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Alanna was merely exasperated by his abject adoration and hurriedly left the carriage, as soon as the driver had opened the door. The front door of Charity's house was slightly ajar, and Alanna could see her children playing on the rug in front of the fireplace. Hearing adult voices coming from the back room, she rapped lightly and then entered.
"Hello, children, where's your mother?"
The eldest boy ran to get her, and Charity appeared almost immediately. She was holding Christian in a frantic grasp. Byron was right behind her. "This man claims to be the babe's uncle. Is that true?"
"Yes, Melissa had two brothers, Byron, whom you've just met, and Elliott."
"I know I told you I'd be happy to have visitors, but I'd expected them to display better manners."
"I've not been rude," Byron contradicted.
"That, sir, is a matter of opinion."
"May I hold Christian?" Alanna asked.
"You sure may. Do you want to hang your cloak on a peg?"
Alanna left the long garment hanging by the door, scooped Christian from the wet nurse's arms, and then nodded toward the bedroom. "May we use the back room for a few minutes, please?"
Charity nodded and stepped aside without glancing in Byron's direction. "I'd just finished feeding Christian, when this gentleman arrived. If you rock him, he'll go right to sleep."
The small
bedroom held a double bed, a cluster of small beds for the children, and the cradle where Christian slept. Alanna sat down in the rocking chair, and looked up at Byron. "There was no need to upset Charity. She's been very good with Christian."
Byron looked around for another chair, but there wasn't one. Too weary to stand, he sank down on Charity's bed. "How long do you plan to allow this farce to continue?"
"I wouldn't describe what we've done for Melissa's son as a farce."
"Just who is 'we'?"
"Dr. Earle, Polly, and Elliott. They were the only ones who knew this is Hunter's son rather than Ian's, before I told you."
"You'd not have told me if I hadn't insisted upon seeing him though, would you?"
"You would have been told today, after all the guests had left."
"How thoughtful of you. Did you intend to tell my parents then, too?"
"No. This was as great a surprise to me as it is to you, Byron. I knew Melissa seemed troubled, but I didn't even suspect that she could have such a terrible secret. If I've not handled things as well as I should have, it's been because there's been no time to plan. Elliott and I wanted Melissa to have a proper burial, before we took anyone else into our confidence. We were only trying to help you ease Ian's grief, not exclude you."
Byron raked his hand through his rain-soaked hair. "You must realize there are some who will say she ought not to be buried in hallowed ground."
"I know people can be cruel."
"Good, then you'll be prepared for whatever gossip will surely come. As for a christening, that's out of the question. The babe's a bastard, and no priest will welcome him."
"Melissa was a married woman, Byron, and a married woman's children are considered to be her husband's, are they not?"
"No one is ever going to believe that's Ian's child."
"The lace-trimmed christening gown your mother showed us before Christian was born has a matching cap. If he wears that, it will cover his hair, and if he's asleep, no one will see the color of his eyes. He's a very pretty child. That's all anyone will notice."
"You intend to lie to the priest?"
Alanna had not thought about the christening until now, and she needed a moment to perfect her plan. "No, it won't be necessary to say anything more than that we want Melissa's son baptized. The priest married her and Ian, and he'll assume this is Ian's child. We needn't disabuse him of the idea."
"No, I'll not stand for it. We have to tell everyone the truth—my parents and Ian, today."
