by Olivia Drake
“I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you might have,” Natalie concurred.
Godwin gazed with pursed lips at the duke before giving a curt nod. “Oh, very well, then,” he said testily.
Hadrian went to the desk and pulled out the chair beside the one occupied by the stranger. “Pray sit here, Miss Fanshawe.” All gentlemanly courtesy, he waited for Natalie. His grave expression made her revise her impression of hostility. Rather, he appeared disturbed about something else entirely, his tense manner seeming to indicate that trouble lay ahead.
She lowered herself into the chair and folded her hands in her lap. Hadrian must have occupied the seat before her arrival, for the leather cushion still held the warmth of his body. A faint whiff of spicy male soap made her keenly aware of his close presence. Perhaps she was foolish to feel comforted, but he was the only one present who might be considered an ally.
Hadrian performed the introductions. “Miss Fanshawe, may I present Mr. Musgrave, the earl’s solicitor. He’s been examining the legal papers that you provided.”
Musgrave had slickly combed brown hair and a dark suit of clothes. He was slightly bucktoothed and that and his plump form brought to mind an overfed beaver. A pair of gold-rimmed pince-nez rested on the bridge of his short nose, which accounted for the way he lifted his chin to gaze at her in a superior manner.
He cleared his throat and glanced at the earl, who, with a wave of his hand, gave permission for the solicitor to proceed. “Miss Fanshawe,” Musgrave began in an officious tone, “I am given to understand you are a citizen of the United States of America. Is that correct?”
“Yes, I was born in Philadelphia.”
“And you are the temporary guardian of a six-year-old boy named”—he paused to consult a paper—“Leopold Jeremy Bellingham.”
“Indeed I am. Leo is the son of my late friends, Jeremy and Audrey Bellingham.” She decided it wise to emphasize, “Lady Audrey was Lord Godwin’s eldest daughter.”
“Have you any proof of that?”
“Proof? The earl may have disowned her, but he cannot deny her very existence.”
Musgrave looked down his nose at her again, the glasses magnifying his squinty brown eyes. “I meant, have you proof that the woman you knew in America was in fact his lordship’s daughter?”
Natalie bristled. “Of course she was Audrey. Shall I relate what she told me of her father tossing her out of this house for marrying a commoner? And how else would I have known to bring her son here? But if you desire evidence, then allow me to say that she was the same woman depicted in the portrait that was consigned to the tower storage room here at Oak Knoll.”
Lord Godwin had been sitting in his chair, listening, but now he planted his palms on the surface of the desk and half rose to his feet. “Who gave you leave to go snooping? You and the boy were to remain in the nursery.”
“I wasn’t snooping.”
“She was with me,” Hadrian said, stepping forward to coolly address the earl. “On their first day here, I took Miss Fanshawe and Leo on a tour of the house. Leo spotted the portrait and recognized his mother at once.”
Lord Godwin sank back down. “And you’re quite sure of that?”
“It’s the truth,” Natalie reiterated. “Leo would never have mistaken the identity of his own mother.”
Musgrave tilted his head up to address Hadrian, who loomed over him, all impressive, imperious duke. “Your Grace, I feel compelled to ask, when the portrait was discovered, is it possible that Miss Fanshawe had a few moments alone with the boy, long enough to whisper in his ear?”
Natalie gripped her fingers around the folds of her skirt in an attempt to contain a surge of anger. How dare he imply that she had coached Leo to lie. But of course, the solicitor was merely looking out for the earl’s interests. It had been on that day in the tower room, just before they’d found the portrait, that Hadrian had warned her of the family’s suspicions.
When Hadrian didn’t immediately reply, she said in her chilliest tone, “I beg your pardon, Mr. Musgrave. I would never instruct a child to tell a falsehood. And I resent you calling my character into question.”
“Miss Fanshawe has every right to be offended,” Hadrian said. “Leo’s reaction to the painting was that of a grieving boy for his mother. I’ve no reason to believe his demeanor was anything other than genuine.”
