Page 145 of A Devious Secret

“Nonsense,” her aunt said with a wave of her hand. “I shall see to the preparations at once.”

Gemma watched as her aunt walked off and sighed. She felt bad for the servants that would be required to leave the comfort of their beds to prepare her bath.

Stephen spoke up. “I, for one, do not think you look awful,” he said. “I don’t believe you have ever looked more beautiful to me.”

“You are being much too kind.”

“It is merely the truth.”

Gemma turned to face him and slipped his jacket off her shoulders. “Thank you for this,” she said as she extended it back to him.

“You are most welcome,” Stephen said as he shrugged the jacket on. “How are you faring, Gemma?”

“I am well,” she lied.

Stephen’s eyes filled with compassion. “I would prefer the truth, if you don’t mind.”

Gemma sighed as she admitted, “All I feel is relief that Henry is dead.” She hesitated. “Is that awful of me?”

“Not at all,” Stephen said. “You are allowed to feel however you feel. There is no shame in that.”

“Everything Henry had told me was a lie,” Gemma said as she felt tears burn at the back of her eyes. “Why did he have to murder Baldwin?”

“I do believe that Henry was mad. He saw only what he wanted to see, nothing more.”

A tear slipped out and ran down her cheek. “He stole everything from me,” she said as she reached up to wipe it away.

“Not everything, Gemma,” Stephen said, taking a step towards her. “I may be presumptuous in saying this, but you still have me.”

“And I am most grateful for that.”

Stephen reached for her hand. “What Henry did was inexcusable, but I am here for you. I will always be here for you.”

Gemma stared deep into his eyes, and she didn’t just see him, but she saw her today, her tomorrow and her future for the rest of her life.

Her father’s voice came from the doorway of the drawing room. “Release my daughter, Wycomb!” he growled.

Stephen slipped his hand out of hers and turned to face her father. “Lord Winsley,” he started, “as always, it is a pleasure.”

Her father narrowed his eyes and he closed the distance between them. “You will stay away from Gemma. I command you to,” he barked, coming to stand toe to toe with Stephen.

“Here is the thing, my lord, I have never dealt well with taking orders,” Stephen said in a dry voice.

“Well, you will need to start, because you are no good for Gemma. You are nothing—”

Stephen grabbed her father’s cravat and leaned closer to him. “You are a pompous jackanapes, and your opinion means very little to me.”

“How dare you talk to me in such a high-handed manner!” her father shouted. “Do I need to remind you that you work for a living.”

“You seem to forget that I was a captain in the Royal Navy.”

Her father huffed. “Not a very good one.”

Gemma gasped. “Father!”

Stephen’s voice turned ominous. “You know not what you are speaking of, and I would strongly encourage you to choose your next words wisely.”

Her father took a step back and Stephen released his grip on Lord Winsley’s cravat. “I don’t know what you intended to prove with that spectacle, but you failed to impress me.”