Though her tone was teasing, his mother was in her mid-sixties now, and he understood her desire for babies. As for himself, he wasn’t entirely ready for children. At least, not yet.
“Time will tell,” was all he could say.
“By the by, I am concerned about your cousin Adrian. I hear gossip that he has considerable gaming losses.”
“If he does, that is on his shoulders, not mine.” He had never particularly liked his cousin.
“It’s just that…he is spending as if he will come into a large sum of money.”
Matthew’s mood turned grim, and he wondered if Sarah Carlisle had spoken to him or to anyone else about his birth. “Because he believes he might somehow inherit my title?”
Her face paled and she returned to her seat. “H-how can you imagine such a thing?”
Matthew set down his cup and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. It struck him that his mother appeared more worried than enraged. There was no anger—only fear. And so, he pried a little deeper.
“A woman named Miss Carlisle paid a call upon me a few weeks ago,” he began. “She spoke of a payment my father gave her on a yearly basis. A blackmail payment. Now why would Father allow this?”
He wanted to see his mother’s outrage and denial. He wanted to hear from her own lips that there was nothing wrong. But Charlotte’s hands were shaking, and she did not answer. He waited, and demanded, “Well?”
“I—I don’t know.” Her voice was tremulous, and she would not look at him. Something was wrong, something she would not say. And God help him, he needed to know if there was any truth to Sarah Carlisle’s claims.
He pressed again, “Why do I have brown eyes, Mother? I don’t look like you or my father.”
He expected her to speak of a grandparent, but instead, her face blanched. “Close the door, Matthew.”
A sudden coldness iced through him, but he obeyed. When he turned back to her, he saw that she was staring down at her hands. She looked all the world like a woman suffused with guilt.
No. He did not want to believe any of this. He wished he had not brought it up, but now, it was too late to go back. He needed the truth, even at the risk of his inheritance.
His mood darkened, and he demanded, “Is it true? Am I a bastard with no claim to the earldom?”
“Your father formally recognized you as his heir,” she said quietly. “But please…do not ask any more questions. Let thingsbe as they are. Your father and I treasured you, and you were raised to be the earl.”
He felt as if the floor beneath him had buckled, his life torn apart by words. “Is that woman my mother?” he gritted out. “Did she have an affair with my father, and is that why he paid her?”
“N-no,” the countess insisted. “Matthew, I swear to you, she is not your mother. Your father was never unfaithful to me.”
He didn’t believe her. The terror in her eyes and her visible fear revealed far more than he wanted to know. And he would have the truth now, even if it meant confronting the woman who threatened his very future.
“How do I look?” Evangeline breathed. Instead of wearing the ball gown the color of mouse fur, she had chosen a soft rose silk. Around her throat, she wore a chain of diamonds, and two tiny pink roses were tucked into her black hair. “Will Lord Davonshire notice me, do you think?
Already half of the gentlemen had noticed her, but Lily feared it was because of the diamonds around Evangeline’s throat. Everyone knew of her wealth, and many unscrupulous men might try to take advantage of her.
“You look beautiful,” Lily told her. And her friend had indeed transformed. Evangeline’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, her eyes bright with the prospect of meeting the earl.
“Will he be here this evening, do you think? Lord Delicious, I mean.”
“Lord Dog Thief,” Lily corrected. Although she knew it was right to surrender Sebastian into his hands, she felt the loss of the dog keenly. She missed the enormous animal trying tosnuggle against her while she read her books and the patch of drool upon her skirts.
“He did not truly steal Sebastian,” Evangeline reminded her.
“Oh, I know it. But I do miss my dog. He was mine, even if only for a short time.” Her heart was still wounded at the memory.
“Annabelle had her puppies last night,” Evangeline said. “If you would like one, I can give you one of your own, once the puppies are old enough to be weaned. A new Sebastian, if you like. Although this one would be much smaller.”
Her friend’s offer was so generous, but Lily didn’t know if she was ready for a new dog yet. “Perhaps.”
Evangeline squeezed her hand in silent sympathy, and Lily forced away the sadness. “Do promise me this. If Lord Davonshiredoesattend this gathering, you cannot hide yourself behind the drapes.”
