Chapter 32

CHAPTER 32

" A re you sure you want to do this?" Christine asked. "You don't owe him anything, and he does not need to know if you want to keep it a secret."

"I do want to keep it a secret, but I know he will respect that secret, and I think he deserves to know," Adeline said. "He knows something held me back, and he might wonder about it until he finds a wife. He might think it has something to do with who he is, and I don't want him to think that. He already thinks so little of himself when he is a good person. He needs someone to tell him that, and I want to help if I can."

"That is noble of you," Christine said. She looked toward the doorway to where Theodore was lingering.

"I still don't like it," he admitted. "No one should know what that man did to you, and Lord St. Vincent can wonder until the end of time if he wants to. If you think he will respect your secret, then he will also respect that you have a secret that you won't tell him."

"I have made my mind up," Adeline said. "You said you would not stand in my way if I wanted to do this."

"And I will not," Theodore agreed. "Still, I would like a word with him before he leaves to make sure he understands what will happen if he decides to profit off that secret."

"Theo!" Adeline gasped.

"I don't believe he would tell anyone," Christine supported, "but we need to be sure."

Adeline looked from her brother to Christine, composed herself, and then nodded in surrender.

"I shall leave you both to it," Theodore said. "Have him visit my study when you are done."

"We will," Christine said.

A maid brought in some tea for the ladies while they waited. A short time later, Lord St. Vincent was shown to the parlor. He had a look on his face that made Christine's heart sink, but she should have expected it. He wore a look of hope. He had been summoned, and he hoped Adeline had changed her mind and had bought him to declare her love for him, and they would live happily ever after.

"Thank you for coming," Adeline said. She gestured with her hand. "Please, take a seat."

"This is all so formal," the Baron said. "How have you been, Lady Adeline?"

"I have been well," she replied. "No, that's not completely true. I want to be honest with you, and if you want to know the truth, I have not been doing all that well. I am getting better, and I will be fine in time. I heard you danced with some wonderful women at the ball this past weekend."

"I… None of them… We don't need to talk about that. I would like to hear what you have to say to me," the Baron said. There was still hope in his eyes and voice. "Did you… When I was here last, he asked for your hand."

"Goodness, no," Adeline blurted. "My brother made sure he never comes back here ever again."

Lord St. Vincent smiled, and it was partly contagious. Christine could not help but smile with him, but Adeline could not.

"Lord Shelvey is partly what I wanted to talk to you about today," Adeline said.

Lord St. Vincent lost his smile. "Oh?"

"I have run through this many times in my mind, but there is no right way to say this, so here goes. Lord St. Vincent tricked me. I was foolish, and he charmed me, and he got me into his bed, and he forever tainted me. I can't ever take that back. I am not the woman you think I am, and?—"

"No, you are a wonderful—" the Baron started.

"Please don't interrupt me," Adeline begged. "This is hard enough as it is."

Lord St. Vincent fell quiet and gestured for Adeline to continue.

"That was bad enough, but the reality is much worse," Adeline said. "I am with child. I never meant for this to happen, but I need to share my part of the blame. I did things willingly under false pretenses, and I learned my lesson too late. I could have married someone; I could have married you and pretended that the child was yours to hide the truth, but I could not do it. The truth is that I might have been able to do it to someone else, but I could not do it to you, Lord Vincent. You are too good a man, and you don't deserve that."

"You are pregnant," Lord St. Vincent stammered, not entirely believing it.

"I am," Adeline confirmed.

Christine admired Adeline's professionalism in the matter. She had cried and thought and tortured herself, and she had come through that and was able to think rationally and speak evenly. She was young and naive, but she was strong.

"What happens to you now?" Lord St. Vincent asked.

"I am not entirely sure," Adeline said. "I don't want to trap anyone into marriage, but perhaps my brother can make a favorable match. I believe my best option is to remain alone and raise the child myself. The father is long gone now, and he will not return. I have made my peace with becoming a spinster."

