Tempted

by Jess Michaels

  His mother nodded. “Indeed, I did, but not company that troubled me. Just Juliet Gray and her father.”

  Gabriel heard the slight tremor in her voice but could not stop to analyze it. He was too busy processing his own reaction to the name she had spoken so cavalierly.

  Juliet Gray.

  The young woman had come into their home as healer and from the first moment he saw her he had been…distracted by her. His brothers would have teased him about her beauty had they known. And yes, of course no man could deny that she was beautiful. With a slender, fine-boned face, full lips and a thick shock of curly auburn hair, Gabriel had no doubt Juliet had been catching the eye of many a man since the moment she hit maturity.

  But it was more than her beauty that attracted him to the woman. She was highly intelligent, frustratingly able to argue with him on even the most mundane of subjects and she was powerfully empathetic. Where he struggled with emotion, she seemed to embrace it in all its forms.

  “Why are you frowning?” his mother asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  He shook his head. “Was I?”

  “Yes. You look quite dour.” Lady Woodley folded her arms. “Which makes me nervous to tell you why I invited the two of them to call on me before we left for the city.”

  He stared at her, trying to read her intentions and failing. “Why?” he pressed.

  “I have asked her and her father to join us in London through the holidays and to the end of January. They will stay with me in my townhouse there and be a part of our family celebrations, as well as be my guests at as many fetes as I can convince Juliet to attend.”

  Lady Woodley lifted her chin with what could only be labeled pride at this plan. But Gabriel was still reeling from it.

  “Juliet—Miss Gray? Why in the world would you do such a thing?”

  His mother lifted her brows at once and frowned at him. “I thought you liked Miss Gray.”

  Liked her. It was such a benign description of how powerfully attracted and frustrated and distracted he was by Juliet. But he wasn’t about to go admitting that out loud. Others might be led by their emotions, but he was not.

  “I hardly think of her,” he lied, turning his attention to the scene outside.

  “Hmm, well, you should. After all, she saved my life.”

  His mother’s voice was soft, but there was no denying the gentle admonishment within her tone and her words. Gabriel squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could explain himself but knowing he couldn’t.

  After he took a long breath, he said, “Of course. And I will never forget that or be able to repay Juliet—Miss Gray—for what she did for our family.”

  Lady Woodley smiled and nodded. “Exactly. But that is my intention in inviting her to London. I feel I must do something to repay her for all her care, her kindness, for saving my life.”

  “And you think some weeks in London will do all that? London is grand, of course, but hardly that grand.”

  “It isn’t about the city,” Lady Woodley protested. “I am more interested in the opportunities I will be able to present to her there.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “You mean you’ll introduce her to others to whom she can serve as healer? I don’t know that you’ll be able to convince her to leave Idleridge. She likes helping those in need in the village.”

  “I don’t want to find her a richer clientele, Gabriel,” his mother huffed in frustration. “I am hoping that she might find a husband in London.”

  Gabriel felt like a horse that had been running free only to be brought up short by a painful jerk on the bridle. His mouth went dry, his palms began to sweat and he once again turned his attention to the scene outside, even though he could hardly see it.

  “A husband,” he repeated, his tone flat and unemotional, unlike his heart.

  She nodded. “You sound as though you disapprove. Don’t you think she deserves a bright future? Or even love?”

  Gabriel clenched his hands into fists on his lap, opening and closing his fingers in a jerky rhythm. “Certainly, if that is what she wants,” he finally managed to choke out.

  His mother tilted her head. “Isn’t it what you want?”

  “I hardly know Miss Gray well enough to want something for her—” he began, but she cut him off.

  “Not what you want for Juliet. Isn’t that what you want for yourself?”

  Gabriel tensed. These were exactly the conversations he loathed having, though he guessed his mother knew that. Yet still she watched him, reading his expression as easily as he could read shreds of information to deduce a truth.

  “I want—” He stopped himself.

  He couldn’t tell his mother what he wanted. It would only hurt her. Because it would mean mentioning Claire. His twin sister had run away over two years before and he had been seeking to find her ever since. That goal had filled his mind, filled his life, for so long, he couldn’t picture anything else. It had made him betray friends and hurt those he loved.

  And if he said that now, he knew his mother’s face would fall, her lip would quiver. It would hurt her not just because of her memories of his lost sister, but her worries about him.

  “What do you want?” Lady Woodley asked, her voice tense with emotion.

  He reached out to cover her hand with his own and squeezed gently. “I have many things to do before I think of marriage, Mama.”

  She held his gaze for a long moment, her eyes reflecting worries. Then she shook her head. “I suppose you do. You are always busy, aren’t you?”

  He cleared his throat. “I am.”

  “Well, I hope you will make a little time to be kind to Juliet while she and her father are with me,” she added as she leaned back to look out at the approaching buildings of the outskirts of London.

  He nodded, trying once again to get thoughts of Juliet Gray from his mind. Failing miserably.

  “Of course, Mama,” he demurred softly. “Of course. Though I’m sure you will keep her so busy that she will not care a whit if she sees me or not.”

