Chapter 18: Chapter XVII
Christian was mad at himself. He did not seem to be able to control his mouth lately. First with Robert, now with his wife. He had never been quite so...impulsive. He had always had a poker face, even when angry. Ever since he had got leg shackled, he seemed to lose it every time. He went to the window and lit a cigar. He could see the boy playing with a dog. He felt sorry for the lad. It was visible that he did not trust people easily. He even seemed wary of his wife. Speaking of which, Eva was approaching the boy. She sat down on the grass and touched Gabriel tenderly. As he looked at the two of them, he yearned.... He did not know exactly what he yearned. He wanted to be held like that, tenderly, with love... Eva hugged the boy and the image of them was enough to make him want go there and join them. With a huff, he turned and left the window. He hated this weakness of his.
The days passed and the bridge between Eva and Christian seemed to widen. They did not speak and barely saw one another. That was until a message from the village arrived.
"What do you know of this?" He asked his steward.
"The boy was found dead last night" the man's face was ashen.
"He was about five or six, me lord."
Christian closed his eyes for a second. Death always left an impression on him.
"How did he die?"
"Beaten to death, me lord. The murderer seemed to derive satisfaction from it too. " Christian was sick to his stomach. What kind of bastards derived pleasure from killing a small boy?
The image of Gabriel flashed into his mind. What if?
"How did the boy look?"
"He had a birth mark on this cheek." The steward showed him his right cheek.
So his initial suspicion proved to be right. Whoever had harmed Gabriel had killed this boy as well. And he guessed that the murderer had mistaken the poor child for Gabriel.
"You can leave, I will ask of you details later." He told the man .
He had to tell Eva about this, she would surely be concerned.... but how did one approach such a subject, especially when one was practically not in speaking terms with one's wife...
He looked at the clock and realized it was quite late. She would be sleeping, wouldn't she?
He decided to go to her rooms to speak to her. He knocked softly and opened the door. His wife was by the windows, unaware of his intrusion. She was wearing a white nightgown that made her look virginal, pure. He was lost in the sight for a moment. She slowly turned and was almost shocked to find him standing there.
"I'm sorry to disturb you." He said quietly.
"It hasn't been one month."
"I know. There is something....somehow delicate that we need to talk about. But first I would like to apologize." Christian took a step towards her at the same time as she did.
"I am sorry as well. I don't usually lose my temper like that."
He raised his hands and softly touched her shoulders. She shivered and he looked into her eyes. There was a mixture of fear and desire in them.
He traced the contour of her neck with his fingers and stared at how her pupils slowly dilated. He felt his own growing arousal. By God, he had only meant to talk to her about the murder but now he was under a spell and could not break free. He stepped closer and swallowed her a whole in his embrace. His mouth was hard and demanding on her own and she seemed to respond with the same hunger as he.
He kissed her lips, her cheeks and her eyes, marveling at how good she felt in his arms.
His hands roamed over her body and settled on her breasts, caressing her there. She gasped and suddenly backed away. She did not look at him and he realized she was fidgeting with her hands.
"It hasn't been a month" she said in a small voice.
"So it hasn't." He put some distance between them since having her so near only made him harder for her/
"What... What was it that you wanted to talk about?"
He cleared his throat.
"Ahm. There has been a murder in the village." She suddenly raised her head and looked at him in question.
"A small boy. Maybe five or six.. Beaten to death"
He heard her gasp. She headed for her bed and sat down to calm her wobbly legs.
"God, who would do such a thing?"
"There is more."
"What could there possibly be more?"
"The boy had a birth mark. On his right cheek." The implications hung in the air. She was stunned. That man had come back to finish the job but he had mistaken the small boy for Gabriel.
"Are you sure?" She asked him hopefully.
"Quite."
"Oh Christian, the target was Gabriel, I am sure of it."
"That's what I thought as well" he agreed.
"Then he is not safe" she placed her hand to her breast and tried to regulate her breathing.
"What can we do?" She asked once she had her nerves under control
Her voice was trembling and he realized that keeping the boy safe was the best he could do for his wife.
"We'll keep Gabriel safe. My steward is to send me all the details regarding the murder."
"The man... did he know anything about the man who murdered the boy?."
Christian arched his eyebrow.
"I didn't say it was a man. How is it that you know?"
"I didn't tell you the whole thing."
"Care to enlighten me now?" He asked in a none too soft voice.
"I told you that I found Gabriel struggling for his life but... I did not tell you that I was there while he was assaulted. I was still thinking of him as the creature and... I hid behind a bush." She took a deep breath.
"I had found a gauntlet before both he and the other man appeared." She went to one of her drawers and produced the gauntlet.
"This is far too big to be Gabriels" he noted, studying the black material.
"Yes, I also thought about it. Gabriel seemed to be looking for it when that man came. His voice conveyed pure disdain and he told Gabriel that he deserved to die."
"We shall depart for London tomorrow. We could go to one of my other estates but they are still under renovation. I will send an investigator and maybe the authorities themselves will look into this."
"Thank you, you have no idea how much this means for me."
"We shall leave at dawn."
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