Gabriel's Redemption

Chapter Forty-nine

The week following Gabriel’s surgery, he was almost back to his old self. Except that he was grumpy and cross because of the lack of sex.

(One might observe that being grumpy and cross was precisely his old self.)

Julia bore his grumpiness as she usually did, with saintlike good humor. Of course, the fact that she was getting regular orgasms courtesy of her husband might have had something to do with her mood.

“There’s a letter from Katherine.” Gabriel waved in the direction of the kitchen table, where the day’s mail was stacked.

Julia picked up the small white envelope. Sure enough, the letter was from Professor Katherine Picton of All Souls College, Oxford.

“She’s still in England. I would have thought she’d be back in Toronto by now.”

Gabriel pulled up a chair and began going through the rest of the mail, hoping that there wouldn’t be any surprises among it.

“She’s a fellow at All Souls for the year. Open it and see what she says.”

Julia put on her glasses, opened the envelope, and began to read.

Dear Gabriel and Julianne,

I hope that this letter finds you both well.

Oxford is enjoyable and I’m pleased with the research I’ve been able to accomplish. I look back fondly to the conference this past summer and hope to see you soon.

I mentioned this before, but Greg Matthews has invited me to give a series of lectures at Harvard at the end of January. I’m told he’s also invited Jeremy Martin to give a paper.

I’m hoping to see you both during my visit.

I’m also hoping you’ll save me from Greg’s dreadful culinary predilections.

As ever,

Katherine.

“What does she say?” Gabriel looked at his wife over the rims of his glasses.

“She says she’s coming to Harvard in January. I haven’t heard anything about that in the department. Have you?”

“I haven’t heard a formal announcement. What else does she say?”

Julia handed him the letter.

Gabriel perused its contents quickly.

He grimaced. “Jeremy.”

“Yes.”

He tossed the letter back onto the table.

“I’m not looking forward to that confrontation. He’s still angry I resigned.”

“Can you smooth things over with him?”

“I don’t know. We were friends for a while, and then we weren’t. We’ll see.” He pushed her hair behind her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it. The important thing is that we’ll be able to see Katherine and have her over for dinner. She doesn’t like Greg’s choice of restaurants.”

Julia folded her glasses and placed them on the kitchen table before climbing into Gabriel’s lap.

“I can’t imagine Katherine having a tawdry affair with an old, desiccated Oxford professor.”

Gabriel chuckled. “Neither can I. But Old Hut was considered handsome in his day. I’ve seen photographs.”

“But the two of them together. She had to know it was wrong—not only because of her career but because he was married.”

Gabriel tapped the end of her nose. “I think she loved him.”

“That doesn’t make it right.”

“What we did was wrong as well, if you remember.” He lowered his voice, his eyes focused on hers intently.

“Yes.” She placed her arms around his neck. “I suppose it’s easy to point fingers and forget one’s own failings.”

“If she felt one tenth the love I felt for you, well, I can understand how she was led astray. Now that I’m married, however, I feel sympathy for Mrs. Hutton. If someone were to try to lure you away—” He cursed.

“I love you more now than I did before we were married.” Julia wore a contemplative expression. “Marriage is the strangest thing. Almost without realizing it, I feel as if our lives and our hearts became knitted together. I don’t know how it happened.”

“Marriage is a sacrament.” Gabriel’s tone was solemn. “And of course, there’s the sex we’re no longer having.”

“The three weeks are almost up.”

Gabriel moved his mouth to her ear.

“You’d better inform your professors that you won’t be in class that day.”

She shivered at his nearness.

“I won’t?”

“Do you think I’ll let you leave the house after going without you for three weeks?” He nipped at her ear. “You’ll be lucky if I let you leave the bed.”

“I like the sound of that.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I know that alongside our medical appointments, you were making inquiries about your family history. Have you found out anything?”

“I asked Carson to look into things. He was supposed to get a copy of the coroner’s report on my mother, and also health information about her parents and my father and his parents. But I haven’t heard anything.”

“No one is going to give your lawyer that kind of information.”

“Probably not,” said Gabriel grimly. “But he’s been known to hire private investigators that tend to be persuasive. They’ll find out what I need to know.”

“Persuasive?”

“In this case the information can probably be bought. Failing that, people can be made to talk.”

“Gabriel.” Julia’s tone was reproachful. “Have you ever bought information like that?”

“Yes.”

His swift, unblinking answer surprised her.

“Did you feel remorse?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why?”

“Because I was doing it for you. That’s why.”

She pulled away from him. “I don’t understand. What kind of information did you get?”

He sighed. “It’s a long story. You’d best get comfortable.”

Julia resisted the urge to move and remained where she was, in his lap.

“I should mention that although I didn’t intend to tell you what happened, for the past few months it’s been nagging at me that I should.”

“Tell me what?”

“How I ensured that Simon and Natalie would never bother you again.”

Julia’s eyes widened as Gabriel began his story.