He continues to stare at me, ignoring Claudia, Mother, Noah, Eli, and the horde of servants gathered in the hallway to eavesdrop. Under his gaze I’m cut to pieces – I see myself as he sees me, a failure, an angel fallen to ruin, a mockery of our family’s good name. I’m no good. I’m the rotten apple that must be tossed away before I infect the whole tree.
Claudia squeezes my hand.
The duchess clears her throat. “Gabriel, perhaps your friends would like to play croquet on the lawn, or visit the winter garden?”
“We’re fine right here,” Noah says. He’s got that dark look in his eyes. Something like gratefulness twists in my gut. Noah’s standing his ground, making it clear that he’s here for me. No one has ever stood up for me in this house, not even Dylan.
“Gabriel,please.” Mother’s voice cracks. She wants me to make them leave us alone. But she won’t ask my friends to leave because they are guests and that’s not how we do things around here. It’s like a vampire and a fae.
“You wanted to see me and I’m here.” I wish my voice didn’t shake so much. “These guys are my family, and we have no secrets.”
“We’re staying with Gabriel.” Claudia swipes a chocolate truffle from the silver tray.
The duke lets out an exasperated sigh. “Very well. Perhaps thesefriendsof yours have some understanding of family obligation, and will help set you on the right path.” He says the word friends like it’s dirty somehow. I doubt he’s ever had a true friend in his life. “I have decided on your bride. The duchess will organize the wedding for June—”
I turn to leave. “If this is all you wanted me for, I’ll leave now before I do something I’ll regret.”
“Don’t you even want to meet your bride?” The duchess pleads with her eyes. She doesn’t want to face my father’s wrath if I walk out of here.
I hold up Claudia’s hand. “I already have.”
Her eyes widen. “Gabe, don’t—”
The duke scoffs. “Please, you know we have standards in this family, as much as you’ve tried to undermine them. I’ve always trusted you to do your part when the time came, as I did. This girl is anAmerican, a Malloy, and that name carries far too much baggage to be associated with our family. If you continue with this absurd fantasy, you’ll send your mother to an early grave. Now, I’d like you to meet—”
“I don’t need to meet this girl of yours to know I’m not marrying her.” I fold my arms. “This isn’t medieval times. I can marry who I want, when I choose. Bloody hell, I’m only eighteen; I’ve got plenty of time to make you an heir, but I guarantee I won’t do it with anyone you choose. If you think this girl’s such hot stuff,youmarry her.”
I touch a nerve. My mother’s neck shoots up from her neck like a goose being drawn for dinner.
“It’s not a matter of what you or I want.” The duke’s eyes flash. “This isduty. Without an heir, our title and lands will be dissolved. Our line will die.”
“So let it die. It’s just a piece of paper with a nice parking space on Downing Street. Let them bulldoze this monstrous effigy to empire and build an eco-housing estate in its place, for all I care.”
“This is not up for discussion.” He snaps his fingers, and a figure glides into the room. I refused to break my father’s gaze to look at her, but I’m aware of Claudia stiffening beside me, her nails digging into my palm. “You will marry this summer, or so help me, son, I will make you wish you’d never been born.”
Too late, old man.“Did you forget that you publicly disowned me?The Sunquoted you as saying you’d rather have a pig for a son than me. So why not let the pig at this sow you’ve sourced for me? You had plenty to say about Dylan’s death, too, even though it turns out it’s not even my fault. Oooh, I bet that’s what this is really about. The police have been sniffing around about Dylan so you thought you’d drag me back here with marriage threats to silence me—”
“Gabriel,” Claudia snaps. “Look at your bride.”
Shit. I’d better look.
I don’t want to give my father the satisfaction of turning away from him, but the urgency in Claudia’s voice has me reeling. I spin on my heel and face the woman who stands with cat-like readiness by the door, her sheath dress hugging every curve of her body. She unclasps her hands and holds them out to me, palms up, in what might pass for a welcoming gesture if she wasn’t a demoness here to do my father’s bidding.
But that’s not the most surprising thing about my new bride-to-be.
I recognize her.
It’s Cleo St. James.
Cleo glides across the room to me. Her fingers wrap around my forearms, and I’m too shocked to shake them loose. She digs red-tipped talons into my skin, her feline eyes eating me up like I’m a delicious salmon dinner. “Hello, my beautiful betrothed. I’m going to make you soveryhappy.”
15
Claudia
Iburst out laughing. This has got to be someone’s idea of a prank. Cleo St. James here in England, dolled up like a duchess and angling for Gabriel to put a ring on it?
Gabriel’s body stiffens. He moves his lips, but no words come out. His eyes meet mine, wide and darting with panic. Five seconds ago he’d been standing up to his father in a way he never had before, and now…
