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Louiza would be there with Bethany, and the thought of seeing her sisters again filled Olivia with warmth. She missed her terribly.

Hannah entered carrying a letter upon a silver tray. "Your Grace, this has just arrived for you," the maid said, approaching with a small curtsy.

Olivia immediately put down her book and reached for it with a smile. "Thank you, Hannah," she replied warmly, and then her eyes fell upon the handwriting. Her heart leapt. "It is from Louiza."

She broke the seal eagerly, hardly noticing that Hannah quietly withdrew from the room. Olivia lifted the letter and took a sip of tea before beginning to read, already smiling at the thought of her sister's familiar words. The smile vanished almost immediately.

Dear sister, I have settled in at our sister Bethany's in London. I am well, and we are all well, but I have urgent news that cannot delay. It seems that everyone in London knows about Felix. You and the duke must come to London at once.

The matter is already being discussed among people who have no business knowing anything about the child. Please do not delay, Olivia.

Your loving sister, Louiza.

The letter slipped from Olivia's fingers. For several seconds she remained utterly still, staring at the empty space before her as though her mind had ceased to function.

Everyone in London knows about Felix?

The words seemed to echo inside her skull, growing louder with every heartbeat.

How? How could anyone know? Felix has been kept hidden precisely because James has planned everything so carefully.

Only a handful of people knew the truth, and every one of them had been trusted. Olivia pressed a trembling hand against her mouth as panic began to rise in her chest. Someone had spoken. Someone had betrayed them. But who?

The parlor door opened, and James entered, looking composed as ever until he saw her face.

His expression changed immediately. "My wife, what is wrong?" he asked, crossing the room in several swift strides. "You seem very ill indeed." He reached for her arm, his grip firm but gentle, and guided her back into the chair when her knees threatened to give way.

Olivia could not stop the tears that suddenly spilled down her cheeks. "I have just received a letter from Louiza," she managed between sobs, pointing toward the floor. "Please read it."

James immediately bent to retrieve the letter, and as his eyes moved across the page, his face became harder.

"This is grievous news. Who could have spread the word to London?" he asked, looking up sharply.

Olivia shook her head helplessly, wiping at her cheeks. "I do not know. Louiza would never say a word. She knows how important Felix's safety is, and she would never betray me."

James paced across the parlor, the letter clenched in his hand as his mind clearly raced through every possibility. Olivia watched him helplessly, wishing she could somehow make sense of the nightmare.

Then James stopped abruptly, his jaw tightening. "The wet nurse," he said. "Perhaps she told someone after we dismissed her. Perhaps this is her revenge for being replaced."

Olivia's stomach twisted. She remembered the woman speaking about Felix as though he were something unnatural, remembered the anger she had felt when the woman called his birthmark a fairy curse.

"Oh, James," she whispered, lowering her head. "This is my fault. I'm wanted to get rid of her."

James turned toward her at once. "No."

Olivia shook her head, tears returning to her eyes. "It is. I wanted her replaced. I insisted upon it because of what she said about Felix. If she has done this because we dismissed her, then I caused this."

James crossed the room and knelt before her, taking both her hands in his. "Olivia, you did what any mother would have done. You protected that child. You are not responsible for another person's spite."

She looked into his eyes, desperately wanting to believe him. Felix was innocent, Louiza was frightened, and now the secret that had been the foundation of their entire marriage had begun to unravel.

"What are we going to do?" she whispered.

James squeezed her hands before rising. "We will find out who has done this when we reach London," he said firmly. "And we will deal with it together. We are leaving at once."

His certainty steadied her, even though fear still churned inside her.

Olivia rose quickly and nodded. "Yes. I will go and pack, but we must make time to say goodbye to Felix."