“Naturally.” Gabriel was out of his depth and did not know what a lapidarium was.
Miss Hilversham steepled her fingers and lifted a narrow eyebrow. “A lapidarium, Your Grace, is a type of museum that exhibits stone sculptures, artworks and artefacts. Lapidarium, coming from the Latin lapis, meaning stone, refers to such a collection. It would be highly beneficial for the girls to have their own lapidarium, particularly since our garden seems to harbour some Celtic and Roman artefacts that are worthwhile to exhibit. Artefacts which one, naturally, would exhibit in a lapidarium.”
“Oh. I see! You do not have this lapidarium yet.”
“No, Your Grace, we do not.”
“But you would like to have one.”
“Yes, Your Grace, we very much would like to.” Her voice was deceptively soft.
“And you need funding.”
“It is a coarse term. Shall we call it patronage? The school has been tremendously lucky to have two dukes who are patrons of this school; one more so than the other, and if one is honest, it is the duchesses who are the patronesses, not the dukes. It would be very beneficial to have a third. A school that can boast three dukes as patrons would be quite exceptional.”
“Naturally,” Gabriel said automatically. “I will be more than happy to be this third patron.”
Miss Hilversham actually smiled. It took him aback because, with this smile, her entire being transformed; there was an inkling of a rather attractive woman behind the severe façade. “I see we understand each other, Your Grace. Now. Regarding Birdie.”
Gabriel leaned forward eagerly. “Yes? Can I talk to her?”
“May I ask what your intentions are towards the girl?”
He frowned. “She is my wife. There needs to be nothing more added.”
“Is she, indeed?”
He bristled. “We were married in a ceremony in Scotland. There were witnesses.”
“Gathering from Birdie’s description, the reverend married her under the wrong name, even though she signed the register under her own. I believe the marriage to be invalid. Particularly since you were led to believe, until fairly recently, that she was an entirely different person.”
Gabriel stared at her. Dash it, the woman was right.
He ran both hands through his carefully coiffed Brutus mane, destroying it entirely.
“So, you see, you have no obligation towards Birdie at all,” the woman continued. “You may not even need to annul the marriage since it was never valid to begin with.”
Gabriel sat up, stung. “I am not interested in annulment. As far as I’m concerned, she is my wife, and it is my duty to care for her.”
“Duty?” Miss Hilversham threw him a shrewd look. “Is she a meredutyto you now?”
“With all due respect, madam. This is none of your concern. But if you must know, I care deeply for her.” He drew a shaky breath. “I cannot imagine a life without her.”
“And it took you over a month to realise that?”
He felt himself blush.
Her steely look held his gaze one moment longer. Then she gave a curt nod. “Very well, Your Grace—”
A knock on the door interrupted her. A girl with two thick auburn braids entered and curtsied quickly. “Beg your pardon, Miss Hilversham. I was just meaning to ask whether we may go out in the garden now that we finished the assignment.” She looked at Gabriel. “Oh! Your face!” she blurted out.
“Katherine Merivale, where are your manners? This is no way to greet our guests,” Miss Hilversham’s voice cut through the atmosphere in the room.
The girl coloured and stammered. “I beg your pardon, I didn’t mean—”
“Merivale?” interrupted Gabriel. “Did you say Merivale?”
The girl curtsied. “Yes, sir. I beg your pardon. My name is Katy Merivale.”
