A Curse of the Heart (27 page)

Rebecca threaded her arm through Gabriel’s and squeezed
.
“When we take you home, Sarah, would you mind if we called in to see Ariana? We will not stay long. I believe she will be surprised to find that her brother has finally returned from his tour of Egypt.”

Gabriel glanced at Rebecca, who offered him an innocent smile, and then at Sarah, who was busy trying to disguise her trembling lip. For some reason, the thought of spending time with them didn’t bother him as it used to. Surprisingly, he’d grown fond of Sarah in the few hours they’d spent together, and he would always be indebted to her for helping him find Rebecca.

“We would only stay long enough to take tea,” he said, “or perhaps something a little stronger. And on the way, you can tell me why I’m supposed to be in Egypt.”

Chapter 28

They stayed with Sarah and Ariana for two hours, the child soon forgetting her distress, happy to have her mother home and even more delighted to see her brother at long last.

Rebecca choked back the tears when Ariana ran into Gabriel’s arms, and she found she loved him all the more for not showing the slightest sign of awkwardness.

When he regaled tales of a boisterous camel and of a pilfering monkey who’d stolen a fig from his plate, she laughed with them. Even though she knew it was all a figment of his wild imagination.

“Ariana’s a wonderful child, and I must say, I find her laugh infectious,” Rebecca said as Gabriel escorted her to her front door.

He chuckled in response, his eyes warm and inviting and she wanted to press her body against his, thrust her hands into his hair, claim his mouth and devour him.

“I had forgotten how affectionate she can be.”

Rebecca smiled, her heart singing the sweetest song. Would there ever be a time when she did not feel a desperate ache in her chest whenever she looked at him?

“I thought we would have to drag her arms from around your neck. Indeed, I believe she loves you almost as much as I do.”

Gabriel froze, stared into her eyes and then down at the floor. “Rebecca, I …”

She knew the declaration would surprise him, but she was tired of hiding her true feelings. “Oh, don’t be all coy. Sarah told me what she said to you. Although you would need to be blind not to notice.” She slid her hand into his, the heat radiating from his palm sending tingles shooting up her arm as she pulled him towards the door. “Will you stay with me tonight?”

“I’m surprised you even need to ask.”

Desire unfurled in response to his rich, sensual tone. “Well, it would not do to be too presumptuous.”

They made their way inside, his gaze searching, assessing, never leaving her.

“After such a terrifying ordeal you must be famished,” he said, bringing her fingers to his lips and brushing a gentle kiss on top. “Shall I go to the kitchen? Mrs. James must still be here.”

Feeling tired and exhausted, Rebecca shook her head. “I’ve no appetite,” she replied. “But you go, and help yourself to whatever you can find.”

As if on cue, a growl rumbled from his stomach.

“Your body is in desperate need of sustenance,” she continued with a chuckle. Aware of the fact that he was the only sustenance she needed. “I must wash and change and then I’ll join you at the table.”

She moved to walk upstairs, but he caught her by the hand and pulled her into an embrace. “Tell me you’ve changed your mind about Egypt,” he said, his hot breath caressing her cheek as he brushed a loose tendril back behind her ear. “Tell me you’ll stay here at the museum, where you belong.”

If only he had said ‘stay with me’ then she would never have refused him.

Rebecca wound her arms around his neck and kissed him until their tongues were lost in each other’s mouths. Until their breathing grew ragged and their bodies burned with passion.

“I can’t tell you that, Gabriel,” she said lowering her hands so they lay flat against his chest, the steady beat of his heart pulsing beneath her palm. “But know I am deeply in love with you. Know there will never be another, only you.”

He swallowed visibly, his eyes brimming with emotion. But she stepped away, and he watched her walk up the stairs.

Once in her room, she stripped off her clothes down to her chemise, soaked a linen square in a bowl of cold water and wiped over her neck and face with long massaging strokes.

It was hard to believe that only this morning, she’d sat at her mirror unaware of Pennington’s devious plans for revenge. His acrid smell still clung to her skin, the urge to scrub, to remove every trace, impossible to ignore. Topping up the bowl, she rubbed away at her skin again until it prickled from the abrasive movements. And the uncomfortable feeling forced her to acknowledge the reality of the situation.

If Gabriel hadn’t saved her, she would most probably be dead.

Tears filled her eyes, her hands trembling at the thought, her airway closing as she sucked in a breath. She tried to concentrate on something tangible; on all the things she should be grateful for — Gabriel, her antiquities, even her brothers. The memory of all those who’d come to her rescue overriding all negative thoughts. The feeling that she should use the experience to her advantage, to forge ahead with her plans for the future, suddenly pushing to the fore.

Only one question remained: should she plan for a future that included Gabriel?

Part of her wanted to tell him she would stay at home and not travel to Egypt. She would be here whenever he needed her; the lure of the exotic, nothing compared the lure of being with him. But what if he struggled to commit? What if this was just a fleeting dalliance?

Feeling a deep ache in her chest, she slapped her hand over her heart, lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. The pain of even contemplating a life without him was beyond anything she’d ever felt before.

Her mind began to wander, began to imagine a life where they lived together, an erotic fantasy of amorous frolicking, of gratifying indulgence, of love, of a home and family. They were together always, forever, and as her breathing slowed, she sank deeper into the blissful world, got lost in the beautiful dream.

With a heavy heart, Gabriel climbed the stairs to find no sign of Rebecca. Plate in hand, he walked down to her bedchamber and knocked gently. When she failed to answer, he eased the door away from the jamb and peered inside the dimly lit room.

Rebecca lay on the bed dressed in nothing but her chemise, the soft rise and fall of her chest suggesting she’d fallen asleep.

