A Gentleman Never Tells by Amelia Grey Read Free Book Online Page B

waiting for an answer, she turned to Gabrielle. “Gabby, this is absolutely the most dreadful news. Why? What happened between you two? When did it happen?”
    Not wanting to get into this with Rosabelle or her aunt at the moment, Gabrielle said, “There is no need to go into the details about this to anyone, is there, Papa?”
    “None I can see. Everything will have to be settled with Austerhill before anything concerning Brentwood need be formally announced. Though I’m sure your aunt will not rest her old bones until she knows more from you.”
    Rosabelle kept concern on her features. Her hands worked the fabric of her dress. “How can you bear it, Gabby? You must be so brokenhearted and distressed. I don’t know why you aren’t drowning in a pail of tears.”
    “Because she’s her mother’s daughter,” Auntie Bethie said. “She’s much too strong for that kind of nonsense.”
    Feeling calmer now that her aunt was here and now that Rosabelle knew the wedding was canceled, Gabrielle said, “Don’t be alarmed for me, Rosa. You know that it never was a love match between us. It was all financial, so there are no broken hearts, just details that need to be handled, which Papa is already in the process of taking care of.”
    “Still, to have your wedding canceled a week before—I don’t know what to say. You had everything planned. Your trunks are packed and ready to be delivered to your new home. What are you going to do?”
    Those were little details Gabrielle didn’t need to be reminded of.
    “She will do nothing,” Auntie Bethie said. “I shall be happy to take care of everything, all the cancellations, all the notes that must be sent, everything. I will handle it all.”
    “Thank you, Auntie, that would be so very kind of you.”
    “Consider it done.”
    Gabrielle was glad to see Rosabelle’s attempted expression of alarm relax into a frown of real concern for her. She knew her sister hadn’t deliberately set out to steal Staunton away from her.
    Gabrielle couldn’t blame Rosa for not telling her about the loving feelings she had for Staunton, either. After the way her father had put her through the mill with all his questions about Lord Brentwood, Gabrielle knew admitting to a wrong doing wasn’t an easy thing to do.
    Now that Gabrielle had had time to think rationally, she couldn’t blame Rosabelle for anything that had happened. Gabrielle had read enough books and heard enough gossip from widows and dowagers to know it wasn’t unusual for young ladies to fall in love with men as handsome and dashing as Staunton. Even she had fallen victim to that malady once.
    For a brief time last year, Gabrielle had fancied herself madly in love with a handsome soldier she’d seen while strolling with her family through Vauxhall Gardens. He had been so powerful looking, so handsomely debonair in his uniform, with his wide leather belt strapped around his slim waist and a shiny sword hanging by his side. When he’d looked her way and smiled, her heart fluttered and felt as if it had melted in her chest. She couldn’t count the nights she’d lain awake dreaming about him, hoping she’d see him again, but she never did.
    “I know you are very strong, Gabby,” Rosabelle said. “You’re the strongest lady I have ever known; but still, you must be devastated by this turn of events.”
    There was no acting or faking in Rosabelle’s comments about Gabrielle’s strength, and she appreciated the kind words from her. But there had been several times that day when Gabrielle hadn’t felt strong at all.
    “Oddly, I’m not,” Gabrielle said, wanting to put an end to this uncomfortable conversation. “I will just say I am not unhappy about what has happened, Rosa, and leave it at that. I’m sure there will be gossip about me in the next few days, and quite possibly for weeks to come. But I believe the scandal of a canceled wedding will die down as soon as another scandal happens to take its place. Which,