  Juliet stared out the carriage window as the city began to rise up around them. After a day and a half driving through the countryside, Juliet already felt cramped by London. As if the buildings were reaching in to grab her and trap her here forever. Oh, how she missed the simplicity of home, and she had only just begun.

  “You do not look happy, dearest,” her father said from across from her.

  She jerked from her reverie and stared at him. He was on the edge of his seat, his eyes lit up and his hands clasped in his lap.

  She arched a brow. “You look pleased enough for both of us! You are practically bouncing in delight.”

  He waved her off. “We are not talking about me, Juliet. We are talking about you. You realize this is a wonderful opportunity for you, don’t you?”

  Juliet flinched. “An opportunity to do what, exactly?” she asked softly.

  He folded his arms. “Lady Woodley is bringing you in as her special guest. You will meet important people and do wonderful, exciting things. This could be the beginning of a new life for you.”

  Juliet shook her head. “But Papa, I like my life. I’ve never felt a draw to pursue a new one.”

  His brow wrinkled. “Yes, I know. If it were up to you, you would stay in Idleridge forever and only help others.”

  “What is wrong with that?”

  He leaned closer. “My love, who is in Idleridge for you?”

  “My friends.” She shook her head. “Those I assist—”

  “I meant who is there for you to meet - fall in love with - even marry?”

  She swallowed as all her retorts fell silent on her lips. “I-I suppose I do not think much on that subject.”

  Oh, she had. Once upon a time. But circumstances had changed for her long ago. And she held no real hopes that she would find what her father described. Especially not here in London amongst the social elite. She already had experience in that arena,
and Gabriel’s conflicting behavior toward her only solidified her reluctance to seek a future in those lofty halls. If that was the goal, it was a waste of Lady Woodley’s time, as well as her own.

  She opened her mouth to say as much to her father, but caught the glimpse of anticipation in his eyes. The same giddy schoolboy interest that she’d seen there the previous week when Lady Woodley made her invitation.

  Since her mother’s death, Juliet had not seen such brightness, such interest in his expression. Normally he would have lost himself entirely in his thick tome about celestial bodies during their long ride, but here he was talking to her, actually looking forward to his time in London.

  And she couldn’t steal that from him.

  “You look very excited for this visit, even if you accuse me of being less so,” she said, folding her hands in her lap.

  He shook his head. “Why should I not be? My daughter to be celebrated in such a way?”

  “And I suppose the opportunity to renew an old acquaintance is not so difficult a thing to endure.”

  He hesitated, and that fraction of a moment of silence spoke volumes. “I admit I am not sorry to see Lady Woodley again.”

  Juliet tilted her head to examine him more closely. “I suppose I never knew how close you two once were. She had spoken of you before, of course, and you of her once I began to assist her during her illness. But to see you together, well…”

  “Well what?” Her father filled in the space she had left unsaid.

  “You smile more,” she said softly. “And she blushes, which I have never seen except when she was wrought with fever.”

  He folded his arms. “What are you asking me, Juliet Gray?”

  “Was I asking a question?” she teased, but she searched his face for the answer she sought.

  He sighed. “A long time ago, I did know Susanna, Lady Woodley. And to see her now, to see how little she has changed, even after more than three decades, well, it does take me back. But there is also much between us. Time. Spouses whom we both loved and lost. And children. So don’t twist yourself up into a matchmaker, Juliet. I know that any sweet feelings I might have once had for Lady Woodley are very likely never to be returned. I have no thought that this trip is for anyone but you.”

  He settled back and grabbed his astronomy book once more, signaling the end of the conversation. Only Juliet had a sneaking suspicion it wasn’t. No matter what he said or tried to convince himself of.

  She shook her head, reminded once again how much this trip meant to him. She could endure it if it would make him happy.

  “You needn’t pretend to read, Papa,” she said softly. “We are slowing down. I think we’re about to enter the gate for Lady Woodley’s London townhouse.”

  He straightened up and leaned in to the window where she stared. Together they watched as the gate swung open and the fine townhouse rose into view. He reached out and caught her hand and they sat, waiting for the carriage to stop and this strange new chapter of their lives to start.

  At last it did, and within seconds, the doors to the carriage were thrown open and servants were there to help her down. Voices rang out all at once as servants rushed to bring down their baggage and welcome them, and amid the din the front door opened on the landing above them and Lady Woodley stepped into view. She was flanked almost immediately by the man Juliet had been hoping to avoid.

  Gabriel.

  He was as handsome as she had dreamed of during far too many nights. Tall and broad shouldered with close cut dark hair that framed an angular, stern and very intelligent face. His dark eyes, a shade of chocolate brown that she had secretly explored so many times, flitted over her from a few steps above and his full lips pressed together with what she could see was some discomfort and perhaps even disapproval.

  That stung, but even the sting didn’t erase the other feelings the man inspired. Strong desires that she had thought she’d put away, packed up for good. It turned out they were only sleeping until the moment she met the man beside her benefactress.

  The man who truly looked as though he wanted her to leap back into the carriage and drive away from him forever.