He entered the room and closed the door, put his cold platter on the small table and walked around the bed to stand at her side.

She looked ethereal, magical, her vibrant copper tresses spilling onto the coverlet in soft waves. Even in sleep, she appeared happy and content, the soothing sound of her breathing calling out to him like a siren’s song.

Good God, he’d never loved anything more in his entire life.

He was a bloody fool!

He should have told her how he felt when he had the chance, but an upsurge of raw emotion had hit the back of his throat, all coherent words lost to him.

Moving to the opposite side of the bed, he pulled down the coverlet and then returned to Rebecca, scooping her up in his arms with the intention of putting her into bed.

As he lowered her down, she gave a pleasurable hum. “I love you,” she whispered before turning on her side and cuddling into the pillow.

With a lump in his throat, he pulled the covers up around her shoulders and stroked her hair. “And I love you,” he whispered in reply.

It felt good to say the words aloud, to acknowledge the depth of his feelings. Indeed, it took a tremendous amount of effort not to wake her and declare it a hundred times over.

He’d often wondered if such an intense physical desire would naturally progress into love. He’d wondered if the ache in his loins would become an ache in his heart, as though the two things were separate. Now, he knew the two were woven together. His body throbbed at the thought of joining with her while his heart rejoiced at the prospect.

After finishing his meal, he stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed, his manhood stirring in response to the intimacy of the action. When her hand fluttered over his chest, she snuggled into him, and he clenched his teeth as he fought back the demands of his body.

Suffice to say, he struggled to sleep, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the future, thoughts that did little to dampen his desire. When dawn came, he climbed out of bed, dressed quickly and went in search of paper and an inkwell.

Scrawling a note for Rebecca to meet him in Hanover Square at noon, Gabriel waited for Mrs. James to return, giving her the letter and specific instructions before leaving.

It was ten o’clock by the time he left George Wellford’s house. On his return to Hanover Square, Cosgrove gave no indication that his master’s absence was anything out of the ordinary.

“When Miss Linwood arrives you’re to escort her down into the cellar.”

For a second, Cosgrove’s eyes widened, and then he blinked, the hooded lids falling back into place. “To the cellar, sir,” he reiterated his tone absent of any inflection.

“I don’t have much time,” Gabriel said, shrugging out of his coat. “But I’ll need some boxes or old crates, anything you can lay your hands on. Bring them down to me.” Gabriel raced past Cosgrove and shouted over his shoulder. “And tell Higson I’ll need his help.”

He set about clearing out the cellar, packaged up all his notes and put them in a box. “Put this one in my study,” he said as Higson came plodding back into the room. “Leave the equipment in the crate and I’ll donate it to one of the scientific societies at the University.”

Higson nodded. “Miss Linwood’s arrived. She’s waiting upstairs.”

Gabriel brushed the dust from his waistcoat and ran his fingers through his hair. “Ask her to come down, would you, Higson.”

Taking a deep breath to calm the pounding in his chest, he stood next to the long table. Deciding his stance was similar to a dignitary posing for a portrait, he moved to the door, just as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

He felt awkward, nervous, but then she smiled.

“So this is the mysterious cellar that has kept you a prisoner for so long.” She walked into the room and glanced at the empty shelves. “I’m a little disappointed. I was expecting to find you wrist-deep in some gruesome experiment.”

“Last week, perhaps,” he said. “This week I am a changed man.”

“I rather liked the old one.”

“You’ll like the new one much more.”

“Are you going somewhere?” she asked looking down at the crate full of scientific equipment.

“That all depends on you.”

His hands throbbed with the need to touch her. He walked over to her and untied the ribbons on her bonnet. She watched his fingers move with keen interest and after placing the item on the table, he worked on removing her gloves.

“My heart is all a flutter, Mr. Stone,” she said, the seductive lilt unmistakable. “As I wonder what devilish experiment you have in store for me.”

“Oh, I have plenty of things in store for you, Miss Linwood.” He kissed her then, hard and quick, as he wouldn’t be able to stop himself if he did anything more lascivious. “Marry me,” he whispered. “Say you’ll be my wife, Rebecca.”

Her hand flew up to cover her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. “Marry you? Gabriel if this is because you don’t want me to go to Egypt then there’s no need to ...”

“This is not about your trip to Egypt,” he said, grabbing her by her elbows and drawing her closer. “Rebecca. I’m in love with you. I’ve been in love with you since you sauntered into Banbury’s library and attempted to describe the uses of a lectern. Even before that. Since you sat in protest on my front steps and waved at every passerby.”

She dropped her hand as her eyes welled with tears. “Do you mean it, Gabriel? Tell me I’m not asleep in my bed, dreaming.”

“I will spend the rest of my life showing you how much I mean it. We will go to Egypt together. We’ll ride camels across the desert, eat exotic fruit, so I’m forced to lick the juice from your lips, roll about naked in a tent.”

She gave a little chuckle. “Well, you certainly appear to have thought it through.”

He’d spent the night with a throbbing erection and thought of nothing else. “And when you want to come home, I’ll live with you, or you can live here, or we’ll buy a new house together.”

She placed her hand on his cheek. “I love you,” she said.

“Rebecca, I love you so much it’s killing me. I’m done with all of this,” he said waving his hand at the room. “I want to start again, with you.”

She turned away from him, walked over to the door and a pain with the force of a lightning bolt shot through his heart. Pulling the key from the front of the door, she closed it, thrust it into the hole in the back and locked them in.

“You know, my bedchamber used to be a place of nightmares,” she said undoing the buttons on her Spencer and shrugging out of it. “Whenever I thought of going in there, I’d feel cold shivers running down my spine. That was until we spent the night in my bed and the morning looking for spiders. Now I feel shivers for an entirely different reason.”