Page 578 of From Rakes to Riches

Knowledge.

That was what shone in his eyes.

She gave a tight nod.

Silently, he dared her to look away—and waited.

She didn’t have to explain herself to this man.

But she found she wanted to. She cleared her throat. “You know bits and pieces already. Liam’s and my?—”

“Your brother?”

“Aye.” A truth revealed. Already, she felt lighter.

Rake nodded.

“Our Mam was a country lass from County Cork who went into service for a local lord.”

Unshed tears clogged Gemma’s throat, even as it felt good to speak of her mother, to acknowledge her. To bring her into the light when she’d spent so many years in the shadow of Bolton. A few angry tears mixed in with the grieving ones.

She moved to the foot of the bed and perched on its edge. “A visiting lord—Bolton—got a taste of her cooking and lured her away to England with the promise of adventure. He had an Irish mother and missed the flavors of the country. And Mam was beautiful. Wild red curls that glowed orange in the light. I suppose matters between them led where such matters between men and women lead, and Mam gave birth to boy and girl twins within the first year.”

“And the Countess of Bolton had nothing to say about this arrangement?” Skepticism etched Rake’s features.

Oh, there was so much this man didn’t understand, because he simply couldn’t conceive of it.

“The countess was childless, and Bolton took Mam’s pregnancy and the birth of, not one, but two children as proof that something was fundamentally wrong with his wife. She wasn’t of much use to him after that.”

“Still,” protested Rake, “she’s the Countess of Bolton. She has a few rights.”

“I think she would’ve been too embarrassed to pursue any rights through the law.”

Rake held his silence. They both knew it for the truth.

“The thing about Bolton is…” Gemma couldn’t quite articulate how to say what needed to be said.

“Yes?”

“No one can say anything contrary to his wishes.”

“So, you all lived under one roof as one big, happy family?” scoffed Rake, disbelieving.

“Under one roof, yes, buthappywould be overstating matters.”

“He did have you and Liam educated.”

“He brought in a tutor, yes,” she said carefully.

“But you didn’t leave the estate.” He seemed to be catching on. “He made sure no one knew about you and Liam.”

“We were never acknowledged openly, especially by the countess. We were his shadow children.” That was how Gemma had felt for most of her life—like a shadow. “We belonged to him. All of us. The countess. Mam. Liam. Me.”

Rake’s brow creased. The next instant his face became thunderous. “What do you mean youbelongedto him? Did he restrain you physically?”

This was the difficult part to explain—even to herself. “No.”

“Your mother could’ve left with you and Liam.”

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