Page 138 of The Scandalous Love of a Duke
‘May I see Kate, Mama?’
John turned.
Georgiana, one of his much younger sisters, stood at the sitting room door.
At his mother’s and Katherine’s agreement, she came in, carrying a rolled sheet of paper.
‘Mama said you were poorly, Kate. We drew you a picture to make you feel better.’
‘That is very sweet of you, Georgie,’ his mother said as she handed the paper to Katherine.
‘It is lovely,’ Katherine exclaimed, as she unrolled it. ‘Thank you, Georgie, and thank your sisters.’
‘David wanted me to bring the spider he found and put in a jar this morning, but I told him you would not want it.’
Laughing lightly, Katherine shook her head. ‘You are right, I would not. You may tell him I appreciate the thought, but I do not like spiders.’
John laughed and it brought Georgiana’s attention to him. Stiffening her spine, she curtsied, looking meek and nervous, and then she hurriedly disappeared.
The truth could not be more obvious: Katherine had won his siblings’ hearts already, while he still scared them.As you were terrified of your grandfather. It is your own fault. You choose to be like him.
He did not want his son or daughter running from him like that.
There was a knock on the open sitting room door.
‘Kate?’
It was Edward.
‘Phillip is here, he is waiting in the hall. He has brought your father to see you.’ Edward hesitated, as though he sensed some undercurrent. ‘I was not certain you would wish me to bring them up.’
Katherine lifted her hand for John to hold.
He caught it in reassurance. ‘Do you want to see him?’ he asked.
‘You will stay with me?’ Her eyes were wide with insecurity. This was not going to be an easy meeting. She had not seen her father since the day they had married.
Squeezing her hand, he answered, ‘Of course.’ Then he looked at Edward. ‘Send them up.’ Glancing at his mother, he added, ‘Can you send for that tea too, but leave us? I think this conversation would be better in private.’
As his family drifted away, John fetched Katherine a footstool.
When Phillip and her father arrived, the tea tray was on their heels. John bid the maid pour and asked Phillip and Katherine’s father to sit.
Neither man did. Instead they hovered on their feet, her father’s hands clasped behind his back, while Phillip’s clutched his gloves.
John remained on his feet too, watching them, trying to gauge what was going on.
The maid passed a cup to Katherine, before bobbing a deep curtsy and leaving the room. The other cups were left on the tray, none of them accepted.
Phillip spoke. ‘Father has something to say to you, Katherine.’ His words were terse. John looked to Mr Spencer as she did. He straightened defensively, but the look he gave to Katherine was apologetic.
‘I am sorry, Kate. I should have told you this long ago, but I could not find either the words or the moment. Phillip said Mr Wareham told you he was your father. He is not. I know because I am.’
The tea cup in her hand wobbled, and John hurriedly took the cup and saucer from her hands and set them aside.
The little colour she had regained had faded.
He set a hand on her shoulder, though he was as shocked as she was.
