"What gives you the right-"
"Because I"m your father, you d.a.m.n fool."
CHAPTER 35.
Gabrielle felt all the blood drain from her face. Beside her, Rupert had gone stone still. So had Gui, his gaze fastened on Dewhurst. First with disbelief, then with dawning comprehension and a burst of anger. "So that was why-You seduced a housemaid on your friends" estate. Did the Lacloses know I was your b.a.s.t.a.r.d?"
Dewhurst drew a breath, cast a quick glance at Gabrielle and Rupert.
"Cat"s out of the bag, Father," Rupert said. "And your other sins make this one laughable."
Dewhurst"s gaze clashed for a moment with Rupert"s. Then he turned back to Gui. "Your mother was-" He swallowed. "I was very fond of her. When I learned she was with child, naturally I made provision for both of you."
"You paid another man to marry her."
"That"s not-"
"No sense in wrapping plain facts up in clean linen. That, I suppose, you could reconcile with your gentleman"s code. But what about pa.s.sing me off as part of your friend"s family?"
"Yes." Rupert took a step forwards, arms folded across his chest. "I should like to hear your explanation for that as well."
Dewhurst"s face twisted. "For years I thought you were dead. You have no idea what that was like."
"To lose someone you love?" Rupert said. "We can imagine it."
Dewhurst spared him a brief look, then turned back to Gui. "France was in chaos in those days. Anyone could fall prey to the rabble-"
"Sounds rather like now," Gui murmured.
"It was nothing like now. The rabble were killing without heed."
"And now the Royalists are. Go on."
"At last I managed to track down some of your mother"s connections. They were reluctant to talk at first, but I persuaded them."
"Bribed them?"
"Made them see I could offer you a better life."
"But you didn"t offer it to me, did you? You got the Comte de Laclos to do so."
"You must see." Dewhurst"s voice was pleading. Gabrielle could almost feel sorry for him, had she not known everything else he had done. "I saw the unique chance to give you a life you might only have dreamed of. And to make my old friend happy because he had his brother"s child back. What harm did there seem in that? Of course at the time I never dreamed-"
"That I"d become the heir."
"No."
"Which I a.s.sume mattered a great deal to a man of your convictions."
"It was an unfortunate series of events."
"Which you contributed to," Rupert said.
"Oh, my G.o.d." Gui stared at Dewhurst. "You didn"t-That wasn"t part of why you acted against Bertrand, was it? So I"d become the heir?"
"Of course not. I was thinking solely of-" Dewhurst bit back the words.
"Your desire for your own heir?" Rupert demanded.
"I had nothing to do with what happened to Bertrand Laclos. Who was a traitor."
Rupert lunged towards his father and smashed his fist into his face. Dewhurst collapsed backwards on the worn carpet, blood streaming from his nose.
"Glad you did that," Gui said. "I"ve been itching to do it myself. But he is your father."
"And yours." Rupert turned to Gui, as though a fact had only just occurred to him. "It seems we"re-"
"Brothers," Gui concluded. His gaze lingered on Rupert"s. "Of all the revelations lately about my relations, that"s one I"m not sorry to hear."
"Nor am I." Rupert reached out and gripped Gui"s hand.
"You see," Gabrielle said to her brother (her husband"s brother). "You can"t simply walk away, Gui, you are part of this family." She dropped down on the carpet beside Dewhurst.
"Gabrielle," Rupert said in a sharp voice.
"He"s hurt, Rupert. We can"t just leave him." She tugged her handkerchief from her sleeve and put it to Dewhurst"s nose. "Tilt your head forwards, Lord Dewhurst." Gabrielle slid her arm behind his shoulders.
"Thank you, my dear."
"Don"t think I"m not sickened as well. But it serves little purpose for you to be bleeding over the carpet."
Dewhurst groaned, then sat bolt upright, spattering blood not only over the carpet but on her skirt as well. "What"s that commotion?"
"More arrivals at the inn, I shouldn"t wonder." Gui walked to the window.
Dewhurst pushed himself to his feet and strode to the window, holding the handkerchief to his nose. "What the devil is the d.u.c.h.ess of Sagan doing here?"
"Rupert." Gabrielle gripped her husband"s arm. "I need you for a moment."
Rupert let her pull him out onto the landing. "I could kill-"
"Not now, Rupert. We have the Courland sisters and Suzanne and Juliette Dubretton below. And St. Gilles and Malcolm and Monsieur O"Roarke and Simon Tanner will be here at any moment. Along with the Davenports and the Kestrel. What are we going to do with your father?"
"I could hit him again and knock him out."
"That"s not funny."
"No, it"s an honest suggestion."
"Satisfying as that might be, we can"t be sure it would work for long enough."
Steps sounded on the stairs. Gabrielle turned, expecting the Courland sisters, and instead found herself looking at her cousin Christian.
"Good lord," he said. "What are you doing here, Gabrielle? Caruthers?" He swept an extravagant bow, got his legs tangled up, and had to clutch the stair rail to keep from falling.
