“God bless it.”
Alexandre’s mouth almost curved.
Evelyne pushed to her feet, grabbed her brother’s hands, squeezed. “How do I get through to him, Alex?”
He met her gaze with a sadness that had her heart sinking. “If I knew, I would have done it by now.”
Evelyne wouldn’t allow herself to cry, but she certainlyfeltlike crying. Why should this be hopeless? Why should a good man be so convinced he was not one? When she’d grown up with men convinced of their righteousness that was nothing but madness and cruelty.
The door opened and Alexandre’s assistant poked his head in. His expression was pinched, his gaze accusingly on Evelyne. “Your Majesty. The diplomats arewaiting.”
“Yes, I will be right there,” Alex muttered, waving him away. “I’m sorry. I do have to go. And I’m sorry I could not give you a better answer, Evelyne. Perhaps time and this child will be what he needs. I have never given up on him. I know you won’t either.”
Give up on him. She couldn’t imagine what would have to happen for that to occur.
Alexandre leaned in, gave her a rare show of affection with a brush of lips against her hair. “You will make an excellent mother, Ev. Your care for people is truly a gift. I hope Gabriel can accept it.” He pulled back. “If you’ll excuse me.” Alexandre strode from the room, leaving Evelyne standing there moved. Teary.
And considering.
Alexandre had never given up on Gabriel. She knew just talking to his parents that they had never done so either, even if they didn’t know about what had happened. No one who really loved him had ever really givenupon him.
So if no one had, then maybe that was the answer, the things that would change his mind. Not the answer shewanted. Nothing warm, kind, supportive like she wanted to be.
Maybe this time someone needed to be strong enough to choose an answer that would hurt.
“But it might be the only thing to do,” she said, running her hands over her baby bump.
She was going to have to give Gabriel exactly what he wanted.
And hope he realized how wrong it was.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Gabriel spent thenext few days sleeping in the sitting room and considering his options. He was surprised and, if he was honest with himself, a bit disappointed that Evelyne had let him be.
She did not come to him to make arguments and further propose he wasn’t a monster. She did not try to entice him back into her bed.
If he saw her, it was only in glimpses. They didn’t eat together, sleep together, or even attend royal meetings together.
He thought she spent most of her time with Ines, but he wasn’t certain. It ate at him, but he told himself it was for the best. Perhaps he had gotten through to her.
And wouldn’t that be a boon?
He told himself it was indeed, even as he looked for her around every corner, at every table, and even in the sitting room at night. Because no matter how he tried to convince himself he hadwon, everything was unsettled.
It was a bit like watching a storm approach in that house in Maine. You could see it in the distance, feel it crackle with power, long before it ever made it to shore. In the peace between now and then, you could almost convince yourself this was it. This was the new normal.
When he came back to the sitting room one evening to find her sitting on the sofa, reading a book, he knew the storm had reached shore. Because she was never here, certainly this late, when she knew he might arrive to take his proper place on the couch.
But she didn’t look like a storm. She was dressed in a flowy ensemble the color of bubblegum. It somehow made everything gold in her shimmer brightly, including her hair piled atop her head in some large clip.
She held up a finger to him, continued to read her book, then once she’d finished the page, presumably, folded the edge of the page over, closed the book and set it down on her lap. She met his gaze with hands folded over the book.
She looked so regal sitting there regarding him with a cool kind of detachment. Radiant and beautiful and like she alone ran the world.
He wanted to kneel at her feet, a great howling impulse he ruthlessly fought back.
His wants would serve neither of them.Obviously.
