earlier. Within minutes he could be found outside."
Gabriel looked up into the nighttime sky. "I remember a time when we both considered the out of doors enjoyable."
"Yes, well, some things change."
"Yes, they do." He wished she’d do the sensible thing and leave. Being this close to her sent waves of desire through his body.
"You accomplished a great deal tonight." She stepped toward him.
"I just brought a great travesty to the proper people’s attention."
"Then it was worth attending the Duke of Chisolmwood’s affair."
"Was it?"
She wasn’t wearing a shawl or anything else to protect her from the cold and Gabriel noticed her shiver. Why didn’t she just go inside? He wanted her with an intensity that drove him wild. He’d always wanted her, even after he knew he couldn’t have her.
She made no move to leave so he removed his coat and placed it around her shoulders.
"Thank you."
She pulled the material close beneath her chin and their fingers touched. Even though she wore gloves, there was a warmth to her touch that traveled through him. "You shouldn’t be out here." He dropped his hands from her and was thankful when she didn’t step away from him. He wanted her near. Wanted to take in every perfect feature, wanted to breathe in the clean lilac fragrance he’d always associate with her. Wanted to have her near him for a while longer.
"Why did you come out here?"
She pulled the lapels of his jacket tighter and held them with clenched fingers. "I wanted to talk to you privately."
"You shouldn’t be here. Someone might see you."
"No one will see me. No one is foolish enough to come out in weather like this except you."
"And you."
The expression on her face strengthened, the look in her eyes more determined. "I wanted to thank you for coming. For bringing the hardships our soldiers endured to everyone’s attention, and..." She paused. "For forcing the Duke of Chisolmwood to relinquish whatever he gave Harrison when we arrived. The expression on Harrison’s face said whatever it was meant a great deal to him. I wanted to thank you before you left Etherhouse."
"What makes you think I’m leaving?"
"Do you deny it?"
He smiled. "No."
"When?"
"In the morning."
"Will you be all right?"
Worry lines etched her forehead and he wanted to brush his fingers against them to erase them. He wanted to touch her just once more, run his fingers over her features to reaffirm each small detail he’d filed to memory. He wanted to take her in his arms one last time and kiss her.
But he couldn’t. One kiss would never be enough. "I’ll be fine. Will you?"
His question surprised her. "What?"
"Will you be fine? Will you be happy?"
She inched away from him. "Of course I’ll be happy. I’m going to marry the Marquess of Culbertson and have the home and family I always dreamed of having."
"And love?"
The expression on her face hardened. "Yes, I’ll have love. More love than I would have had, had I married you."
He staggered under the weight of her words. He couldn’t let her think that. He couldn’t let her think that he didn’t love her.
"That’s not possible," he ground through clenched teeth. "No one can love you more than I did. Than I do."
She glared at him. "You’re too late, Gabriel. A year ago you could have had all the love I’m capable of giving any man, but not now. I don’t love you anymore."
He closed the distance between them. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. There’s only room in my heart for one man and you aren’t him. Never again."
Her words acted like a knife to his heart. "If I could undo everything that happened a year ago I would. If I could take back what I said—"
It was too late. Even as he said the words, he knew it was too late. He could never win her back. But he didn’t want to leave her without holding her one more time. Without kissing her one more time. Even though he knew he was making the biggest mistake of his life, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.
Gabriel looked up into the nighttime sky. "I remember a time when we both considered the out of doors enjoyable."
"Yes, well, some things change."
"Yes, they do." He wished she’d do the sensible thing and leave. Being this close to her sent waves of desire through his body.
"You accomplished a great deal tonight." She stepped toward him.
"I just brought a great travesty to the proper people’s attention."
"Then it was worth attending the Duke of Chisolmwood’s affair."
"Was it?"
She wasn’t wearing a shawl or anything else to protect her from the cold and Gabriel noticed her shiver. Why didn’t she just go inside? He wanted her with an intensity that drove him wild. He’d always wanted her, even after he knew he couldn’t have her.
She made no move to leave so he removed his coat and placed it around her shoulders.
"Thank you."
She pulled the material close beneath her chin and their fingers touched. Even though she wore gloves, there was a warmth to her touch that traveled through him. "You shouldn’t be out here." He dropped his hands from her and was thankful when she didn’t step away from him. He wanted her near. Wanted to take in every perfect feature, wanted to breathe in the clean lilac fragrance he’d always associate with her. Wanted to have her near him for a while longer.
"Why did you come out here?"
She pulled the lapels of his jacket tighter and held them with clenched fingers. "I wanted to talk to you privately."
"You shouldn’t be here. Someone might see you."
"No one will see me. No one is foolish enough to come out in weather like this except you."
"And you."
The expression on her face strengthened, the look in her eyes more determined. "I wanted to thank you for coming. For bringing the hardships our soldiers endured to everyone’s attention, and..." She paused. "For forcing the Duke of Chisolmwood to relinquish whatever he gave Harrison when we arrived. The expression on Harrison’s face said whatever it was meant a great deal to him. I wanted to thank you before you left Etherhouse."
"What makes you think I’m leaving?"
"Do you deny it?"
He smiled. "No."
"When?"
"In the morning."
"Will you be all right?"
Worry lines etched her forehead and he wanted to brush his fingers against them to erase them. He wanted to touch her just once more, run his fingers over her features to reaffirm each small detail he’d filed to memory. He wanted to take her in his arms one last time and kiss her.
But he couldn’t. One kiss would never be enough. "I’ll be fine. Will you?"
His question surprised her. "What?"
"Will you be fine? Will you be happy?"
She inched away from him. "Of course I’ll be happy. I’m going to marry the Marquess of Culbertson and have the home and family I always dreamed of having."
"And love?"
The expression on her face hardened. "Yes, I’ll have love. More love than I would have had, had I married you."
He staggered under the weight of her words. He couldn’t let her think that. He couldn’t let her think that he didn’t love her.
"That’s not possible," he ground through clenched teeth. "No one can love you more than I did. Than I do."
She glared at him. "You’re too late, Gabriel. A year ago you could have had all the love I’m capable of giving any man, but not now. I don’t love you anymore."
He closed the distance between them. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. There’s only room in my heart for one man and you aren’t him. Never again."
Her words acted like a knife to his heart. "If I could undo everything that happened a year ago I would. If I could take back what I said—"
It was too late. Even as he said the words, he knew it was too late. He could never win her back. But he didn’t want to leave her without holding her one more time. Without kissing her one more time. Even though he knew he was making the biggest mistake of his life, he pulled her into his arms and held her close.
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