Natalie appreciated his support. But he also had hesitated for a few seconds, long enough to cast the doubt that she could see in the earl’s narrowed eyes. When Leo had discovered the painting, she had rushed ahead to comfort the boy in his distress. However, Hadrian surely knew that nothing deceptive had occurred. Didn’t he?
Whose side was he on?
Though it was necessary to leash her temper, she could still make her feelings known. “Lord Godwin, your grandson asked if he might keep Audrey’s portrait in the nursery. The duke gave permission for it to be hung in Leo’s bedchamber. I presume you’ve no objection.”
That proud, patrician face seemed to pale. His lips thinned and his jaw tightened. He stared at her for a moment as rain tapped against the window glass. Without bothering to answer, he turned his sour attention to the solicitor and abruptly changed the subject.
“Musgrave, you’ve raised an issue with the boy’s papers.”
The man adjusted his pince-nez on the bridge of his nose. “Yes, it’s about this affidavit in regard to young Leopold. It is my understanding that birth records in America are handled in much the same way as here in England. So why, Miss Fanshawe, have you not provided a notarized copy of the parish register?”
This was the question she’d expected. “As I told the earl, Leo’s parents perished in a raid at their mission on the frontier. The attackers burned a number of buildings, including the log church where the register was kept. Leo’s baptismal record was destroyed in that fire. My only recourse was to have a lawyer draw up a document with my sworn statement attesting to Leo’s identity.”
“That is highly irregular, to say the least. And who are these two witnesses who signed this affidavit? John Condit and Henry Clay.”
“They are well-respected congressmen who were friends of my father’s. Mr. Condit is a senator, while Mr. Clay is presently the House Speaker.”
“Were they acquainted with Lady Audrey?” the solicitor asked.
Natalie shook her head. “No, I’m afraid not. However, they’ve known me since I was a girl. They respect my sworn word.”
“I see.” Musgrave looked down his snub nose at her. “Then his lordship must take into consideration the lack of any actual evidence to support your story. And there is no guarantee, either, as to whether or not these witnesses are themselves reliable.”
“In America, they are held to be extremely reliable. We may not have an aristocracy, but we do have honorable leaders who are highly respected in their communities.”
Hadrian had been prowling around the study, but now he stopped to say, “Might I add, Miss Fanshawe’s father served as a senator for a number of years before his death. As his hostess, she had occasion to meet many high-ranking officials in the government.”
Natalie would have preferred for her word to be believed on its own merits. Yet if a paternal reference was what it took for the earl to accept her sworn statement, then so be it.
“Politicians,” Godwin said with a snort. “If they are anything at all like the elected members of the Commons—”
A sharp rapping on the door cut him off. He cast an irritated glance in that direction. “Who the devil is interrupting us now?”
Hadrian started forward. “I’ll see.”
“Allow me, Your Grace.” Arising, Mr. Musgrave lumbered across the study with the single-mindedness of a beaver on his way to gnaw a tree. Just as he reached for the knob, the door swung open and smacked into him. He staggered back a few steps, making a grab for his pince-nez before it could slide off his nose.
In a whirl of olive-green skirts, Lady Godwin swooped in
to the study. She was followed by Lord Wymark, who appeared rather bleary-eyed after his overindulgence in drink the previous night.
“Archie, I need a word with you at once.” The countess took in the scene at a glance, and her gaze narrowed on Natalie seated in the chair. “Why is Miss Fanshawe here? This gathering should be strictly for family members.”
Rising, Lord Godwin cast a baleful glance at his wife. “Rather, it’s for whomever I deem necessary. And I’m afraid that doesn’t include you, Priscilla. Or you, Richard.”
“You’ll change your mind,” Wymark told his father, “when you hear what Mama has just discovered.”
Hadrian paced toward them, his manner impatient. “This is no time for gossip or idle chitchat. Unless it concerns Leo, it can wait until later.”
“It most certainly does have a bearing on this situation, Your Grace,” the countess asserted. She glided to Natalie’s chair, her lip curling with disdain. “Miss Fanshawe, may I ask if your sire’s name was Benjamin?”
Natalie stiffened under the jab of that pointed question. “Yes,” she admitted cautiously. “Benjamin Fanshawe was my father.”
