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Victoria remained frozen for a long moment, unable to move or speak. When she finally found her voice, she said, “I think you’re wrong.”
“If that’s true, then you can ask him yourself,” Caroline said, tugging on Victoria’s arm. “Now. Come!”
Following Caroline numbly, Victoria arrived at the door of the small, dilapidated cottage. It was a place she wouldn’t have expected William to select for himself or someone he cared about, but what did she know? After all, he had brought her to live in a tower.
Caroline raised her hand and, with a nod toward Victoria, knocked firmly on the door.
Friendly chatter and even laughter emanated from behind the door, stopping briefly after the knock. There were a few moments of complete silence and when Caroline was about to knock once more, the door swung open, revealing William standing on the threshold.
Victoria and William stared at each other in complete silence. She was numb, unable to utter a word or move a muscle.
A child ran to William and hugged his leg. “Who is it?” asked the little boy, who was about six or seven years old with achingly familiar blue eyes.
It was his son!
It must have been. There was no denying the shared facial features. Yes, he had dark brown hair, but other than that…
“Neville, come back!” a pleasant feminine voice called from inside the cottage.
Neville! The boy’s name was Neville, the same as William’s friend from his nightmare.
“See?” Caroline said, “He has a family.”
Victoria’s eyes widened, and all she could do was whisper, “Is that true? Is that your family?”
William then opened his door wide and invited them in. “Come inside.”
Victoria frowned and peered into the small cottage. It was dim inside, with a blazing fire in the hearth the only noticeable source of light.
“William?” Her voice quivered, and tears welled in her eyes.
Sensing her distress, William finally responded, “Yes, it is true. This is my family.” He waved a hand at the woman who came closer and gently peeled the little boy off William and took him into her arms. “That’s my half-sister, Melissa, and my nephew, Neville. Now, come inside before anyone else sees us.”
Victoria entered the cottage on unsteady legs, with Caroline at her side. William locked the door and discreetly peeked through the kitchen window.
Melissa stepped closer, still holding Neville in her arms. “You must be Victoria! A pleasure. I’ve heard so much about you!”
Victoria was too shocked to respond politely, and her next words unintentionally stung. “Yet I haven’t heard about you at all.”
Melissa’s eyes widened, and she glanced from Victoria to William and back again, her voice trembling. “Apologies, I know, y-you’re a princess. Should I have curtsied or—?”
Victoria immediately felt remorse. This woman had done nothing to deserve her anger; she was not the reason for the mix of emotions brewing inside her. “No, there’s no need,” she replied in a hoarse whisper, attempting a smile, although it may have come off more like a grimace. Then she turned toward William. “Can I speak to you for a moment? In private.”
Melissa waved a hand toward the corridor. “There is a bedroom that way.” Then she turned to Caroline and beckoned her to come to the table a few feet away. “Would you like some tea?”
Caroline accepted, and they moved away, murmuring introductions and quickly engaging in a conversation.
William waved a hand, gesturing for Victoria to precede him into the adjacent room. His gaze was icy, nostrils flared.
He seemed angry with her when he had no right to feel this way. He was the one keeping secrets!
Once they entered the tiny bedchamber, he closed the door behind them and rounded on her. “What a pleasant surprise, wife.”
“I can’t say the same thing!” Victoria snapped back.
“Did you truly think I was unfaithful? Did you believe that finding out I had a mistress would expedite our deal and force me to divorce you? Well, sorry to disappoint.”
Victoria flushed, not out of embarrassment, but because that idea hadn’t even entered her mind. She glanced past the accusation, not even willing to address his scathing remark. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a sister?”
