by Meghan Sloan
“Emily,” Cassandra started, “what do you know about Gabriel Tattershall?”
Emily stopped. She stared at her.
“Gabriel Tattershall? Why do you want to know?”
“Just humour me.”
Emily frowned. But she answered, going back to eating and talking between mouthfuls.
“He’s the eldest son of Viscount Tattershall. They live in a nice place in Brandeston. And Gabriel…” Emily paused. “He was wild. He gambled his allowance away and flirted with a lot of women. Although flirt would be an understated term for what he’s done.”
“You mean he’s a rake.”
That had Cassandra’s suspicions confirmed. There had been something about Gabriel that said he knew how to behave towards women and loved to use his charm. Why did she feel annoyed knowing that Gabriel was a rake?
“Everyone knows he is. I’m surprised you didn’t know.”
“I don’t listen to gossip.”
Emily arched an eyebrow.
“You’re probably the only person I know who doesn’t listen to gossip.”
“I prefer facts, not word-of-mouth.”
Emily grunted. She reached for her water.
“Anyway, Gabriel’s father got fed up with having to pay off his son’s debts with his creditors and went to confront his son. Either he got himself together and grew up or he wasn’t going tohave anything.” Emily’s eyes glinted, “Viscount Tattershall walked in on his son in bed with a woman. Miss Jessica Gibson. Apparently, it was more than a bit obvious what they were up to.”
“Emily!” Cassandra groaned and held up a hand. “I didn’t ask for what specific position they were in. I just want to know what you know. And would you keep your voice down? People can hear us.”
“You’re the one who asked about Gabriel Tattershall.”
Cassandra flinched and looked around. It was busy in the cafe, but people were focused on eating their food and not on other people’s conversations. Even so, Cassandra was beginning to wish she had asked Emily when they were alone. Rumours in Ipswich could spread really fast, and Cassandra had no intention of being in the middle of one.
“Because your father and Viscount Tattershall are friends from childhood and he hears everything. I wasn’t asking about that!”
“Well, that’s what I’ve heard.” Emily grinned and leaned forward, clearly eager to divulge this piece of knowledge, “From what I heard Father telling Mother, Viscount Tattershall was so mad at his son’s blatant disrespect for his family name and home that he threw Gabriel out of the house. The only saving grace he would give him was to let Gabriel keep his valet and they could live in a cottage on the estate, but with a set amount of money and as far away from them as possible. He wasn’t allowed to go back into the house except to gather his belongings.”
Cassandra stared. She claimed not to listen to gossip, but it was difficult to keep away from when it was almost what everyone talked about, even the gentlemen in society. They were even worse than the ladies who started spreading the rumours. Even so, Cassandra did her best to ignore what was being told to her, choosing to form her own opinions. She had heard about the estrangement but hadn’t heard the extent of it, beyond that Gabriel was appalling with money. Gambling was his drug, and he couldn’t stop.
He had some self-control, as he had been in Seton Hall and didn’t touch the cards at all. He just had one drink and then left. Cassandra had found herself sneaking glances at him when she was meant to be doing something else.
She shouldn’t have done it, but she hadn’t been able to stop. Gabriel was just...incredible to look at. It was no wonder women found him attractive, especially with that smooth deep timbre in his voice. That still sent shivers down Cassandra’s back, even now.
Stop and take a deep breath. He’s a rake who could have a woman in his bed with just a click of his fingers. Not the type you should be associating with at all.
“Why are you asking about him, anyway?” Emily asked. “Couldn’t you have got this from your own contacts?”
“My contacts are not you,” Cassandra hesitated, “I...I met him.”
Emily blinked. Her eyes widened.
“You met him? When?”
“Last night. He came to Seton Hall. I think…” Cassandra frowned, “I think he was attempting to flirt with me.”
“Oh, really?” Emily giggled. “I would love to have seen that. I presume you told him where to go.”
“Not in so many words.”
She could have done. Cassandra had put men more handsome and charismatic than Gabriel Tattershall in their place, but with Gabriel it was something else. She didn’t know why it was different, and that unnerved her.
“Ah.” Understanding dawned in Emily’s expression. “Now I get what you’re saying.”
“Do you?”
“Yes. You found him attractive.” Emily giggled, “You and everyone else he’s come across.”
