Gabriel dismounted swiftly, reaching up to help Eden from her saddle. She slid into his waiting arms, her body pressed close against his. The possessiveness of his embrace sent a tremor through her.
“Eden,” Gabriel murmured, his voice rough with emotion. “I cannot bear the thought of you with another. These past days away from you have been pure torment.”
She gazed up at him, heart pounding. “Then do not leave me again,” she whispered.
His hand cupped her cheek tenderly. “Never,” he vowed. He pulled her close, one hand cradling her face. “I love you, Eden,” he murmured. “I have fought it, denied it, tried to bury it beneath duty and honor. But I cannot any longer. You are everything to me.”
Eden’s heart soared at his words. She leaned into his touch, savoring the feel of his hand against her cheek. “And you are everything to me, Gabriel. I have loved you for so long, even when I thought it hopeless.”
He leaned in slowly, his gaze searching hers for permission, his breath mingling with hers in the stillness between them. Eden met him halfway, their lips gliding together in a passionate kiss, all the longing and uncertainty of the past weeks poured into that single, searing moment. Eden’s fingers tangled in Gabriel’s dark hair as she pulled him closer, savoring his taste, his scent, the solid strength of him against her.
When they finally parted, both breathless, Gabriel brushed a kiss to her temple, his hand lingering at the nape of her neck. “I will speak to Thomas when the time is right,” he vowed. “We do not need half the ton as witnesses should he refuse…or worse.”
Eden nodded, her heart racing. “And I will talk to Mother. She may not approve at first, but she will come to understand in time.”
Gabriel rested his forehead against hers. “We have much to face,” he said softly. “Your family, society’s expectations, the whispers of my past. It will not be easy.”
Eden met his gaze, her eyes shining with determination. “I do not want easy,” she said. “I want you.”
Ten
The days that followed their meeting under the oaks were filled with an unspoken but powerful understanding between Eden and Gabriel. They could not, would not, return to the distant civility that had once masked their feelings. The veneer of polite indifference had cracked beyond repair, giving way to something tender, electric, and impossibly real. Eden felt it like a shift in her very bones. An unspoken vow that everything had changed. Yet discretion was still required. Though her heart yearned to shout the truth of their love, the world beyond their shared glances and secret meetings would be far less kind. For the sake of her reputation and his friendship with Thomas, they kept their courtship hidden from the wider world. She carried the weight of that knowledge like a stone tucked behind her ribs, sharp with every breath of longing.
Their new closeness revealed itself in stages. Gabriel would arrange to cross Eden’s path while she exercised Willow along the trails near Blackstone Manor. When polite society demanded their appearances elsewhere, Gabriel would find reasons to stroll with her. She would sometimes feign forgetfulness of a parasol or a book, her pulse quickening with each excuse to step outside, not for the object itself but for the chance to see him again. Each time their eyes met in those orchestrated moments, a jolt of anticipation tightened in her stomach. A thrill laced with fear and longing.
It was a delicate dance. One that both thrilled and burdened them. Once, Eden had nearly been caught returning from a stolen moment with Gabriel, her cheeks flushed and her gloves misplaced, inventing a tale about chasing a lost dog to cover her breathlessness. The lie had tasted bitter on her tongue, a reminder that every joy they shared came laced with risk.
One afternoon, Eden slipped away from tea, venturing into the familiar maze where so many memories had already been forged with Gabriel. She wore a pale blue gown that drifted like a wisp of sky between the towering hedges, the late afternoon sun casting golden light through the leaves and matching the soft lift in her spirits.
She found him waiting at the center of the maze, seated on the stone bench beneath the rose arbor, a book resting on his knee. His smile when he saw her was a revelation—open, tender, and tinged with mischief.
“You found me, my lady,” he murmured, rising and offering his hand.
Eden curtsied with playful formality. “It was no great feat, my lord. Your heart guided me.”
His eyes darkened at her words, and Eden’s breath hitched at the sudden intensity. Was it desire? Awe? A flicker of something deeper, something he had not yet said aloud? Her pulse quickened as she dared to hope he felt the same fierce certainty burning within her.
“Eden.” He took her into his arms, his mouth finding hers. “You undo me with a single glance.”
She laughed quietly, settling beside him on the bench. “Then I hope to spend my life looking at you.”
He turned toward her, his expression serious. Gone was the easy warmth of moments before, replaced by a gravity that stirred both unease and anticipation in her chest. “Do you truly understand what you offer? A life bound to mine will not be easy. Scandal may follow us yet, and society’s approval is a fickle gift. It is no exaggeration to say I earned my reputation.”
Eden reached out, her fingers lightly tracing the line of his jaw. “I understand that love is rarely convenient, Gabriel. But I would rather weather every storm at your side than live a life of perfect emptiness without you.”
Emotion flickered in his gaze. “You shame me, Eden. I have fought against this for so long, and still you have more courage than I.”
“I will lend you my strength and we shall be brave together,” she whispered.
Gabriel leaned forward, his forehead brushing hers in a tender, aching gesture. They sat in silence, breathing in time with each other, feeling everything else fall away until only the hush of shared breath remained between them.
* * *
That evening, Gabriel sent a note by trusted hand, inviting Eden to walk with him in the gardens of Blackstone under the cover of twilight. Her heart raced as she read the message—plain on the surface, yet pulsing with unspoken need. A thrill leapt through her chest, chased by a flicker of dread. Would this night bring them closer, or change everything forever? The weight of hope and fear warred inside her, making the parchment tremble slightly in her hand. For a moment, she remembered her brother’s stern warnings about decorum, the weight of her family’s expectations pressing down like a shroud. Still, she could not help the smile that tugged at her lips or the hope that bloomed in defiance of the rules that sought to bind her.
When the hour came, Eden slipped from Thornton Hall, cloaked in midnight blue, the folds of her pelisse drawn tight to shield the delicate gown beneath. She followed the familiar paths to Blackstone Manor, heart thudding with excitement and fear.
Gabriel awaited her by the old stone gate leading to the lower gardens. As Eden approached, her thoughts swirled. Each step felt like a leap across a chasm, thrilling and terrifying in equal measure.
