Imperial Scandal by Teresa Grant

Author:Teresa Grant [Grant, Teresa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), General Fiction
ISBN: 9780758278166
Publisher: Kensington
Published: 2012-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Cordelia watched the French window close behind her daughter and the Rannoch family. She was conscious of the heat of the sun through her muslin gown, the pressure of her bonnet ribbons against her skin, the damp in the air that warned of rain in the coming days. She forced her gaze to her husband, who had got to his feet but was still standing rooted to the spot where he had met Livia. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I should have been prepared for this.”

“Some things one can’t prepare for.” Harry’s voice was even, but she didn’t think she’d ever seen him so pale. “Though it might have been best if we had a chance to consult. I didn’t know—It seemed—That is, she was bound to hear someone refer to me as her father.”

“Harry, no.” She took two steps toward him. Her legs felt stiff and unsteady under her. “I’m immeasurably grateful—It’s just that I didn’t mean to force her on you.”

“You didn’t. I was the one who introduced myself.”

“You were put in a difficult position. I didn’t mean you to have to—”

“What did you think I would do? Acknowledge her to the world but deny her to her face? I didn’t think your opinion of me was quite so low.”

“No, of course not. But I thought—That is, it seemed it wasn’t so much that you had acknowledged her as that you—”

“Ignored the whole matter? How could I, when you were polite enough to write to tell me you were pregnant?”

The memory of that letter rushed over her in a wash of shame. “I thought you deserved to know. I thought you deserved a chance—”

“To repudiate your child?”

“Stop putting words in my mouth, Harry. I’m very grateful to you for doing as much as you have for Livia. I didn’t want to make it worse.”

“The world knows her as my daughter. It would be a bit difficult for her not to do so as well.”

“Harry—” A thousand thoughts tumbled in her head and froze on her lips. “I need to sit down. Surely you do as well, unless you’re quite inhuman.”

“To own the truth, I’ve never in my life come so near to fainting.”

Cordelia dropped down on one of the wrought-iron chairs at the table. The metal was warm from the sun. “I have talked to Livia about you,” she said.

Harry moved to a chair opposite her. “Said that I’m brave.” He gave an unexpected grin. “You can be a shocking liar, Cordy.”

“Undoubtedly. But in this case I think I was telling the unvarnished truth.”

“Doing it much too brown, my girl.” He crossed one booted foot over the other. “I suppose the picture of me you’ve shown her is the one that hangs on the stair wall? Where I look like I’m bored or going to be sick or both. As I remember it was both.”

“It’s the only likeness I have of you. Livia was asking questions.”

“About me?”

“Children do.”

“She’s—” Harry hesitated. “She’s an engaging child.”

“Thank you. That is—I can hardly take credit for it.

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