She was worried about him. Hell, she even worried about Alexander. When Alex arrived home happy and without a care in the world, his demeanor quickly changed when he saw the group of men gathered in the library.
She introduced Alexander to those he didn’t know and sat with him as they listened to Matthew. It was when the legal talk began that Alexander rose and entered the conversation. Soon it was just him and Matthew talking as if everyone else had disappeared. She watched as Gabriel absorbed everything, and when it became too much for him, she watched as he left. She wanted nothing more than to go after him and tell him she did not care about the charter, but by the time Annie made it outside, he’d already left.
Her world was crumbling around her, and she needed Gabriel’s strength. When he didn’t return for dinner that night, she asked Alexander to go find him.
That was three days ago.
She certainly didn’t need this stress right now. Too many of Treasure Cove’s townsfolk were downstairs, and with Gabriel and Alexander missing in action, she didn’t know what to do.
Her mind still boggled over the fact that Gabriel was a direct descendant of Treasure Cove, well, maybe not a direct descendant, but damn it, his family owned the land that the town sat upon. What she couldn’t figure out was how they got it. It wasn’t like back in the eighteen-hundreds dukes ran around buying up land in foreign countries, or did they?
Regardless of the fact, now that they were married, everything belonged to Gabriel. Well, the crown of England, she thought, but that shouldn’t matter. At least she didn’t think it mattered.
What she wanted to know was why Gabriel couldn’t go talk with whomever he needed to. Why couldn’t he ask for the land back? I mean, technically, isn’t possession nine-tenths of the law?
Walking over to the window, she looked out over the roaming hills as the moon shined brightly, illuminating everything before her.
Avalon Manor was a beautiful place, a quiet place, but the only thing missing was the vast landscape of the Rocky Mountains, her home.
She knew that right now Gabriel was probably kicking himself six ways to Sunday, but there was nothing he could do about it. He needed to get his head out of his ass and come home so they could figure out a way to fix this mess. Everyone was eager to help. All he had to do was ask for help, but knowing the stubborn man, hell would freeze over before he did that.
Figuring that he wasn’t going to come home anytime soon, Annie climbed into bed and closed her eyes. She prayed that night, the first time in a long time that somehow, someway, he would come home to her and tell her everything was going to be okay.
She slept restlessly, never reaching that peaceful place. Looking at the clock on the nightstand she watched as it blinked three thirty in the morning. With the house quiet, she slipped from bed and went in search of Gabriel.
She hoped he was home, just somewhere hiding in this massive mausoleum he called a house. Making her way silently down the long corridor, she could hear the snores of her sleeping family members as they slumbered within their warm beds.
Oh, how she wished she could be just like them right now.
Silently walking down the stairs, her foot touched the bottom step when she heard glass shattering. Turing toward the sound, she saw light flicker from the library.
She could hear someone moving around, and when she stood in the doorway, her heart fell.
He was home.
Gabriel stood leaning against the raging fire, filthy. His beautifully trimmed and perfect hair was tousled and in disarray, as if he had run his hands through it in frustration. His expensive suit was wrinkled and muddy. His face was hard as she saw a small cut on the side of his cheek along with a split lip.
“Gabriel?” she whispered softly, trying not to startle him.
“Go away,” he growled.
“Come to bed. We can fix this mess tomorrow,” she said, avoiding the broken glass on the floor as she walked toward him. He rounded on her, pinning her in her place. The harsh look in his eyes halted her progress.
Hatred.
Contempt.
Finality resided in his eyes. “Go home, Antoinette. It’s over,” he said flatly.
“No, it’s not. We can fix this. We haven’t even tried yet. You can’t just give up. There has to be someone we can talk to. There has to be something we can do to get the land back,” she began but stopped when he narrowed his silver eyes at her.
* * * *
Gabriel knew this was going to be the hardest thing he had ever done. If he wanted to right a wrong that his family had done centuries ago, this was the only way, and it was going to kill him to do it. The alternative was something he refused to allow. There were too many people involved, too many friends he considered family, and even though he loved Antoinette with every breath in his body, he had to release her.
For the last three days, he sat in a dimly lit room with his lawyer and Alexander going over every damn document his family ever signed their names to. Together, the three of them worked tirelessly to unravel the mystery of so many centuries ago.
After scouring thousands of documents, Gabriel was about to give up when the document in question explained every horrid detail. Gabriel’s desire to undo the past plummeted as Alexander read from the document.
“All right,” Alexander began. “The property in question was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, by Thomas Jefferson in Paris, France. A large part of what is now Montana was under that purchase. Now after looking through some of these documents, I found one with the name of William Leopold Gerald Sexton, Duke of Avalon, and one of Francois Barbe-Marbois, Marquis de Marbois.
“The document was an agreement, stating that the original Duke of Avalon, upon his thirtieth birthday, agreed to marry Lady Marguerite Catherine Marbois, the only daughter of the Marquis brother. Upon agreeing, the duke was allowed to purchase the land. Here is where it gets tricky.
