Iris gasped. “But you are his family.”
He scoffed at the word.
“Marcus is my only family…” The confession filled him with a deeply rooted sadness he had not realized was there. “That is why I have to find him a bride and somehow convince him he is worthy of this title.”
“Neither a bride nor a scandal can truly change Marcus’s situation. I mean… from what I know, he is illegitimate after all. Unless?—”
Blaise held her gaze steadily. The truth had been buried long enough.
“Marcusisthe legitimate heir,” he said quietly. The words fell heavily in the space between them. “My brother, Benjamin, and his lover, Diana, were properly married. The proof exists; I know it does, but Daniel’s claim will still cause damage if it reaches the papers before we are prepared.”
Iris stared at him, clearly processing the revelation. She fell into a stunned and thoughtful silence as Blaise watched her.
“He is the true Duke of Knoxford, then?” she asked shakily.
“Yes,” he admitted.
* * *
“Do you have proof of his legitimacy?” Iris stared at Blaise, her mind struggling to grasp the weight of what he had just revealed.
“Not yet, but my brother would not have lied to me.”
Iris blinked slowly, still trying to make sense of it all. “Does that not mean that Marcus will inherit Knoxford instead?”
Blaise’s dark eyes held hers steadily. “Yes, he inherits everything. Including Hentley House. But he does not want Knoxford nor the title.” Blaise’s scar twitched under the dim lighting.
“Because it makes him feel alone.” It was not a question; Iris spoke from her own experience, and she could relate deeply to Marcus’s feelings of not belonging.
She looked at Blaise and blushed; he was already staring at her.
“I only meant?—”
“That is enough, Iris.”
She could see the worry etched in his features for his nephew, and she wondered if she was just a useless pawn in their game, which they had to get rid of.
“And you plan to make him the duke? To give up the title and step aside for your nephew, who wants nothing to do with it, while having no proof that he is legitimate except for the fact that your brother claimed so.” The words spilled out of her before she could stop herself.
She was done playing along. She deserved to know the full truth before getting thrown out of her house.
“Yes,” Blaise answered, frustratingly straightforward and without any further explanation.
Iris could hardly grasp any of it. He would gladly give up a dukedom with all its power, wealth, and status for a possibly illegitimate boy he claimed responsibility for. The very idea felt strange, nearly impossible in the world she knew, where titles were held onto with desperate greed.
“I… I don’t understand,” she whispered, still processing everything. “Most men would fight tooth and nail to keep such power. Yet you plan to hand it over without proof. Why?”
Blaise remained silent for a moment, his scarred face unreadable.
“Because it is the right thing to do,” he eventually answered.
Iris softened toward him.
“You are doing it for your brother.” She understood his reasoning then. She would do the same for Pamela and Camelia.
Blaise did not respond, and he did not have to because Iris could see from his expression that she was right.
“Can you tell me more about Marcus’s father?” Iris asked gently. “What was he like?”
