Gabrielle's Discipline (Bridal Discipline Book 3)

by Angel, Golden

  ******

  The shifting of her cushion woke her, but she was reluctant to awake. With a soft mutter, Gabrielle snuggled deeper into what should be the softness of her pillow, only to realize that she was pressing her face against something quite hard... and strangely hot. There was an arm about her shoulders, fingers stroking her upper arm, which meant that the warm she felt beneath her cheek and hand was -

  Alertness came swiftly with the sharp shock of realization, and she sat up abruptly, eyes wide, and a muffled shriek vibrating in her throat.

  The lazy, self-satisfied, rake's smile that her new husband bestowed upon her did nothing to settle her mind. Gabrielle's heart was beating frantically, between realizing that she'd be cuddled up against him in her sleep and the way he was looking at her now. She could only imagine that she looked afright, but the expression on his face said anything but. His eyes raked over her hair and rumpled skirts with a strange kind of smugness that made her skin tingle, and she narrowed her eyes as her temper sparked.

  Seeing her expression, his smile actually widened.

  "We're here, my lady." The overly polite tones struck a chord within her; the same tones he'd used to needle her with when they'd first met and she'd felt as though he was mocking her with his superior knowledge of the ton and town life.

  Deciding to ignore him while she calmed herself, Gabrielle peered past him, out the carriage window. The sun was setting as the carriage rocked along, but she could see plenty of the manor house that they were approaching. It was a very large country house, three stories high and quite imposing as the front of it was fully lit, the lights in the windows shining out like beacons in the waning light. A row of trees followed the lane, which wended its way up to the main entrance. Larger than the house she'd grown up in, it still felt familiarly like home.

  Not exciting or sophisticated like London, but comfortable and warm. To her surprise, she truly was glad to be back in the country.

  "It's beautiful," she said, carefully sitting back and scooting away from the large male body next to hers. The sudden loss of warmth was only physical, she told herself.

  Even in the dim light of the carriage, she could see him looking at her out of the corner of her eye. Both of his hands rested on his thighs, one long finger tapping against the muscle. Gabrielle tried not to think about how nice it had felt to be nestled up against his body with his hands resting on her. She especially tried not to think about the marital acts she'd witnessed between the Marquess and Cordelia back in London. That just made her think about the times she'd wickedly experimented in self-pleasure following her first accidental role as a peeping-tom, and that made her think about the face she'd pictured every time she'd indulged in such perverse activities.

  A blush rose in her cheeks at that man's nearness, but fortunately it was too dark in the carriage for him to be able to see that.

  She heard the groom call out the halt, and the stamp of the horses' feet, as the carriage slowed and then stopped.

  Despite her desire to escape the close confines of the carriage, she still hesitated when Felix stepped down and held out his hand. She wanted to escape the carriage in part to escape being forced into such close proximity to him. Waking up on his chest like that... her skin still felt like it was too tight and tingling. The thought of touching him again made anxiety rise in her, but she didn't truly have a choice.

  Barely touching her fingertips to his, Gabrielle scrambled out of the carriage, only to see him frown down at her.

  "Gabrielle - "

  Whatever he was about to say was cut off as the door to the Manor flew open and a woman came rushing out, followed by a more slowly moving gentleman.

  "Felix!" The lady was graceful even in her hurry, her blue skirts swirling around her as she moved. She was clearly dressed for dinner, but, as they were out in the country, she lacked the more elaborate accessories that adorned the ladies of the ton. The dress she was wearing was of very fine material and gorgeously cut, but was much simpler than the finery of London. Gabrielle found herself relieved to see it; something else that felt familiar and comforting.

  Turning to meet her, Felix smiled and shook his head as he opened his arms to greet his mother with a hug. She had the same dark hair and eyes as her son, although her hair was liberally streaked with white, the contrast somehow exotic rather than aging. Her sons obviously got their height, broad shoulders, and calm demeanors from their father, who was following his wife at a much more sedate pace.

