Page 55 of When the Viscount Seduces
“Clearly you did,” she insisted. “I am not mistaken, so please do me the courtesy of not asking if I’m certain again.”
“I swear, I could not have done this. I am no blackguard.” It was all Lazarus could think to say. He was a rogue, but he wasn’t completely immoral or cruel.
She lifted her chin and stared into his eyes. “Prove it, then.”
“How do you—” He was going to ask how he could do that, but he knew the answer. She’d presented herself to him after some months carrying a child. “Why didn’t you inform me sooner?” The world around him still felt unsteady. It was as if the edges were fraying, or he was standing in a watercolor that wasn’t yet dry.
“As I said, I was ill.”
“Do your parents know of your condition?” he managed to ask.
“My mother does, but she has not told my father or my grandfather. Our hope is that you will agree to an immediate marriage.”
Frustration clawed at him. His vision began to tunnel, making him feel trapped, which he was. “The babe will be born in an inordinately short amount of time.”
“We will remove to the country and keep the timing of the birth vague,” she replied with an alarming confidence. “I and the babe will remain there for a year or more. In time, people will not notice such things. And if my family does, they won’t say anything for we will be wed, and the babe’s parentage will be secure.”
She had it all worked out rather neatly. This made Lazarus slightly suspicious. And incredibly queasy.
“If you refuse me, I will be ruined.” She worried her hands together and looked down at the ground. “I hate that this happened. I am so angry with myself. I was just so smitten with you.” She met his gaze once more, and there were tears in her pretty blue eyes. “But this is my fault. I should never have allowed myself to be alone with a man, let alone one with a reputation like yours. I just didn’t believe you would take things as far as they went.”
Dear God, was he a monster? “I didn’t force you, did I?” Now the world was spinning. Lazarus would have grabbed a tree for support if one had been within reach.
She shook her head. “No, it was…nice.”
Lazarus still didn’t remember a thing. “Was I inebriated?”
Her shoulder lifted slightly. “You may have been, but I don’t have much experience with that.”
He would have staked his entire fortune on not being able to perform in bed under the influence of that much alcohol, but since he couldn’t remember a thing, what did he know?
“We don’t have a surplus of time,” she said. “I can’t hide the babe much longer.” She moved her hand gently along her abdomen, and he could make out the gentle curve beneath her gown.
Coughing as he choked on nothing but air, Lazarus averted his gaze. Was that his child growing inside her? He simply couldn’t believe it. But she was so certain. And her emotions so very real.
She squared her shoulders. “I don’t want to force you, but I will if I must. I’ll tell my father and my grandfather, and they will force you to marry me. It will be a terrible scandal. Surely you don’t want that.”
He thought of his mother, his grandmother, his sisters, his cousin Tamsin… Gwen. He couldn’t subject them to a scandal like this. And he especially didn’t want Gwen to hear of his behavior. He could bear contempt from anyone except her.
His brain worked to grab something. Anything. “I can’t leave London. I’ve responsibilities in the Lords.” His speech was coming up soon!
“You must, or you will become the subject of great disdain—in the Lords and everywhere else.” She paused, her gaze softening. “I can see you are greatly disturbed by my news, and I do understand. I sympathize. I was shocked when I learned what had happened, and it took me a long time to accept it. I suppose being ill was a distraction from the reality of the situation. However, we cannot ignore it, though I do apologize I wasn’t able to inform you sooner. Now, you won’t have much time to become accustomed to being a husband and a father.”
A husbandanda father. With a woman whose name he hadn’t even known, and he couldn’t even recall bedding. Hebarely remembered flirting with her. Indeed, there was nothing remarkable about her that came to his mind.
“I’ll give you time to consider everything I’ve said,” she said softly. “I’ll expect to hear from you tomorrow. No later than the day after.”
“Thank you,” he croaked.
“If you don’t call on me before Monday, I’ll have to tell my father and grandfather the truth.”
He nodded. “I understand.”
She pivoted and returned to a small group of people, none of whom he recognized. One of them was an older version of her, and she looked directly at Lazarus, her lips pursed. That had to be her mother.
Lazarus abruptly turned. He wondered if he might be sick.
His gaze met Gwen’s some distance away. She smiled at him, then looked as if she might head in his direction.
