Felix looked at the baby again, and Iris saw the moment his resolve crumbled. He’d always been soft-hearted.
“Fine,” he acquiesced. “I’ll keep your secret. But Iris…” He crossed the room and patted her shoulder. “If this goes wrong, if you need help, you come to me. Understood?”
“Understood.”
He squeezed her fingers gently, then stepped back. “I should go, before I decide to take another swing at your husband.”
“Felix—”
“No, it’s fine. I’ll see myself out.” At the door, he paused. “Take care of yourself, Cousin. And the little one.”
When he’d gone, silence filled the void.
Iris could feel the Duke’s displeasure radiating from where he stood by the fireplace.
“That was foolish,” he muttered.
“He’s family.”
“He’s a gossip.”
“He’sloyal.” She turned to face him fully. “And he’s not stupid. He spent months with me at Carridan Hall. He would have noticed if I’d been pregnant.”
The Duke’s jaw tightened. “Who else?”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Who else spent time with you this past year? Who else will know that the child can’t be yours?”
The question stung more than it should have. It was as if her abandonment were merely an inconvenience to his plans now.
“Grace and Harrison,” she said. “They visited regularly.”
“The Brentwells.” He seemed to consider this. “Do you trust them?”
“They’re my friends.”
“That wasn’t what I asked.”
“Yes,” she snapped. “I trust them. More than I trust you, certainly.”
He had the grace to flinch slightly. “They’ll need to be told. If they’re going to be convinced of the deception, better if they’re part of it.”
“You want me to ask my friends to lie for our sake?”
“I want you to protect Evie.” His gray eyes held hers. “Isn’t that what you said? That you wouldn’t abandon her to chance?”
“Fine. I’ll write to Grace tomorrow.”
“Good.”
They stood there, two strangers bound by marriage and now by a secret. Evie slept on, oblivious to the tension crackling between them.
“Is there anything else?” Iris asked when the silence stretched too long.
“Yes.” He moved closer, and his masculine scent enveloped her once more. “No more unilateral decisions. We’re in this together now, whether we like it or not. That means you consult me before revealing things to anyone else.”
“The way you consulted me before disappearing for a year?”
