* * *
Gabriel reined in his horse atop a gentle rise overlooking Thornton Hall. For a long moment, he did not move. The distant silhouette of the manor shimmered through morning mist, so achingly close and yet worlds away. He tightened his grip on the reins, torn between the impulse to turn back and the undeniable pull that brought him here. What right did he have to seek her out again? And yet, what future could he face without her? The wind stirred his coat, and with it, the memory of her whispered confession stirred in his heart. He could still hear her breathless murmur in the hush of the lodge. “I have loved you far longer than I dared admit.” That admission had shaken him more than any storm. Now, the echo of it fueled his urgency. He had to see her, had to know if the promise of that moment still lived in her eyes. With a breath that trembled at the edge of resolve, he nudged his horse forward. He had returned from London earlier than anticipated and had gone directly to Thornton Hall, where Thomas informed him Eden was riding with Mr Julian Price.
Jealousy flared in Gabriel’s chest like wildfire. He had promised to keep his distance, but the thought of Eden in the company of another man inflamed his desire. It was not just jealousy. It was the gnawing fear that Julian might offer her the safety, stability, and social ease that Gabriel, burdened with guilt and duty, feared he could not. The image of Eden laughing with Julian lit a fire of inadequacy and longing that burned through every promise Gabriel had tried to uphold. He could not bear the thought of her laughter, with Julian resonating farther than his own voice.
He urged his mount forward, racing toward home. The wind whipped his hair, the countryside a blur of green and gold. Each heartbeat thundered in his ears, echoing the storm of emotion within—uncertainty, hope, and the rising dread of what he might find when he reached her.
* * *
Eden and Julian had reached the old oak lane near the border of Price’s property, where a wide canopy of trees arched overhead. Julian slowed his horse to a walk, and Eden reined in close beside him.
“It is peaceful here,” he observed, glancing at her with a gentle smile.
Eden returned a polite smile, her pulse racing with apprehension. “It is lovely.”
A distant hoofbeat shattered the morning calm. Eden turned her head and, through the gap in the oak trees, she saw a familiar figure fast approaching.
Gabriel.
Mr Price reined his horse close to Edens. “Is that Lord Blackstone?”
Eden’s heart lurched. Gabriel drew nearer, dark coat swirling, eyes fixed solely on her.
He slowed mere yards away, reins in one hand, the other resting on the saddle. His gaze blazed with emotion, causing Eden’s breath to catch. Relief and guilt battled within her.
“Eden,” he called. “Thomas said I would find you here. Allow me to accompany you home.”
“I can see the lady home,” Mr. Price said, bringing his mount closer to hers.
She met Gabriel’s smoldering gaze, feeling torn yet certain of where her heart lay. Doubt clawed at the edges of her thoughts. What would her mother say? What would society think? Julian offered everything safe, and it was no secret everyone expected her to marry him, yet it was Gabriel who stirred the deepest truths within her.
Her heart beat fast with the weight of realization. She had loved him in secret for far too long, and no amount of decorum or propriety could smother that truth now. Her heart had chosen Gabriel not for ease or comfort, but for the fierce, complicated truth of what they shared. No other man could ignite her spirit, challenge her wit, or see her so completely.
She turned to Julian, voice firm though her heart pounded. “Thank you, Mr. Price, but I believe Lord Blackstone and I have unfinished business.”
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Gabriel’s eyes, but he said nothing, his gaze fixed intently on her.
Julian’s expression remained respectful as he nodded and wheeled his horse away, though a flicker of resignation passed across his features. The tilt of his shoulders and the absence of his usual smile suggested he knew he had lost—perhaps her heart, or the future he had once imagined with her, not a contest, but something more subtle and deeply felt. He did not look back.
As Julian’s figure receded into the distance, Eden turned her horse toward Gabriel, her heart pounding. The air between them crackled with unspoken tension.
“You left without a word,” she said, unable to keep the hurt from her voice.
Gabriel’s expression softened. “Forgive me. I needed time to think, to be certain of my heart, before I risked yours further.”
Eden urged her mare closer, close enough to see the flecks of gold in Gabriel’s green eyes. “And are you certain now?”
He reached out, his fingers brushing hers where they gripped the reins. “More certain than I have ever been of anything.”
A shiver ran through Eden at his touch. She glanced around, ensuring they were truly alone. “What of your promise to Thomas? Your duty?”
Gabriel’s jaw tightened. “I have lived my life bound by duty and the expectations of others. But loving you, Eden…that is the truest thing I have ever known. I cannot continue to deny it. I will simply have to find a way to tell Thomas. To gain his blessing.”
Eden’s breath caught. “You love me?”
“With every fiber of my being,” Gabriel said, his voice low and fervent.
Tears pricked Eden’s eyes. “I have dreamed of hearing those words from you for so long.”
