Finding Gabriel (19 page)

The night was a black and unforgiving void. No stars dared shine overhead; no beams of moonlight illuminated the barren walkways. Even the trees were naked and vulnerable. They stood as sparse, skeletal silhouettes among an eternal darkness. The ghostly breath of winter wafted through their limbs, manipulating the branches with devious caresses.

Tucked behind an apartment’s remote walls, Gabriel and his mistress entwined their bodies in a torrid twist of sweat, sex, and brandy. Cigar smoke clouded the atmosphere in a dense haze, obscuring everything. The headboard moaned as the entire bed was violated by a volley of deep thrusts.

Drunk out of his wits, Gabriel stared down at Charlotte’s splayed form with numb detachment. Fiery red hair was slathered across the pillows and drenched with sweat from root to tip. Crimson lips were drawn into an expression of mingled pain and pleasure as purrs rang inside her throat. With each thrust, her voluptuous, pale breasts jostled in time with Gabriel’s lovemaking. If one could call it such a thing.

“
Mmm … oui … baise moi …”

Slender arms snaked around his torso, forcing his sweat-lined chest firmly against her own. She arched her body into a taut bow and clamped onto his shoulders. Her muscles tensed. Long nails clawed at his back, digging into the undulating skin, as she reached her crescendo. A growl resonated inside Gabriel’s chest. Then he shoved her against the mattress and increased the force of his thrusts. Rivulets of sweat rained from his brow and stung his eyes like acid rain. In a hasty, detached motion, he wiped them away with the back of his wrist. An exotic blend of moans and screams erupted from Charlotte’s lips as he plummeted into her very core – once, twice, three times a charm.

A satisfied groan rose in her throat. When the task was complete, he rolled off her body. He sat on the edge of bed in thoughtful silence for several moments, running his fingertips through the glossy strands of his hair. He tensed at the pressure of Charlotte’s breasts against his nude back. Caressing his sweat-lined torso, she rested her chin atop his shoulder while her breathing regained its normal rhythm. He shrugged her away and reached for his slick boots.

As he stepped into each one, she said, “Must you leave so soon? I was rather enjoying your company.”

Her voice sounded light and airy – though Gabriel knew she fought to keep the desperation at bay. A tinge of guilt welled in his gut. Barely a day over eighteen, Charlotte was young and impressionable; she’d been forced into marriage with a brutish, vile man several months earlier. His and Charlotte’s dalliances had begun as a sort of escape – something that Gabriel continued to perceive as such – and he’d found a decent amount of pleasure in her companionship. She was unfashionably passionate and expressive for a woman, if not a bit selfish, and Gabriel had enjoyed their playtime well enough. Unfortunately, Charlotte was not so detached. Feelings were blooming and he needed to set her straight.

“Come now,” she persisted, “there’s no need to rush off. Gustave won’t be home till morning. He’s wasting away at the tables again.” Then she added with a wry grin, “I’d
bet
my life on it.” She giggled at her humorous attempt and jabbed Gabriel in his side. “What do you say? How about another tumble?” Her lips slid across his neck, leaving a hot, damp trail wherever they touched. Wetting her palm, she reached southward and coiled her fingers around his manhood in a viselike grip. They slid up and down his turgid length, nursing him back to life. “Mmm. Look at you,” she crooned into his ear, “strong as a God, eyes as warm as brandy on a cold winter’s night, and hair like melted drinking chocolate. When I was a girl, that was one of my favorite things, you know. I would
devour
it each and every night …”

“No, Charlotte. Stop.” Grabbing her wrist, Gabriel shook his head and detached her hand as it worked him. “Enough now.” The command was muttered beneath a stiff breath. Folding both arms over her breasts, she pulled back and narrowed her gaze. An oversized mirror was centered above the vanity. Gabriel observed her reflection as various emotions crossed over her features. “I won’t be returning,” he mumbled at length.

“What?” Her fiery brows knotted in concern. She scooted forward until the curves of her breasts grazed his back. “Am I not to your liking anymore? Is that it?”

Gabriel released a dejected sigh and shook his downcast face. “You are young,
chérie
. Young and beautiful. Try to understand. I have a family at home. They are my duty. I must – ”

“Family? You speak of your cold-hearted, cunning wife, do you?”

