Raphe bowed his head to her and Gabriella saw the respect that loomed in his eyes. “What if I were to think of something that wouldn’t make you feel beholden?”
Uncertain of what he had in mind, Gabriella exchanged a look with Victoria, who looked ready to ask about the details of such an offer when a knock sounded at the door. “Excuse me a moment,” she said as she went to open it. She exchanged a few words with whoever had come to call, glanced hesitantly over her shoulder at Gabriella, and then opened the door wide enough for the visitor to enter. “This is Mr. Thompson,” she said as a man with striking red hair stepped into the home. “Mr. Thompson, I’d like you to meet my sister, Lady Gabriella, and her friend—”
“Raphe?” Mr. Thompson said, his stance frozen just inside the doorway as he stared at Huntley with a look of disbelief.
Gabriella blinked. She looked at Huntley, whose expression had gone slack with emotion. He nodded once. “It’s good to see ye again, Ben.”
Mr. Thompson stared back at him for a long moment, as if wondering how to react. Eventually, he set the canvas bag he was carrying on the table and addressed Victoria. “There’s carrots an’ turnips, an onion an’ a loaf of bread in ‘ere. I couldn’t manage any meat this time.” He sounded truly apologetic.
“That’s quite all right,” Victoria said. “I’m very grateful for whatever you’re able to bring.”
He gave her a curt nod and then turned back to Huntley, his expression a great deal harder than it had been a moment earlier. “Ye owe me an explanation, Raphe.” Gone was the familiarity with which he’d spoken before. “What the ‘ell ‘appened to ye?”
Chapter 26
Raphe bristled. He’d known the risk of coming here, but he hadn’t for the life of him imagined running into his old friend, Benjamin Thompson, in Lady Victoria’s home. Feeling Gabriella’s gaze on him, he forced himself not to look at her, directing all of his attention at Ben. He was right after all. He did deserve an explanation. “My life took an unexpected turn,” Raphe began. “I received a letter, informin’ me about an inheritance.”
Ben crossed his arms. “Go on.”
Guilt gnawed at Raphe’s insides. He felt his stomach roil with the queasy distaste of it. Turning his back on Ben and his family had been a difficult decision, but he’d made it in order to ensure that his sisters got the chance they deserved. “I knew yer thoughts about the aristocracy,” he said.
“Were they any different from yer own?” Ben asked. His gaze went fleetingly to the two women, who stood to one side, before returning to Raphe.
“No. Which is why I feared tellin’ ye the truth.” Inhaling sharply, Raphe braced himself for Ben’s reaction. “My mother was a viscount’s daughter, Ben.” He then went on to explain what had happened to his parents, how he and his sisters had ended up in St. Giles, and how a twist of fate had landed him a duke’s title.
Ben stared back at him in disbelief. “Ye should have told me.”
“I know, but I was young back then—just a lad, if ye’ll recall—an’ I desperately wanted to fit in. So when ye started rantin’ about yer distaste of the aristocracy, I chose to keep quiet. As time went on an’ our friendship deepened, tellin’ ye got increasingly harder. Besides, I didn’t think there was any need to say anythin’. I thought I’d left that life behind me fer good.”
“An’ then ye became a duke.” Ben assessed him a moment before saying, “Ye look pretty grand, to be sure, but I ain’t goin’ to address ye by anythin’ other than yer name, Raphe.”
The comment eased Raphe’s nerves a little. He managed a smile. “I wouldn’t expect anythin’ else from ye, Ben.”
A curt nod told Raphe that Ben understood his motivation, even though he didn’t approve of his choice. It also said that although he was still angry with Raphe for leaving without explanation, he would get over it in time. Eventually, they would be friends again, perhaps sooner than expected if Raphe suggested the idea that had just presented itself to him. He glanced toward Lady Victoria. Ben wouldn’t visit her on a regular basis without good reason. He took a step closer to his friend and lowered his voice so only he could hear. “How long have ye been comin’ here?”
Something awkward flickered in Ben’s eyes. “Ye wish to know my intentions?”
“It’s not me place,” Raphe admitted. “But she’s the Earl of Warwick’s daughter, an’ I promised her sister that I’d help get ’er out of this mess.”
“Do ye know all that ‘appened to ’er?” Ben asked through gritted teeth. An angry shadow slashed its way across his face, hardening his features.
Raphe nodded. “Yes.” They stared at each other for a long, silent moment until Raphe knew that their thoughts matched. He might be an aristocrat, but he didn’t care for the higher echelons of society any more than Ben did.
“We met when she was still workin’ at the Hounds Tooth Inn. We’re friends.”
Raphe watched him, assessing. “Do ye think there’s a chance ye might be more than that?”
Though he didn’t avert his gaze, Raphe sensed a distinct air of protectiveness that could only be caused by deep emotion. “Per’aps,” Ben quietly whispered. He shrugged then, as if to dispel the comment.
“Then let me try to help. Let me try to make things better.”
Caution filled Ben’s eyes. “What do ye ‘ave in mind?”
“A life for the two of ye far away from ‘ere, in a place where she’ll be safe an’ well cared for.” He placed a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “She ‘as a child, Ben. If ye love ’er—”
“Ye’re suggestin’ bigamy? That’s yer plan?”
It sounded awful. Still, there had to be a solution. “She doesn’t deserve what ‘appened to ’er, or to suffer for it for the rest of ’er life. An’ considerin’ that ’er husband lied about his identity, an annulment should be possible.”
