“I shall update you soon,” Simon replied after a moment.
Harriet could tell that there was something that he was not telling her. Usually, she would have let it go for her own peace. But right now — her anxious mind would have let her rest for a minute if she did not demand more answers.
“You must knowsomething.You should tell me, at least.”
Simon opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again. “Duchess, I told you in no uncertain terms. Once I become clear of the situation myself, I shall inform you.”
Harriet sighed. Simon was not going to budge on this.
“Do you believe that… well… Do you believe that there is some possibility that we might never find her true parentage at all?” she asked.
It was a silly question. But it was one that would mean that they would have the option of keeping Catherine — that no one was going to come asking at their door for her back.
It was a moment of vulnerability — perhaps the tiredness from the last few nights of bad sleep had gotten to her finally. Simon seemed to sense the vulnerable moment, and softened immediately.
“Do not worry, Harriet. I shall sort this out for you.”
CHAPTER 11
Agentleman must always keep his promise. After all, his word is the most important thing.
For that reason, Simon knew that he had to seek out his brother and get to the bottom of things. He had promised Harriet that he was going to sort out this situation as soon as he could.
It was that promise that brought him here. The duke of Atherton stood outside a modest building in a less-than-reputable part of town, his expression one of barely concealed disdain. The establishment before him was one he would never normally deign to enter—a notorious gaming hall known for its questionable clientele and even more questionable activities.
It was a place he knew his brother, Tobias, frequented.
“Do you think he’ll be here?” asked Anthony, scanning the entrance with great curiosity.
Simon had decided that he was not interested in undertaking this search on his own, and had, therefore, invited his friend to come with him.
Simon sighed, casting a disparaging glance at the building. “I suppose we won’t know until we look.”
“Are you certain the baby is his?” Anthony pressed. “I have to say that this place is a bit too seedy, even for my liking.”
“Knowing Tobias, it’s entirely possible. He’s never been one to heed advice or think about consequences.”
The two brothers shared the same blood, but that was the only thing similar about them. Tobias had never been one to follow rules, and always stirred up trouble wherever he went.
When they were young boys, their father had hired a set of tutors to teach Tobias discipline.
Of course, it had not done him any good. If anything, Tobias had found boys exactly like himself there, and gotten even more reckless.
On the contrary, Simon had always been one to value principles above all else. He felt as though he had a duty to those around him, and always tried his hardest to help whomever he could.
You’re an old man,Tobias would say to him.Just because you will eventually inherit the dukedom does not mean that you need to be so stiff.
What you call stiff, I call disciplined,Simon would argue back. But it would always fall on deaf ears.
Tobias never really understood the concept of duty. He looked at it with contempt, if anything.
So it would not surprise Simon if he had a child and then abandoned it. As unfortunate as that was, it was entirely in line with the kind of man his brother was.
As they entered the establishment, they began to look around. Clouds of thick smoke from cigars and hookah pipes filled the room, and Simon spotted more than one scantily clad lady running about.
“Ah, your brother is quite the character, isn’t he? Reckless and carefree,” Anthony chuckled, amused by the whole scenario.
“That’s one way to put it,” Simon replied dryly, his patience already wearing thin at the thought of his brother’s antics. “Irresponsible brat is another.”