“I speak of my little girl. You shall understand one day, when you have children of your own.”

She scowled as he turned away and gathered his clothing from the floor. The alcohol burdened his movements, making them erratic and unsteady. He cursed and spared a moment to sober himself. If he made haste, he’d return well before Lisette awoke. Perhaps he’d surprise her with a trip to the stream. Gabriel shrugged the dress shirt over his head with an inward smile; he reckoned Lisette would take an instant shine to fishing. While she was a bit timid of new ventures, she had her mother’s curiosity and ambition. Thank God she hadn’t inherited Sybil’s
other
traits.

Tense silence poisoned the room as he met Charlotte’s mirrored reflection. Her jade eyes grew wide with disbelief and heartache. Slithering into her night rail, a blush sprinkled her cheeks and accented the fine architecture of her bones. “I am but a dalliance to you, am I not?” Gabriel offered no reply as he worked the clasps of his coat. “I shall resent you forever.” Once more, their gazes merged in the mirror. He saw the pain in her eyes – and realized for the first time that Charlotte had fallen in love with him.

“It’s for the best. I promise you this.” She responded with silence. Cold, wounded silence. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she clasped onto the vanity’s edge. Her nails dug into the polished surface, embedding crescent moons in the intricate design. “You knew it was going to come to this.”

She spun toward him and shoved at his chest with surprising force. “Don’t you dare patronize me! You are a damned hypocrite – nothing more. Now get out! Out of my sight!” Alas, she spoke truth. He was a hypocrite. And a drunk and a liar and a cheat. Gabriel ducked as an exotic perfume bottle sailed past his head. It crashed against the wall, permeated the atmosphere with a nauseating scent, and stained the rosewood panels. Several more bottles somersaulted through the air in rapid succession.
Crash. Crash. Crash.
“Get out! Get out of my house, you miserable knave!” She grappled with the bejeweled chain around her neck – a present he’d gifted her a month prior – and tore it from her throat. “And take your precious jewels with you!” she yelled, hurling the necklace at his body.

Charlotte’s cries echoed through the apartment as he raced down the winding stairwell and into the night.
Never again
. From that moment forward, he vowed to become an honest man and a worthy father.

He inhaled the crisp night air. His senses sobered, and relief consumed his mind and body. Preemptively arming himself with a dirk, he climbed into the phaeton’s box seat, intending to arrive home well before the sun ascended.

Little did Gabriel realize he was about to face an endless night.

•

Gabriel knew something was amiss the moment he pulled his phaeton into the chateau’s driveway. The first hint was a small carriage parked in the shadows.

Was Sybil entertaining one of her beaus? An exasperated curse exploded from his lips. As of late, she’d brought lovers into their house during his absences – something that angered him beyond rational thought. Not because of shame or pride, though he was a prideful man to say the least – but because of Lisette.

At Gabriel’s appearance, the carriage’s tethered mare snorted and pawed at the cobblestones. The lanterns, which dangled from the entryway, had burnt out, sentencing the world to ominous darkness. Dawn was still two hours off, and stars beaded the horizon in artful clusters. Their collective glows helped illuminate the pathway and escort Gabriel’s steps. He leapt down from the box seat, patted the mare’s smooth side, and headed straight for the chateau’s looming door.

Unlocked.
With mounting unease, he strode across the marbled threshold and into the foyer. He passed through the drawing room, passed the parlor, passed the kitchens, which were still toasty from the evening’s late supper, passed the soundproof, felt-covered door that led to the servants’ quarters …

With each step, his unease expanded. Palm curved over his dirk’s hilt, he raced up the spiral stairwell at a quickened stride. Overhead, the chandelier was as black as the surrounding night. Sconces flickered against the smooth, plastered walls, casting eerie shadows. Each step creaked beneath the weight of his body, betraying his will to be silent. After what felt like an eternity, he reached the top of the landing. Like vaults into hell, the hallways stretched out before him – expanding into a black abyss. He passed countless rooms before reaching his daughter’s bedchamber.

His eyes ran over the unmade coverlet … the pull toys, which were recklessly strewn about the rug. The chamber was empty and deathly still. Lisette was nowhere to be found. Gabriel’s heart sank into his chest. He took in the ruffled bed sheet and her beloved gilded music box. Then he continued his quest at a spry pace, whispering her name into the shadows. Tracking through the hallways once more, he soon reached the master bedchamber. Gabriel nudged the partially closed door and eased inside.

