“There she is,” Victoria murmured, sounding pleased.
It sounded as if she had no problem with the infant. Not one bit. It was clear that she was almost in awe of the baby.
Richard’s sisters-in-law gasped. Their voices were soft and cultured, but their reaction was no less deafening.
“Victoria,” Richard protested, stepping closer to the group. “Don’t you think it’s too early to tell people about the child?”
“My family can be trusted,” Victoria replied firmly, her eyes finally meeting his own.
Her eyes were usually defiant but bright and joyful. Today, they were cold and tired.
“I don’t want to feel alone in this,” she added.
Again, it seemed Victoria knew exactly what to say to stab him in the heart. He was working on a solution, too. She just needed to believe him.
Throughout this little exchange, Wilhelmina was watching him with narrowed eyes. It didn’t surprise him when she marchedtoward him to give him a piece of her mind. She stopped barely a foot away from him.
“We need answers, Hawksford,” she demanded, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. Her hands pressed to her hips, her eyes blazing. “Do you truly expect us to believe that you have no connection whatsoever to the infant our sister found on your doorstep?”
How did she know already?
Richard glanced over at Victoria.
“Our sister explained everything in the note she sent us,” Wilhelmina supplicated before she continued. “But that is besides the matter at hand. You chose to live away from her, Duke, as if that were not an insult enough. I demand to know who the child’s mother is, and why you would bring the infant here, to place the weight of a possible scandal upon our sister!”
Richard reminded himself that he was the Duke of Hawksford. The title might still be fresh on him, but he had been raised to face scrutiny and conflict. He should be used to this. Control, like an icy grip, held him captive. He would stand his ground. He did not do anything wrong.
“This child is not mine. I have no children out of wedlock, even if I chose to manage Hawksford Hall away from your sister,” he said firmly.
Victoria’s twin sister, Daphne, spoke next. “Still, you must admit it was the most natural conclusion to draw. Even other people will agree. You two maintained separate households, which is not often the case even in the coldest marriages of convenience. Sometimes, a month or two away will do. But a whole year? Then, a child appears seemingly out of nowhere, deposited at your London residence instead of an orphanage or a church. The assumption would be that there must be a misplaced mistress somewhere. Perhaps, this is her revenge, making your wife aware of the loneliness you felt in the country.”
A vein in his temple throbbed. Nobody had ever accused him of such a deterioration of morals. As a married man, he had conducted himself with utmost decency. He drowned himself in his work.
He clenched his hands into fists, trying to steady himself.
“I will not tolerate being accused of such dishonorable conduct in my own residence. It seems that this is nothing more than a means to interrogate me about the matter,” Richard groused. Then, he turned to Victoria, whose eyes looked certain, but her chin was still lifted in defiance. “I will leave you so that you may speak freely with your sisters. However, we will certainly discuss the matter later.”
Richard did not wait for any response from his wife. He did not expect anything supportive from her at this point. He barely had any proof at all to challenge her accusation. Which meant that he had to move heaven and earth to find the child’s mother, to show Victoria that he hadn’t shamed her.
His Duchess was an innocent woman. She didn’t deserve to be tangled up in his life. And certainly not involved in whatever this was.
Richard pursed his lips as a name crossed his mind.
Penwike.
Was it possible that, even after he’d made peace, Penwike would’ve enacted such a scheme? To drop an innocent child on his door in order to paint Richard like a scoundrel?
Richard sighed quietly. He had to find the truth. And he had to find it quickly, if this was truly a plan of vengeance by his family’s old rivals.
So, he strode out the door and slammed it behind him.
Victoria sighed heavily. She didn’t even try to hide the feeling of agitation from her sisters. Her eyes were still on the closed door, her shoulders slumping a little. She had to admit she felt some relief that Richard left the room. The tension had become unbearable. However, she also felt some disappointment.
But what did she expect?
The young duchess walked toward the sofa, holding the baby close to her chest, finding the infant’s scent comforting.
“Come and join me here, sisters,” she said, as she sank onto the cushions, careful not to wake Melody. “Mrs. Davies, please have the maids serve tea immediately.”
