Governess Latham Borne straightened her spine. “I am a witness.”
“Witness to what?”
“I am a witness to you admitting that you are the father of Lissa’s baby girl and that you also are the father of MaryAnn’s unborn child. You promised them both you would take care of them once you got back to Alpha-Prime. You said you would marry them. I heard you.”
“I never said that,” FitzOsbern insisted. His tone turned even nastier. “Besides, if your daughter and I don’t marry, you won’t get the bride payment promised in the arranged marriage papers.”
“You’re a liar. You did tell each of those two young women separately you’d marry them,” the Governess said. “I would not allow you to marry my daughter for all the credits in this galaxy or the next. And I will ensure your parents know exactly why. As a matter of fact, I intend to make sure all of Alpha-Prime’s elite know exactly what sort of immoral, cowardly man you are.”
Director Patmore approached, communication video screen in one hand and his ever-present electronic clipboard in the other. He seemed oblivious to the growing audience as he said, “Oh, Mr. FitzOsbern, I’ve been looking for you. Two things. First, unfortunately, we won’t be able to leave tonight.”
“Why not?” FitzOsbern drew himself up to his full height—still several inches shorter than Cam’s. He was kind of a runty Alpha.
“Apparently, the ship’s fuel won’t be delivered until tomorrow afternoon.”
“Space potatoes!”
“Why are you in such an all-fired hurry to leave?” Governess Latham Borne asked. “Do you have more unwed mothers on the way from all parts of the galaxy, looking for you to make good on your fake promises to marry them?”
Director Patmore looked like he might swallow his clipboard. “Oh…uhm…and two, Mr. FitzOsbern, your parents wish to speak with you.” He held out the communication video screen.
“What?!” If FitzOsbern had looked pale before, he now looked colorless as Director Patmore pushed a button and the images of an older couple appeared on the screen.
“Douglass,” the woman said. “We have received some rather disturbing information while you’ve been gone.”
“Mother,” FitzOsbern said. “I’m busy right now. I can’t really talk—”
“Don’t get sassy with your mother,” the male half of the couple said.
Governess Latham Borne leaned close to the screen. “Your son is a disgrace and should be neutered as soon as possible.”
Their mouths fell open. “What are you saying?” the man asked.
“I don’t know exactly how many grandchildren you already have, however, you should likely expect more. There’s one adorable little girl here, and a young woman is carrying another child. Beyond that, who knows how many grandchildren you may meet in the next few months from seemingly all corners of the galaxies we visited on this trip?
“In light of this, I cordially withdraw from our agreement to join our children in matrimony on the grounds of blatant and egregious pre-marital infidelity and persistent and appalling bad judgment. To that end, I intend to submit testimony and evidence outlining that your son has fathered at least four children, and that there are at a minimum two more children on the way. I refuse to put my only daughter into that volatile, emotional and financially draining set of circumstances. No decent mother would.
“Good day, sir and madam.”
The senior Mr. FitzOsbern started to speak, but Ria’s mother cut him off. “I said, good day, sir.” She stepped away from the video screen.
The young woman with the baby stepped close and held the child up to the screen. “This is your granddaughter. I named her Beatrice.” The baby wailed apparently unimpressed with meeting her grandparents for the first time.
Governess Latham Borne eyed the way Cam had his arms wrapped around Ria.
“I see you found my daughter.”
“I did.”
“Ishethe reason you don’t want to marry the FitzOsbern boy?”
“No. I never wanted to marry Douglass,” Ria said quietly. Cam was so used to her calling him Dirt Bag that he almost asked who Douglass was. “But I’m in love with this man. And I want a future with him.”
Cam expected the Governess to snatch her daughter away. He unconsciously tightened his grip on Ria.
“I’m not certain that’s what is in your best interest, Alexandria, but we can discuss it at length at a later time.”
“What are you going to do, Mother?”
