Page 27 of The Earl’s Inconvenient Nemesis

“My doing,” explained Anthony.

“It does not matter at all,” Sarah reassured. “Come in, both of you. It looks as though it is about to rain.”

A very confused Alice followed Anthony inside the house and along a hallway to a small, comfortable parlour, where a little boy who looked about five or six years old lay on a sofa. He had a blanket over him and was very pale.

“Hello, Charlie,” said Anthony, affectionately.

Alice did her best to hide her shock - Charlie with his blond hair and blue eyes looked remarkably like Anthony. Anthony had a son. A son he kept hidden from society. She felt suddenly faint.

Alice saw Anthony exchange a quick glance with Sarah who gave a small nod of assent.

“Charlie, this is my friend, Miss Alice Fairfax. I have been spending a great deal of time with her, and I thought you might like to meet.”

Charlie turned towards Alice.

“Hello, Charlie, how do you do? Please, call me Alice,” she managed to say.

“Hello, Alice,” the little boy replied.

“Charlie is my brother,” Anthony explained. “Well, half-brother.”

A wave of relief washed over Alice so strongly that she felt even more unsteady. His brother. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of this revelation. Anthony gave a look to say he would explain everything later.

“Charlie gave us a bit of a fright the other night,” Anthony explained.

“He fell down the stairs,” Sarah continued, “He sprained his ankle and managed to bump his head badly. Then he started being sick.”

“By the time Sarah managed to get a message to me, Charlie was not doing well, so I left immediately, picking up a physician I trust on the way. I stayed until the physician declared Charlie fully out of danger.”

“That must have been really scary for you,” Alice said to Charlie.

“Yes, but Anthony said I was so brave that when I am better, he’s going to take me for ices in the park, and I can have as many flavours as I want.”

“I think a maximum of three flavours might be sensible,” Sarah commented with a laugh.

They stayed for an hour entertaining Charlie by playing cards with him on a low table pulled over to be next to the invalid. Alice enjoyed the game but was distracted by thoughts of Anthony and his newly revealed brother. How long had he known about Charlie? How had he found out? Had his mother known? What about his father? Had he been aware of Charlie when he was alive?

“We will need to leave now if we are to return to your aunt’s house for luncheon,” said Anthony, checking the time on his pocket watch.

“I am glad you are feeling better, Charlie,” said Alice as they were saying goodbye.

“Me too. Will you come to visit me again? When I am fully recovered? We can go riding together, Anthony’s teaching me,” Charlie suggested.

“I would love that. Riding is one of my favourite things in the world,” she replied. “We shall have to see if your big brother will bring me.”

They got back into the carriage and set off for Anthony’s house.

“Charlie really liked you,” Anthony said.

“And I liked him, he is a lovely boy. Poor Sarah must have been terrified when he hurt himself.”

“She was, as was I to be honest. Now you know where I was the other night…”

“Yes. I am sorry. I admit, I thought you had let me down because you had decided to stay out all night having fun.”

“That is completely understandable,” he said. “You had absolutely no idea about Charlie and I tend to encourage a certain perception of myself.” He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair leaving one side standing up a little. Alice refrained from reaching out and smoothing it down.

“I was home from university the summer Henry broke his leg, when I came downstairs to absolute uproar. Apparently my mother’s old lady’s maid had turned up out of the blue,” Anthony explained. “Sarah had been a favourite of my mother’s and I remember being confused when she was dismissed and asking what had happened. No one would tell me, and no one seemed to want to talk about her visit and why my parents were so upset, but I eventually got out of one of the grooms that Sarah had been asked to leave because she was with child. That the child was my father’s and Sarah, desperate for money, had swallowed her pride and brought him to the house.