They turned to find the Duke of Lavensham standing across the foyer, a candelabra held high in one hand.The glow of candlelight cast shadows on the wall behind him like an army of specters.
Rhys squeezed Violet’s hand.“I am taking her.”
“Like hell you are.”The duke waved a hand, and several footmen stepped out of the shadows from behind him.“She and her child belong to me.”
The men approached.
Rhys dropped Violet’s hand, slipped his pistol from his jacket, and cocked the trigger.“I repeat.We are leaving.”
The servants stopped, looking to the duke.
“There are four of you.He’s only got one shot,” the duke growled.
But nobody moved.It appeared that none of the men wanted to be the one to take the bullet.Smart lads.Rhys passed the portrait of his mother to Violet and stepped forward, widening his stance, ready for a fight.
The duke stalked toward them but froze as his candelabra cast a circle of light around the three of them, his eyes glued to the portrait.His gaze slowly moved from it to Rhys’s face, and he stared at him for a long moment.
Rhys kept the pistol trained on the duke’s chest.He was taking no chances with this bastard.
“Now that I know, I can see you do look like her.So much.I knew she was carrying a boy.”His eyes became unfocused.Lost in memories, his voice softened.“Violet told you?That you are my son?”
Rhys recoiled at the statement.“No, my mother said I was Hartwick’s son.”
“Hartwick.”The duke’s eyes narrowed; he spat out the name.“Hartwick always got everything he wanted.Two strapping sons, all the women he could seduce, a wife who always forgave his indiscretions.Lilly loved him for some reason, but he didn’t appreciate her.When his wife threw a fit about their affair, he let her go without a second thought.”He beat a fist to his chest.“But I loved her.She was wild and beautiful, and her voice bewitched me from the moment I saw her on stage.I was the one who wanted to marry her.I offered her everything I had.”He yanked at his hair and paced in front of them.“But she left me.Just disappeared into the night.”
“You beat her.She discovered your cruelty,” Violet said.“Like father, like son.”Bitterness laced her voice.“You didn’t deserve her or the babe she carried.”
“You can’t leave.”But Lavensham wasn’t looking at Violet; instead, he stared at Rhys.“You’re mine.You have to stay.”
Rhys looked back at the man who may be his father and found that it didn’t make an ounce of difference to him which of the two men had sired him.There had only been one man who had been a true father figure for him, and Fleming had been twice the man of either of the two powerful dukes.Fuck them.
“Like I said, we are leaving.”He gently guided Violet back to the door.
“Wait, no, don’t—don’t leave me,” the duke called out, his voice cracking.
Violet opened the door, and Rhys followed her outside.Jim waited with a hand on the open carriage door.George sat on the box, reins gripped in his hands.Ginny stuck her head out and whistled.He and Violet hurried over.She handed the portrait up to Ginny.Then Rhys helped her inside.
“You remember where we are going?”he asked Jim.
“Yes, sir.You think they will give pursuit?”
Rhys looked back at the house.The duke leaned heavily against the frame of the great doors.His face was a mask of anguish as he slid slowly to his knees.
“I don’t think they will.Not tonight, anyway.”Rhys shook his head, turned from the house, and climbed into the carriage.“Let’s go.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Inside the carriage,Rhys gathered Violet in his arms and buried his nose in her hair.The light citrus scent of her soap calmed him.She was safe.
“Where are we going?”Violet asked.
“To Ashford.I’ve rented rooms there at the coaching inn.We will leave for London tomorrow.”
Violet reached up and cupped his cheek.“Are you all right?”
“Of course.”He kissed her nose.He gave her a squeeze and looked out the window.The carriage rolled past trees on both sides.Then they turned from the estate road onto the main road, and the scenery opened up to a sky full of stars.He spent some time staring up at them.Was he all right?His parentage had always been a fact.His mother had explained to him how the world worked once he was old enough to understand.She’d spoken about Hartwick in soft, resigned tones.
But to learn what he had tonight, he was fucking shocked to his core.“I can’t believe she would marry him,” he muttered.
