He nodded. “Yes, for I approached them both. Catriona’s family had cut her off and did not want anything to do with her or her child. I paid for her burial, for they would not take care of her even in death. The same for Sutton’s father who was the Duke of Parkhurst. Sutton’s mother had died years earlier. Perhaps she would have been kinder, but Parkhurst was not. He was enraged that Sutton wanted to break off the arranged betrothal and marry Catriona instead. Sutton’s brother ended up marrying the lady originally meant for Sutton. He knew what had transpired but could not take you in, even though he wanted to. To do so meant fighting his own father and forcing you on the very woman his own brother was about to jilt.”
“So, you took me in?”
He nodded. “I was not always the depraved hound you believe me to be, Syd. I was a good man once. My first thoughts were of honoring my pledge to my best friend and protecting you. Please believe me. Only a few weeks had passed by the time I had exhausted all efforts and realized neither family would take you in or ever acknowledge you. By this time, I was relieved.I had already fallen in love with you, even though you were Sutton’s child. But you were mine to raise now, and I meant to claim you as mine and give you a happy home.”
He snorted and shook his head. “Lady Harcourt and I had been wed for several years by then, and I was coming to realize what a cold woman she was and that we would never have children of our own. She could not stand me…and I could not stand to touch her. I brought you home and told her about Sutton. In this, I laid down the law. You were our child and no one was to be told otherwise.”
Syd’s eyes widened. “But how could you get away with it? Others knew she was not carrying a child.”
“Who was to know? Our few retainers were loyal and never uttered a word. We were not in London at the time, so it was easy to get away with the ruse. I had taken her on a tour of my holdings, so we were traveling from one remote farm to another. She was haughty and never befriended any of the local gentry. She kept to herself. Few people other than a maid or two ever saw her up close. She wanted to take up residence in London, flaunt her status as countess, and become a notable among thetonelite. I agreed to all of her demands, so long as we passed you off as our daughter.”
Syd shook her head. “And she went along with it?”
Harcourt nodded. “However, she was never accepted as thetondarling she’d hoped to become. I could have told her she would never be adored. How could she be when she had not an ounce of warmth or compassion? People sensed her coldness and stayed away. But she had made her deal with me and feared the consequences if she were to renege. I would have shipped her off to one of those remote farms and left her there to tend the hogs. I was tempted to do it so many times, but she kept silent about you, and so we kept up the pretense of a marriage while going about in London. Her resentment of me festered andextended to you. She never believed you were Sutton’s daughter. She has always thought you were mine.”
“This is why she detested me,” Syd said brokenly.
“She would have found a reason to detest you even if you had been ours and delivered from her own body. It took me a while to understand how truly empty her heart was.” He gave a bitter laugh. “I thought it was just me she disliked. But she hated the world and everything beautiful in it. It is easy to blame her for the man I am today. Oh, she had an important part to play in it, for certain. However, I could have made changes to better my life and never did. I am trying now. That widow…I have no intention of taking her money, although we will be living off her income because the Harcourt properties are in a shambles and bring almost nothing in now. Perhaps the next earl will do better. Syd, it could be your son that inherits. He would be next in line.”
Octavian felt her entire body grow tense. In the next moment, she leaped to her feet again and frowned at Harcourt. “You’ve just told me I am not your daughter. How can any child of mine inherit?”
“I have claimed you as mine and will claim to my dying breath that you are our legitimate offspring. Who is to know? And why should you not inherit? What do I care if some distant relation is cut out because of it?”
“If Lady Harcourt reports this to the gossip rags, as you obviously fear she will, then everyone will know,” Octavian pointed out. “More important, Syd now knows the truth and she will not lie about this, whether or not it remains a secret.”
“Added to the fact that an experienced medical practitioner will know whether a woman has ever had a child,” Syd said. “All it would take is a simple examination of her body.”
“She will never let anyone touch her,” Harcourt replied, his bitterness once more evident. “And by not allowing a doctor’s examination, everyone will conclude she was the liar.”
Syd turned to Octavian, her expression one of frustration.
Well, this was her father.
He could not stop scheming, even as he supposedly confessed all. If what he said was true and Syd was not his legitimate daughter, that did not dissuade him in the least from plotting to cheat the rightful heir from assuming the title.
Syd was so embroiled, her heart in a jumble over a thousand conflicting feelings, that Octavian knew it was up to him to sort out the lies. He wanted to hear from Lady Harcourt next, but would the woman condescend to speak to him? He was not above bribing her to keep her mouth shut, if this is what was needed to protect Syd.
The woman finally made her way downstairs as the earl’s confession came to an end. She stood in the doorway, seething as she looked upon her husband and Syd. “He lies to you. He cannot stop his lies.”
The earl rose to offer her his seat. “No, I have told them the complete truth. They now know everything. You cannot hurt them, and you cannot hurt me any longer. Captain Thorne, you shall find me at my club if you have need of me again.” With that, he strode out, leaving them to deal with his wife.
Octavian rose. “Please, Lady Harcourt. Join us.”
She shook her head. “Not withthatwoman here.”
Blessed saints.
Is this how she referred to Syd?
He reached out to take Syd’s hand, but Syd was once more on her feet and staring back at the woman. “The feeling is mutual, I assure you.”
She cast him a look that revealed it was all right, that he should speak with Lady Harcourt on his own, and then turned to walk out.
Octavian had no idea where she meant to go. He started after her, but she stopped him with a smile and slight wave of her hand. “You’ll find me in the kitchen with Cook. Her scones were delicious. I think I will have a few more. I’m all right, my love.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll come to you when I’m done.”
Lady Harcourt took a seat on the settee, as grim looking a piece of furniture as he had ever seen. Dark color. Heavy fabric. Overly carved ebony frame. The lady herself looked quite grim, too. She sat with her hands primly folded on her lap and her back as stiff as a board. “What has my wretched husband told you?”
