Annoyance flared in her. “We were not. Neither of us expected Father to be broke. Excuse me for not factoring that into my dreams when I was eighteen.”
They were both silent, but eventually, Justin sighed. “I’m sorry for being abominable. I hate that you are in this situation, and my request all those years ago is the cause of it.”
“I will take that drink now,” Lisbeth said. “You didn’t have any other options. We both know that.”
He handed her a glass of wine. She took a sip, her stomach filled with worry. She had to tell Thomas. It was the only option. “I asked his mother to send me a missive when he arrives.”
“I want to be there with you when you tell him.”
Lisbeth’s eyes widened. “I’m not sure that is needed or helpful.”
He scowled. “I promise not to give him the thrashing he deserves.”
Any interaction between Thomas and Justin wasn’t a good idea. Justin loathed him. He hadn’t before she found out she was pregnant. No, he’d felt sympathy for Thomas. Yet, the moment she’d confessed she was carrying Thomas’s child, he’d begun to rage about him. Lisbeth suspected it helped him deal with his own guilt about the awful decision she had to make in Tuscany. “I think it would be better if I spoke to him alone.”
Her brother clenched his jaw in annoyance. She walked to him and placed her hand on his. “This is something I need privacy to explain. I know you are concerned, but this isn’t something you can do for me.”
Justin nodded jerkily. “If he hurts you, I will destroy him, no matter how famous he is.”
*
Thomas stood infront of his mother’s townhouse. His heart ached because he suspected that she already knew the truth about Lisbeth’s oldest child. This would be the first time he’d visit his mother in ten years, and it was likely to end poorly.
Hell, he’d never even been to this house before. His mother had purchased it seven years ago. She’d retired from housekeeping once he began to do well. Initially, he’d sent her money every month, but after a while, she wrote to him to stop, stating it was too much and that she had more than enough.
Her home wasn’t in the posh area of Mayfair, but it was a beautiful location. Baker Street had become fashionable in the last few years, and Thomas couldn’t help but feel pride that he’d contributed to his mother being able to afford this place. Her townhouse was not the most elaborate, but he didn’t expect that. It wasn’t in his mother’s nature.
The door was thrown open, and his mother stood there with tears in her eyes. “My housekeeper said a man was standing out front, staring at the townhouse. I suspected it might be you. All of London is gossiping about your return.”
They would fight inside, but all he wanted right now was his mother’s embrace. He held out his arms, and she rushed to him. “My boy is finally home.”
He stepped back, and tears streamed down her face. She reached up and grasped his cheeks. “Who knew you would grow into such a large man. You left here such a slender boy. I understand now everything the serials wrote about you.”
A bark of laughter escaped him. He’d only felt anger of late, so the sound felt foreign to him. “I finished growing later than expected.”
She smiled and stroked his cheek. “Come inside. We have much to discuss.”
Briefly, he’d forgotten Lisbeth’s treachery, but it all came roaring back. He followed his mother in. She guided them to a drawing room decorated in subdued colors, and he spotted the hand-sewn curtains that could only be her own. “This place suits you.”
She squeezed his hand. “I couldn’t have purchased it without your support. All the money you’ve provided me, I invested wisely.”
He nodded, and she asked her housekeeper to fetch them tea. Thomas couldn’t prevent the corners of his mouth from tilting upwards. The housekeeper now had one of her own. She sat and noticed his smile. “Yes, it was strange at first, but now I’ve grown accustomed to Mrs. Donnelly.”
Thomas nodded, unsure how to begin. She said, “I’m assuming you’ve come back for Lisbeth.”
Fury and anger welled in him. He had. What a foolish man he’d been! “It doesn’t matter why I came back. She—”
They were interrupted by Mrs. Donnelly re-entering the room. She laid out the tea and some small sweets before departing. His mother lifted a brow. “She?”
“I have a child,” he bit out.
She didn’t deny it or express surprise, and Thomas’s heart shattered. His mother had known. She frowned. “Thomas, what happened when you and Lisbeth were young was so complicated.”
He scowled. “You are on a first-name basis with a duchess.”
“She planned to tell you.”
“I just spent weeks with her, and trust me, revelations of truth were no part of our time spent together,” he snarled.
