Sinful Duty (The Bentons and Northcutts 1) ✅

Chapter Fifteen

Gavin laid on the bed that he had shared with Diana, staring aimlessly up at the ceiling. He didn't like feeling as helpless as he did, and it angered him that there was nothing he could do to protect the woman he loved from George. Or to protect his child.

My uncle will kill my baby. I know he will. Whether it's a boy or a girl...he's going to kill my child.

Gavin clenched his jaw. He already had a hard time fitting in to his family unit, with Hugh being Thomas's heir and Thomas having little inheritance to spare otherwise. Thomas was already prepping Katherine's dowry for when she got married, and though his elder brother made no such overtures Hugh was well within his rights to expel Gavin from their home. His only recourse was seemed to be joining the military, but that was not a desirable option with their current conflict with the Dutch. He felt...expendable.

I AM expendable. That's why they used me as Uncle Edmund's stand-in to create an heir with Diana. They cared naught about my feelings on the matter...or Diana's.

A part of him—a selfish part, admittedly—was glad that he had been the one who gave Diana her child. Because he loved Diana and desired to be with her. And he loved the child she carried in her body. Male or female he loved that baby and he wanted to keep that baby from harm. But...But no one cared about his feelings on the matter. They denied his parentage to the child and the ability to be near either Diana or the baby. Gavin could not help but resent how much they denied him of any rights, as he felt that if they had given him just a little bit, then George would not have been in the position to get the King's approval to marry Diana.

They denied me so many times, instead of positioning me to be with Diana when her mourning period ended. Now my uncle is going to force marriage upon her when the baby is born...and my baby's life will be forfeit.

"Damn!" Gavin hissed, squeezing his eyes not. "Is there not anything I can do?!"

"Gavin?"

Gavin quickly sat up. He was surprised to see Rafe and Lionel standing in the doorway. His cousins entered the door and moved to stand on either side. "I would ask how you are doing, but I already know the answer," Rafe said quietly.

"I empathize with you," Lionel said. "Were I forced to watch Alice marry someone else, I would not be able to bear it."

"That field hurt Diana," Gavin said, slowly sitting up. "He is compelling her to marry him once the child is born, but we all know that as soon as the child is born..."

"We know," Lionel said grimly.

"We cannot allow it to happen," Rafe said. "We cannot allow Lady Diana to marry our uncle, and we cannot allow anything to happen to your child, Gavin."

It was surprisingly nice to hear someone other than himself referring to the baby as his child. Gavin forced a smile at him. "Thank you, Rafe."

"I spoke with Miss Phoebe before Father and I were practically pushed out the door," Lionel said. Rafe quickly looked up at this. "Miss Phoebe believes that Lady Diana has a month or so left before she gives birth. So that should give us sufficient time to plan."

"'Plan'?" Gavin echoed.

"Uncle George cannot marry Lady Diana until after she recovers from childbirth," Rafe said. "So a wedding between the two would occur sometime in the late summer, possibly August. We need to make arrangements to get Lady Diana and the baby away from our uncle before then."

"Does our fathers know of this plan?" Gavin asked.

"They have their own plan, but mostly it is in the pursuit of stopping Uncle George and protecting the baby," Lionel said. "We need to work to work to protect the baby, but also Lady Diana."