‘What are you doing?’ she asked, looking down at his hands.
‘Making certain you do not catch a chill.’
She narrowed her eyes, but did not push his hands away. ‘That is very considerate of you. I suppose this concern has nothing to do with any late-night activities you are anticipating.’
‘I have no notion of which activities you are speaking of,’ he replied with what he hoped was an innocent expression. ‘You look quite beautiful this evening.’
Her body stiffened. ‘Thank you,’ she replied, backing away from him so he was forced to release her wrap.
Had he offended her? He had not intended to. ‘It is a cool evening. I shall inform your coachman to place a warm brick in your carriage.’
‘Comte Janvier has kindly offer to take me in his carriage, so there is no need to concern yourself.’
Every nerve in Gabriel’s body snapped to attention. Her phrasing could not have been worse. ‘He is to be your escort for the evening?’ he asked, raising his chin.
‘Yes, he was invited as well and offered to accompany me weeks ago.’
‘Well, I believe I shall wait with you and greet the Comte when he arrives.’
‘There is no need. You should go about your affairs.’ She walked away from him to the gilded mirror next to the door and adjusted her hair.
‘Dinner and a good book await me this evening. I am in no hurry.’ Not wanting her to witness his jealousy, he turned away and met the condescending gaze of his great-grandfather, staring down at him from a life-sized portrait of the man on horseback. Gabriel wanted to tell him to mind his own business. It was quite evident he was behaving like an overly protective bore, but she was his wife. His. He simply needed to be certain that Comte Janvier understood that.
A knock echoed through the marble hall and drew Gabriel’s attention to the front door. As he adjusted his cuffs, soft footsteps filled the hall, announcing Bennett’s arrival before he appeared.
‘You can leave now, Gabriel. I am certain that is Janvier and Bennett can manage the door.’ She addressed his reflection in the mirror and raised her brows expectantly.
‘I believe I will remain right where I am.’
She looked as if she was about to speak, but there was no time since Bennett had opened the door. Gabriel was standing out of Janvier’s line of vision when the man walked inside. Not that it would have mattered anyway since the Frenchman’s eyes were firmly fixed on Olivia. He couldn’t blame him. She was stunning. It was apparent to Gabriel that Janvier was considering the different ways he would like to take her. The man was perilously close to losing consciousness.
Gabriel cleared his throat. Janvier turned and his head snapped back as he realised Olivia’s husband was standing a few feet away.
‘Ah, Your Grace, what an unexpected surprise.’ He held out his hand.
Gabriel took his gloved hand and squeezed the man’s long, slender fingers tightly, wishing he could break a bone or two. When he released his grip, he was pleased to see Janvier wiggle his fingers around before placing them at his side.
‘It’s kind of you to accompany my wife this evening, since I will not be available to attend to her until she arrives home.’
He was staking his claim and Gabriel was satisfied to catch the understanding that crossed Janvier’s face.
‘I shall make every effort to ensure Her Grace’s every need is met.’
French bastard. ‘I shall have to recommend my tailor to you. Mr Weston cuts a very fine coat.’
A forced smile rose on Janvier’s lips. ‘That is very kind of you. However, I believe my tailor does an exceptional job.’
From the corner of his eye, Gabriel could see Olivia cross her arms. So they weren’t exactly being subtle. They were men. He turned to her and held out his hand. ‘I will see you into the carriage.’
He knew she was fighting a desire to turn around from both of them and stomp back up to her rooms. She placed her white-gloved hand onto his arm and, for the briefest instant, the pressure of her fingers dug through the sleeve of his tailcoat. He bit back a smile at her subtle silent statement.
They stopped a few feet from the carriage and waited for the footman to open the door. Gabriel leaned down and let a small puff of breath float over his wife’s ear and neck. ‘Hold on to some of that fire till you return, Livy. It will make for a most enjoyable night in bed.’
She glanced at her friend, but he was busy speaking with his coachman.
‘You are presuming I will allow you in my bed after that display,’ she scolded him in a low voice.
‘In order to have another child, I believe I need to be in your bed—frequently—if we are truly intent about this. One time probably was not sufficient.’
‘Perhaps it was sufficient. Perhaps I am already carrying a child.’
Our child. The child would be ours. Gabriel looked over at Janvier and wanted to plant a facer for all new reasons. ‘I believe it is best to keep trying until we are certain,’ he whispered back, taking her gloved hand to his lips, searching her eyes for even the slightest reaction.
Immediately, she pulled her hand away and readjusted her wrap. ‘You believe I can be so easily charmed after that display of male dominance? I am not a bone to be fought over by two dogs.’
‘No, you are not a possession. You are the woman I chose above all others to marry and would do so again without hesitation. I was simply reminding him that you are my Duchess and should he offend your honour in any way, he will answer to me.’
Janvier approached Olivia’s side and she shifted her attention to adjusting her gloves.
‘Shall we?’ Janvier asked, moving his gaze between Olivia and Gabriel.
‘Yes, let’s not keep our friends waiting.’
She allowed Gabriel to help her into the carriage. His eyes were still on her when Janvier edged past him.
‘I shall have her home before sun up,’ the Frenchman said as he entered the carriage and took his seat across from Olivia.
Gabriel gave a curt nod before he stepped back, allowing the footman to raise the step and close the door with a click. Within minutes, Comte Janvier’s carriage pulled away with his wife inside.
Striding into their house, Gabriel went directly to the dining room, needing to focus on the food and drink set before him and not on the fact that his wife, who might already be carrying his child, was out with another man. As Gabriel settled into his chair, Bennett nodded to one of the footmen to begin serving the first course.
‘Bennett, has Comte Janvier been a frequent guest of the Duchess?’
‘He has attended a few of her dinner parties.’
‘And has he escorted her anywhere else in his carriage.’
‘No, sir. This is the first time.’
Gabriel sat back on the red-velvet cushion of his chair and watched one of his footmen ladle turtle soup into his bowl. He knew that he and Olivia had lived separate lives under the same roof. In regards to his responsibility to the Crown that situation had made things infinitely easy for him. Yet seeing a man drive off in his carriage with Olivia had set the pulse in his temples pounding.
He knew they’d agreed to be monogamous with each other while they were trying to conceive another child. He trusted Olivia to hold to their agreement. What he did not trust was that slippery Frenchman.
Gabriel scraped his chair back suddenly, startling the footmen and Bennett. He walked to the window and looked out at the cobblestone street below. The sound of carriage wheels and men on horseback going to and