“Another document dated in 1805 stipulated that the land in question was to be a wedding present for the duke’s future wife. Before they could marry, she was killed in a carriage accident three days before the marriage could take place. There was an investigation done because the duke believed she was murdered. When nothing came about, her death was ruled an accident, but even then the Duke held firm to his opinion, even signing a statement as such, putting it on record.
“The duke, fearing for his life and family lineage, handed over the newly acquired property over to his cousin, the King of England, with a stipulation that only when a true Duke of Avalon wedded a true daughter of the House of Marbois, the land would be gifted to her upon her wedding day, thus releasing the coffers of his family heritage.
“The duke never did marry, though not for lack of trying. According to the papers of the time, he was betrothed three more times, and each woman mysteriously died. After that, he stepped away from society and became a recluse, living out the rest of his life at his country estate. Upon his death, his younger brother Luke inherited the title, who already had produced an heir. Upon the duke’s death, his last words were of his young betrothal. It was a true love match, something unique and hardly ever heard of back in the day.
“When Luke inherited, he ran the duchy into the ground, gambling, whoring, and eventually succumbing to a disease of the body. He died a year after his brother. When Luke’s son, Nicholas, inherited, the same fate replayed over the years, leaving the duchy with little or nothing. In 1824, when Nicholas found the original decree, he realized that if he wanted to ensure his son’s future, he would have to create another document. Upon his marriage, any land within the plots in question would divert back to the ancestral duchy if his son married a woman of his choosing. With the Crown’s seal of approval, the current duke set out to find a descendant, but when no one was found, he forged the king’s name.
“After his son refused to marry anyone his father chose and walked out, the royal guard arrived the next day to arrest the current duke, only to find that he taken hi
s own life. Since then, the Duchy of Avalon passed from father to son, never knowing of the document that sealed their fate. It was only recently made known to the crown that such a document existed,” Alexander explained, and though Gabriel received word that the Crown would take everything under advisement, Gabriel knew that meant they were not going to change anything.
“Even when a letter was found within the documents, it only stated that the only thing a successor was allowed to inherit was the title. The only way the family would get all that was given away was if the rightful duke married a true descendant of the Marbois family. Then and only then was the crown required to release the families’ holdings.
“Since Antoinette is not a descendant of the House of Marbois that we know of, technically the crown still owns everything. Here is the problem. The Treasure Cove Charter states that when a member of the original founding family marries, all holdings are to be transferred to the rightful wife. Now, the charter of Treasure Cove is an American document created about twenty years after the original British charter. The question is now, which document was valid?”
Gabriel needed to talk to Matthew. There was no way he understood any of this, let alone what American laws entailed. After calling his friend, they waited for more than an hour for him to arrive, and when he did, they explained what they found, allowing Matthew to go over every document.
“So which document is legal, Matthew?” Gabriel asked, needing an answer quickly.
“Well, here’s the thing, according to American laws, the charter created by the town is valid, due to squatter’s rights, thus voiding your family’s document.”
“What do you mean?” Alexander asked, curious.
“It’s quite simple. The legal principle underlying the vesting of title by adverse possession is that title to land must be confirmed. In this case, it is. So, the owner, your ancestor, Gabriel, has by his own fault or neglect failed to protect the property against the hostile actions of the town’s residents. Now, since the town’s residents have treated the property as their own for a significant period of time, the laws in America will recognize them as the owners.”
“So where does that leave us?” Gabriel asked, looking at Alexander, more confused than ever.
“What it means is that your document is void. Our charter stands as the legal document. What I have also been trying to tell you is that there is a provision within our charter. Apparently one of the founding residents knew of your ancestral document, and to make everything legal and fair, our charter has a clause. It states that if a descendant of one of the founding families of Treasure Cove ever marries a true descendant of the original charter, then all property, water, and mineral rights within the charter will revert to its true owner. That’s you, Gabriel. Since you married Annie, you own the town of Treasure Cove,” Matthew advised.
“But I don’t want it. I just want Antoinette!” Gabriel shouted.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel. When the underwriter finds out you two married, he or she will transfer everything back to the Duke of Avalon, you. Unless…” Matthew said, his voice trailing off as he thought.
“Unless what?” Alexander asked.
“Unless Gabriel annuls the marriage,” Matthew whispered, looking at Gabriel.
Gabriel heart plummeted. To give the town back what rightly belonged to them, he would have to give up the one woman he wanted most in the world.
“Annul my marriage?” he whispered
“He doesn’t need to annul anything. We are not technically married.” Alexander sighed, sitting into one of the chairs in his office.
“What are you blabbering about?” Gabriel shouted.
“You never listen. I tried to explain before we left for Scotland, but all you could think about was marrying Antoinette. I figured it was best to keep my mouth shut, and when we all got back to Montana, we could have another ceremony.”
“We don’t need another ceremony. We’re married!”
“No, we’re not. We are only handfasted. If you would have stopped and listened instead of only thinking of yourself and your needs, I would have explained everything, but as always, the duke gets what he wants.”
