Page 105 of A Baby to Seal the Duke’s Fate

With her reaction, her realization, and her leap into what he was sure was going to be some excuse about why she had lied to him, he understood. The woman in front of him was not Phoebe Redmond. It was indeed Honora Bellamy. Isolde had been telling the truth.

He took another step forward. “I know who you are.”

Honora’s face went pale.

Leopold continued. “I know about the baby.”

Her arms tightened around Cecily. “Your Grace...”

“You will leave Belgrave in the morning.”

She stared at him. “No.” The word came out so quietly he almost missed it. Then she shook her head. “Please.”

Leopold’s expression hardened. “You lied to me.”

“I can explain.”

“There is nothing you can say that I am willing to hear.”

She stood, Cecily still in her arms. “Please, you must let me...”

“I trusted you.”

The words escaped before he could stop them. The woman he now knew to be Honora froze. Leopold felt the admission immediately. He wished he had not said it. But it was true. He had trusted her, more than he had realized, more than he should have.

“You used a baby to lie your way into my house.”

Honora’s face crumpled. “No. You do not understand.”

Leopold stepped back. “I understand perfectly. Tomorrow morning. You will be gone no later than that.”

“Your Grace...”

He turned. Behind him, Cecily began to cry. The sound followed him into the corridor.

Leopold kept walking. He did not turn around.

But with every step, the hollow place inside him grew larger, and doubt still lingered. Was he doing the right thing? Was there something more he did not yet know?

Chapter 20

Honora did not sleep.

After Leopold left the nursery, she remained on the floor beside the crib with Cecily in her arms until the child finally cried herself to sleep. Honora did not. She sat there in the dark and listened to Cecily breathe, touching the baby’s cheek every few minutes, as though checking that she was still there. Leopold’s words returned again and again.

You used a baby to lie your way into my house…

Honora closed her eyes. That was not what she had done. She did not even know what that was supposed to mean. It was clear that he knew her true name, as he had used it. She cursed herself for turning so quickly in response, as if he had not been calling her Phoebe for weeks. She cursed herself further for not trying before that day to tell him the truth about who she was. But what had he meant by his accusation? How had she used Cecily to get into his home when she only learned of Cecily’s location days before she arrived at Belgrave?

She did not know how he had learned the truth, but it seemed that something important was either missing or misunderstood. But none of it mattered now. She had lied, had taken another woman’s name, had entered Belgrave under false pretenses. Leopold had been devastated and angered when he learned of her deception and was now banishing her from his life.

I trusted you…

And what of Cecily? Would he allow her to take Cecily? Or would he try to fight to keep her? Once upon a time, she might have had grounds to take Cecily from him legally. But she did not know precisely what he thought he knew about her involvement with Cecily.

And as she had when she had first come to Belgrave, she realized that he was wealthy, powerful, and angry. And wealthy, powerful, and angry noblemen could accomplish anything they sought to do. Including separating a woman from her niece permanently and sending Honora away somewhere where she could never see Cecily again.

She did not know when the nursery door opened again. Morning had already begun, though its light was low and dim. Mrs. Pritchard stood in the doorway, her face composed, though her eyes were kinder than usual.