Christian Seaton_ Duke of Danger(65)

‘Which I duly did. But that still did not prevent you from informing me that you were expecting my child. I could have made provision for you—and her—’

‘I did not want your charity—’

‘And what about her? Did she not deserve better?’

‘I did the best for her that I could, ensured she was placed with a loving couple—’

‘Would the two of you please be silent?’ Christian cut icily through the argument that had been going on for some time now. Without any pistols in evidence, thank goodness; he could not be answerable for not placing a bullet in both Maystone and Helene Rousseau himself if he had to listen to too much more of their to-and-fro bickering.

And all the time the object of their argument lay recumbent upon the chaise in Christian’s drawing room, covered with the blanket he had demanded from Evans as he carried Lisette into the house, and still unconscious from her faint at Westminster Bridge.

Christian had wasted no time in putting his pistol away and relieving Maystone of the burden of Lisette, ushering her back across the bridge towards his carriage, uncaring whether Maystone and the woman who was his ex-lover followed him or not. His only concern had been for Lisette.

It still was.

She had remained unconscious for the whole of the carriage ride back to Sutherland House, no doubt from fatigue and the relief of knowing she was free as much as anything else. Even Lisette, with her indomitable will, must have been traumatised by her abduction and imprisonment goodness knew where.

Having subsequently realised, as he was sure she had, that Lord Aubrey Maystone was her father must have been the final straw that had broken that indomitable will.

Christian had to admit to being more than a little surprised at that disclosure himself. How on earth had Lord Aubrey Maystone, a man who worked in the shadows for the government and Crown, even met a woman like Helene Rousseau, let alone—let alone— The idea of the two of them having engaged in an affair twenty years ago was astounding—

‘I did try to explain earlier that I was once very like you, Christian.’ Maystone gently interrupted his thoughts. ‘Twenty-five years ago I was also an agent for the Crown, as you are now. My duties often took me to France, and it was during one of these...forays twenty years ago, for information, that I chanced to meet Helene.’

Christian grimaced. ‘It would seem that you did more than “meet” her!’

‘Yes. Well.’ The older man looked uncomfortable. ‘I have never claimed to be a saint.’

‘Neither have I—but I do not believe I have ever impregnated a woman and then abandoned her!’

The older man closed his eyes briefly. ‘It was not like that.’

‘Then pray tell us what it was “like”?’ Lisette finally stirred from lying prone on the chaise, her head aching as she sat up. She felt unable to even glance at Christian as he stood beside the window, for fear of the condemnation she might see in his face that her actions earlier had brought them all to this. Instead she chose to look only at the man and woman she now knew to be her parents.

A more unlikely couple she could not imagine—Helene so tall and fierce, Aubrey Maystone several inches shorter, and with an aristocratic face that now softened into lines of concern as he looked across at her.

Her father.

Lord Aubrey Maystone was her father.

The very English Lord Aubrey Maystone.

Lisette had been in turmoil as to who her father might be since learning that Helene was her mother; it did not seem possible, after the fears Lisette had harboured in regard to this English Lord for the past few days, to now learn that he was also the man who had fathered her.

He stood up now, as if he might come to her, but instead he began pacing in front of the fireplace when Lisette glared at him almost as fiercely as Helene was now doing. ‘Once I learned earlier today that you were Helene’s daughter—’ He gave a shake of his head. ‘I knew the moment I saw you that you must also be my own daughter.’ He looked at Lisette wonderingly. ‘You look exactly like my sister—your aunt Anna,’ he explained at her wide-eyed look.

Lisette recalled the way he had stared at her when they were introduced earlier. ‘I have an aunt...?’

He nodded. ‘And several half-brothers and sisters, and nieces and nephews—’

‘Let us not become distracted with a list of Lisette’s English relatives.’ Christian stepped forward into the centre of the room. ‘Surely you all must see that this situation is... It is far more complicated than I could ever have imagined.’ Although he did have some explanation, at least, as to why Maystone had seemed so befuddled earlier today when he met Lisette for the first time.