly as Diana gave a start of surprise. ‘Oh, yes, my dear sweet Diana, I was fully aware of your inexpert attempt to follow me. Just as you were intended to do when I deliberately showed my face at the carriage window,’ she added with satisfaction. ‘Charles and I have had someone watching Westbourne House the past few days awaiting your return to town. It was fortuitous indeed that you should venture out alone so soon, thereby making it easy for me to arrange for you to catch sight of me.’

So much for Diana having believed she had followed her stealthily and unobserved!

Jennifer’s fingers now dug painfully into her arm and her face twisted into a malicious mask. ‘Gabriel?’

Diana knew she could continue to lie, to prevaricate, but what would be the point? Her chin rose challengingly. ‘As you say, I have sent my maid back to Westbourne House to inform him of the whereabouts of you and your husband. I have no doubts he will be here directly.’

If she had intended to disconcert the other woman with this announcement then she was disappointed, as Jennifer smiled in satisfaction. ‘In that case I must insist that you join myself and my husband at the inn whilst we all await Gabriel’s arrival.’

Diana’s eyes widened as she realised the implications of this dictate. ‘Unfortunately it is an invitation I must decline—’

‘Sadly, you will not be allowed to do so,’ Jennifer jeered. ‘Ah, Charles.’ Her gaze shifted behind her quarry. ‘Lady Diana has decided to join us at the inn for refreshment whilst we await your nephew’s arrival.’

As a ploy to distract Diana’s attention it was not very original. If indeed, it was a ploy?

‘How pleasant to make your acquaintance, Lady Diana.’ The voice that answered Jennifer was lazily charming, and obviously belonged to her husband, Mr Charles Prescott. Obviously not a ploy, then!

Gabriel’s frustration and anger, already at a premium after learning of Diana’s recklessness in following Jennifer Prescott, only increased when he arrived outside the inaptly named Peacock Inn where Diana’s maid had seen her last and failed to find any sign of her.

Where could she have gone? Surely she could not have been idiotic enough to confront the Prescotts on her own?

‘Ah, Gabriel, you are come at last…’

He spun round to confront Jennifer, his eyes narrowing as he considered the implications of both the pleasantness of her tone and her complete lack of surprise in seeing him there. ‘Where is Diana?’ he demanded coldly.

She gave a mocking smile. ‘She and Charles are becoming acquainted at the inn. It really is too bad of you, Gabriel, not to have made the introductions yourself, but—’

‘Do not play games with me, Jennifer.’ The softness of Gabriel’s tone was more menacing than any show of anger might have been, even though the thought of
Diana alone with his unscrupulous Uncle Charles was enough to turn the blood cold in his veins.

Jennifer’s eyes flashed angrily. ‘I suppose Felicity has told you all?’

‘You suppose correctly,’ he said. ‘Now take me to Diana before I give in to the pleasure I would find in wringing your neck.’

She looked unimpressed by the threat. ‘How anyone could ever have believed I preferred you over Charles eight years ago is beyond my understanding.’

Gabriel’s mouth twisted contemptuously as this statement seemed to confirm Diana’s suspicion that Charles was the man Jennifer had been involved with all along. ‘Most things are beyond your understanding, Jennifer. Now take me to Diana!’

‘Gladly.’ She eyed him greedily. ‘No doubt, with Diana Copeland as our…guest, you will be only too happy to dismiss any charges you may have thought of bringing against us, as well as paying all of Charles’s debts!’

Gabriel did not reveal his reaction to this statement by so much of the blink of an eyelid, his long years of forced exile from his family and home having provided him with the ability to hide his inner feelings. It wasn’t that he did not have feelings on the subject, only that they were too strong, ran far too deep, to be allowed out of his rigid control. A control that would undoubtedly snap if he were to learn that this vile couple had harmed one golden hair upon Diana’s head.

‘—and so you see it was easy for Jennifer to claim that she was with child and that Gabriel was the father.’

