“Thank you, darling,” Caroline said, drawing back after returning the hug, a worried look in her eyes now. Gabrielle couldn’t bear it, so she spun away and took the staircase two steps at a time.
Her father looked surprised to see her there and immediately asked, “Where’s Damien?”
She swallowed hard. That’s what I’d like to know.
She pretended to appear nonchalant. “He went to the office early.”
Russell scowled. “Does this have something to do with your cousin?”
Gabrielle tried not to show her surprise, but she suspected she didn’t fool her father. “I’m not sure,” she lied, before changing the subject to his health, then made her escape to her old room and started going through some of her things.
And that’s where she almost fell apart. To give up all this just when she’d found it again was unfair. To give up her parents was tear-jerking. To give up Damien filled her with despair and desolation.
In the end she only took a few keepsakes. The rest could be thrown out. They weren’t of importance to anyone but her, she told herself as she went downstairs to the kitchen to get a cup of coffee to fortify herself.
Soon she would go and tell her parents the news that she’d had an urgent call for help from a friend who’d helped her many years ago. They’d understand surely.
Her mother walked in as she was pouring the hot liquid into a mug. “I’d love some of that,” Caroline said, brushing a piece of lint off the light-blue pantsuit she’d changed into and wore with confidence.
Gabrielle forced a brittle smile. “Sure,” she said, and handed the mug to her mother, then got another one for herself. She loved that her mother looked so good these days. If only…
Caroline leaned against the marble bench and took a sip of her coffee before speaking. “You like our new kitchen?”
“Yes.” Gabrielle’s gaze swept the room. She noted the changes but they didn’t really sink in. It was people that mattered, not things. People you cared for. People who—
“Is everything okay, darling?”
Gabrielle’s eyes darted to her mother’s worried face. “Um…I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Why are you here so early this morning? Why aren’t you with Damien? There’s something wrong. I can feel it.”
Gabrielle wanted to tell her she was imagining things, but that would only delay the inevitable. She put her mug down on the counter and took a deep breath. “Mum, I have to tell you something. I—”
“Perhaps you’d like to tell me too,” Damien said from the doorway.
Gabrielle spun toward the sound. Panic flittered inside her chest, even as her heart swelled with love for this man. If she didn’t know better she’d say there was relief in the back of those green eyes.
Then she noted how weary he looked. And unshaven, and he was wearing the same clothes he’d had on yesterday.
He stepped inside the kitchen. “Caroline, can I speak to my wife alone please?”
Caroline looked at her daughter. “Darling?”
Gabrielle gave a small nod. “I’m fine, Mum.”
“Okay, but just call if you need me.” She gave Damien a slight smile as she left the room.
Gabrielle squared her shoulders and met his gaze as soon as they were alone. “How did you know where I was?”
“A good guess.” His eyes considered her. “Why did you take your suitcase and come here, Gabrielle?” he asked silkily.
She frowned. He’d been there in the hospital room when she and her mother had discussed this last week. “I wanted to get some things from my old room. To keep as mementoes.” No need to say why.
“You’re not leaving me, Gabrielle.”
That took her aback, even as she partly registered his words. “So you know, then?”
He started to walk toward her. “If you think I’m letting you go a second time, then think again.”
She began to frown. “But Damien—”
He stopped right in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “No, you listen to me. You’re my wife and you’ll stay my wife. Is that clear?”
She wasn’t sure what was going on here. Keiran must have told him about the blackmail, so if he knew about the miscarriage why did he want her to stay?
She frowned. “I don’t understand. A baby—”
He went very still. “Is that what all this is about? Do you want a baby?”
She tilted her head at him in confusion. “Damien, did you go and see Keiran last night?”
His expression instantly clouded in anger as he dropped his hands from her shoulders. “I tried but I couldn’t find him. I think he’s gone into hiding. And so he should. I’ll bloody strangle him when I catch up with him.”
Her knees wobbled with a flash of silly relief. Thank God he didn’t know the full story. There was still a chance he never would…still a chance that… No, she was being silly. She still had to leave.
Then she remembered something else. How she’d waited for him last night. “Where have you been all night, Damien?”
He frowned. “What do you mean? I stayed at the office and did some work.”
“Really?” If only she could believe that.
“Didn’t you get my message? I left one on the answering machine to say where I was.”
She blinked. “But I was there all night and didn’t hear the…” She paused. “Um, what time did you call?”
“Around eleven.”
She winced. “Oh.”