Lord St. Vincent took a deep breath. There was still a look in his eyes of hope as if Adeline might announce he had passed some test, and she had invented the whole thing.

When he stood up, Christine and Adeline stood up shortly after.

"Thank you for your honesty," Lord St. Vincent said. "I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me. You are a good person, too, Adeline."

The Baron gave a sad smile, and then he left the room.

Theodore sat behind his desk, trying to read the documents he had been sent, but he was unable to concentrate on them. He could only think about what was happening downstairs with Adeline and Lord St. Vincent. He had not heard any shouting or slammed doors, but he didn't expect any from the Baron.

There was a noise outside, and someone passed by his room. Then, another noise as someone passed in the opposite direction. Theodore got up from his desk and went to his door, looking out into the hallway. He caught a figure rounding the corner at the end of the hallway and disappearing from view.

Despite his initial impulse to return to his room, Theodore felt an inexplicable pull towards the mysterious figure. With determined strides, he hastened down the hallway, rounding the corner just in time to catch a glimpse of the man ascending the stairs. He could have called out, but the urgency of the situation propelled him to follow in silence.

Theodore quickened his pace and took the stairs two at a time. He looked one way down the long corridor and didn't see the man, so he quickly went the other way around the corner and had just turned it when he ran straight into the man, who was doubling back.

The Duke threw out his arms and readied himself for a fight but quickly calmed himself when he saw Lord St. Vincent before him.

"What are you doing here?" Theodore demanded. "Are you lost?"

"I… yes, I am," the Baron replied.

"You are looking for the way out," Theodore suggested.

"No, no," the Baron murmured. "No, I was looking for you."

"Ah, Adeline sent you to speak with me," Theodore said.

"No, no, she didn't," the Baron replied. "Maybe I should not have left in such a rush, but I knew it had to be done."

"Can we stop for a moment?" the Duke begged. "Please tell me what is happening."

"I came to find you, Your Grace." The Baron took his coat in both hands and tugged on it gently. "I came to ask for your sister's hand in marriage."

"You—oh! You spoke to her downstairs?" the Duke asked.

"I did."

"And she told you everything?" the Duke continued.

"Yes."

"About being with child?" the Duke pushed.

"I was informed of it."

"And you still want to ask for her hand in marriage?" the Duke asked.

"I do."

"Why?" the Duke asked. "Why would you want to do this when you will surely find someone else in time?"

"I love her," the Baron replied. "I know it is not ideal, but I love her, and I can't stop thinking about her. And when she told me what happened, I could not stop thinking about what the future holds for her. I know this is highly unorthodox, but my mind is made up. I will accept any decision you make, of course, and we must take Lady Adeline's feelings into account, but I am willing to step up and be there for her."

Theodore considered the proposition. "It is brave what you are doing. I know I can come across as unapproachable, and I am very protective of my family, but I admire your courage in the situation, Lord St. Vincent."

The Baron puffed out his chest at the compliment from the Duke.

"This will not be an easy thing to do," the Duke continued. "You will be a father to another man's child. You will have to live with that."

"The child will be Adeline's," the Baron replied. "A child might share some traits of their parents, but the way they are raised makes them the men and women they grow into. I shall raise the child to share no traits with Lord Shelvey. I am not saying I shall raise them to be like me, but?—"

"They should be like you," Theodore interrupted. "If the child is anything like you, Lord St. Vincent, then they will do well in life."

The Baron smiled. "I really love your sister, Your Grace. From the moment I met her, I knew I wanted to start a family with her. I will marry her, and we will start our family a little earlier than planned. The wedding must be soon, and no one will ever have to know about what he did to her. Is he…?"

"He is gone," the Duke said. "I made sure of that. He will not return to London again. Lord St. Vincent, I accept the proposal." Theodore held out his hand, and the Baron shook it. "All that remains is for Adeline to choose what she wants to do."