“But… how?” More importantly, “Why hasn’t anyone…?”
“No one blames you. No one even knows if it’s true. With no one to challenge the legitimacy, they could only speculate.”
“But it is true. The worst of it, anyway. My father was an imposter.” Max spoke words he’d kept locked up for a lifetime. “My mother knew. They were fighting over it that day. He was afraid a servant had found out. She said he was being paranoid but then admitted that she almost wished she’d exposed him the day he came forward. To my knowledge, though, she’s never told a soul.” His mother had promised his father that she would never share his secret, but not because she loved her husband.
“Because she’d lose her title?”
“Because her son would lose it.” Max shook his head at the irony of that decision. Because Max had kept the secret for her.
“I see.” Standish was watching him closely, a contemplative look in his eyes. But then he sighed and averted his gaze. “I’m pretty sure Caroline already knows.”
“About my father…?”
Standish nodded.
Max should have been surprised by this. But she’d seen the seriousness of his troubles before she’d even met him. He should have realized she would uncover his secret when it was in danger of being exposed. Of course she knew.
As did her mother, her brother… most likely her sister-in-law and sisters…
“Lady Caroline, I believe, values transparency and truthfulness more than anyone I know. I can’t burden her with a title that isn’t mine to give.”
“It would be a burden if she cared about that sort of thing. But trust me, she understands not all our secrets need airing.”
The earl dropped his stare to the floor, and Max realized that Standish must still have secrets of his own.
“You didn’t start that fire,” Max said.
Standish’s eyes narrowed and locked with his own. “Of course I didn’t.”
Incredibly, Max believed him. “So why not cooperate with the investigation?”
The other man clamped his mouth shut.
As the Gazette’s publisher, Max did his best to give readers the truth... but, he supposed, they didn’t need to hear everyone’s speculation. “I owe you an apology.”
“No.” Standish waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t want preferential treatment. It’ll only make matters worse.”
“I’m not sure your sister will agree.” Max felt the corner of his mouth jump. Ultimately, Max would accommodate her wishes above all.
“You’re probably right.”
With all that out in the open, Max cocked a brow. “You’ll give us your blessing, then.”
“You can ask her when she’s feeling better. Can I give you a bit of advice first?”
“I’m not sure I’ll take it.”
“You smell like death. Go home and wash up first.”
YOUR MAX
“I think”—Doctor Finley winked—“Lady Caroline is going to live. Which makes me rather useless, I’m afraid. But just in case, I’ll leave something for the pain.” Before he could reach into his carpet bag, however, Caroline was shaking her head.
“If that’s what I think it is, you can keep it.” Caroline didn’t want to sound rude but the last thing she needed was laudanum. “I’ll be fine.”
Caroline’s mother held her gaze and they both nodded. “We’ll send for you if anything changes. Willowbark will suffice for now.”
What Caroline really needed was Max.