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
“I took a shower about eleven.”
“And you didn’t think to check the phone for any messages after that?”
“No. I was too upset.”
The look in his eyes softened briefly, but just as quickly hardened. “Okay, I get it. You thought I was out all night with another woman, didn’t you?”
She lifted her chin. “I considered that, yes.”
He put his hand under her chin, making her look into his eyes, not allowing her to look away. “Gabrielle, I’ve told you before. I don’t want any other woman.”
It was weird but right then she couldn’t not believe him. It was as if something had opened up inside her heart and made her see him as he truly was. He’d been kindness itself to her parents. And he’d married her out of honor for her father. He wouldn’t be the man she loved if he was the type to be married and have a mistress.
“I know,” she said softly. She loved him, but now that love had deepened and strengthened.
His shoulders relaxed. “Good. And perhaps we need to discuss this baby business.”
Fear lurched inside her chest, even as she noted an oddly watchful look in his eyes. “Not yet.”
He gave a jerky nod of his head that was touching. “Look, I have to go home and change, then get back to my office. Negotiations are taking longer than expected. The guy has to head back to England later this afternoon and there’s still some things to be settled.”
She was tempted to go home with him but they would only end up making love. As much as she wanted to spend every last remaining moment with him, his job was important, too, and she didn’t want to mess that up further by delaying him. He’d already given so much to her father’s business.
She nodded. “I’ll stay here for a while yet. I want to visit with my parents.”
A gleam of disappointment crossed his face as his arm snaked around her waist and pulled her closer. “I need to make love to you. Soon.”
She swallowed hard. “There’ll be time for us later.”
“Yes.” He kissed her hard on the lips, then turned and left the room.
Gabrielle’s heart thumped loudly at the odd flare of something she’d seen in those green eyes. There’d been satisfaction there, and relief, too. But there’d been something else. Something that had looked like need, not want. He’d even said it himself.
Need.
A few minutes later her mother came into the kitchen. “Everything okay, darling?” Caroline asked cautiously, obviously having heard none of the conversation between her daughter and Damien.
Gabrielle took a steadying breath and pasted on a smile. “Of course it is. We just had a little tiff.”
“I thought that was the case.” Caroline’s face brightened. “I’m so pleased you made up. Damien’s a wonderful man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“And I’m so glad his upbringing didn’t affect him at all.”
Gabrielle’s heart jolted. “His upbringing?”
Her mother’s eyebrow rose. “He hasn’t told you about his childhood?”
“No. Please tell me,” she murmured, almost afraid to ask.
“Oh, darling, it was nothing horrific or anything,” she said quickly. “So put that out of your mind. But I know someone who knew his parents. They were devoted to each other, pretty much to the exclusion of their son. Apparently they barely knew he existed.” She drew her lips in thoughtfully. “I’m sure they loved him, but it was as if they’d used up all their love and had nothing left for Damien. I think that’s why he strived so hard to become a millionaire and why he’s so aloof at times. He’s in control that way.”
“Oh my God.” Ignoring a child and pretending he doesn’t exist was a form of emotional abuse. Was that why he’d said sorry to his mother during his delirium? Was he apologizing for just being?
Caroline clicked her tongue. “I shouldn’t be surprised he hasn’t told you any of this. Not yet anyway. He loves you but it’ll take time to break down the barriers.”
Gabrielle dismissed the comment about him loving her. She couldn’t ever think that. As for his aloofness at times, if only he’d hinted… No, she could see he couldn’t do that. Otherwise he’d be letting go some of that control he’d fought so hard to maintain.
She expelled a slow breath as she finally knew what made Damien tick. It turned her insides soft, made her vulnerable yet strong in a way she’d never imagined. She savored the feeling, drew on it. It gave her the strength to get through whatever the future held for her without Damien by her side.
And then out of the blue, her world shifted focus and she found she was looking beyond herself. Hearing about Damien’s background made her realize she would be doing the worst possible thing if she left him. After all, his parents hadn’t needed him and had ignored him all his life. And now she was about to do the same thing by leaving. Again. She’d walk out and never come back, as if she didn’t need him, just like his parents hadn’t needed him.
And all because of Keiran and his greed.
Suddenly she saw everything with abrupt clarity, and she knew she’d had enough of Keiran’s demands. She couldn’t let her cousin throw his weight around and destroy their lives any longer. Damien needed her. She couldn’t walk out on him, at least not until after she told him the truth. Then if he wanted her to go, as painful as it would be for her, she would.