  Just as tall as Felix, he had kind brown eyes that alighted on Gabrielle as he smiled. Dressed as a country gentleman, he obviously favored browns and earth tones over the stark blacks and whites his sons tended to dress in. His brown hair was sprinkled with grey, and he'd gone fully grey at his temples. Despite the lines on his face, he was still a very handsome man, and obviously doted on his wife going by the look he threw her, full of amusement, resignation, and exasperation.

  "And you must be my new daughter-in-law!"

  To her shock, Gabrielle found herself drawn into an embrace by the other woman. Although she didn't know what Felix or his brother had written to their parents, she hadn't imagined a warm welcome, considering the circumstances and hastiness of their wedding. But Viscountess Hood had her in a crushing hug, and she didn't seem at all upset.

  Unsure of how to respond, Gabrielle threw a panicked look at Felix. The bloody useless fool was just standing there, shaking his head and grinning.

  "Good grief, Lizzie, let the gel breathe," the Viscount chuckled as he drew closer. "You'll scare her off and then where will Felix be?"

  "Absolutely not, you're not scared are you?" The Viscountess pull back to meet Gabrielle's eyes. They were close enough in height, the older woman just a touch shorter. Smiling delightedly, the Viscountess wreathed her arm through Gabrielle's, leading her towards the house. "She's probably just tired and overwhelmed. It's been a very long day after all. We've been waiting for you to arrive before we ate our meal."

  "Mother, aren't you going to allow me to introduce you?" Felix said, his voice sounding somewhat plaintive. Gabrielle had to stifle a giggle, and the Viscountess gave her an encouraging look, while somehow simultaneously giving her soon a repressive one.

  "I don't need to be introduced to my new daughter, thank you Felix. We'll just move straight to the getting-to-know-each-other part."

  "Hello dear," the Viscount said as she passed. Lady Hood paused just long enough for the Viscount to lean forward and give Gabrielle a buss on the cheek. "Welcome to the family."

  The warmth and obvious parental approval that both of them were brimming with as they looked at her left Gabrielle perilously close to tears. In a daze, she allowed Lady Hood to pull her along, up and into the house, pointing out various aspects of the architecture and artwork all along the way.

  ******

  Sighing, Felix rubbed his hand over his face. He should have realized his mother would take over the moment they arrived. After all, she'd been waiting years for one of her brood to show even the slightest interest in marriage. While Thomas had had several long-term mistresses, he seemed to have no interest in actually settling down with one (to his mother's dismay - she'd had high hopes of a widow that Thomas had been attached to for about a year), and Walter gallivanted about the ladies of the ton without ever showing a preference for any of them. Walter loved all ladies, of all hair colors, of all sizes, and all stations of life as far as Felix could tell. But he only loved them for a few days and then he moved on. The only ladies he absolutely avoided were the young innocents in the marriage mart.

  Since no one expected Felix, as the youngest, to have married first, his mother was justifiably quite excited. She was always lamenting the lack of feminine company - as if her bosom friends and many connections at home weren't enough. The woman wanted daughters. Felix was actually rather surprised that she and his father hadn’t come into town for the wedding, despite the incredibly short notice. Still, she didn’t seem upset with him, so ei
ther the note informing her of the ceremony had been enough to placate her, she considered meeting Gabrielle on the same day to be just as good, or she was just so happy to have a daughter-in-law that he could have gotten away with murder if he’d wanted to. Knowing his mother, she was probably motivated by some combination of all three.

  "Hello, son." Ever cheerful, his father clapped him on the shoulder. "I hope you realize that you've made your mother the happiest woman on the face of the earth. Although, once she calms down you'll probably have to listen to a diatribe about having the wedding without her."

  "Unfortunately time was of the essence," Felix said, giving his father a wane smile and brief embrace. He always marveled at the difference between his solid, methodical father and his impulsive, flighty mother, but they balanced each other out. "I was actually expecting the lecture immediately."

