Page 81 of The Insufferable Duke
A small black carriage sat at the end of the driveway, half tucked under another tree with its branches lying low. Inside the building, muffled voices could be heard.
The Duke of Dunton knocked loudly, and those voices abruptly deadened. When no voice answered, the Duke knocked louder still.
“This is ridiculous,” Robert muttered.
“Patience,” Christopher ordered, staring down his brother. Robert paced in a small circle then nodded.
The Duke rapped on the door for a third time.
“Gibbs, open this door at once, or I’m breaking it down!”
“So much for patience,” Helena whispered wryly. Christopher looked toward her, tempted to smile.
The door was flung open but not by Gibbs. There was another face there, that of a man who wore serving clothes, with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
“Your Grace.” The servant bowed low to the Duke of Dunton. “You’ll find the Lord through there.” He nodded at a small adjoining door.
Helena baulked when she saw the man, understanding what must have taken place that morning. She had crossed the servant in the corridor and mistaken him for one of her father’s own men. When Gibbs was with them having the argument, this man must have been sent to retrieve Julia.
They all hastened inside. The cottage was so old that all the doorways were short, as was accustomed to the time that it was built, and Christopher had to bend down for each of them, dangerously close to knocking his head on the low timbers. The Duke of Dunton took hold of a black iron latch on a nearby door, lifted it, then swung the door open. He led the path into a small room, scarcely big enough for the four of them, plus the other man already in the room.
Gibbs was sitting by a small fire. His expression grave, he rested his shirt-clad elbows on his knees and repeatedly ran his palms together. His long face was basked in the orange light of the fire.
“Do not look at me like that, brother,” Gibbs said quietly, tearing his gaze away from the Duke of Dunton and looking into the fire. “What I did, I did for the right reasons —”
“If you believe so, then you’re a fool.” The plainness of the Duke of Dunton’s tone surprised Christopher. He could have ranted and raged, but he didn’t. Instead, he walked forward, slowly closing the distance between himself and Gibbs.
Christopher looked at Robert at his side, noting how different the brotherly relationships were. Christopher never would have done this to Robert, taken away his daughter, just to stop the two families becoming united.
It’s madness!
“Why did you do this?” The Duke of Dunton took hold of another chair and drew it forward, sitting down and resting his elbows on his knees.
“You know why,” Gibbs said quietly.
“No, I don’t.” The Duke’s tone was sharper. “Believe me, everything in me wants to bark at you right now. To strike you. To demand to know why you would take my daughter away from her wedding day.”
“It was to protect her.”
“Hang that!” the Duke snapped. Lord Gibbs sat up in his chair, his back poker straight. “You did this because of your own wish to not see the families united.” He thrust a hand toward Robert and Christopher.
“The two families should not be together.”
Robert stepped forward, but Christopher caught him and pulled him back.
“Release me,” Robert ordered.
“Don’t be a fool,” Christopher whispered. “This must be talked through. Otherwise, how is the family ever to accept you completely? Let the Duke take charge.”
He could see well enough Robert’s temptation to march forward and strike Lord Gibbs himself. Christopher was the only thing holding him back.
“It cannot happen,” Gibbs said, hurriedly. “These families have been arguing for too long. Years of anger and hatred can’t be forgotten, just like that.” He flicked his fingers in emphasis. “I know the truth of what is going on, even if you cannot see it.He…”He paused and pointed at Robert. “… is drawing her into ruin. He has made a scandal for the two of them. Either he would have refused her at the altar today, to abandon her completely, or he would have married her and made her life a misery.”
“I cannot believe you think so ill of me,” Robert muttered, his tone quiet. “I never did anything to hurt you.”
Lord Gibbs looked toward Robert, glaring heavily.
“Well, perhaps you cannot persuade everyone to like you, Robert,” Christopher said eventually, breaking the silence. “Especially not someone who clings onto the arguments between our families for no good reason.”