"We"re on our way to the Lagarde fete," Gabrielle said in a voice bright as polished silver.
"So am I as it happens. Suppose it"s not surprising we stopped at the same inn. Should have driven out from Paris together."
The door creaked open below. Christian peered over the stair rail. "Good G.o.d. It"s the Courland sisters. They must be on their way to the fete as well. Quite a coincidence."
Gabrielle flashed a glance at her husband, wondering how far they"d be able to stretch the idea of coincidence.
"A private parlor." Wilhelmine of Sagan"s voice carried up the stairwell, ringing with confident a.s.surance. "And a light meal as soon as is convenient."
"d.u.c.h.ess." Gabrielle picked up her skirts and ran down the stairs. "What a coincidence. Are you on your way to the Lagardes" as well?"
Wilhelmine of Sagan stood in the midst of the hall, dominating the scene. Dorothee Talleyrand stood beside her. Behind them, lingering back at the respectful distance appropriate to servants, were Suzanne Rannoch and Juliette Dubretton, Suzanne holding Colin, Juliette with the baby in her arms, a little girl and a little boy hiding behind her skirts.
"Madame Caruthers." It was Dorothee who spoke. "How pleasant to see you."
The plan was for Gabrielle to offer them the use of her private parlor. Instead she said, "We"re encountering so many friends today. My brother is upstairs with my father-in-law."
She saw the briefest flicker of recognition in the d.u.c.h.ess"s eyes, followed by a polite smile. "What a coincidence indeed."
"Madame Rannoch?" Christian took a step forwards, blinking at Suzanne.
"Monsieur Laclos." Suzanne stepped forwards with a winning smile that somehow gave the impression that she wore pearls and silk rather than gray-spotted muslin. "How lovely to see you."
Christian"s gaze darted over her gown and simple straw bonnet. "Did-"
Booted feet thudded on the stairs. Gui and Lord Dewhurst came into view. Dewhurst"s nose had stopped bleeding, though red stains showed on his shirt collar and cravat. "Dewhurst is feeling a bit unwell," Gui announced. "I"m going to take him back to Paris."
Gabrielle sent her brother-Rupert"s brother, poison, she would never sort this out in her head-a look of grat.i.tude.
Christian blinked as the men moved past him. "I say, Dewhurst, is that blood on your neckcloth?"
"I tripped," Dewhurst said in repressive tones. "The carpet was loose."
"Dashed shame. Perhaps we should report it to the inn-"
"I don"t think that will be necessary," Gui said. He inclined his head to the Courland princesses and their supposed maids. "Ladies."
Gabrielle released her breath as her brother and uncle stepped out of the inn. Only then did she realize she had been holding it. She smiled across the hall at Wilhelmine and Dorothee. "We"ve had refreshments sent up. Far more than we can eat ourselves. Do join us."
It was the planned script, save that they had not expected to have to include Christian in the invitation. Only of course she could hardly fail to include her cousin. Christian, deaf to any undercurrents that he might be unwanted-but then Christian was always deaf to undercurrents-bounded cheerfully up the stairs after the ladies.
In their private parlor, she saw David"s gaze flicker to Suzanne, so briefly she doubted anyone else noticed. Then he set about pouring out wine and pa.s.sing out cakes. Pierre and Marguerite knelt on the window seat and peered down into the inn yard.
"Pity your father fell, Rupert," Christian said, accepting a gla.s.s of wine. "Should be a splendid party. Good of old Gui to take him back to Paris."
"Gui is the best of brothers," Gabrielle said.
"Oh, quite," Christian said, though Gabrielle caught a note of doubt in his voice.
"A cart just pulled in," Pierre reported from the window seat. "It looks like peddlers."
"Anyone will stop at inns these days," Christian said.
Dorothee took a sip of wine. "Lovely weather we"re having."
They made desultory conversation about the weather until footsteps pounded on the stairs. Gabrielle barely had time to be worried before her brother burst into the room. He checked for a moment, taking in Christian with a quick glance.
"What happened?" Rupert demanded. "Did Father-"
"He"s unconscious," Gui said.
"What?"
"He tripped in the inn yard."
"I"ll take a look at him." Suzanne was already on her feet. Dorothee moved to take Colin.
"Good lord," Christian murmured as Gabrielle sprang to her feet as well. "Dewhurst does seem accident p.r.o.ne today. I hope it isn"t his heart."
CHAPTER 36.
"What really happened?" Suzanne muttered to Gui as they ran down the stairs with Rupert and Gabrielle behind them.
"Dewhurst appeared to trip over a coil of rope. But I have the strangest suspicion the Kestrel made it happen. We met him coming out of the stables. He"d just arrived. Davenport and Lady Cordelia are with Dewhurst."
Rupert shook his head as they reached the ground floor. "Didn"t the Kestrel realize you were getting Father out of here?"
Gui"s brows drew together. "I had the oddest feeling he was afraid."
"Of Father? He doesn"t even know Father."