Henry folded his arms. “You said you were invited?”
“I was,” the man replied. “By someone claiming to be from your household. They said you were ready to meet me. That you’d arranged the whole thing and wanted it to be discreet.”
“I didn’t,” Henry said, more sharply than intended. “I had no idea who you were until two minutes ago.”
The man nodded slowly. “I realized that the moment I walked in. You looked like you’d seen a ghost. Which, I suppose... in a way... you had.”
Charlotte stepped closer, standing just behind Henry’s shoulder. She didn’t speak, but he felt her anchoring presence like a lighthouse in the storm.
“Who are you?” Henry asked quietly.
The man’s face creased with something between sadness and pride. “My name is Elias March. I own a modest shipping business now, but long ago I was an assistant steward to your grandfather—His Grace, the twelfth Duke of Arundel. I worked here on the estate. That was how I came to know your mother.”
The air thickened.
“I was young,” Elias continued. “Not stupid, but... optimistic. I was eager to prove myself. She was—well, you know what she’s like. Beautiful. Clever. Terrifying, if I’m honest. We were both lonely, I think. And I was foolish.”
Henry said nothing.
“When I learned she was with child, I went to her and asked if it might be mine,” Elias said softly. “I wanted to support her as best I could, but she sent me away. She said it was handled, and there was no need for further contact. But I knew what it meant. I knew the duke—her husband—must have agreed to raise the child as his own. The way she worded it, I almost wondered if he’d known everything all along.”
Henry nodded. His fatherhad. Most likely, he’d masterminded the affair, and the duchess had simply followed his orders and manipulated poor Elias.
“I was devastated,” Elias went on. “But I knew I would be unable to give either of you the life you deserved, and the duke could have ruined me if he wanted. Instead, he came to me soon after and offered me a cheque on the condition that I leave and never approach any of you again.” He looked down, ashamed.“At the time, that was enough for me. I took the payment, and went.”
Silence fell.
Henry stared at him, wondering what on earth to say.
Elias cleared his throat. “As the years passed, I wondered about you. I read what I could about your life. I even kept the painting from the papers when you became the new duke. You looked... proud. Serious. Like him, I thought. Like me.”
There was a certain likeness between them. Even Henry could tell that at a glance.
Elias gave a shaky laugh. “I never dreamed we’d meet. Not until a few months ago.”
Henry narrowed his eyes. “What changed?”
Elias hesitated. “I was drunk,” he admitted. “In a tavern in London. I ran into the son of an old acquaintance, a Mr. Roger Leonard. I said too much. I let slip more than I should have.”
Henry’s jaw clenched.
“I thought he was just a man with a sympathetic ear,” Elias said. “But now I see that he was using me to cause you harm.”
Henry’s eyes hardened. “He’s behind a series of anonymous letters I’ve been receiving. He’s threatening to expose us. You. Me. My mother.”
Elias closed his eyes. “I’m sorry. I swear to you, I never wanted this. I never intended to ruin you.”
“Whatdoyou want?” Henry asked, suddenly tired. “Why are you here?”
Elias straightened. “Only to tell you that I will never speak of this again. If anyone comes to me, I will deny it. I’ll burn every letter I kept, every proof I ever had. You are the Duke of Arundel. No one else. He raised you as his son and accepted you as his heir. I agreed to that at the time, knowing it was best for you. Why would I want to take that away now? Going away and staying quiet was my gift to you. The only one I could give.”
The words sat heavy between them.
“I’d like....” Elias paused. “I’d like to get to know you, if you’re willing. I know it’s a lot to ask. But I’m not here to claim anything. I’m not here for money. I only—well, I only hoped you might like to know me too.”
Henry looked at Charlotte, whose gaze was soft with empathy. She nodded once, encouraging him
“I’ll think about it,” Henry murmured. “That’s the best I can do right now.”
