Chapter 736

Harrison chuckled lightly before turning to Isabella. "Don't tease us like that!"

Standing apart, Gabrielle felt utterly invisible. The easy affection between Henry, Isabella, and Harrison was palpable. They looked like the ideal family unit, while she remained an outsider, an unwelcome intruder.

"Mother, Father, I'm retiring to my room," Gabrielle declared abruptly, already turning toward the staircase without awaiting permission.

Isabella instinctively moved to call her back, but Henry caught her wrist gently.

"Let her go," he murmured.

He believed some distance might do Gabrielle good - especially if she was planning further outrageous schemes.

With practiced ease, Harrison redirected the conversation. "Mr. Lancaster, that aphrodisiac you consumed isn't ordinary - it originates from Frostholm."

Henry stiffened. "Frostholm? You're certain?"

"Absolutely. Ms. Lancaster is suffering from a Frostholm curse, and now you've been dosed with their signature aphrodisiac. The perpetrator must be someone within your inner circle."

Henry's brow furrowed deeply. The powder had been administered in his own home, intended to force intimacy with Eleanor - logically, the culprit had to be either Eleanor or Gabrielle.

His gaze sharpened as he addressed Harrison. "We must identify this individual immediately."

Harrison arched an elegant eyebrow. "Patience. The guilty party will reveal themselves soon enough. The more they act, the more mistakes they'll make. We simply need to observe and wait for their misstep."

Both Henry and Isabella nodded in agreement.

"Very well. We'll follow your lead."

Harrison smiled warmly. "I should take my leave now. I've been here several days, and Charlotte misses me terribly. It's time I devoted attention to my own daughter."

"Allow me to arrange your transportation," Henry offered.

"No need," Harrison declined gracefully. "I drove myself. Until next time."

With that, Harrison departed, her figure soon disappearing from view.

Henry slid an arm around Isabella's slender waist. "She's gone, darling. Why do you still gaze after her? What occupies your thoughts?"

Isabella grinned playfully. "Are you actually jealous of Harrison?"

He pinched her cheek affectionately. "You truly adore her that much?"

"Completely," Isabella admitted without hesitation. "Sometimes I even wonder...why couldn't she have been our daughter?"

Her feelings for Harrison mirrored a mother's unconditional love.

Henry understood completely. Harrison was brilliant, fiercely loyal, and had sacrificed much for them. Who wouldn't cherish such a person?

Yet Gabrielle was their flesh and blood. Such thoughts seemed unfair to their actual daughter.

Henry chose not to voice this. Instead, he swept Isabella into his arms without warning.

Startled, she gasped. "Henry! What are you—"

He carried her toward the grand staircase without explanation. "What do you imagine?"

The smoldering look in his eyes answered her question more eloquently than words. She playfully thumped his chest. "You're not exactly a young man anymore! Are you certain your constitution can handle this?"

Henry captured her lips in a searing kiss. "The sight of you destroys my self-control. I intend to compensate for all those lost years."

Isabella's cheeks flushed crimson. "But it's broad daylight!"

He smirked roguishly. "If you admire Harrison so much, perhaps we should produce another daughter - one exactly like her."

Isabella gaped at him, momentarily speechless.

How had she never realized her husband possessed such shameless tendencies? At their age, discussing childbearing!

The audacity of the man took her breath away - in more ways than one.