Victor rolled his eyes. “Lord Harry doesn’t understand what he needs to make him happy. I am doing what’s best for the family.”
“For the title, perhaps, but not for the people, Victor. You have been a callous brute, and I will not have John suffer for it.”
“Suffer? I would never make John suffer.”
“You would, by sending his mother away. If you had not interfered in their affair, they would have been able to resolve this matter themselves. Instead, this whole dark comedy has unraveled because you could not bear for your brother to marry a lowly actress.” Lydia shook her head.
Victor stared at his hands. When he spoke next, there was less anger in his voice and more self-reflection.
“Can… can it be true? Is all this my doing?”
“You wanted to keep a tight grip on your family, Victor. I understand. I know you only wished to protect yourself and honor your family name, but instead of listening to Lord Harry and Juliet, you condemned them. Did you ever try to like her? Did you ever try to see what captivated Lord Harry?”
“No…”
“No, you condemned him and judged her, and in the end, she did what she thought was right for her child. And now, we must do what is right for him too.”
Victor blinked as his head shot up. His thoughts were a confused haze.They had both calmed down by now, although the frustrating tension was still in the air. The carriage rolled and trundled. A few strands of hair had come loose and brushed against Lydia’s cheek and neck. Victor was filled with a compulsion to reach over and push them back, but he resisted the urge at the end.
“What do you mean?”
Lydia arched her eyebrows and placed her hands in her lap. “I have invited Juliet to come to the house tomorrow so that we may resolve this situation before we return to Brighton.”
Victor went apoplectic. “What? You can’t do that.”
“I am the Duchess of Nightford. Of course, I can,” Lydia replied coolly. “And when we return, we must tell Lord Harry the truth, and you must bear any arrows that are slung your way. You owe them both an apology, Victor.”
“I owe them nothing,” he muttered and looked out of the window to avoid the pinched expression she wore. In the window, he saw the ghost of his reflection staring back at him, a miserable man with hollow eyes. He’d only ever tried to do the right thing, but in this instance, he was less and less able to justify his decision. In seeking to protect his family he had caused direct harm to three individuals—five if he and Lydia were counted as well.
“Victor, we must make this situation right. We have found John’s mother, and do you not agree that John deserves to be with his rightful parents?”
“I…” He paused. Everything was happening so quickly yet again. He leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. “This evening has illuminated many surprises. I suppose we must at least tell Harry and then continue from there. But Juliet could have told us sooner. She could have come to our doorstep.”
“And risked being shunned? After the way you treated her, how could she ever be certain that you would show her kindness?”
“She was with child. I would have donesomething.”
“You might have offered her an allowance, security in exchange for silence. Would you have told your brother, though?” Lydia asked, and when confronted with this question, Victor could not bring himself to utter the answer. It didn’t matter; they both knew what his answer would have been anyway.
The rest of the journey was made in silence with Victor forced to reflect upon his judgments and decisions, evaluating what it meant to protect his family.
Upon reaching the townhouse, they were ready to alight from the carriage, but before they did Lydia put a hand on his arm. It was a most unanticipated gesture. This light touch was more tender than what her earlier outpouring of hostile emotion foreshadowed.
“I do owe you an apology as well, Victor. I should have taken you at your word when you told me that you were not John’s father and did not engage in an affair.”
Victor frowned.
“Is that why you were so adamant about attending the play, because you thought I was enmeshed with Juliet Fane?”
Lydia blushed, confirming his suspicions.
“It seems as though we both made mistaken assumptions regarding love affairs, but I am glad I did seek her out as otherwise we might never have known. Now, let us go and speak with Lord Harry, and please, Victor, be gentle with him. There is no need to have an argument.”
Victor took a deep breath. In this matter, he was inclined to think that Lydia was right. After all, she had shown great wisdom when it came to handling interpersonal matters while he had only failed. In other areas of life such as banking, law, or medicine, he took advice from those who had expertise.
The same principle should stand here as well, he thought.
So he followed Lydia out of the carriage and into the townhouse, preparing for a reckoning, almost afraid to think about what other wonders the world might have in store for him.