“And was he born here in England? One of the Lincolnshire Fanshawes?”
She gave a reluctant nod. Though the possibility had lurked at the back of her mind, Natalie had not really expected anyone in England outside the family to remember him after so many years. What did the countess know?
Her gaze flitted to Hadrian, who regarded her with a startled frown before he turned his attention to Lady Godwin. “I fail to see why Miss Fanshawe’s ancestry would have anything to do with Leo.”
Lady Godwin swung toward him. “Oh, but I assure you it does, Your Grace. You’ll understand in a moment. It took me some time to recall the gossip from thirty years ago, back when the Fanshawes were still admitted to society. That was before Sir Basil Fanshawe—Miss Fanshawe’s grandfather—was expelled from the best circles for reneging on his debts.”
The earl cast an assessing glance at Natalie that seemed to tar her with her grandfather’s sins. “Good God. I’d forgotten all about that miscreant.”
“Scapegraces, the whole family,” Wymark bestirred himself to say. “I knew a Fanshawe at Harrow, a year ahead of me. Giles the Gypsy, he was called. Come to think of it, he had Miss Fanshawe’s black hair and green eyes.”
“That is due to the taint of Romany blood from Sir Basil’s grandmother,” Lady Godwin said with derision. “Or so the rumor goes. But that isn’t the worst of it. Just now, as I was paging through Debrett’s, a memory struck me that one of Sir Basil’s offspring had immigrated to America—Miss Fanshawe’s father. If I may put it delicately, he had few prospects here in England since he was born on the wrong side of the blanket.”
Natalie found herself the subject of attention from everyone present. She pinched her lips together to keep from lashing out when she needed to bide her tongue for Leo’s sake. So what if Papa had been baseborn? He’d had more virtue and honor in his little finger than any of these supercilious aristocrats who would disparage him for an accident of birth.
In particular, Hadrian watched her with a cool, enigmatic stare. It pained her to think he could be regretting their passionate encounter. Or worse, that he might be speculating that her tarnished heritage made her fair game for seduction.
“I’m still waiting to hear how all this relates to Leo,” the duke said, shifting that imperturbable gaze to Lady Godwin. “Miss Fanshawe’s family connections are irrelevant to this case.”
“Might I suggest it speaks to her character, Your Grace. Her father was the illegitimate son of a disreputable family. Deception is in her blood.” Lady Godwin stepped closer to her husband. “You must see that, Archie. Miss Fanshawe is precisely the sort of female who would concoct a wicked scheme to defraud you.”
Lord Godwin’s lined features wore a disgruntled expression. “This is all gossip and speculation when it is facts that are needed. Musgrave, I presume you know of a discreet investigator who can be dispatched to America to make inquiries into this claim. One who will not cost me too dearly.”
“Of course, your lordship,” the solicitor said, scribbling a note on a paper in front of him. “That certainly can be arranged.”
“But with an ocean voyage there and back, it could take months,” Lady Godwin objected. “Meanwhile, the child is living here, under our roof!”
“You bring up a salient point,” Hadrian said, speaking to the others while keeping his watchful gaze on Natalie. “I believe Musgrave would agree that under the law, Godwin has no obligation to house Leo until a positive identification can be made.”
Natalie’s jaw dropped. A positive identification? Hadrian had led her to believe that he trusted her word, that he had no doubt Leo was Audrey’s son.
The duke’s betrayal was like a kick in the stomach. Pain reverberated throughout her body as she absorbed the raw truth that whatever tenderness and affection he’d shown her the previous night had been all a sham. Was Hadrian just as horrid and cruel as the rest of his family? It was too much to bear!
All of her hard-won restraint shattered under an avalanche of icy fury. She’d had enough of this intolerable meeting and these haughty aristocrats who would reject a precious little boy, a child of their own blood.
Natalie shot to her feet. “For shame, all of you! You’ve made it very clear that Leo isn’t wanted in this house. As for you, Lord Godwin, you’ve no right to treat your own grandson like a pariah simply because your daughter thwarted you by marrying the man she loved. It’s beyond my comprehension why her last request was for a man as callous as you to raise her son.”