  "Oh no," his father said chuckling, as they made their way into the house. Felix couldn't help but smile as the familiar scent of home - and Cook's blueberry tarts - surrounded him. "She's far too excited about the prospect of another female in the house. The fact that she's entirely suitable, disregarding the scandal which you've taken care of by marrying her, and that Thomas described her as delightful company and quite bright in his note to us, has your mother in alt. She's spent all day getting the rooms ready."

  Rooms? Immediately Felix was distracted from wondering what, exactly, Thomas had written in his note. "I'd planned on us staying in the summer house."

  "Unfortunately we had a small incident in the summer house," his father said with a sigh. "Two of Patrick's boys decided to sneak out and spend the night there, as part of a dare, I'm told. They fell asleep and one of their candles tipped over. Fortunately they both escaped without injury, but the house's current condition is not livable."

  The dismay on Felix's face didn't abate even when they walked into the dining room, where his mother already had Gabrielle sitting and held captive in conversation. She glanced up at her son, beaming, and then blinked at his expression.

  "Oh, did your father tell you about the summer house?" she asked, and then, without waiting for an answer, turned to explain to Gabrielle. "There was a small fire, so it's uninhabitable at the moment, but don't worry, you two will be quite comfortable. We set up the East Wing for you to sleep in and have some privacy, although of course we'd be thrilled if you would join us for supper each evening, and perhaps some breakfasts? We do keep country hours here, if you don't mind making the adjustment."

  "Of course," Gabrielle said, smiling back at his mother.

  Felix wanted to grump, but he couldn't. The smile on Gabrielle's face was full of warmth, and she was looking at his mother like she was some kind of deity that Gabrielle had decided to worship. It was not an expression he'd seen on Gabrielle's face before, but she looked more open and more content than he'd ever seen her and if taking meals with his mother made her respond so... well, he wasn't going to take that away.

  He wasn’t going to take his bad mood out on Gabrielle either, that would be counterproductive. It was no one's fault that they couldn't use the summer house. And, as his parents resided in the West Wing of the house with all the family's rooms, and the East was rarely opened except for important visiting guests, he couldn't very well complain that they'd been anything but accommodating. His plans for having Gabrielle to himself, to begin a strong relationship, had been scuppered but he could make new ones.

  Ones, he realized with resignation as he sat down opposite his bride, which were probably going to have to include his parents. She was gazing at his father with a kind of wary hopefulness that turned into bright joy when his father sat down, smiling at her, and immediately declared how pleased he was with Felix's choice of bride.

  Why did Gabrielle like everyone else in his family better than him?

  With a wave of her hand, his mother summoned the soup course, and it quickly became clear that both of his parents were intent on prying as much information from Gabrielle as they could. After a moment, Felix realized many of her answers were also new to him, and perhaps his parents' presence wasn't such a bad thing. His mother could pry and he could learn, without any effort on his part.

  In ballrooms and at dinners, conversation was, by necessity, kept to more superficial avenues. His parents were much more interested in Gabrielle personally and, as she was now related to them and they were in the privacy of their own home, they were free to question her much more purposefully.

  "So, you're used to country life?" his mother asked, shooting Felix a delighted glance, as if picturing her wayward son visiting more often to please his bride.

  "This Season was my first time in town," Gabrielle said, almost shyly, looking to his mother for approval before continuing. "My father..." She cleared her throat. "My father was quite focused on his estate, the only time he went to town was when he was searching for a bride, and so of course he never took me."

  "Well there's certainly nothing wrong with that," Felix's mother said, patting Gabrielle's hand. Felix frowned as tension melted away from Gabrielle at the reassurance, unsure of why she'd needed it in the first place. He was still trying to figure out her behavior, as he'd never seen her behave like this. It was like watching a puppy doing tricks for its master, but unsure of whether it would receive a reward or a kick at the end of it. "As you can see, Henry and I don’t spend every Season in town. London can be quite gaudy and entertaining, but it tires me out so quickly."

