Page 61 of Tempted By the English Marquis
If you would just come home, we could end this war before it’s begun.
The duchess took a long breath in then let it out on a soft, dramatic sigh. Her son ignored it. He had years of training under his belt. Others might not know how to handle Lady Anne when she was on the warpath, but he certainly did.
“What am I to do with you?” she said.
She might think this an even fight, but on the long sea voyage from England, Gideon had come to understand that the only way to win against his mother was to fight like she did.
Dirty, and with no intention of taking prisoners.
“Considering the fact that I am a fully-fledged adult, you won’t be doing anything with me, Your Grace. In fact, from this morning and until I deliver her into the loving arms of her father, you also won’t be doing anything with Augusta. I’m not here in Rome for you. I am operating under clear instructions from the Duke of Mowbray. I have taken legal guardianship of Lady Augusta Kembal and will be returning with her to England in the near future.”
The only way he could have received a stronger reaction was if he had physically struck his mother. The duchess flinched. She put a hand to her face. “How dare you? You beastly boy.”
Gideon held her gaze, openly challenging his mother. Defying her. Something he had never done before. It felt both powerful and disrespectful all at the same time. “As I explained just a moment ago, it’s been a long time since I was a lad, Your Grace. What I am is a grown man tasked with the job of saving his family.”
“Am I not a part of that family?”
He took a long, slow breath, steadying his mind. His mother’s words left her wide open for a full-frontal attack. If he decided to show her no mercy, the battle was his for the taking.
There is a war to be won here, and you won’t succeed by crushing her now.
“I saw the letter you sent Papa. You have made your position clear. Our family is no longer yours. My brothers and sisters are not a priority for you. They have come to understand that, and as much as it pains them, I believe in time they will learn to accept your decision.”
There was a great deal more he could say. A heated tirade which he would dearly love to rain down on her, but Gideon wisely held back. He still had to get Augusta on board that ship to England. And if his sister was made to feel that the rest of the Kembal family were abandoning their mother rather than the other way ’round, he would have a devil of a time getting her feet on the gangplank. G was nothing if not loyal to the duchess.
“And what if Augusta doesn’t want to go back to London? What will you do then?”
“Augusta will be returning to England with me, Your Grace. The offer for passage home is also extended to you. It shall remain open until the time the ship pulls away from the dock.”
Lady Anne snorted. “How gracious of you. But if you think I am going with you, you are sadly mistaken. I have made my stand, and here I shall stay.”
She was prepared to die on that hill of her own making. Stubborn woman.
I hate doing this. Believe me, if there was another way, I would take it.
Gideon went to his travel trunk. He opened it and took out a letter. When he returned to his mother, he offered it to her.
She glanced at it but didn’t take it. “What’s that?”
He pressed the paper against the front of her gown. “Take it, or I shall deliver it to you this evening in front of your hosts. Your choice. Your Grace.”
The duchess wrapped her fingers around the folded paper. When she still didn’t make any attempt to open the letter, Gideon simply shrugged.
“The content of that missive, which you will note is sealed under the hand of the Duke of Mowbray, is an official claim to the custody of Lady Augusta Elizabeth Kembal. As the duke’s representative, I am entrusted with the guardianship of said Lady Augusta until she is returned to Mowbray House, Berkeley Square, London, England. Which means she will not be going with you to stay at your gentleman friend’s estate in Tivoli.”
He had several signed and sealed copies of the letter just in case. One for the Duke of Lazio, and one for any authorities in Rome who may require evidence of his legal standing. He didn’t need to be accused of attempting to kidnap his own sister.
Lady Anne crunched the paper up in her hands. She mightn’t like it, but in her situation, she had no room to maneuver.
When Gideon touched his hand lightly to her shoulder, the duchess turned her head away. “You don’t know what this is like for me,” she said.
“No, I don’t. I don’t understand any of this, but if you are willing to talk to me, I am here to listen.”
His mother closed her eyes. “Just promise me something. A little thing for the time being?”
More concessions. Gideon sensed he would have to tread carefully with both the duchess and Lady Augusta. He was prepared to concede some things but could only go so far. “What would you ask of me, Mama?”
She opened her eyes and stared at the paper in her hand. “Please don’t tell the de Lucas about this. They don’t know about your father and I separating. That sort of thing is not done here in Rome. I’m not sure how they would take the news.”
