Mr. Brendan’s face mottled. Something seemed to change in the air around them and Hollis knew in that instant she was right—Mr. Brendan was that missing prince.
It all made perfect sense. He was partially deaf, which was not an uncommon result of childhood fevers, and by all accounts, the prince had suffered from scarlet fever. He had the white splotch of hair, just like the king and his daughters. And now that she really looked at him, she could see a resemblance to King Maksim in the amber eyes. How could she have missed that connection before?
Her heart was beating so fast that she felt almost dizzy. She leaned closer. “Mr. Brendan...are you the lost son of King Maksim?”
“What?”He looked as if she’d suggested he kicked babies and puppies up and down the green.
“Isn’t it possible? After all, you look—”
He surged to his feet. “That is the most absurd thing you’ve said yet, Mrs. Honeycutt,” he said crossly. “It is aridiculous,dangerous assumption! What is the matter with you?” He stalked to the window, his hands on his hips. He said something more in Weslorian, and judging by the tenor of his voice, it was not kind.
But did it not stand to reason that if her idea was as absurd as he seemed to want her to think, that he would laugh? He was not laughing—he was furious. “It doesn’t seem ridiculous to me,” she pressed.
He didn’t respond. He hadn’t heard her. So she came to her feet and joined him at the window. “Mr. Brendan?”
He would not look at her, and she realized she was on his left side. She touched her fingers to his hand. That made him turn. “It makes perfect sense,” she said calmly. “You have certain features—the bit of white in your hair like the king and his daughters. The color of your eyes, too, which are quite unusual, just like the king’s.”
He looked at the door, almost as if he was considering escape. She had the sense that he didn’t know what to say, what to do, or where to go. She had the sense that he was reluctant to admit the truth. “Your secret is safe with me, sir.”
He gave her a disdainful snort. “You could not be more mistaken. Forgive me for saying so, Mrs. Honeycutt, but you are the worst sort of person, kicking up the dust of lies and rumors with absolutely no proof of anything. It’s a dangerous and irresponsible way to behave. You could see yourself hurt for it.”
She would ignore his opinion for the time being, although in truth, his stark words stung a bit. She liked to think she was helping. “Then tell me why you’re so captivated with King Maksim,” she persisted.
“I haven’t beencaptivated,” he said angrily. “I am a patriot.”
“If you are a patriot, then help me find the soldiers.”
“Thereareno soldiers,” he exclaimed, casting his arms wide. “You interfere where you have no business being.”
“Well, now you sound like Mr. Shoreham at the Philological Society. Who, exactly, has any business looking into the possibility of a coup? Is there someone special I should share my suspicions with? I don’t think so. It seems to me that we are theonlytwo who think it is a possibility, and the only two, therefore, who will try and uncover it.”
He put his hands on his hips and stared down at her with incredulity. “You have taken complete leave of your senses,” he said, his voice full of wonder. “Have you considered that there might be greater things at stake than something to print in your gazette?”
“Then educate me. I can help you back to the throne—”
He cried out with alarm. “Neversay that!”
“Do you deny it, Mr. Brendan? Do you deny that you are King Maksim’s rightful heir?”
He stared at her. He pushed a hand through his hair and looked wildly around them. “I don’t believe this,” he said, shaking his head. “Ican’tbelieve it.” He looked at the ceiling, then down again. His eyes appeared to be shifting color, going from light to dark to light to dark with his changing emotions.
He was truly distressed, and Hollis pressed her hands to her belly. It was never her desire to be the cause of someone’s pain, and yet, here she was. “Am I wrong?” she asked quietly. “Tell me I am wrong and I will never mention it again, on my word. I will never speak to you again if you like. But tell me I am wrong.”
“No,Iam wrong,” he said. “All these years, I’ve been so wrong.”
She didn’t know what he meant but considered it a denial.
“All right,” she said, holding up her hands. “I understand.”
“You are incredible,” he said. “Outrageous. In all my life, no one has ever asked me such a thing. Not a single person. So tell me, Mrs. Honeycutt, how is thatyou,of all people, would be the one to do it?”
Hollis’s breath caught. Had he just admitted to being King Maksim’s son? The crown prince? The missing baby? Good God, she might faint. “Do you mean...?”
“What, you don’t believe me now?” he asked with exasperation, and stalked away from her, falling into the chair in a cloud of defeat.
Hollis’s breath lodged in her throat. She was right. She wasright!She had somehow stumbled onto this without even looking! She had sussed it out all on her own, had found the path to the truth, and—and...
And she’d promised to keep his secret. She returned to her chair.