  Probably because, when in town, she had a tendency to attend as many balls as she could possibly squeeze into an evening - every evening - and follow it with as many at-homes and teas the next day. His father never allowed her to visit for long, because she wore herself out every time with her incessant socializing. It didn't matter how long their stay was either, she would keep up that schedule until they left, claiming the entire time that she wasn't tired.

  It was rather amusing to watch her subvert that into approval of Gabrielle. He had a feeling that no matter what his bride said, his mother would find some way to approve. She'd probably even cheer Gabrielle sneaking off from the balls to seek out some excitement, claiming that young ladies were deserving of adventures.

  "I did enjoy the balls and the dancing, but coming out here..." Gabrielle smiled, taking a deep breath. "I'd forgotten how lovely the country is, and how fresh the air."

  "Exactly," Felix's father said, giving her an approving look.

  Felix could swear he actual saw Gabrielle blossom, her eyes sparkling as she preened back at his father. This was definitely a side he'd never seen of her before.

  The soup tureen and bowls were taken away and replaced with roast pork, potatoes, and, if he smelled correctly, plum sauce.

  His mother smiled, seeing his look. "Yes dear, that's your plum sauce." She turned her smile to Gabrielle. "Felix has such a passion for plum sauce, it's always been his favorite."

  "Mine too," Gabrielle said, looking surprised. Felix couldn't hide his own reaction of surprise; he hadn't known they'd had that in common either. Seeing his expression, his mother's eyes narrowed, her lips pursing, before she turned her attention back to Gabrielle. Guessing what had perturbed his mother, Felix did the same.

  ******

  At the end of dinner, when her new mother-in-law took Gabrielle off to the drawing room so that the men could have their port and cigars, Gabrielle went quite willingly. She already adored the older woman, who was so blatant in her approval and easy in her immediate affection. At first it had made Gabrielle nervous, as she'd realized it had very little to do with herself as a person and everything to do with her new position in the Viscountess' life, but she could tell that the liking was becoming real.

  Both of Felix's parents seemed to like her, immediately and without reservation, and they were both already doting on her. The Viscount had plied her with food and compliments, while the Viscountess had posed question after question in her desire to know Gabrielle better. Along the way they'd imparted quite a few stories, a
ll of which seemed to feature Felix in various scrapes, which made him seem quite a bit less imposing.

  To her surprise, he'd seemed very approving during dinner as well, in a general sort of way. For once, he hadn't made any of the comments that got her back up around him. He hadn't behaved like a sophisticated London gentleman with his parents there, or regaled them with stories about exciting adventures or important endeavors; he'd actually been rather quiet and it seemed like he'd been listening... like his interest was truly in her.

  Several times he'd made comments that had stirred her temper, but only because she'd realized that he must have been talking to Cordelia about her. That or Cordelia had talked to Philip, who had talked to Felix, but Gabrielle had trouble imagining Philip and Felix gossiping about her father's household. Even though, her temper hadn't stirred very far, she'd been too busy enjoying the warm attentions of his parents, basking in their patent approval, and their sincere interest in her. She knew they were interested because she was now part of their family, but she hadn't truly expected them to treat her as family.

  "Well then, dear," the Viscountess said, sitting down on a settee as gesturing for Gabrielle to join her. The drawing room was quite cozy, decorated in soothing green and pale yellow with hints of blue and cream sprinkled throughout in the form of cushions and small decorations. On the mantle was a small collection of tiny figurines, all country figures - Gabrielle easily recognized a pretty shepherdess dressed in pink and her flock. The Viscountess' eyes sparkled as Gabrielle settled down next to her. "Now we may truly talk with the menfolk otherwise occupied. I want to hear all about your and Felix's courtship."

  "My lady..." Gabrielle floundered, immediately at a loss for words. She knew that Felix and Thomas had both written ahead, had neither of them explained? Or had the Viscount read the note and then kept some of the pertinent details from his wife? Fear flashed through her as she suddenly realized that the Viscountess' warmth might be based upon a false impression.