Chapter Thirty-Nine

H art and Lucy sat together on the settee across from Trudy and filled her in on all that they had discovered. After all that had happened, they had decided Trudy needed to know the truth, and hoped it would not shock her into an early grave. Trudy took all the news with surprising aplomb. In fact, she was non-plussed to hear about his father’s affairs.

“My dears, I was one of your mother’s confidants. She knew about Henry’s affairs. She told him straight out that as long as he was discreet, he could keep his mistresses.”

Lucy gasped in shock.

Hart chuckled at her outraged look. But regretted it in the next moment when she turned to glare at him.

Quickly, he grasped her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “I was only laughing at your outrage on my mother’s behalf. You never have to worry about being in a similar situation. No one compares to you, my love.”

Trudy smiled at the two of them. “You have to understand that many wives of the ton are in similar positions as your mother. Though, I did not know that your father had sired another child. And you have met this man?”

“Yes, he is a hard man to describe. He is certainly a criminal of some sort but also a legitimate businessman, and he helped me to find Lucy when she was taken, even though he barely knows us. I couldn’t tell you his motivations for the things he does, even if I tried.”

A knock sounded at the drawing-room door. “Come in.”

Townson entered the room. “Pardon, a Miss Elizabeth Harper, and her son are at the door.”

“Show them in,” Lucy said. “Trudy, this is Robert’s fiancée and his son. I cannot think why they are here. Please be nice.”

“Why would you think I wouldn’t be nice?” Trudy looked positively affronted. “The child is family, is he not?”

“Miss Elizabeth Harper and Robert Harper.” Townson intoned from the doorway.

The lady and her son cautiously entered the room. “I hope we are not intruding. I heard what happened to Lord Griffen, and I wanted to make sure that you knew about his demise.”

Hart crossed to her. “Won’t you both come in?” He gave a friendly smile to the boy, hoping that his scarred face wasn’t too scary.

Robert grinned back at him and dug into his pocket. Pulling out a toy soldier, who rode atop a horse, he handed it up to Hart. “This is for you. He is my best commander.”

“Thank you.” Hart solemnly accepted the gift. “Would you like a biscuit? There are some here on the table.”

Robert looked up at his mother, who nodded. Then he hurried over to the table to peer at the selection of biscuits laid out next to the tea service.

Miss Harper followed Hart over to the seating area.

Lucy immediately embraced her. “We are glad to see you.” She turned to Trudy. “May I introduce you to Miss Harper? Miss Harper, this is Hart’s great aunt, Lady Weatherby.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Miss Harper said.

“You as well, my dear. He certainly looks like a Hartwick.” She nodded her head to the boy.

Miss Harper looked taken aback at first, but then she glanced over at her son with a soft look of pride. “Yes, he reminds me of his father every day.”

Hart thought it prudent to change the subject before Trudy really got to interrogating the poor woman. “Miss Harper, we already know about Griffen’s death because we were there.”

“You were? What happened?”

“He kidnapped my wife from the Covent Garden market with the intention of using her as ransom for this mysterious journal that my father kept.”

“I heard there was an explosion, and several boats were set on fire. Are you unharmed?”

“Hart was hit by flying debris,” Lucy said. “Luckily, he has a hard head.”

“Well, that is good to hear. The other reason I came by to see you is because I did some research in my father’s files. You see, he kept meticulous records of the headlines for every edition of the paper. Cross-referenced names and dates, it took a little searching, but I found this article from years ago.” She pulled out a piece of folded newsprint and handed it to him. Halfway down the page, the headline read, “Aristocratic Sons Get Expelled from Eton.”

“Well, what does it say?” Trudy asked.

Miss Harper answered for him. “It is an article about how a group of aristocratic sons were expelled from Eton for beating a teacher almost to death.”

Trudy nodded. “Oh, yes, I remember when Henry got expelled. What trouble that boy was when he was young. My brother caned his backside in front of the whole family as punishment. The incident was quite embarrassing.”

Hart read the whole article out loud. A group of boys were all expelled from the school after beating one of the arithmetic teachers so badly he was not expected to be able to walk again. The boy’s names were all listed. The Duke of Hartwick’s son, the Duke of Lavensham’s son, the Duke of Fleming’s son, the Earl of Blackpool’s son, The Earl of Rawlings’s son, Viscount Galey’s son, and Viscount Griffen’s son. All his father’s cronies, in black and white.

“Did this group of boys comprise their club?” Miss Harper asked.

“Yes, and that incident was the genesis of our bond of friendship. One that’s lasted forty years.” A deep voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned in their seats.

“The Duke of Fleming and Mr. Seaton,” Townson announced.

Hart stood. He looked between the two men, and their connection clicked into place. “You are the one who hired Seaton to watch over me.”

The duke nodded. “There have been too many lives sacrificed needlessly. My regrets are large. Protecting you was the least I could do for Henry.”

“Please come in.” Hart motioned for Fleming to take a seat.

