Page 44 of Wedded to the Deviant Duke

Gabriel caught up on any notes taken by his staff—grievances, obvious wear-and-tear of the estate, restocking on supplies—and attended to his calendar to make absolutely certain he was aware of every up-and-coming event.

“There’s the cards tournament for the two clubs coming up soon,” he mumbled under his breath. “And Christian insisted on a home visit sometime next week. I’ll need to discuss with Charlotte when she’d like her Seasonal event to take place as well…”

“Did you say my name, brother?”

Gabriel glanced up, having completely missed his sister having entered his office. Her face still looked tinged raw from earlier tears, but she appeared in far better spirits—a touch somber, he noted, but the morning had been quite the emotional display.

“You actually heard me just now?” he asked. “In enough detail to discern your name being used?”

Charlotte offered a slight grin. “When you’re a woman of high society, you develop a wicked sense of hearing. Always need to be in the know if someone’s gossip involves your name. Though, I was coming in regardless of my name’s usage,” she insisted. “It’s well into the afternoon at this point, and I figured you hadn’t had anything to eat since breakfast.”

Gabriel glanced at his office clock, resisting the urge to balk at the time. How had he become so absent-minded to his surroundings?

“Thank you for the concern, but at this point, I think I’ll simply wait for dinner.” He glanced back at his schedule, sensing the weight of his sister’s gaze remained. “Unless…you need something else from me?”

Charlotte’s arms crossed lightly, a slight pout pulling at her lip. “Well, I was going to see if Thalia wished to go on a trip into town with me, but I can’t seem to find her anywhere.”

Gabriel found himself equal parts relieved and disappointed to hear that. “Perhaps she took to walking the manor’s boundary herself? She is not a prisoner trapped indoors, after all.” Still, he didn’t like the sense of unease her absence left in his chest. Perhaps he could take a look himself, ask the servants if they’d seen any sign of her.

“I know she’s not a prisoner!” Charlotte huffed. “I am… simply expressing my disappointment, is all.”

Gabriel’s expression softened, noting the slight tender twinge in his sister’s tone. He stood from his chair, rolling his shoulders as he offered her what reassurance he could. “Let’s take a walk together, then. See if anyone’s seen her.” It would help his nerves as well.

The siblings made their rounds quickly, checking the places Thalia had been found lingering beforehand. The library, the garden’s gazebo; their search turned empty until they crossed paths with a kitchen maid, who eagerly shared what she knew.

“Oh, yes! The lady had taken to the farther reaches of the woods; said something about foraging for wild onions.”

Gabriel hadn’t meant to sigh with such heavy relief. So that’s what she’d gotten up to.

“But, I hadn’t seen her near the edge of the garden,” Charlotte insisted.

“It’s possible she followed the path towards the glade,” Gabriel suggested. “Where the new park opens out into.”

“Ooh… it does wind out that way now, doesn’t it?” Charlotte’s expression furrowed, finger curling at a strand of loose hair. “You think she’ll be all right? What if she gets lost?”

“I’ve made that path quite impossible to stray from,” Gabriel insisted. Still, his own anxieties hadn’t quite been quelled over the news of Thalia’s whereabouts. “Why don’t we meet her at the end of the path, at the park proper? If she did happen to get lost, we’ll just follow it back to the house.” He gestured towards the servant, adding under his breath, “Ensure a few able bodied hands are keeping an eye on the manor’s path. Have one or two of them tread a few paces past the estate line.”

The maid nodded, hurrying to gather who she needed.

“Thank you for doing that, Gabriel.” Charlotte’s expression flickered, genuine worry covering her face. “I’m probably just overreacting, but…”

Gabriel nodded, offering a warm smile her way. Regardless of the nagging voice in the back of his head, he put on an air of warm confidence for Charlotte’s sake. No point in worrying her further, especially if it turned out to be nothing. “You really like her, don’t you?”

Charlotte partially mumbled something under her breath; a rare sight, given her usual boisterous attitude. She looked to Gabriel, sighed at his bemused grin, then said louder, “It would be rude not to thank her for today, okay? I thought, maybe, we could go back to a boutique we visited after the park’s opening, and she could finally pick out a proper dress for me to buy for her. I wanted to tear my hair out,” she added, a touch of her old spark back in her voice. “Watching her walk by all those pretty dresses and fabrics she obviously wanted.”

Gabriel’s brow raised slightly. “You mean she left empty-handed that day? I had assumed her purchases…” his sentence trailed off, as he rightly realized he would’ve seen anything Thalia bought. Giles would hardly let her store anything back at Oslay. “Let’s stop there on the way, then. You can show me what she was interested in, and it could be a nice surprise for later.”

A smirk crossed his sweet sister’s face, her hands folding innocently behind her back as she rocked on the heel of her feet. “Thinking about wooing her with expensive wares, are we? Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t bought out an entire store’s supply for her yet; I am thoroughly ashamed of you, dear brother! You really need to increase your efforts, or Thalia will start to see you less as her suitor.”

Memories of the library crept along the edges of his mind; it was the first time Gabriel felt any sort of heat linger across his face.

“Though I don’t see Thalia as that shallow,” Charlotte added matter-of-factly. “I think you could rightly give her a single, wilted flower, and she’d be just as delighted.”

She would. She truly, sincerely would. Gabriel offered his hand outward, Charlotte quickly accepting it as she looped her arm between his.

“I’m certain you already have thoughts as to help me woo her further?”

“Of course!” Charlotte beamed. “Visiting the boutique is a good first start, but we’ll need to do far more. You’re lucky I’m an expert in the art of planning.”

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