“Well…” he dropped his voice down, even though it was only them in the room, “there is the matter of… a baby.”
“Baby?” Anthony nearly jumped up in his seat. “You rascal. You had a baby, and did not even tell me? I thought you considered me your closest friend.”
Simon rolled his eyes at his friend’s theatrics. “Calm down. It is not my baby. But one that was left at our doorstep. We do not know who the parents are.”
Anthony raised an eyebrow. “Ah, that is quite the pickle you are in.”
Simon gave a wry smile. “Not by choice, I assure you. The duchess has been taking care of it ever since.”
Anthony’s eyes twinkled with amusement. “And you’ve been hiding in your study, leaving the poor woman to fend for herself?”
Simon’s expression turned serious. “It’s not like that. I’ve been trying to find out who the father is. I think I have an idea.”
Anthony’s teasing demeanor softened as he leaned back in his chair. “Go on, then. I would like to hear what your suspicions are.”
Simon took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. It was something that he had thought about a lot, but had not told anyone yet. “I believe the father is my brother.”
Anthony’s eyes widened in surprise. “Your brother? Are you certain?”
Simon nodded slowly. “Almost certain. But I cannot risk ruining his reputation without proof. And I barely know the duchess. I can’t just lay this on her without being sure.”
“You’re in quite the bind, old friend. Have you confronted your brother?”
“Not yet,” Simon admitted. “I need to be absolutely certain before I do anything that could damage his standing. And there’s the matter of Harriet….”
“What about her? Should she not be relieved knowing the child is not yours?” Anthony teased.
Simon considered his words for a moment. Truthfully, it would be best if the child belonged to someone else. Someone to whom he had no connection. But if it was really his brother’s child, as he suspected, things would become a lot more complicated.
Foremost, it would mean that he now had a real responsibility to the child, as they were related by blood. As an extension, Harriet would have some responsibility, too.
That felt unfair to put upon her, despite their relationship.
“She’s been through enough without adding more uncertainty to her life,” he said finally.
Anthony nodded, his respect for Simon evident. “It is heartwarming that you have concern for her.”
“It is not concern,” Simon corrected swiftly. “It is merely my duty.”
“Duty,” Anthony laughed. “As you say. Though — I will note that your marriage sounds a lot more interesting than the others I hear about.”
“Interesting?” he scoffed, “The duchess is as stubborn as they come. I am not sure what is so interesting about that; it is irksome if anything.”
“Look at you,” Anthony chuckled. “You sound as though you are in love already.”
Simon glared at his friend. “Did you have a pint before coming here? What sort of nonsense is this that you are spewing?”
“I might have,” he grinned. “But I have never seen you express any sort of emotion towards a woman.”
Simon narrowed his eyes at him, waiting for an explanation.
“Simon, disdain and annoyance is an emotion, too,” Anthony replied.
“Oh, stop it. You are deluded. What matters to me is finding the true parentage of this child,” he said. “All else is irrelevant.”
Simon knew that he had to get confirmation. Even though he had his suspicions — quite strong ones — he could not decide what the next step should be, lest he knew for sure.
CHAPTER 8
