A Promise of Pure Gardenias: Flowers of the Aristocracy (Untamed Regency Book 2) by Jackie Williams

Author:Jackie Williams [Williams, Jackie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2017-08-08T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Revelations

“Heavens! Well, I didn’t expect that. No wonder his mother didn’t want him to come here! It makes sense now. I bet she has been having kittens all the time we have been gone. Lord only knows what Algernon and Sophia are thinking. Must be a bit of a shock. Can’t think why I didn’t notice the resemblance straight away, but then Sophia didn’t either.” Brendon whispered to his sister as he watched his two friends talk to his stableman.

Felicity tapped her brother on the arm. After coming round in Algernon’s arms they had all quickly made their way to the drawing room. Algernon, Sophia, and James now sat huddled by the window, talking quietly together while Felicity and Brendon sat holding cups of tea and considered the unusual situation.

“He is their brother, he looks so similar to Algernon that he has to be. And that makes him our brother in law. Their father must have seduced James’ mother when on a visit. There cannot be another explanation.”

Brendon raised a surprised eyebrow but kept his voice low as he spoke.

“I doubt that he is Mrs. Lawson’s son by birth. Her husband was still about at what would have been the crucial time and as far as I recall they were very happy together. Given the old Lord Barclay’s predilections, I have another, more reasonable theory.”

Felicity gave her brother her full attention.

“Predilections? What can you mean?”

Brendon wasn’t about to discuss his personal experience of witnessing the old Lord Barclay forcing his attentions on one of their household maids, but she needed to know the facts.

“Old Barclay was a womanizer. I will not go into detail, but suffice it to say that I know exactly the sort of man he was.” He glanced at his friends once again. They still had their heads bowed and Sophia clutched Algernon’s hand. Brendon took another sip of his tea before continuing with his thoughts. “Mrs. Lawson has no other children. Don’t you think that odd when she was married to Mr. Lawson for over twenty years? I suspect that either she or he was barren. Barclay must have seduced one of the chambermaids during one of the many house-parties our parents threw and the woman fell pregnant.” Brendon hid the shudder of revulsion that rippled through him at his memories of the man’s sordid affairs. “But Mrs. Lawson is a goodly sort. She’s kind and giving, and not having a child of her own, she might well have helped hide the evidence of the man’s affair and offered to take the babe rather than let the girl suffer the humiliation of having a bastard child.”

Felicity sighed as her hand drifted over her own swollen stomach.

“It must be very hard to give up one’s baby, even if it is to a woman as kind-hearted as Mrs. Lawson. The girl, whoever she was, must have been distraught as well as terrified.” She might have added more but Algernon suddenly stood and turned towards them as he beckoned both Sophia and James to join him.

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