A Gentleman Never Tells(37)

Perhaps their lives would have been different if their mother had lived or even if Auntie Bethie could have spent more time with them. But neither their aunt nor their father had wanted that. Auntie Bethie had tried to persuade Gabrielle’s mother not to marry the duke. The duke never forgave Elizabeth for her intrusion.

Gabrielle knew she couldn’t let Rosabelle continue to brood in her room. Her sister was carrying a heavy burden, and Gabrielle had to lighten it for her. She cared too much not to. And she needed to tell Rosa about Lord Brentwood before she heard about him and Gabrielle from someone else. So if Rosabelle wouldn’t come to her, Gabrielle would go to Rosa.

She placed her tea cup on the silver tray and looked over at Brutus. If she tiptoed out of the room, maybe she could get out without waking him. He could no longer make it up the stairs, and she hated for him to wait for her at the bottom rather than on his comfortable pillow by the fire.

Gabrielle went up to her sister’s room and entered without knocking. Rosabelle turned from the window by her bed where she stood still dressed in a white long-sleeved night rail in the middle of the afternoon. Her long blonde hair didn’t look as if it had been combed in days.

Her red-rimmed eyes searched Gabrielle’s face, and she blinked rapidly for a moment. It struck Gabrielle that her sister seemed frightened. Her gaze suddenly bounced erratically around the room, like a mouse cornered by a cat. She was looking for a place to run but couldn’t see how to get past Gabrielle.

“I didn’t hear you knock,” Rosabelle said in an accusing tone.

“That’s because I didn’t.”

“You should have. That wasn’t very mannerly of you.”

“I know, but I knew if I announced myself, you would either pretend you were sleeping or tell me you didn’t feel up to seeing anyone, as you have claimed for the past five days.”

Her sister’s shoulders and chin lifted in a show of courage, though her face was marred by fear and anguish. “I’m not pretending, Gabby. I haven’t been feeling well.”

“If you need a doctor, I will get one.”

“No, no, it’s not that serious. I’ll be fine.”

“When? Later today? Tomorrow? Next week?”

Rosabelle’s bottom lip trembled. “I-I don’t know. Don’t press me about this.”

Gabrielle walked farther into the room and shut the door. “It’s so unlike you to be ill for so long and to spend so much time in your room. I’m worried about you, Rosa.”

Her sister turned back toward the window. “Don’t be. I just need for you to leave me be.”

Rosabelle had always been one to run from her problems rather than face them, deal with them, and get over them. This time, Gabrielle couldn’t allow her to do that. Rosa had to admit what she’d done so she could begin to forgive herself and move past it.

“The time for leaving you alone is over,” Gabrielle said firmly. “I’m not going away until you tell me what is wrong.”

“Oh, Gabby, I can’t tell you. I’ve done something absolutely wretched, and I’m dreadfully sick about it. You’re the last person I want to know about this.”

“Tell me. I can help.”

Keeping her back to Gabrielle, Rosabelle rubbed her arms as if she were chilled. “No. I can’t. I don’t even know how to explain it so you would understand.”

Gabrielle’s heart broke for her sister. She knew exactly how Rosa was feeling, because she had felt the same way when her father kept asking her why she was in the viscount’s arms. Some things just couldn’t be explained. They could only be felt.

Gabrielle took hold of her sister’s arms and forced her to turn and face her. Fresh tears brimmed out of Rosabelle’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

“What do you mean I wouldn’t understand? Have you ever known me not to?”

“But this is different. You don’t know what I’ve done.”

Gabrielle led Rosabelle over to the slipper chair and gently sat her down. Gabrielle knelt down in front of her and took Rosa’s cold hands in her own. It was difficult to see her in this much pain. It would be so easy to just tell her she knew what she had done, and she forgave her, but somehow Gabrielle knew that wasn’t the right thing to do. Rosabelle needed to confess what had happened between her and Staunton.

“Look at me, Rosa. Have I ever given you reason to think you can’t trust me?”