Page 41 of Gabriela and His Grace

“Of course he wanted them to be caught.” Sebastian worked his jaw. “How did she escape?”

“From what Isabel has said, Gabby punched him square in the face when he tried to kiss her.” Dawson huffed a chuckle. “Apparently he dropped to the ground immediately, and Gabby fled to the ballroom unscathed.”

“Physically, at least. But I’d imagine such an encounter would leave its own sort of scar,” Sebastian said with a sigh.

And Carlisle had left scars, because Gabriela had practically curled in on herself when she’d realized Sebastian overheard what happened. Like a flower closing its bloom.

At that moment, Sebastian would have happily throttled the earl.

“I can’t believe Fox didn’t tell me.” Sebastian prowled to the sideboard and poured himself another shot of tequila. He welcomed the burn. “He could have let me know at any moment leading up to our departure. Hell, he could have told me when he wished me goodbye on the docks.”

“Why would Fox tell you?” Sebastian pivoted to see Sirius staring at him incredulously. “You and Gabby have been at odds since you first met. It’s possible he didn’t trust you with the information.”

That stung, and Sebastian clamped his teeth together and stared out the window. While it was true that he and Gabriela had traded more barbs than they had polite conversation, he would never want to see her harmed.

Sebastian carefully set his empty glass upon the sideboard before he shattered it against the wall. “I never would have thought Carlisle capable of such reprehensible behavior. I knew he played deep at the card tables and hadn’t kept a mistress for the last few years, but he was the same arrogant rake he always was.”

“He’s in debt. From what my men have been able to uncover, he owes a sizable sum of money to various lenders all around London.” Sirius scrubbed his hand down his face. “I can imagine he was growing desperate, and thought the pretty young Mexican heiress would do very nicely as his wife.”

Despite having moved to Mexico, Sirius still kept in regular contact with the men he served with in the Crimean War…men who were adept at surveilling and gathering information should Sirius ever need it.

“The Whitfield dukedom was in a sizable amount of debt, as well you know, but I never schemed to ruin a young lady.” Just imagining the earl touching Gabriela made his head pound.

“Indeed, you did not. But then you’re a gentleman.”

Reclaiming his seat, Sebastian ran a hand over his face. “I’ve tried to be, as of late.”

“I noticed,” Sirius said simply.

Sebastian took a moment to gather his thoughts as he adjusted the fall of his waistcoat. “After my mother died, I was angry. That she was taken from me so young while my piece-of-shit father continued to run the dukedom into the ground and wreak havoc across England.” He thought of his brothers and ground his teeth together. “Yet despite my hatred for the man, in many ways, I fear I may have become just like him—”

“No. Do not even think the words,” Sirius declared, his eyes chips of granite.

“So emphatic,” Sebastian murmured around the knot in his throat.

His friend spread his palms. “You may be a prat, a snob, and a rogue, but you’re not cruel, Sebastian. You’ve been a good friend to me.”

“And you to me.” Desperate to return their conversation to lighter topics, Sebastian pounded his fist on the desktop. “I really wish the earl was here now so I could mar his other eye.”

“He would be here if you had shared the investor information with him.” Sirius cocked his head. “Why didn’t you?”

Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest and glanced out the window. “I’m not sure. He just didn’t seem like a good fit for the venture.”

“Your judgment was sound, it seems.” Sirius quirked a brow. “So tell me what you thought of the mine.”

Now this was a topic Sebastian was keen to discuss, and discuss it they did. For the next hour or two they pored over the notes they’d taken at the board of directors meeting, analyzing the projections for output over the next quarter, as well as expenditures. Seeing the Camino Rojo mine’s operations in person was worth the trip to Mexico all on its own. Of course Sebastian trusted Sirius and the information he shared, but observing the extraction-and-cleaning process with his own two eyes had been revealing. It had also been a relief, because it was clear that the operators had organized the production in an efficient manner that took advantage of the landscape but didn’t exploit it. And because the Camino Rojo mine was within an hour’s ride of San Luis Potosí, the men who worked there had reliable housing available to them and their families, as well as a thriving community that was not dependent upon the mine but certainly benefited from it. Sebastian’s experience with the dukedom had taught him that content, well-paid workers were a sign of a healthy enterprise.

“When we were departing, Señor Ortiz mentioned a dinner party he’s hosting. Is that tonight?” Sebastian asked.

Sirius nodded. “His villa is not far from Mr. and Mrs. Luna’s home. They will be in attendance, as well.”

“I see.” Sebastian searched his memory for a connection between Ortiz and the Lunas, but could not recall one. He asked Sirius about it.

“Ortiz has financially supported Juárez and members of the cabinet throughout the occupation,” Sirius said. “Mr. Luna has a talent for winning the favor of men with money and power.”

“I have no doubt about that.” A new thought occurred to Sebastian, and he chuckled. “Miss Luna must have inherited that skill from him.”

Sirius’s mouth quirked. “I think you may be right, for Gabby certainly knows how to win admirers.”