Her stepfather eyed them fearfully as though waiting for an explosion.
“What happened?” Henry asked, his voice subdued.
“Mr. Hamilton ran off with another woman—she too was married—and the letter Lady Hudsyn sent ended up in her sister’s hands.”
“So that caused their rift?” Ottilie asked.
“Indeed. Several months later, your papa returned home and declared his undying love for your mama. But she wanted nothing to do with him. He refused to accept her rejection, and his behavior became even more erratic. Your mama feared for your safety, so your grandfather intervened and had him committed.”
“My mother’s move to Germany wasn’t voluntary, was it?” Henry said, his voice flat.
“It wasn’t,” Mr. Lewis confirmed. “After Lord Hudsyn died, your mother started visiting the asylum—unbeknownst to your grandfather, of course. She took you with her on more than one occasion. And, in doing so, she endangered your title and your future. So, your grandfather intervened again and forced her to move to the continent. As you can see for yourself, the move did her good. Getting out of England sobered her and brought her back to her senses. When I met Ottilie’s mother, she’d had no contact with her sister in seven years.”
Henry ran his hands through his hair. “My whole life has been a lie.”
“Not necessarily,” Mr. Lewis said. “There is no proof you are not your father’s son. Your mother only spent six weeks in Oxford, and she could have become pregnant soon after she returned home. A babe can come several months early—or late, for that matter.” A quivering breath escaped his chest. “You two resemble each other, to be sure, but it’s your grandfather’s coloring and features you share—not the poet’s. Your grandfather had a cleft right here just like yours.”
Henry pressed his fingers to his chin.
“On the other hand, your family thought it best to keep the two of you apart. It’s not unheard of for cousins to marry, as you know.” He dropped his gaze and drummed his fingers on the table before looking up again. “That’s why I experienced a moment of panic today when I saw you both sitting here, waiting to tell me some important news.”
“But you were the one who told me about Henry and encouraged me to seek him out. Why?”
“I did it to assuage my guilt, I’m afraid. You’d lost your mama, and I’d betrayed you both so terribly. I wanted to give you a new family. The knowledge you were not alone in the world without any familial support comforted me. I acted selfishly.”
“No,” Ottilie said, “it was the best thing you could have done. Henry and I have been such great friends, and he truly does feel like a brother to me.”
Henry turned sharply to look at her, and Ottilie saw the deep shock on his face. He appeared as if he’d only just fully digested the information fed to him.
“I’m sorry,” Ottilie said.
“It’s not your fault,” Henry said in a low voice. Then he pushed back his chair, stood, and strode out of the teashop.
Chapter Eighteen
O sin! Oh sorrow! and ohwomankind!
How can you do such things and keep yourfame,
Unless this world, and t’ other too, beblind?
—Byron,“Don Juan”, Canto1
Lady Astyr sobbedinto Jack’s linen sheets.
He glanced at her as he slipped on his trousers and cursed under his breath.Damn, Miss Hamilton. The woman has ruined me.
He removed a fresh handkerchief from his drawer and handed it to Lady Astyr. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She lifted her head, snatched the handkerchief from him, and buried her face in it.
“I’ll leave you to get dressed and go arrange for a hansom to take you home.” He moved toward the door.
“What is wrong with me?” she heaved between sobs.
Jack paused, his hand hovering above the door handle.
“How am I ever to bear a child if no man can stand to touch me?”
