A little chuckle escaped her. “I think I’d like her.”
My foot ached as I rose and moved to sit on the bed beside her. “She’d like you too. My mother as well.”
“I assume—yer duke—so my grandfather…”
“Gone. But you wouldn’t have liked him. Mother was the only one who did—and even her I’m not certain. Gabriel hated him.”
“And my father? What happened to him?” There was a guarded vulnerability in her expression, the furrow of her brow, the curve of her lips, the hollow look to her gaze.
“Gabriel was killed in a gambling scheme gone wrong. His murder was just recently solved by his late wife.”
“So he did marry.”
“Yes, Celine. I think you would like her too.”
“And they never had bairn, ye said?”
“No, they were never blessed.”
Her gaze fell to her fingers, picking at a cuticle. “So it’s me then, just me.”
My heart clenched painfully in my chest. “Not just you. You’ve an aunt, Davina, and a grandmother. And there’s me, I suppose.”
Dark eyes found mine, brow lifted. “I dinnae even know yer name.”
“Alexander—Xander. My name is Alexander Hasket, but I prefer Xander.”
“Xander. So yer my uncle?”
“I suppose I am. Never been an uncle before. I’m not certain I’ll be any good at it.”
“Davina disnae have any bairn?”
“Davina is determined to never marry.”
“I hate to be the one to tell ye this, but marriage isnae a requirement for bairn.” She gestured toward the curve of her belly with a sardonic smile.
“Speaking of, the father?”
“As I said, lending seed disnae make a man a father.” There was something wry in her tone.
“Who is he?”
“Just a boy, vicar’s son. Said he’d marry me an’ take care of me and I wouldnae have to worry about money again. But he was a liar.”
“The vicar’s son? Where does he live?”
“What are ye going to do?”
“Force him to take responsibility, obviously.”
“I dinnae wish to marry him. He wasnae kind.”
“What do you wish to do then?”
She blinked at me, seemingly startled by the question. “Hadnea gotten that far. I planned to fleece ye until the babe was born and then forevermore until yer solicitor wrote. Then I was just hoping to fleece ye until the bairn arrived and I could move somewhere new—claim to be a widow. But then ye arrived.”
“I’m left with the absurd desire to apologize for upsetting your plans even though your plan was to steal from me until I died.”