“You bastard!” Gabriel yelled, lunging for Alexander.
The fury emanating off Gabriel was intense. All he could see was Alexander’s smug look as he said their marriage was a lie. Without thought or consideration to his brother, Gabriel punched him over and over again, venting his frustrations. Rolling together on the floor, Gabriel moved just in time before Alexander’s fist connected with his face. Quickly getting to his feet, Gabriel charged him once again, pushing his brother back into the wall. A loud crack sounded, just as Alexander finally made contact with his lip. The piercing pain wracked his jaw as he stumbled back. The burning sensation felt good, and as Gabriel brought his hand to his mouth, he tasted blood.
Panting for air, he watched as Alex righted himself and looked him in the eye. “That’s right, asshole. I am a bastard, a true honest-to-god bastard! I hope you’re happy. Was it all worth all the pain and suffering you have caused?”
“No!” Gabriel yelled furiously.
Gabriel could see the pain in his brother’s eyes. Even Matthew looked away. They were all worried about the whole situation, but unless someone suggested something practical, Gabriel’s back was against the wall.
If he stayed with Antoinette, the town and all its assets would be handed over to the crown and the town would be bankrupt. If he walked away, he could save the town and its residents, but he would lose Antoinette and his brother.
“I’ll make this easy for you, brother. We’re done! I don’t ever want to see you again. I am taking Antoinette, and we are leaving,” Alexander said, gathering his things.
Gabriel grabbed his arm. “You’re not taking her from me,” he seethed.
“What choice do you have? You can’t marry her legally and save the town. You have made it clear how you truly feel about me. Just go back to your club, Gabriel. I will take care of Annie.”
“She is my wife, too.”
“Do you not hear? She isn’t married to either of us! Our wedding wasn’t legal!”
“I need to talk with Antoinette,” Gabriel murmured.
“Gabriel, leave her out of this. I will tell her. She has been through enough grief where you’re concerned,” Alexander said.
“She is my wife!” Gabriel shouted.
“That’s just it, brother. She isn’t your wife.” Alexander whispered the truth.
* * * *
Looking at the woman before him, Gabriel’s heart filled with dread. How could he clearly explain what needed to be done? He couldn’t even think clearly himself, let alone try and justify his actions to her.
Gabriel knew if he was going to find the courage to do what he needed, he had to give her this one final aspect of himself. It wasn’t going to be easy, but he refused to walk away without her seeing the real him. The information was hers to do with as she chose, but he needed to let her see him for what he truly was. As much as he wanted to save her this pain, he knew she wouldn’t leave him if he didn’t.
Resolved, he proceeded on his present path and asked God to forgive him for what he was about to do. His soul was already dark, but now he could feel the flames of hell firing up to engulf him. He never deserved her love. She was the angel that soared above everything. She needed to be set free.
Looking at her, he let the mask fall. Letting her inside his head wasn’t going to be easy, but she needed to be aware of the man before her. Nothing he could do would prepare her for what she was about to see.
Walking toward her, he removed his shirt and reached for the handcuffs that he kept hidden in the top drawer of his desk. Placing them upon his wrist, the only sound in the room was the click as the cuffs locked in place.
Once he had the cuffs on his wrists, he looked at them and played with them for a moment. Walking over to where he had fastened eyebolts in the ceiling, he held up his arms.
�
��Secure me,” he said.
Antoinette looked at him in bewilderment.
“Do it now!” he shouted, making her jump, demanding immediate compliance. He said nothing as she reached up and locked the cuffs to the bolts, first one and then the other. She stepped back and looked at him, wondering what to do next.
“O-okay,” she stammered. Gabriel closed his eyes as her hands touched his skin. Lost within the feel of her, he allowed himself this one last time. Her purity was that of an angel, and he wanted nothing more than to fall at her feet and weep. He did not deserve her. He never would. He wondered if she actually knew that she was his salvation, his only reason for living. He never believed in love until she gave herself so freely to him.
Regardless if he was right or wrong, her innocence soothed his pain. Looking at her, he felt blessed for the short time she wrapped him within her love.
Crumbling inside, he opened his eyes. “Do your worst. This is your time.”
* * * *
Annie didn’t know what was wrong. Something in her gut told her that no matter what she did, the finality of this interlude was an outcome she wasn’t ever going to be prepared for. Stepping back, she just looked at the man before her. Stripped bare, she saw him for what he actually was—a broken man.
Her heart went out to him. He was so closed off and distant that she wanted nothing more than to take his pain upon her shoulders.
While he was gone, something in him changed. The happy man who left was not coming back. Only the remnants of the man before remained. Everything in her cried out to help him, protect him, to love him.
Thinking of what she could do to help, she realized that the dominant man she loved had just become the submissive. This was a trait she never saw in him before. She didn’t know what to do. The ball was now in her court. What did he want her to do? What could she do to help him? She stood there thinking about that for a moment, then stepped forward and gently stroked his chest.
“What do you want?” she whispered.
Gabriel's Heart [The Men of Treasure Cove 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13