Gabriel's Redemption (Gabriel's Inferno Trilogy) by Sylvain Reynard Page A

he was dying, the only other person who knew what had transpired between me and Old Hut was his wife.”
    Katherine stared at Julia intently.
    “I tried my best to discredit Miss Peterson this morning and I will continue to do so. But even if I fail, eventually everyone will move on to the latest scandal. By the time you have your own faculty position, the rumors will be forgotten.”
    “That’s six years away, Professor.”
    Professor Picton smiled. “Given what I’ve shared with you this evening, I think you should call me Katherine.”
    “Thank you, Katherine.” Julia returned her smile shyly.
    “You can help people forget the gossip by being excellent. If you prove yourself, all the gossip in the world can’t diminish it. It’s possible you’ll have to work harder than others, but I don’t think you’re bothered by hard work. Are you?”
    “No, I’m not.”
    “Good.” Katherine sat back in her chair. “My next piece of advice will be a little bit more difficult to hear.”
    Julia braced herself for the words to come.
    “You need to be more assertive, academically. I understand that it’s your nature to be shy and that you’d prefer to avoid confrontation. But in the academic arena, you cannot do that. When you deliver a paper and someone challenges you, you have to challenge him right back. You can’t sustain misguided or malicious criticisms, especially in public. Do you understand?”
    “I don’t seem to have trouble speaking up in my seminars. Professor Marinelli has been pleased.”
    “Good. My advice is to be yourself tomorrow. Be bright. Be excellent. And don’t let yourself be ravaged by wolves like some diseased moose.”
    Julia’s eyes widened at the strange reference, but she said nothing.
    “You mustn’t let your husband defend you, either. That will make you look weak. You need to defend yourself and your ideas if you’re going to be successful. Gabriel isn’t going to like that. But you must make him see that when he comes to your aid, he makes you look helpless, and that does more harm than good. Chivalry in academia is dead.”
    Julia nodded a bit uncertainly.
    Katherine finished her pint.
    “Now, let’s see if Gabriel has managed to charm the old bastards of the Oxford Dante Society into forgetting what they might have heard this morning.” She winked. “For some of them, what they heard would only make him more appealing. I’m afraid your husband is far more interesting than any of them could have imagined.”

    Gabriel spent his time apart from Julianne wisely. He visited with old friends and new acquaintances at the King’s Arms pub, putting his silver tongue to good use. By the end of the hour, he’d succeeded in giving a half a dozen Dante specialists reason to think that Christa Peterson was a jealous ex-student and that he and Julia were the victims of slander.
    So it was with a markedly improved mood that he joined Professor Picton and Julia for dinner. Katherine spoke fluidly as the wine flowed, while Gabriel kept up his end of the conversation.
    Julia was quiet, even more so than usual, her large eyes tired. She merely picked at her dinner and couldn’t even be tempted by dessert. It was clear that the events of the day had caught up with her.
    When she excused herself to go to the ladies’ room, Katherine gave Gabriel a concerned look.
    “She needs rest. The poor girl is worn out.”
    “Yes.” Gabriel’s expression was thoughtful, but he didn’t comment further.
    Katherine nodded at his empty wine glass. “You’ve stopped drinking.”
    “I have.” He offered her a patient smile.
    “Not a bad idea. I go through periods of teetotaling myself.” She wiped her lips with her napkin. “Will you accept some maternal advice, from someone who is not your mother?”
    Gabriel turned to her abruptly. “About what?”
    “I worry sometimes about your ability to handle your detractors. Especially now that you’re married.”
    He started to disagree but she