“None of your concern,” Finn murmured.
“She’s my concern,” the gnome said.
“Who?” Finn asked as he paced by the small man and back.
“Claire. She’s like family to me. Don’t tell me she’s not my concern.” He straightened his back and puffed out his chest.
“Yes, yes, family,” Finn murmured.
The little man smiled an almost feral smile. “Wonder what has you out of sorts. Could it be that Claire is increasing?”
Finn stumbled to a halt. Ronald stood there scratching his chin, a challenge in his eyes if Finn had ever seen one. “If you were a bigger man, I’d call you out for that.”
“If you were a bigger man, she wouldn’t be pregnant.”
He couldn’t hit the gnome. It wouldn’t be a fair fight. But Finn could trip him when he wasn’t looking. Or stuff him in a barrel and roll him down a hill. Those ideas wouldn’t be very fair either. But the little devil would appreciate Finn’s trickery after the fact.
“Shut it, Ronald,” Finn said coldly. He went back to his pacing.
The little man sat down on the bottom step of the manor and rested his chin in his hands. He stopped talking and just regarded Finn with a cold eye. Finally, after a pause long enough to make Finn uncomfortable, he said, “When’s the wedding?”
“Not certain yet.”
“I hope it’s soon.”
“As do I.”
Ronald slapped his knee. “That’s
it. That’s why you’re so out of sorts.”
“I don’t know what you’re referring to.”
The gnome laughed loudly. “You’re afraid to tell her father. Not to mention your brother.”
“That’s not the case.” It was the case, but he’d be sent to hell and back rather than confess it to Ronald.
“You were asked to take care of her. And not for very long. And she came out of it pregnant.”
All right. So that was the problem. His honor was at stake. No matter that he was making it right. He would always be the man who’d taken advantage like an idiot and gotten her pregnant. Then didn’t make right on it when he should have. But she’d left, for goodness sake. She’d taken off in the dead of night and stayed gone for more than three months. He couldn’t change that fact, any more than he could change the fact that she’d be shamed in the eyes of society, all because of him.
Good God, what a muddle.
The front door opened and Wilkins stepped out. “My lord, His Grace insists that you come inside now.”
Robin knew he was there?
“Can I give you some advice, my lord?” Ronald asked quietly.
“If you must.”
“The damage is done. Stop acting like you’ll do more good by finding a likely story to explain it all.”
The gnome had a point. He was wearing himself out, not just with the pacing, but also with coming up with a good enough lie. He could tell them all the truth. And see how they thought it might be best to handle it. “Rightly so.”
Finn turned to walk into Robin’s house and went straight to Robin’s study. The duchess was there, and she sat on the edge of Robin’s desk facing him. Finn coughed into his hand, and she jumped from the edge of the desk and skirted around it, her cheeks pink and her eyes avoiding his. “Lord Phineas,” she said. “Good morning.”
“Yes, it is,” Finn said.