What he found knocked the air from his lungs. His wife’s half-naked body was sprawled across the mattress, her throat cleanly slit from ear to ear. A ring of blood encircled her throat like a macabre ruby necklace. The hearth burned low as its logs popped and darkened. Gabriel rushed to her side. Tears pierced his eyes and rage boiled within. He clutched her pale hand, brought it to his lips, and whispered a stammered apology against her ice-cold knuckles. As usual, she wore no wedding ring – and Gabriel forgave her.
Non
, he hadn’t loved her – and she’d rather despised him. Aside from proper bloodlines, they’d had little in common. Sybil had been spoiled, worlds more fickle than himself, and painfully unaffectionate – but she’d been the mother to his little girl and undeserving of such a twisted fate.
Mon Dieu.
He should have been here. As her husband, it was his duty to protect her.

This is my own fault. This is my doing.

He yearned to reverse time, to undo those hours he’d wasted away with the bottle, to give her a second chance at life and love. And whoever had done this to her – he would suffer greatly. The culprit would pay in blood and tears and fire.

Blood streamed down her neck as he elevated her face from the mattress. Those sightless eyes stared forward, perceiving only darkness. Brushing away a raven lock, he stammered in a wrenched sob, “Sybil … I’m so sorry. It should have been me.”

“Papa! Papa! Oh, Papa, please! I’m frightened!”

“Lisette?” He delicately laid Sybil’s body back onto the mattress and pursued his daughter’s voice. “Where are you?”

“Over here!”

Gabriel glanced over his shoulder, checking the threshold. It was empty beyond the bedchamber – but whoever did this could very well be lurking nearby. “Shh. Not too loud,
chérie
, not too loud.”

Gabriel found her hiding behind the chaise. Both arms were wrapped around her upright legs, and tears streaked her cheeks. He dropped to his knees and outstretched both arms. She crawled into his embrace and melted against him.

Attempting to soothe her, Gabriel stroked her long raven locks as she spoke between sobs. “Oh, Papa! I heard n-noises … bangs … so … so I came to see Maman … a m-man was leaving-g … so I h-hid and w-waited …” Gabriel scanned the chamber and discovered that many valuables were indeed missing.

Holding her against the security of his chest, he closed both eyes and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Smart, sweet girl. I’m very proud of you. So very proud. That was wise of you. You’re braver than any warrior or knight.” The words seemed to have a calming effect, and her labored breathing gradually slowed. Gabriel massaged the small length of her back and held her soundly. “I love you, my Lisette. I love you with all my heart and soul.” He lifted her chin with two fingertips. “Do you know that?”

She surrendered to a deep sniffle and nodded. Then the tears ran anew and coated her pale cheeks. Her voice emerged between choked intakes of air. “Why would he do that to Maman? It … it’s not fair …”

Gabriel found himself asking the same question. Before he could attempt an explanation, the sound of approaching footsteps ensnared his attention. He jerked his neck in the direction of the sound and urged Lisette behind the chaise again.

“Papa, don’t leave me! Please! I’m scared!” Gabriel pressed an index finger to her lips, silencing the words.

“I shall never, ever leave you. Never again.” His voice was a strained whisper and barely audible above the crackling hearth. “But you must stay here. Stay here and don’t speak another word. Do you understand me?” She was still crying heavily, her entire body wracked in a twisted mass of heart-wrenching sobs. Gabriel grasped her shoulders and stared into her glassy eyes. “You need to try to calm down,
ma chérie
. Everything shall be all right. I’m here. But we need to work together.”

“Yes, Papa … I-I’ll try.”

“Can you take a nice big breath for me?” She inhaled a long breath and then blew the air out. “Again?” She did as ordered, successfully calming herself.

The footsteps stilled outside the bedchamber. Gabriel signaled his daughter to remain silent. Then he clambered onto his feet just as a man entered the room. Gabriel’s blood drew ice-cold.

He recognized his wife’s murderer.

He was quite young, bearing features that might be described as sheepish at first glance. Etienne came from a decent bloodline, Gabriel recalled, and had gambled away the majority of his inheritance. He played deep, thieved deeper yet, and was a notorious cheat.