A Gentleman Never Tells(38)

She sniffled. “No.”

“Am I such an ogre to have caused you to think you can tell me things and I wouldn’t understand?”

“No, but if you knew, you would hate me, and I couldn’t bear that.”

Gabrielle squeezed her hands. “Didn’t I understand when we were younger and you pushed me into the pond and I got soaking wet and I caught a chill? Didn’t I understand when you failed to finish your schoolwork and I gave you mine so the governess wouldn’t punish you?”

Fresh tears left the pool in her eyes. “I can’t, Gabby. This is so different from childhood pranks or silliness. Don’t make me tell you.”

“I must. You cannot continue to hold this inside and let it fester, or you will continue to be sick.”

“But what I did is unforgivable.”

Another tear fell from the edge of her eye. Gabrielle reached up and wiped it away with her thumb. She smiled. “No, it’s not. Whatever has happened, or whatever you’ve done, you are my sister, and nothing could keep me from loving you. Nothing is unforgivable.”

“I-I love Staunton, and he loves me,” she blurted out, and then jerked away from Gabrielle’s grasp and hid her face behind both her hands and sobbed brokenheartedly.

Gabrielle gave a quiet sigh of relief. Now she could say, “I know, Rosa.”

Rosabelle took in a deep breath and let out another sniffle. She slowly took her hands away from her damp face. Her wet blue eyes were wide with surprise.

“You know?”

Gabrielle nodded.

“How? When? Did Staunton tell you? He promised he wouldn’t say a word to anyone.”

“No, he said nothing to me. I only recently found out, and how doesn’t matter.”

“We tried to keep it from you and our fathers. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, Gabby. We didn’t want it to happen; it just did, and I didn’t know what to do. I’ve tried to stay away from you these past few weeks so you wouldn’t see in my eyes how much I loved him.”

“I knew you were withdrawn but thought you were just sad because I was leaving to have my own home. Thank you for telling me the truth. All three of us would have lived miserable lives if the marriage between Staunton and I had taken place. I never should have let Papa arrange it for me in the first place, but at the time I thought it was the right thing to do. I knew I had no loving feelings for him, but I thought perhaps they might develop after we married.”

Rosabelle’s eyes widened. “I don’t know how you kept from loving him, Gabby. He’s the most handsome and dashing man in London! We didn’t fall in love until after you were engaged. Once we did, I was so miserable, but I didn’t know what to do.”

Gabrielle smiled and touched Rosa’s cheek with the palm of her hand. “I can understand that. All that misery is behind you now. You and Staunton can bide your time through the winter and, when the Season arrives next year, you two can meet fresh and make your plans to wed.”

“Do you think our fathers will let us marry?”

“Why wouldn’t they? They both had reasons for wanting a union between the two families, and those reasons haven’t changed. I’m sure Staunton will tell his father you are the lady he wants to marry, and it will be handled.”

Concern etched its way into Rosabelle’s features. She raked the backs of her hands across her cheeks and dried them. “I had thought I would have a note from him by now, but I haven’t heard a word from him.”

“I’m sure it’s just that he doesn’t know what is going on in this house, and he’s waiting until things settle down. He doesn’t know I know about you two. And, Rosa, no one will ever hear about it from me. He probably doesn’t want to contact you for fear someone would find out about the two of you.”

Rosa threw her arms around Gabrielle’s neck and hugged her tightly. “That’s what I thought, too. Oh, Gabby, you are the most wonderful sister a girl could have.”

Gabrielle pulled away and looked at Rosa while she brushed her hair away from her face. “And you are a wonderful sister, too; don’t ever forget that.”

“I won’t. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“There’s something else I need to tell you.”

“Oh, please tell me something wonderful, Gabby. I want to hear some good news.”

Gabrielle rolled her shoulders and cleared her throat as she thought about what she needed to say. “No, it’s not wonderful news, but you need to know, anyway. A few mornings ago I was in the park and had a chance encounter with Viscount Brentwood.”