Unfortunately, looking at him proved a mistake.
The firelight softened the harder lines of his face, and a careless lock of dark hair had fallen across his forehead. Before she could stop herself, her fingers twitched with the absurd desire to brush it away.
Good heavens. What is wrong with me?
She lowered her gaze so quickly that tea sloshed dangerously close to the rim of her cup.
For several moments, she concentrated fiercely on recovering her dignity before her thoughts finally returned.
“The trial period,” she said at last, setting her cup carefully onto its saucer.
The amusement disappeared from Gabriel’s expression almost immediately.
Amelia folded her hands together in her lap and looked towards the fire. “When we were in the carriage earlier, David said I should stay here forever,” she continued. “I was going to let him know that I am only here for a month, but you interrupted me.”
Gabriel remained silent for a moment, studying the flames.
“Why did you interrupt me?” Amelia asked, turning to look at him.
“I did do that,” Gabriel admitted, inclining his head slightly.
The immediate honesty surprised her. “You did,” she confirmed. “On purpose?”
Gabriel’s gaze shifted from the hearth back to her face. “Yes,” he said simply.
Amelia stared at him before letting out a small laugh of disbelief. “You admit that remarkably easily.”
Gabriel shrugged one shoulder. “There seemed little point in denying it.” His expression grew more serious as he glanced towards the fire again. “David was happy.” The words came quietly. “Valerie was happy. They were laughing and talking and behaving like family rather than survivors.”
The softness in his voice made her chest ache.
Gabriel clasped his hands loosely together and stared into the flames. “I did not wish to ruin the moment,” he admitted.
Something tightened inside Amelia’s chest because she believed him completely.
For all his rules, stern expressions, and endless attempts to control everything around him, Gabriel cared for those children with a devotion so fierce it sometimes frightened him. Amelia watched the firelight flicker across his profile and found herself understanding him far more than she wished.
“I see,” she said softly.
Gabriel exhaled and leaned back again, though his jaw remained tense. “But avoiding the subject does not solve it,” he said after a moment. “I know that.” His gaze drifted towards her. “You cannot remain here forever.”
Amelia looked down at her hands. “No?” she asked quietly.
“No,” Gabriel replied at once.
The speed of his answer surprised her.
“You are a lady,” he continued, his eyes lingering on her face. “You do not belong hidden away in the countryside acting as a governess.” His voice lowered slightly. “You should have a family of your own.” Something unpleasant seemed to flicker across his expression before he added, “A husband.”
Amelia studied him carefully. The word sounded as though he disliked saying it.
“Do you want me to leave?” she asked.
Gabriel froze so completely that Amelia almost wondered whether she had imagined the question aloud. For the first time since she had met him, uncertainty crossed his face, softening the confidence that usually surrounded him like armor. The silence stretched between them as he held her gaze, and she found herself waiting for one of his decisive answers. He always had an answer. He always had a rule.
This time, however, nothing came.
His jaw tightened slightly, and she watched his throat move as though he were searching for words that refused to be found. The firelight danced across his features, casting shadows in hisgrey eyes and making them appear darker than usual. Amelia stared at him in growing astonishment. The Duke of Anderton, who always seemed so certain of everything, genuinely did not know what he wanted.
