“Forgive me.” Gabriel pressed the heel of his hand to his throbbing temple. “It has been a trying few days.”
Hugo took another swig of the brandy. “I should say it has been a trying few months.”
“True.” Gabriel heaved a rueful sigh, moving to cast a cautious glance out the window. He counted two guards on the front balcony and another near the gate that opened onto the public street before returning his attention to his companion. “My life has not been the same since Silas Dobson blackmailed me into marrying his daughter.”
Setting aside the bottle, Hugo leaned against the side table, obviously still weak from the blow he had taken to his head.
“I am not certain whether to envy you or thank God I have no infuriated father forcing me down the aisle.”
Gabriel sympathized with his confusion.
It was not that he regretted having Talia as his bride. Hell, she was nothing less than a miracle. Who could ever have imagined that she could fill his life with a joy he had never expected, let alone deserved?
But he knew deep in his heart that a part of her would never forgive or forget his boorish behavior during the days leading to their farce of a wedding and the manner in which he had neglected her for weeks after they had become man and wife.
And that no matter how readily she might respond to his touch or how loyal she might be to him and their relationship, she would always keep her heart protected. How could she not when he had destroyed her trust?
“Only a fool would envy either of us at the moment,” he said wryly.
“In that we agree.” Hugo paused, folding his arms over his chest. “Of course, if you would be reasonable, then there might be a solution to our current dilemma.”
Gabriel was shaking his head before his friend even finished speaking.#p#分页标题#e#
“No.”
Hugo pushed away from the side table, his brows lowered with irritation.
“You have not even heard my suggestion.”
“There is no need,” Gabriel assured his companion. “I am well enough acquainted with you to know you are about to make some ridiculous offer to distract the guards while I rescue Talia and escape to my yacht.”
Hugo squared his shoulders, preparing for a fight. “It is the only logical plan.”
Knowing it would be pointless to convince the man it was too risky, Gabriel instead heaved a deep sigh.
“Really, Hugo, martyrs are so tediously boring.”
“Not a martyr, a gambler,” he argued, his chin set to an aggressive angle. “Once you have escaped, the odds are in my favor that the soldiers will charge in pursuit of you and I shall be able to stroll away unnoticed. In truth, I will be in less danger than you.”
“No.” Gabriel once again shook his head. “If anyone is to offer the distraction, it will be me. It is my fault you were captured.”
“I make my own decisions, Ashcombe,” Hugo growled. “And if anyone is to be held to blame it is your brother.”
“You would, of course, assume I am guilty,” an unexpected male voice drawled from behind them. “You never did like me, did you, Rothwell?”
Gabriel whirled on his heel. His brother was standing in a hidden doorway revealed by a narrow portion of the bookshelf that had just swung inward.
For an explosive moment Gabriel stared at Harry in disbelief, half expecting the sight of the slender young man with tousled brown hair and pugnacious expression to be a figment of his imagination.
Hugo charged past Gabriel in a gust of fury, clearly intent on pummeling the man he held fully responsible for their current troubles.
“You bastard.”
Not allowing himself the opportunity to consider the insanity of stepping in front of the large nobleman intent on murder, Gabriel wrapped his arms around his friend’s chest and struggled to bring him to a halt.
“Wait, Hugo,” he ground out, his muscles straining at the effort of keeping the man from escaping.
“Why?” Hugo demanded between clenched teeth. “He deserves to be skinned alive, like those damned natives do in the colonies.”
“I need to speak with him before you do any permanent harm.”
“Fine.”
Muttering his opinion of craven rats who should be shot on sight, Hugo stepped back, although the tension in his large body warned it would take little provocation to shatter his control.
Gabriel turned back toward Harry, grimly hoping he was not making a mistake in bringing a swift end to the reunion .
“What the hell are you doing sneaking up on us?”
Harry shrugged. “I would think that it was obvious. I did not want Jacques or his guards to know I have returned to the house.”