Gabriels face worked. "You have no idea what youre talking about. "
Gideon took a step forward, warning in every line of his posture. "Gabriel -"
But his brother ignored him. "You dont even know what your precious Charlottes father did to mine, do you? I only just learned it myself a few days ago. My father finally broke down and told us. Hed protected the Fairchilds til then. "
"Your father?" Will s tone was incredulous. "Protected the Fairchilds?"
"He was protecting us as well. " Gabriels words tumbled over themselves.
"My mothers brother-my uncle Silas-was one of Granvil e Fairchilds closest friends. Then Uncle Silas broke the Law-a tiny thing, a minor infraction-and Fairchild discovered it. all he cared about was the Law, not friendship, not loyalty. He went straight to the Clave. " Gabriels voice rose.
"My uncle killed himse
lf in shame, and my mother died of the grief. The Fairchilds dont care about anyone but themselves and the Law!"
For a moment the room was silent; even Will was speechless, looking utterly taken aback. It was Tessa who spoke at last, "But that is the fault of Charlottes father. Not of Charlotte. "
Gabriel was white with rage, his green eyes standing out against his pale skin. "You dont understand," he said viciously. "Youre not a Shadowhunter.
We have blood pride. Family pride. Granvil e Fairchild wanted the Institute to go to his daughter, and the Consul made it happen. But even though Fairchild is dead, we can still take that away from him. He was hated-so hated that no one would have married Charlotte if he hadnt paid off the Branwel s to hand Henry over. Everyone knows it. Everyone knows he doesnt really love her. How could he-"
There was a crack, like the sound of a rifle shot, and Gabriel fell silent.
Sophie had slapped him across the face. His pale skin was already beginning to redden. Sophie was staring at him, breathing hard, an incredulous look on her face, as if she could not believe what she had done.
Gabriels hands tightened at his sides, but he didnt move. He couldnt, Tessa knew. He could not strike a girl, a girl who was not even a Shadowhunter or a Downworlder but merely a mundane. He looked to his brother, but Gideon, expressionless, met his eyes and shook his head slowly; with a choked sound Gabriel spun on his heel and stalked from the room.
"Sophie!" Tessa exclaimed, reaching for her. "Are you all right?"
But Sophie was looking anxiously up at Gideon. "Im so sorry, sir," she said. "Theres no excuse-I lost my head, and I-"
"It was a well -placed blow," Gideon said calmly. "I see youve been paying attention to my training. "
Will was sitting up on the bench, his blue eyes lively and curious. "Was it true?" he said. "That story Gabriel just told us. "
Gideon shrugged. "Gabriel worships our father," he said. "Anything Benedict says is like a pronouncement from on high. I knew my uncle had kil ed himself, but not the circumstances, until the day after we first came back from training you. Father asked us how the Institute seemed to be run, and I told him it seemed in fine condition, no different from the Institute in Madrid. In fact, I told him I could see no evidence that Charlotte was doing a lax job. That was when he told us this story. "
"If you dont mind my asking," said Tessa, "what was it that your uncle had done?"
"Silas? fell in love with his parabatai. Not, actual y, as Gabriel says, a minor infraction but a major one. Romantic relationships between parabatai are absolutely forbidden. Though even the best-trained Shadowhunter can fal prey to emotion. The Clave would have separated the two of them, though, and that Silas couldnt face. Thats why he kil ed himself. My mother was consumed with rage and grief. I can well believe that her dying wish was that we would take the Institute from the Fairchilds. Gabriel was younger than I when our mother died-only five years old, clinging to her skirts still -and it seems to me his feelings are too overwhelming for him now to quite understand them. Whereas I-I feel that the sins of the fathers should not be visited on the sons. "
"Or the daughters," said Will.
Gideon looked at him and gave him a crooked smile. There was no dislike in it; in fact, it was jarringly the look of someone who understood Will, and why he behaved as he did. Even Will looked a bit surprised. "There is the problem that Gabriel Will never come back here, of course," said Gideon.
"Not after this. "
Sophie, whose color had started to return, paled again. "Mrs. Branwel Will be furious-"
Tessa waved her back. "Ill go after him and apologize, Sophie. It Will be all right. "
She heard Gideon call after her, but she was already hurrying from the room. She hated to admit it, but shed felt a spark of sympathy for Gabriel when Gideon had been tell ing his story. Losing a mother when you were so young you could barely remember her later was something she had familiarity with. If someone had told her that her mother had had a dying wish, she wasnt sure she wouldnt have done everything in her power to execute it . . . whether it made sense or not.
"Tessa!" She was partway down the corridor when she heard Will call ing after her. She spun and saw him striding down the hal in her direction, a half smile on his face.
Her next words wiped his smile away. "Why are you following me? Will, you shouldnt have left them alone! You must go back to the training room, right away. "
Will planted his feet. "Why?"
Tessa threw up her hands. "Dont men notice anything? Gideon has designs on Sophie-"
"On Sophie?"
"Shes a very beautiful girl," flared Tessa. "Youre an idiot if you havent noticed the way he looks at her, but I dont want him taking advantage of her.
Shes had enough such trouble in her life-and besides, if youre with me, Gabriel wont talk to me. You know he wont. "
Will muttered something under his breath and seized her wrist. "Here.
Come with me. "
The warmth of his skin against hers sent a jolt up her arm. He pulled her into the drawing room and across to the great windows that looked down over the courtyard. He released her wrist just in time for her to lean forward and see the Lightwoods carriage rattling furiously across the stone yard and under the iron gates.
"There," Will said. "Gabriels gone anyway, unless you want to chase after the carriage. And Sophies perfectly sensible. Shes not going to let Gideon Lightwood have his way with her. Besides, hes about as charming as a postbox. "
Tessa, surprising even herself, let out a gasp of laughter. She put her hand up to cover her mouth, but it was too late; she was already laughing, leaning a little against the window.