Page 57 of The Billionaire's Temporary Governess (French Conquests 2)

Naisha stopped, her face reddening madly.

He stared at her, stunned. Willa knew? He’d tried so hard to protect her from that knowledge. Losing her mother was hard enough, but for a child to find out that the man she called Papa wasn’t really her biological father would have been too much. So even though he knew she would have been old enough to understand, he’d withheld that information, and tried to carry on as if everything was normal.

That had been a bad idea, he realized. If Willa knew, she must have been carrying that terrible burden around inside her all this time.

He felt awful. He needed to talk to her, reassure her. Explain.

But first, he had to tell Naisha everything. She was still examining his face as if trying to determine whether he was going to be mad at her, deny it, or freak out. So he began to speak calmly.

“She isn’t. I’ve known for a couple of years. I even have a paternity test to prove it. You see, my father and Sofia were having an affair—”

“What! Wasn’t she dating Alex? I heard the gossip around the château.”

He nodded regretfully. “My mother gave Alex a letter from our father. In the letter, my father explains that his affair with Sofia began before she ever met Alex. Alex and Sofia dated during their teenage years, but it was a plot on her part. Alex was in love with her. Wanted to marry her. But she had her eyes set on a bigger prize. Me. She wanted to be the Countess, and as the second son, Alex never would be able to give her that, unless of course I were to pass away without issuing an heir.” He paused. “She got pregnant after moving into the estate.”

“Oh my God. You mean—”

“Willa is actually my half-sister. The pregnancy put Sofia in a precarious situation. She wanted to get married and since my father was unavailable, my dad decided that I be the fall guy. You see, my dad was arrogant enough to have only his sons inherit the title for two generations.”

“How did they pin that on you?” Naisha looked confused.

He took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to Naisha. As she read, he could see how her expression changed from awe, shock and then anger. His stomach rolled as tears escaped her eyes.

“They drugged you?”

“Sofia and I spent time together one evening—as friends—and they used the opportunity to spring their trap.”

Naisha continued to read the letter and looked too shocked to say a word.

“When I woke up, I had a splitting headache, and there was my brother’s girlfriend, half naked in my bed, sobbing. Telling me that I had raped her. That I had gotten drunk and forced myself upon her.”

Naisha dropped the letter like it was contaminated and put her hand on his arm. “You wouldn’t. You’d never—” She was loyal and fierce, and he loved that about her.

He shrugged. “That’s what I thought, but the evidence was damning. Then a couple of weeks later she came to me crying, saying she was pregnant, and I had done it. My father summoned us to his office, and he ordered me to marry her. Telling me I had besmirched the family name, violated the family honor, and needed to make reparations. I was twenty-one. What else could I do? I lived with that ‘rape’ hanging over my head for ten years, Naisha. Something like that can destroy a man.”

Naisha seemed to be pondering this, her face sober. “I’m sorry. I know you could never have done something like that to a woman, William.”

“I thought so too. But the evidence was damning.”

“You father knew about us? I thought we were careful.”

He felt exhausted after his admission, but there was still one more thing to be said. And this part, he figured, would hurt the most. “Me too. When my father ordered me to marry Sofia, he made it very clear that I was to say nothing, explain nothing, lest word got out that there was arapistin the family.” He made no attempt to hide the bitterness in his voice. “I did as I was told because I was raised in a tradition of obedience, I felt that I owed it to my family to preserve our name and reputation, and also because I was ashamed. I never cheated on you. You’ve always had my heart. I know I walked away from the best thing I ever had, without any explanation, but I never intended to hurt you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”

He heard a soft sound, and looked up, realizing she was crying. “I’m sorry,” she sobbed.

He was incredulous. “You’resorry?”

“I was so angry with you. I resented you for so long. And all this time you were living in pain, Liam!”

“It’s okay. It’s all in the past. I’ll speak to Willa. No matter what’s happened, she was never at fault. It’s not on her. And I will always love her. She will always be my daughter.”

He reached out and patted her tummy. “And she needs to know that, no matter how much I love you and our baby, she will never lose her place in my heart.”

Naisha looked at him shyly, her eyelashes damp. “You love our baby? You’re happy about this?”

He laughed. “Happy? I’m overjoyed. Shocked at first, but delighted. I can’t wait to meet her. I can’t wait to be a dad a second time around.” He sobered up to add, earnestly, “And I can’t wait to be with you. I love you. I loved you then. I love you even more now. So, will you be my Comtesse? Can the four of us be a family?” He stopped, examining her eyes. Waiting on tenterhooks. After everything that had gone on between them, would she be willing to give him a second chance?

The answer came in a whoop of delight, and Naisha’s beautiful face lit up with a smile. “Did you have to ask?”

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