‘Very sensible of George,’ Gray said heartily. ‘Good for him. She’s an absolute infant, of course, but I expect she will grow up eventually and George has some maturing to do himself. They’ll suit.’
Aunt Henrietta looked a trifle daunted at that. Surely, Gaby thought, she will give up now. Her aunt did indeed draw a deep breath and the smile she had fixed on her face seemed a trifle artificial now, but she showed no sign of departing.
Gray rose. ‘Look at the time! Miss Moseley, good afternoon. Thank you for tea. Gabrielle, I will send a note to tell you how I fare with those theatre tickets. Godmama.’ The door closed behind him, leaving the three ladies gazing at the tea tray. The front door banged as the footman came in with fresh hot water. Aunt Henrietta refused a second cup of tea, informed them that their new cook needed to put more ground almonds into the orange biscuits and took herself off.
‘Surely she cannot want you to marry George now that he has attached Miss Henderson,’ Jane observed.
‘I believe she is trying to make us both jealous that the others are not pining for us. She really does not like to be thwarted and I am sure I will bring more money with me than Miss Henderson will.’
‘That is certainly a consideration,’ remarked Gray, right behind them. ‘At least, Godmama would think so. I wonder how she intends to separate us.’
Both of them jumped. ‘I thought you had gone.’ Gaby righted her sliding teacup and tried to tell herself that her speeding pulse rate was a result of shock.
‘As far as the dining room. Your new footman is admiring the shiny guinea he has just earned. We were about to talk, Gabrielle.’
‘Yes. No, don’t disturb yourself, Jane. We will go to the dining room.’
‘I suppose I should warn you to leave the door open.’ Jane reached for her journal. ‘However, it is probably a case of shutting stable doors, not dining room ones.’
Gaby knew she was blushing, but she left the room with as much composure as she could muster.
‘Miss Moseley is aware of what happened last night?’ Gray closed the dining room door.
‘Yes. In, er, outline.’
Gray looked at her, then walked around the long table and hitched one hip on it. ‘Gabrielle, I realise that you have a rooted objection to marriage with anyone.’ He held up a hand when she opened her mouth to speak. ‘And I understand your reasons and can sympathise with them. But we should marry, you know we should.’
‘I know that when we spoke of becoming lovers before, there was no question of marriage. What has changed?’
‘I thought—if I thought clearly at all—that with a lover in your past and a refusal to marry you were like a widow, someone who could live an independent life provided you were discreet. I should have known better.’
‘Why? Nothing has changed and you have described my position exactly.’
‘We have become lovers and now I am thinking clearly. I have feelings for you, Gabrielle. Feelings that go far beyond the desire to lie with you and certainly beyond friendship.’
Something inside her seemed to stutter, as though her heart had jumped at his words. ‘Are you saying that you are in love with me, Gray?’
‘I do not know. How does one know?’ He twisted round and looked her full in the face across the expanse of gleaming mahogany. ‘I have never been in love before.’
; ‘Your wife—’
‘I cannot discuss Portia. I made a mull of that marriage.’
‘No?’ Gaby realised that she was angry. Where had that come from? ‘You want me to marry you because you might be in love with me. Possibly. Because you have feelings. It has been clear from what you have let slip before that you did not have a happy marriage. Now you refuse to talk about it, yet you expect me to become your second wife without any idea what went wrong before? Do you expect to make a mull of it this time?’
‘Gabrielle, the story does not just involve me.’
‘You were unfaithful to her?’
‘No.’ Gray got to his feet, abruptly, without any of his usual grace. The question had obviously struck a raw nerve.
‘She was unfaithful to you?’
‘No.’
‘It does not matter.’ Gaby threw up her hands in exasperation. ‘Why are we even discussing it? Nothing has changed. You have vast responsibilities and ties here. I will not surrender my control of Frost’s. It is hardly as though you seduced a virgin—I knew exactly what I was doing.’