The staff had restored the palace to its former glory, cleaning the blood and dirt that had stained the walls, rugs, and floors, and replacing the broken items that had been damaged beyond repair. There was a heavy solemnness to the house, rain clouds in every room, a sadness that hummed in every ear. Maids would break into tears unexpectedly, the rawness of the night before hitting them again and again.

A night of rest hadn’t dulled the pain for me either.

I was about to ask where Fender was when the front door opened and he walked inside. Dressed in all black with his customary boots, he shut the door behind himself then stilled when he spotted me.

I inhaled a breath of relief at the sight of him, feeling comforted by that look that no one else could give me.

He walked over to me, a solemn expression in his eyes. “I took Gilbert to the funeral home so they could prepare him for burial.”

My eyes filled with pain all over again.

“And I went to his parents to tell them what happened.”

“Oh my god…” My hand immediately went to his arm, knowing how painful that must have been.

His expression was hard and stony as if nothing had happened, because his true nature was so much deeper beneath the surface. Sometimes he looked like he didn’t care, but that wasn’t true. He just didn’t know how to express it.

“That must have been hard.”

“It was.” His eyes dropped for a moment, a quick replay happening in his mind. “I gave them enough money to be very wealthy for the rest of their lives, for several generations of their family.”

I knew they wanted their son—not the money.

“I’ve found a replacement. He starts today.”

My eyes watered—because Gilbert couldn’t be replaced.

He inhaled a deep breath at my reaction, the look paining him. “I know, chérie…”

I cupped my mouth to stifle the tears.

His strong arms wrapped around me, and he held me in the foyer, his body supporting mine, his love cushioning the blow to my broken heart. His fingers gently ran over my hair and down my back, treating me with such gentleness that contradicted his entire nature.

“I…I miss him so much.”

He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “I do too.”

A week passed, but that week felt like an eternity.

Gabriel was the new butler. He was a young man who had recently left his previous employer because they’d relocated to the Netherlands. He learned fast, was quick on his feet, and didn’t talk much.

But he was no Gilbert, even though Fender refused to learn his name and insisted upon calling him Gilbert. Gabriel seemed flustered at first, but given his salary, he adapted to his new identity quickly, soon answering only to Gilbert.