Page 49 of The Chef and the Countess

Celia took his hand and laced her fingers with his, then looked up and caught his gaze. “Then we will not hurry. Not tonight. Come and sit on the sofa with me. I came to speak to you about something else entirely.”

Could he bloody well sit? He was painfully aroused. However, he allowed Celia to pull him toward his sofa, and they sat on it.

“I have come to talk about Tommy,” Celia said matter-of-factly as she turned slightly to face him.

That dampened his passion and sent his senses on full alert. “What about the lad?”

“We went for a walk this afternoon, and he confided something very personal to me. He asked me to speak to you as he wasn’t sure how to approach you about such a sensitive subject. Can you guess what it is?”

Liam closed his eyes. “Aye. I believe I can. What did he tell you?”

“He says you are his father.”

Liam’s eyes popped open as he met her steady gaze. “What else did he say?”

Celia relayed everything Tommy had told her. His insides churned at hearing the details, and his heart ached to hear everything Tommy had gone through.

“Did you know?” Celia asked softly.

Liam shook his head. “At first? I had no idea. Molly and I were involved for less than two months. I was eighteen; what did I know about the consequences? Walter took me aside and asked if I was seeing a lass since I went out some nights and didn’t come back until late. He also asked if I used protection.” Liam snorted. “I hadn’t. He gave me a shake and told me to grow up. If I was going to rut with the lass, I had to be a man and take responsibility. I used protection after that. You’d think I would know better, considering the way I was conceived. It showed how stupid and thoughtless I was then. Ultimately, I realized I wasn’t ready for anything serious, so I ended it with Molly.”

“And she never contacted you after discovering she was pregnant.”

Liam shook his head. “Molly knew where I lived and worked. She never came near. And I never sought her out again, either. Jaysus, I am as bad as that despicable duke who sired me.”

Celia touched his arm. “Never. You were eighteen, still a lad in many ways. Walter should have spoken to you about the consequences a few years earlier. When did you find out about Tommy?”

“A woman contacted me a few months ago. She was Molly’s landlady. Some of Molly’s things were still there, and the landlady was cleaning them out when she found an unfinished letter tucked in an envelope. It was addressed to me. In it, Molly stated she was dying, and that she had placed Tommy in the Strand Union Workhouse. By the time I got this letter, more than a year had passed.”

“Oh, no. Molly never sent the letter. How tragic,” Celia murmured. “That explains why Tommy waited so long in the workhouse before he ran away.”

“I journeyed to the workhouse as soon as possible. I was told Tommy left with another lad, Timmy Cagney. How would I ever find him in this city?”

Celia was utterly caught up in the narrative. “How on earth did you find him?”

“I tried checking various rookeries in the East End where the homeless tend to congregate. But I didn’t have much luck. Then, one day, I saw three lads in the line waiting for stew. I heard the names Tommy and Timmy. It couldn’t be them, I reasoned. But I followed them to an abandoned house in Bethnal Green. The building was about to be pulled down. When I came face-to-face with them, it was obvious which of the lads was Tommy. He agreed to come and work for me if he could bring the other two.”

“And you’ve said nothing these last months?” Celia said incredulously.

Liam trailed his fingers through his hair. “I didn’t know what to say. I wanted him to become comfortable here, to feel safe before I broached the subject.”

Celia shook her head. “He’s certainly your son, for he didn’t know what to say, either. I’ll go fetch him.”

“What? No.”

Celia stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Liam, Tommy knows I’m here speaking with you. He will ask me questions. Isn’t it better to get this all out in the open?”

Liam’s emotions were whirling--first, he’d almost lost himself in a passionate encounter with Celia and now, he had to decide how to deal with Tommy.

“Aye. Fetch him.”

There was no time like the present.