The earl stood in stony silence, though he had the good grace to glance away. Lady Godwin’s mouth flapped with speechless outrage. Lord Wymark smirked in that sly manner of his. As for Hadrian, she wouldn’t give the traitor the satisfaction of even looking at him.
“Miss Fanshawe!” Musgrave chided in sanctimonious horror. “Do mind your tongue before your betters.”
“They are not my betters, and it would behoove you to recognize they are not yours, either,” Natalie snapped. “Lord Godwin, you needn’t waste your precious gold on an investigator. I shall be taking Leo back to America at once. And rest assured, you’ll never hear from either of us ever again.”
In high dudgeon, she turned and marched toward the door, only to find the duke with his hand on the knob, blocking her exit. She was sorely tempted to kick the scoundrel in the shins if he tried to stop her.
As she lifted her chin to glare at his diabolically handsome face, he wasn’t even looking at her. His attention was on the earl. “Go ahead and send that investigator, Godwin. Miss Fanshawe and Leo needn’t depart England just yet. They can come to London to stay with me.”
Chapter 16
Noting the dangerous flash of those gorgeous green eyes, Hadrian caught hold of Natalie’s arm and hustled her out of the study before his stated intent could sink fully into her consciousness. His family wore wide-eyed expressions that ranged from shocked to scandalized, but he didn’t give a damn what they thought. He cared only about Natalie’s reaction.
The explosion came almost at once.
The instant the door closed behind them, she jerked herself free and spun to face him. “How dare you presume to speak for me! I most certainly am not going to London with you. I wouldn’t suffer your company long enough to walk with you to the end of this corridor. Good-bye—and good riddance!”
The finality of her tone struck him deeply, as did the contempt on her face. It was a stark contrast to the way she’d regarded him the previous night, with softness in her eyes and a warm smile on her lips. His chest squeezed with the fear that she might never again look at him that way. Had he pushed matters too far just now?
She had to be made to understand the necessity of what he had done. That he wanted to protect her and Leo, to keep them safe under his care.
As she set off at a brisk stride down the echoing passageway, Hadr
ian paced at her side. “If you’ll slow down and listen, Natalie, I can explain—”
“It’s Miss Fanshawe to you. And I’ve done quite enough listening to people I cannot trust. Go back to that nest of vipers where you belong.”
“For pity’s sake, you’ve misread my purpose. What I said in there, about Godwin having no obligation toward Leo, was merely a contrivance to get the two of you out of this house.”
“Well, congratulations, then. You’ve succeeded quite admirably. We will be departing for Southampton at once.”
“And by what means will you travel there?”
She looked nonplussed for a moment, then tossed up her chin. “We’ll walk to the village. There must be a posting inn. I’m sure I can arrange some form of transportation.”
“Whitnash is three miles away. It’s pouring rain outside. And it’s mid-afternoon already, which means it will be nightfall before you arrive. That’s presuming you don’t get lost on the way.”
He’d be damned if he’d offer them conveyance in his chaise. Not if it meant sending her out of his life. Forever.
“I’ll manage,” she asserted.
“With a six-year-old child? I won’t allow it.”
“Allow it!” The words echoed in the vastness of the entrance hall as she stopped near one of the suits of armor by the staircase. With a glance at the footman who was trimming the lamps in the library, she lowered her voice to a hiss. “You may be able to order other people around, Mr. High-and-Mighty Duke, but not me.”
Hadrian clenched his jaw. Never before had he met a more exasperating woman—or a more alluring one. There was a dash of pink color in her cheeks that enhanced her wild beauty and stirred the fiery urge to pull her into his arms. But this time she wouldn’t melt; he’d be more likely to feel the sting of her slap. As much as he admired her independent spirit, it frustrated him, too.
For a moment, he considered using Leo as bait. He would be well within his rights to lay claim to the boy on the basis of their blood relationship. Any judge in the land would award him custody due to his rank. Natalie would then be obliged to go to London if she wanted to see the boy. But she would never forgive him such a trick. He would win the battle and lose the war. Already, she’d erected a barrier against him as if he were the enemy.