  Chapter Three

  Even as a small boy, Gabriel had never wasted time wishing on falling stars or clover leaves. He was far too pragmatic for that. Except for today, it seemed. As Juliet Gray exited her father’s carriage and looked up toward him, their eyes met and his stomach jerked. In that charged moment, he was flooded with wishes.

  He wished he had never met her. He wished she weren’t so beautiful. He wished his sister had never run away. He wished he were more capable of expressing the emotions he normally crushed down deep inside of himself. He wished she would ride away and never come back.

  He wished, very fervently, that she would come up the stairs and kiss him.

  He turned his face to shut off the flood of things he didn’t want to think or feel and when he forced himself to glance at her again, she had stopped looking at him, though her cheeks were pink with a blush.

  “Welcome!” his mother exclaimed, shooting Gabriel a pointed look as her guests crested the staircase and stopped before them.

  “Thank you so much, my lady,” the gentleman with Juliet proclaimed, and Gabriel was surprised when his mother reached out to briefly squeeze the man’s hand. Instantly they both pulled away with a gasp.

  “But you have not yet met my son,” Lady Woodley said, her voice shaking slightly. “Lord Gabriel, may I present Miss Gray’s father, Jed Gray.”

  Gabriel held out a hand to the man and noted how Juliet shared his eyes. That dark blue was less stunning on the man before him, but it did make Gabriel want to look at Juliet’s.

  “Mr. Gray,” he drawled, hoping he sounded more centered than he felt. “Your daughter has been a great help to our family these past months. It is a great pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  “Thank you, Lord Gabriel,” Mr. Gray said as he gave a firm handshake. “I have heard a great deal about you from my daughter.”

  Gabriel darted his gaze to Juliet and her eyes were wide.

  “Papa, do not act as though I have spoken out of turn about Lord Gabriel.”

  Her father shot her a strange look. “I’m sorry if that was my implication. I only meant she has spoken warmly of your entire family.”

  Juliet’s blush was getting darker by the moment and she shifted with obvious discomfort.

  Mr. Gray, apparently oblivious to his daughter’s state of being, looked up at the house. “Is it possible that I remember this place, Sus—Lady Woodley?”

  Lady Woodley smiled and Gabriel stared. He had not seen such a warm expression on her face since…well, since before Claire had disappeared certainly. Perhaps even since before his father died almost twenty years past.

  “I wondered if you would,” she laughed. “This was one of my father’s secondary properties in London and it was left to my mother when he passed. She left it to me, and when my oldest son Edward married and took over the main property, I decided to use this as my London dower house. You came here a dozen times with your father, didn’t you?”

  Mr. Gray grinned. “It had to be twenty or more. There was a hidden passageway between the kitchen and the dining room that you and I drove the servants to distraction playing in.”

  Lady Woodley joined in his laughter. “It is still there.”

  Mr. Gray held out an arm. “Should we see if we can drive them mad again?”

  There was a moment’s hesitation and then Gabriel’s mother took the arm of Juliet’s father and allowed him to lead her inside.

  “Oh, Jed! Mr. Gray, I mean. You are—”

  They couldn’t hear the rest as their parents disappeared into the house. Gabriel swallowed at the unexpected abandonment and turned to look more directly at Juliet. She was staring at him, her lips pursed and her hands in fists at her sides.

  “I suppose we should follow suit,” Gabriel suggested, though he could
n’t quite offer her his arm. He knew he needed to out of propriety, but he couldn’t make it move. Once she touched him, things would become complicated.

  She didn’t move toward him either. She just continued to stare at him. Finally, she swallowed hard and said, “I am not taking advantage of your mother.”

  Although he sometimes struggled to read the emotion of situations, here it was clear as day. Gabriel drew back at her rough words and the guarded, defensive expression on her face as she said them.

  “I-I would never think that of you, Juliet,” he said. “Truly.”

  “Good.”

  Her expression lost some of its fire, but she remained with her arms folded in protection across her chest. Did she know that made him…look there? At the soft curves beneath her plain but very pretty dress?

  He cleared his throat. “My mother has made it clear she feels she owes you a debt, Juliet. We all do, as you saved her life.” Juliet’s face twisted a little and he rushed to continue. “More than that, I think she likes you. And she is a matchmaker at heart. She—she would like to see you settled.”

  Saying that last sentence was more difficult than it should have been and left a bad taste in his mouth.

  “You mean married,” Juliet said softly.

  He nodded and the bitter taste increased.

  Juliet looked up through the door into the house where their parents had disappeared just a few moments before. “Well, she may be disappointed. I have no plans to wed.”

  Gabriel’s brow wrinkled. Normally this kind of topic would hold exactly zero interest to him, but today, with her, it did. He noted the faraway wistfulness in her voice and eyes, the way her fingers trembled at her sides. There was something more to that cryptic statement.

  “Why?” he asked, almost despite himself.

  She turned her gaze from him. “No particular reason,” she lied. He knew it was a lie—he had studied the subject a great deal and saw the tiny signs that betrayed such a thing: the dilation of her pupils, the darting of her gaze, the way she shifted her weight slightly away from him. But she left him no space to pursue it, for she turned toward the house again. “We should join them.”