“What?” Cassandra wished she could deny it, but knew that her cheeks were getting warm. They would give her away. “I was just curious. It’s a shame he couldn’t be such a decent man with those looks as well.”
“I’m sure he’s a decent person. Just not with beautiful women.” Emily’s giggle faded and she frowned. “You’d better be careful with him, Cassie. From what I hear, whenever Gabriel Tattershall is around he’s up to something. He didn’t get to where he is just by being a pretty face.”
“Apart from getting disowned, you mean.”
“Aside from that.” Emily speared a piece of egg with her fork. “You’ll see. He’ll be up to something. That mind of his is sharp. Just be careful if you come into contact with him again.”
“I plan to be.” Cassandra lifted her chin, “I’m always careful.”
For the most part, but Cassandra had a feeling that she would be handling Gabriel Tattershall with soft gloves. She wouldn’t be able to relax with him around, not if he made her feel like she was housing butterflies in her belly. That was enough to tell her that Gabriel was going to be trouble.
Chapter 7
Gabriel waited until a time when he knew that his parents would be out of the house. Viscount Derek Tattershall and his wife were very sociable people, so they were always going to other people’s homes for dinner or other various social engagements.
Gabriel had inherited their social side and he had enjoyed going around with his mother and father, soaking up the atmosphere. Percy was a lot quieter, preferring to be on his own in the corner and watching everyone. He was a little awkward, in that respect.
And he would prefer to stay at home as a grown man instead of following his parents to another visit to one of their many friends, which made it easier to get hold of Percy when needed - much like now.
Gabriel had to get the next part of his plan into motion and it would be easier to get hold of his brother if he was home alone. If either Derek or Adelaide Tattershall saw him, they would cause such a scene that Gabriel wouldn’t be able to step foot onto land that could be seen from the windows.
Gabriel waited until mid-morning and then made his way over, choosing to walk across the fields. In recent months, only having occasional access to a horse and carriage, Gabriel had ended up going on lots of walks. And, to his surprise, he actually liked it.
There was something refreshing about going for miles and feeling the wind in his hair. It had made him lose a few pounds around his middle, making him leaner than before, and Gabriel didn’t feel as puffed when he walked.
He did miss having his old life, but Gabriel knew it was his own fault. He couldn’t complain about the situation when he had put himself in it.
At this time of the morning, Percy would be taking a walk around the gardens. He chose to stay a little closer to the house, admiring the flowers. Gabriel had wondered how his little brother had managed to even have any friends when he stayed close to the house for the most part. It was no surprise that he didn’t really know how to talk to women.
Bu
t it always made it easier to lead him in the right direction.
Gabriel did feel a slight pang of regret for doing this - he was, essentially, using his brother as a pawn in his plans - but it did mean that Percy found himself a wife, something he knew his fatherwas pestering Percy to do. Percy was a sweet man, but incredibly awkward. Gabriel knew Derek was in despair over his son. This way, Percy found a woman who could be his wife, and it would make Derek back down over his demands for his heir to have an heir of his own.
It was cruel to use his brother in this way, but Gabriel knew it was for a good cause. Percy would thank him for it in the end.
Percy was out in the rose garden. He was very interested in the roses, to the point Derek had cordoned off a part of the garden just for Percy. Gabriel had never understood the fascination with flowers. They looked nice, but he had no patience to grow them.
Gabriel took a shortcut through the gardens and stepped through the archway of flowers into his brother’s little enclosure. Percy looked up from the rose bush he was tending to. He had his jacket laid over a nearby stone bench and the sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, his hair slightly tousled. Percy beamed when he saw Gabe.
“Gabe!”
“Morning, Percy.”
Percy put the pruning shears on top of his jacket and came around the bush. Gabriel accepted the embrace before stepping back and looking around him.
“This is looking really good. I’m impressed, Percy. You should have been a gardener.”
“Not really.” Percy blushed and gave a lopsided shrug. “It’s something that keeps me calm. Something I can control.”
“Maybe you should come and do my garden. I’m still finding my way around it.” Gabriel held out his hands, “We have some roses and they’re not kind at all.”
Percy laughed.
“They’re only kind if you’re kind to them. Knowing you, you don’t spare the shears and just chop away like a madman.”
