Page 118 of A Devious Secret

Chapter Seventeen

Stephen had never been so furious before. Lord Hawkinge had the nerve, no, the audacity, to hurt Gemma. That could not go unanswered. He wanted to chase after Lord Hawkinge and beat him to a bloody pulp.

As his chest heaved, he felt Gemma’s hand on his sleeve. “Are you all right, Stephen?” she asked, her words soft.

“No,” he replied honestly. “I want to challenge Lord Hawkinge to a duel for hurting you.”

“I am not hurt.”

“He had no right to even touch you.”

Gemma took a step closer to him. “I agree with you, but no good would come from challenging Lord Hawkinge to a duel.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “It would make me feel better.”

“Do I need to remind you that duels are illegal?”

“Only if you get caught.”

Gemma shook her head. “You are impossible,” she said lightly.

Stephen glanced at the drawing room window and saw his sister and Lady Montfort were still watching them with smileson their faces. He wanted to speak frankly with Gemma, but he didn’t want an audience when he did so.

Gemma followed his gaze and suggested, “Perhaps we should take a tour of the gardens, away from prying eyes.”

“Precisely what I was thinking.”

Gemma removed her hand from his sleeve and he immediately missed the contact. She turned and started walking down the path.

He met her stride and asked, “Has Lord Hawkinge ever hurt you before?”

“No, he hasn’t.”

Stephen felt relief at her words, but it was short-lived.

Gemma kept her gaze straight ahead. “Henry was always kind to me, too kind, and it made me uncomfortable.”

“How can someone be too kind?”

“It never felt genuine to me,” she replied. “It only got worse after Baldwin died, but I had little choice in the matter.”

“Why was that?”

“The property that Baldwin left me was worthless so I was forced to rely on Henry’s good graces.”

“How do you know the property is worthless?”

“Henry told me,” Gemma replied.

“And you trusted him?”

Gemma glanced over at him. “I had no reason to believe he was lying to me,” she said. “Besides, most of the property was entailed so it went to Henry on Baldwin’s death.”

“I just don’t trust the man.”

Gemma gave him a weak smile. “I do owe him a debt of gratitude since he took care of me when I was in mourning.”

“You owe him nothing, Gemma,” Stephen asserted.