Page 54 of The Lady's Forbidden Marquess
“Ramsford.”Henley spat the name.“Pere encouraged him, and that was all it took.”
Hawthorne ground his teeth just thinking of Ramsford but continued the story.“A vile piece of work, with a bet at White’s that he’d marry her, fortune and all, before the end of the season.I stepped in, partly to thwart him, partly because… well, she intrigued me.And it evolved into something far more real.It was slow, and I didn’t realize what was happening till I was on the other side of it.”
Edwin nodded once, waiting.
Hawthorne continued on, his voice softening as he met their gazes.“Friendship came first.Conversations that cut through the artifice of society.She saw beyond the rake’s façade, challenged me to be more than my reputation.She challenged my wit, threatened me with her small fists, and humbled me with her honesty.I fell.Irrevocably.It was in the small moments.Her laughter at my jests.The way she defended those she loved, her unapologetic spirit.By the time we reached the theater, and she thwarted a rather persistent old acquaintance…” He winced as he considered his past.
Edwin interrupted with a sharp intake of breath.“The theater.Where the whispers began in earnest.You two were seen in far too intimate a tête-à-tête, forcing this charade into something perilously close to reality—or so Henley said.”
“Precisely,” Gabriel agreed, nodding.“The ton’s gossip mill ground us closer together, but it was no hardship.If anything, it revealed what I already suspected.That I loved her.Deeply, Allendale.Devon.She is the light to my shadows.”
Henley rubbed his temples, a gesture of weary resignation.“And amid all this, there’s the matter of Mother and Lord Carver.You explained the history to me, but Edwin needs to hear it from you.Out with it.What are the facts?”
Gabriel’s expression darkened, the weight of old secrets pressing upon him.
He had carried this burden alone for years, but now, with Peregrine’s future entwined with his, transparency was his only weapon.“Very well.But understand—this is not spoken lightly.My parents’ marriage was a façade long before it shattered publicly.Lord Carver… he was the catalyst.An affair with my mother that spanned years, culminating in scandal.But there’s more—a child.A daughter, born out of wedlock.My half sister.I was away at Eton.I didn’t know until later.She’s around seven years my junior.”
The room fell silent, the air thick with shock.Edwin’s face paled, his fists clenching on the armrests.
Henley leaned back, eyes wide.“A by-blow?Good Lord.”
Gabriel nodded grimly.“She was spirited away, raised by distant cousins as the legitimate daughter of a baron—Lady Eliza Montford, if you must know.Titled, educated, but with origins that could unravel everything if unearthed.And now, against my express wishes, she’s coming to London for her debut season.If the ton digs—and they always do—the scandal will resurface.Carver is a charlatan, nearly destitute, preying on vulnerable widows like your mother for her fortune and influence.She fears scandal above all else; she must be ignorant of his past, or she’d never associate with him.That’s why I’m telling you now—so we can protect her, and so I can warn Peregrine myself.Her reputation could be tainted by association if this erupts.”
Edwin’s jaw tightened, a storm brewing in his eyes.“Devastating indeed.Carver’s ruinous history… it’s a poison.And you’ve known this all along?”
“I have,” Gabriel admitted.“But it changes nothing about my intentions toward Peregrine.My family’s history is not my destiny unless I allow it.With her, I see a different path—one of redemption, of building something true.I love her, gentlemen.I want her in my future, scandals be damned.”
A long pause followed, the ticking of the mantel clock the only sound.
Edwin finally exhaled, his reluctance evident but softening at the edges.“Damn you, Hawthorne, for making this look so sordid from the outset.The whispers, the theater—it’s as if you courted scandal deliberately.”He shook his head.“But… I see your sincerity.And Peregrine’s opinion is the same?She wishes to take on…” He waved his hands, gesturing to the whole person of Hawthorne.
“I’d like the opportunity to ask her.But I’m confident, mostly, that we are in agreement on this.”Hawthorne spoke deliberately.
“Very well.You have my blessing—grudgingly.You may ask her, but if she rejects you…”
“She won’t.”Henley sighed.“But that is for you to ask and discover for yourself.”Henley nodded to his friend, then to his brother.Henley reached across the desk, clasping Edwin’s hand in a firm grip.“Then we’re in accord, brother.No more rifts between us.We’ve let pride divide us long enough; let’s stand united for the family.”
Edwin nodded, a rare vulnerability flickering in his gaze.“Agreed.Redemption starts here.”
Gabriel felt a knot loosen in his chest, relief flooding him like dawn’s light.“Thank you.Now, as to Peregrine—I’d like to speak with her soon.This afternoon, if possible?To ask properly, with all truths laid bare.”
Henley inclined his head.“I’ll arrange it.Discreetly.”
“And your sister—Lady Eliza?”Edwin pressed.“When can we expect her arrival?We need to be prepared, to shield our own if scandal brews.”
Gabriel sighed.“Within the fortnight, by my last correspondence.I’ll keep you apprised.But first, you must confront Lady Devon about Carver.Gently, but firmly.I’ll stay out of it—my presence would only inflame matters.”
“Wise,” Henley murmured.
As they rose, Gabriel felt the first true spark of hope.The past was a shadow, but Peregrine was his dawn.And, for her, he would face any storm.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Pere’s disposition wasin utter contrast with the sunshiny light in the little yellow morning room of Henley House.It was the sort of golden light that made even sensible people reckless.Rather she was a storm cloud of irritation, worry, and impatience as she tossed her book to the table and flounced back onto the sofa.
It had been several hours since Henley had left for their mother’s residence to attempt to speak reason to Edwin.Peregrine was sprawled sideways across the same faded chaise, one slipper dangling from her toes, the other already sacrificed to nerves on the carpet.
“Why in heaven’s name did Mother not tell me he was in residence!”she asked aloud to the empty room.“My family has all gone mad.”
