“Yet you returned,” Eden ventured gently, daring to glance up at his handsome profile.
His gaze flickered away for a heartbeat, and his fingers flexed slightly against the fabric of his coat, betraying the turmoil he otherwise kept carefully in check. “Duty called, Lady Eden. And one cannot outrun duty forever.”
She studied him carefully, sensing the sadness underlying his words. His father had died a little more than a year ago, making Gabriel Marquess Blackstone. Still, he had not returned to see to his title and lands. Why was he truly back now? She met his gaze, then said, “And now that you are here?”
His eyes met hers, rich with emotions she struggled to decipher. “I suppose that remains to be seen.”
The charged silence between them stretched, the comfort of the midsummer day wrapping intimately around them. Her heart pounded a little harder, each beat loud in her ears. Somewhere nearby, a lark trilled brightly, its song threading through the heavy pause, making the unspoken words between them feel even more pressing. Eden’s fingers tightened around Gabriel’s arm, an unspoken acknowledgment of shared history and unanswered questions.
“Gabriel! Eden!” a familiar voice broke through the intimacy of the moment. Eden turned reluctantly, watching her brother Thomas, the Earl of Pavington, stride confidently toward them, a welcoming smile on his face.
“Thomas,” Gabriel greeted warmly, clasping his friend’s shoulder. “You look well.”
Thomas grinned broadly. “As do you, old friend. Harrowsgate missed you.” He turned playfully to Eden. “Sister, I trust you have not monopolized Gabriel entirely?”
Eden gave a mock gasp, eyes twinkling mischievously. “I merely attempted to rescue him from endless village gossip.”
“Indeed, and she succeeded admirably,” Gabriel interjected smoothly, amusement playing at his lips. “Eden’s conversation was infinitely preferable to village gossip.”
Thomas laughed heartily, seemingly oblivious to the subtle tension crackling between them.
Eden fought the sudden urge to explain away her flushed cheeks and racing heart, masking her emotions behind a bright, practiced smile.
“You must join us later at Thornton Hall. Mother insists on welcoming you home properly,” Thomas said.
Gabriel inclined his head graciously. “It would be my honor.”
Thomas glanced briefly between them, eyes narrowing slightly. “Well then, I shall leave you to your stroll.”
“Indeed.” Gabriel offered a nod.
With a teasing bow toward his sister, Thomas retreated into the crowd.
“Your brother has not changed, I see.”
“Neither have you,” Eden replied, daring a smile. “You still charm your way through every conversation.”
His gaze softened, emerald eyes piercing hers. For a heartbeat, Eden wondered if she merely imagined the intensity there. If her yearning colored the moment with more meaning than it deserved.
“Not every conversation, Eden. Just the ones that truly matter,” he said.
A flush of heat spread through her, and she forced herself to speak lightly. “Then I shall endeavor to keep our conversations suitably important.”
Gabriel smiled softly, a look that made Eden’s pulse quicken. A quiet hope flickered within her, fragile yet persistent. The hope that this time, he might stay.
“I look forward to that immensely,” he said.
Overhead, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting a rich amber glow across the village green. A cool whisper of evening air stirred the ribbons on the stalls, brushing against Eden’s cheeks like a delicate caress, and she felt, deep in her chest, that the return of Gabriel Langley had set something in motion she was not certain she could resist.
Two
Eden leaned against the smooth stone balustrade of Thornton Hall’s expansive terrace, gazing thoughtfully into the moonlit gardens below. The air was still, but her mind churned with restless thoughts. The garden’s beauty, with its silver-lit roses and softly rustling leaves, offered a serene contrast to the unrest stirring within her. Eden’s mind was a tempest of questions and quiet yearning, cloaked by the tranquil moonlight. Gabriel’s unexpected return had unsettled her more than she cared to admit. The sight of him tonight, familiar yet changed—the boy she remembered, shadowed now by a man marked with distance and time.
Music drifted from inside the grand house, where guests twirled across the floor, celebrating Gabriel’s return. Eden’s heart, however, felt anything but festive. Each moment spent in his company stirred emotions she had long tried to bury beneath childhood memories. Emotions she had hidden out of duty to her family, fear of the consequences, and the deep loyalty she owed her brother, who had once warned her against dreaming too freely.
She pressed a hand to her flushed cheeks, willing her racing heart to calm. Gabriel had always carried an effortless charm, the kind that made even the most guarded heart lean closer. And tonight, it unsettled her more than ever. The moment he appeared, her pulse surged, and thoughts she had long buried surged to the surface—dangerous, tempting notions that left her breathless. Her duty was to find a suitable gentleman, and her family wished for her to marry her current suitor, Mr. Price.
Still, her heart sang when Gabriel came near.
