Henry had sent her away to Scotland, not to hide her pregnancy, but to hide her from Baybrook and, when the child was born, to keep her out of his reach, to hold as a future threat against payments. When she had protested, told Henry that he should wait, not press demands beyond a decent competence to raise the child once Baybrook was safely married and in funds, he had threatened to take the baby as soon as it was born to make certain he had control and that Kate could not do anything foolish, as he put it. Or honest, she had thrown at him and he had laughed in her face.

She realised that she did not know what Jonathan’s reaction had been to Henry’s demands for money. He was a rake, but not a fundamentally wicked man, she was certain. Surely he would have made a reasonable settlement on his love child, as soon as he could afford it. But Henry had no intention of settling for reasonable, not with Lord Harlington’s fortune shimmering before his eyes. Jonathan might be paying up, being bled, or he might have told Henry to go to the devil.

And if he was paying, then she could not, in all conscience, let the blackmail continue.

Wilson came in, followed by Jeannie, Anna in her arms. ‘She’s fretting over her little tooth, my lady. Such a grizzle, she is, aren’t you, my pet?’ Jeannie handed her to Kate, who tried to soothe her and think clearly at the same time. One thing was certain, she thought as she gently massaged the sore gums, it was a recipe for disaster to sit passively waiting for disaster to strike, or to confess all to Grant when she did not know the facts.

* * *

After breakfast she checked the Peerage and a London directory in Grant’s study, then rang for Jeannie. ‘I would like you to go to this address in Hill Street and see if it is occupied.’ She handed over the direction of what had been Baybrook’s town house before his marriage. ‘I need to know the name of the owner, whether he is in residence and whether he is married. And I need you to find this out without revealing why you are asking.’

Jeannie knew, she was certain, that Anna was not Grant’s child, although it had never been spoken of between them. She met Kate’s gaze and bit her lip. ‘You’ll be looking for a...relative, my lady?’

‘Yes, that’s it. A discreet enquiry.’ She knew she could be putting a strain on Jeannie’s loyalty. ‘It is something about which I need to have all the facts clear before I speak to his lordship.’

The unease faded from the nursemaid’s face. ‘Aye, I can see that. Can I leave Lady Anna with you directly after breakfast, then, my lady? I could be walking past on an errand, sprain my ankle and have to hobble down to the area door to beg help from their cook. All kitchen staff gossip if they get half a chance.’

* * *

Jeannie came back mid-morning, rather pink in the face and inclined to giggle. ‘I’ve made a conquest, I think, my lady. A Scottish footman at the Hill Street house. I managed to trip on a paving stone outside, right into his arms, and when he heard my accent he carried me down to the kitchen and then back up again after I sat awhile. And he insisted on calling me a hackney.’ She sobered instantly when she saw Kate’s face. ‘I’m sorry, my lady, I’m blathering on. It is Lord Baybrook’s house and he’s in residence with his wife and they’ve just come back to London after their honeymoon tour.’

‘Thank you, Jeannie. That will be all. I appreciate your assistance.’

So now what? The bad news was that Jonathan was in London, but the very good news was that Henry had not managed to do something so dreadful that the marriage had been called off. Although it still might mean that he was extorting money from the viscount, and if that was the case, then she had to stop it. It seemed, more and more, that she was going to have to approach Jonathan directly, assure him of her good intentions and discover just what her brother had done. The thought of Grant getting in the middle of this unholy mess didn’t bear thinking about. He would be furious, he would call Jonathan out—and then someone might end up a widow.

It was a plan of sorts, but it did not make her feel any better. Hiding the truth from Grant had been bad enough, but now she knew the extent of his affection and trust, it felt like the worst of betrayals. But there was Anna, an innocent child to consider. And the equally innocent Lady Baybrook, and her own sister-in-law, unwittingly married to a blackmailer.

Now all she had to do was engineer a meeting with Jonathan and trust to his good nature and discretion. It seemed an awfully big risk.

Tags: Louise Allen Billionaire Romance
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