“Well, if I do end up with a garden with no gardener, what do they expect?”
Percy was still chuckling as he went to the bench and picked up his jacket.
“Doesn’t Allen do gardening as well?”
“He does, but he’s no better than I am.” Gabriel shrugged, “And I need to have something to do. I just end up sitting around the house doing nothing. There are days when I need to be on the move. With my money extremely limited and my avenues of enjoyment cut off, I have to decide what I’m going to do with my time.”
“Well, if you will abuse what you’ve been given…” Percy rolled down his sleeves, buttoning them up at the cuffs, “then you wouldn’t be in this mess and I wouldn’t be the heir.”
It was known that Percy didn’t want to be the heir to the viscountcy. He preferred to be the second son and have a little more freedom. It allowed him to be quiet as much as he wanted and there was no immediate pressure for him to go and get married.
Now he had been thrust into a position he didn’t want. Gabriel wanted the title of heir, mostly because of what came with it and mostly because he knew he could handle the pressures of being the heir better than his brother could. Percy would get eaten alive at social engagements with everyone using him.
Isn’t that what you’re essentially doing? Using him?
I’m giving him an opportunity to have a wife. There’s a difference.
“I take it Mother and Father aren’t here right now.”
Percy scoffed. He finished his final button on his cuff and shrugged into his jacket.
“You know perfectly well they’re not here. They left yesterday.”
“I honestly didn’t know. I don’t keep up with their social calendar anymore.”
“Well, they’re in Woodbridge right now. Something about Aunt Sally’s birthday garden party.”
“And you didn’t go yourself?”
Percy rolled his eyes.
“You know perfectly well that Aunt Sally gets on my nerves. She thinks that it’s fine to tease me about my interests, and all I want to do is shout at her. Father understands, so I choose to keep my distance.”
“After being in her company multiple times, I understand.” Gabriel shook his head. “I don’t know how Mother and Father put up with her.”
“Because she’s a widow and apparently very lonely,” Percy grunted. “They don’t want her to be alone.”
Which Gabriel thought was ridiculous. Their father’s sister had been widowed for the last ten years and she had two children of her own. Two daughters who had left to marry as soon as they were able. Neither of them spoke to their mother, which Sally did lament about on many occasions.
She kept asking why her daughters hated her so much. Gabriel knew; Sally was so overbearing that she had to control everything. Her daughters, Gabriel’s cousins, didn’t like being questioned over everything or pushed towards people their mother thought suitable, so they left as soon as they could with husbands they had chosen.
Their family was just a mess.
“She’s hardly lonely when she’s got so many of her siblings around her,” Gabriel muttered. “She’s the one with money to spare even after she dies, and yet Father has to pay for her because she complains about having to do things herself. It’s like dealing with another child.”
“You’re just bitter because Father cut the wrong person off.”
Gabriel sighed.
“I suppose I deserved it. I pushed my luck too much. But I’m going to turn that around.” He came around the bushes and tapped Percy on the shoulder with his fist. “I’m going to show Father that I’m not the pathetic failure he declared me to be. Among the many other names he called me that night.”
“That’s good, but…” Percy frowned, “what are you up to, Gabe?”
Gabriel grinned.
“You’ll see. I’m still putting some of these plans into action.”
“It’s not going to be one of your schemes that falls by the wayside, is it? You’ve never been able to stick to anything in your life.”
“Hey! I thought you loved me, Percy.”
“That doesn’t mean I’m blind to your flaws.” Percy folded his arms. “I don’t think it’ll be enough to make Father give you back your title, though.”
“Are you worried that I’ll become the heir again?”
“I’d rather be the spare. Less pressure on me to do anything.” Percy made a face. “After experiencing what you’ve been through in the last six months, I can see why anyone would be tempted to be wild.”
Gabriel laughed and looped his arm around Percy’s shoulders in a brief embrace.
“I’m glad you’re on my side.” He stepped back and picked up the pruning shears from the bench. “I take it Mother and Father are pushing for you to get married.”
“And then some. I’m so tempted just to tell them to shove it.”
“I thought you said you wanted to get married.”
“I do, but…” Percy sighed, “no woman wants to be in talks with a man who can’t hold an interesting conversation or show some kind of initiative. And the women Mother has found for me are not exactly...well, I want to feel something more than just…”