The duke crossed to the seating area and gave a short bow to the ladies. “Lady Weatherby, Lady Hartwick.” He turned to Miss Harper and her son. His eyes grew wide as his gaze roamed over them. “You are she. The one he wanted to marry.”

Miss Harper gathered her son close to her side, her expression fierce. She nodded.

Hart stepped forward. “Please sit. Can you tell us what happened to Robert?”

Fleming sighed as he took a seat. “It happened so quickly. There was no time to stop it. I don’t think any of us thought Griffen would shoot Henry.” He shook his head. “And when he did, Robert was distraught as he knelt next to his father. He looked up, and I can still recall the rage that burned in his eyes. Then he was screaming at all of us. Said he’d seen the journal, that he knew all our secrets, that he would ruin all of us for allowing this to happen. Someone pulled out a gun and shot him. The moment is still seared into my memory. So rash, so reckless.”

The silence in the room was broken by a choked sob from Miss Harper. Lucy crossed to sit next to her, enveloping her hand in both of hers.

Hart stood frozen for a long moment. Finally having the answer to his brother’s death did not assuage his pain or his anger. Both still roiled in his gut. Perhaps nothing would. Grief, it seemed was not something that could be erased. It could only be grappled with, like his anxiety from the carriage explosion. He would have to find a way to live with it. He glanced over at Lucy where she comforted Miss Harper. So fierce, so loving. He knew that with Lucy by his side he could manage anything life brought them. There was just one more loose end.

“Who shot Robert?” he asked.

Fleming shook his head. “I can’t tell you.”

“You mean, you won’t.”

“Yes, I won’t. These men are my family. They mean everything to me.” Fleming ran a hand down over his face. “That year at Eton, the teacher, the one who they beat, he was—” Fleming glanced at the ladies. “Taking advantage of me in the most inappropriate way. I was smaller, weaker, and too ashamed to tell anyone what was happening to me. Henry came in quite by accident one day after classes to ask the teacher some questions and saw firsthand the abuse I was subject to. Later, when he told the others, I felt so betrayed. But he didn’t tell them to make fun of me but to gather them together to make a plan for revenge. You see, they saved me from further abuse, and they stood by me when I needed it the most.”

Hart didn’t know what to say to Fleming’s confession. It explained so much about the bond these boys had forged, but it did not excuse the actions of grown men. His heart ached at the senseless death of his brother. Not for the first time did he wish it could have been him instead that day.

Seaton stepped forward. Hart had almost forgotten the man was there; he had been so silent.

“I have something for you.” Seaton reached under his jacket behind his back and pulled out a slim black journal.

Fleming’s gaze snapped to Seaton. “You had it this whole time. Why does that not surprise me at all.”

Seaton shrugged. He handed it to Hart. “Seemed prudent to hold onto something that contained so many secrets. You never know when you could need the information.”

Hart opened the book and flipped through the pages. Each page had a name at the top. It was filled with information, not just of the six other men but others Hart recognized, men and women alike. It seemed his father had kept a record of all the gossip and knowledge he’d learned at court and in his dealings within the ton.

Seaton nodded to the journal. “Our father knew that information was power.”

Hart snapped the journal shut. He turned to Fleming. “You may go tell the others that I have their secrets. I will keep it somewhere safe. If they threaten or harm anyone in my family”—he swept his arm wide over his people gathered in the room—“then I will not hesitate to use it. And if they make another attempt on my life, I will have my firm send it directly to the press.”

Miss Harper nodded at him, her mouth set in a firm line.

Fleming stood with a sigh. “I will give them your message. I have lost three friends now. I do not want any more lives sacrificed. I will do my best to keep the others in check.” He bowed. “Good day.”

Once Fleming left, Lucy came over and wrapped her arms around his waist. “How are you feeling?”

“For the first time in a long time, I feel at peace with the past. I don’t think I am going to read this unless it becomes necessary.” He held up the journal. “It’s time to focus on our future.” Hart kissed the top of her head. “I love you.”

Lucy lifted her face and kissed him. “I love you, too.”

Hart looked around the room. Seaton had crossed to crouch down in front of little Robert. He held a hand up and then, quick as a wink, pulled a coin from behind the boy’s ear. Robert giggled, and Miss Harper smiled.

Trudy rose from her seat. “Well, that was a lot of information to take in for one afternoon. We are going to need more tea. I still have questions, many, many questions.” She crossed to ring for a servant.

Lucy laid her head against his chest with a sigh. “I think perhaps this means it’s over.”

Hart wasn’t so sure. Perrin was still an unpredictable question mark. Seaton hadn’t been able to catch him, and Hart had decided it would be safer for Lucy to not tell the authorities that they had been at the scene of the explosion. Perrin certainly wouldn’t be admitting that he was there that night either.

After losing everything he held dear, Hart understood how precious it was to be given a second chance to rebuild his life, to rebuild himself. He would not take for granted the people that had come into his life. He squeezed his wife tight. He would use everything in his power to protect his newfound family.

The End