Diana eyed Charles with distaste as the two of them sat together in a private parlour of the inn. Oh, he was undoubtedly as handsome and charming as everyone had claimed him to be, with his dark good looks so like his nephew’s and his own ease of manner. A charming rogue, in fact.

Except Diana found him far from handsome
or
charming. Not only did she despise him utterly for having just confirmed his involvement with the youthful Jennifer eight years ago, so obviously without any thought or concern for the nephew whose reputation he had so casually destroyed, but the pistol he held in his hand, and pointed directly at her, also gave her reason to fear him.

‘For her to
claim
she was with child?’ Diana repeated mildly.

‘Well, yes, of course; she never actually conceived one—Jennifer has never wanted children, and knows exactly how to go about not having them.’ Charles smiled lazily. ‘We knew, of course, that none of my family would be so indelicate as to demand Jennifer see a physician to confirm the pregnancy. Not the done thing to mistrust a lady’s word, don’t you know,’ he added. ‘It also made it so much easier to say she lost the baby only weeks after our wedding.’

In none of Diana’s thinking about the past had she ever considered the possibility that Jennifer had never been with child at all! It was unbelievable. Despicable. And so like the Jennifer Prescott she had come to know that she didn’t know why she was at all surprised.

Bright blue eyes narrowed on her admiringly. ‘I must say, my nephew seems to have done all right for him
self now, inheriting the Westbourne earldom and now becoming betrothed to you. So obviously no harm was done to him in the long run—’

‘No harm was done!’ Diana was so angry she thought she might actually get up and strike the man, despite the pistol he pointed at her so unwaveringly. ‘How can you possibly say that when Gabriel was banished in disgrace for something he had not done and apparently never even existed?’

Charles gave a uninterested shrug. ‘The existence of a child made the accusation of Gabriel having seduced Jennifer so much more believable. It was Jennifer’s idea, of course, and a damned fine one, too, if I do say so myself.’ He grinned unabashedly before sobering. ‘Now all we have to do is convince my nephew to hand over a sizeable fortune to us, if he wishes to regain possession of his beloved fiancée, and we can all be on our way.’

He talked just as though Diana were indeed that pair of boots she had so recently likened herself to! ‘I am afraid in that you will be disappointed, Mr Prescott.’ She glared her contempt and dislike of the man.

‘How so?’ He raised dark brows so like his nephew’s.

She gave a smile of pure satisfaction. ‘For the simple reason that Gabriel—’

‘Will never negotiate with the likes of you,’ Gabriel finished firmly.

Diana was both relieved and frightened to turn and see him silhouetted in the doorway. Relieved because he had come to her, but frightened that he might be injured by having done so. She might no longer be betrothed to him, might never know the joy of having won his love, but she would not be able to bear it if anything should
happen to him! ‘He has a pistol, Gabriel!’ she warned sharply.

He looked at her calmly. ‘So I see.’

‘With every intention of using it on your beautiful bride-to-be if you do not agree to our demands,’ Charles informed him.

Gabriel had entered the parlour in time to hear some of Diana’s conversation with his disreputable uncle. ‘To that end I intend to remove Diana from your possession.’ He crossed the room to take a firm hold of her arm and pull her to her feet beside him. ‘Out of respect for my mother’s feelings, you both have twenty-four hours in which to remove yourselves from England, never to return.’ He looked at each of the Prescotts in turn. ‘Failure to do so will lead me to disregard my mother’s sensibilities and result in you being arrested and charged with multiples crimes: theft, my mother’s enforced incarceration, and now the added charge of kidnapping. All extremely serious allegations.’

‘Do something, Charles!’ Jennifer prompted her husband fiercely as she moved to his side.

The older man rose slowly to his feet at the same time as he raised the pistol and once again pointed it at Diana. ‘You really do not want to do that, old chap.’

‘Oh, he really does,’ a chilling voice murmured from across the room.