Ever After (Unfinished Fairy Tales #3)(47)

“A pound?” I make sure to inject enough sarcasm in my tone. “My, that certainly is plenty enough for two girls and a baby to survive on.”

Color rises in Lord Fremont’s cheeks. “I suppose she fed you that ridiculous story about her baby?”

“The story was printed in the paper a year ago,” I say calmly. “I saw the picture myself.”

Lord Fremont bristles. “Preposterous! Do you suppose a man of my station would need to stoop to such low a level?”

That’s a question I would also like to ask those pro athletes who allegedly assaulted other women, even though they don’t lack eager female fans.

“I suppose, Your Highness, that a woman’s heart like yours is easily influenced by this wily child. No doubt she has come crying to you with that pathetic story, when in reality, all she wants is to wring an endless supply of money from a wealthy lord. Frankly speaking, this is not uncommon at all. Ask any other married woman in our circle, and she will tell you that many a poor woman have come forward, accusing perfectly innocent men of fathering her child.”

I’ve no doubt there are poor women out there who have tried to swindle lords like him, but there’s something fishy about him when he saw Nell and Molly. Nor do I think Nell has the nerve to target the wealthy heir of the oldest noble families. But Fremont has a point; we need evidence. “That article didn’t mention the name of the gentleman who had fathered Wilkie. What makes you so sure that it’s him?”

“Nell isn’t blind,” Molly speaks up. “She’ll recognize his face anywhere.”

“Any girl could claim the same thing.” Lord Fremont crosses his arms. “Pardon me, Your Highness, if you weren’t the princess, I would have showed you the door. It is because of your husband that I tolerated your presence. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to.”

“He has a birthmark,” Nell suddenly says, her eyes on the ground. “On the back of his right thigh.”

All of us look towards Fremont’s leg. He turns a deep shade of mottled purple.

“Why you little…” Lord Fremont jumps out of his chair and heads for Nell, his fist raised, and without thinking, I spring out of my chair, Liam and Mr. Wellesley right behind me. My fist connects with his nose in a signature karate move. Blood gushes from his nose.

Molly gasps. So does Mr. Wellesley. Liam stares at me as though I grew a second head. Lord Fremont wipes his nose, and his eyes bulge at the sight of blood on the back of his hand.

“My lord!” The butler hurries toward us. “You are injured. Shall I get you a compress?”

Fremont waved him off, an irritated look on his face. “Stop mollycoddling me. It’s merely a punch; I have suffered through much worse.”

The butler glances at me, with an almost frightened look in his eyes. I guess I’m one of the few people in this kingdom who dares to strike the eminent young heir of the Fremonts.

“My apologies, Lord Fremont,” I say, offering him a handkerchief. “I thought you were going to hit her.”

He looks sullen. “The prince must be out of his mind,” he mutters. With a smudge of blood on his lip, he has lost some of the intimidating aura that surrounded him in the beginning.

I shrug. “You are not the first person to say that.”

Wilkie starts wailing; Nell and Molly attempt to calm him down.

“Alimony,” Lord Fremont says, with a surly glance at Wilkie. “Is that what you want?”

Ideally I’d publicly denounce him, but I need to do what’s best for Nell and Wilkie. Mr. Wellesley pats my shoulder and whispers a suggestion in my ear.

“You will sign an agreement,” I say slowly. “You will support the baby until he becomes of age. Because of you, an unfortunate young girl, barely more than a child, is forced to become a mother. In return, I will not reveal your name to public.”

“I won’t acknowledge the child,” Lord Fremont says. “My family…my wife—they will never forgive me.”

“Honor your agreement and you won’t have to worry. In addition,” I say, on a sudden inspiration. “I need your vote.”

Lord Fremont looks at me like I’m crazy. “You want what?”

“Your vote in Parliament for compulsory education,” I say, doing my best to sound threatening. “Or I will expose you, Fremont. Your choice.”





23





Kat





“How did you do that?” Liam says. He has hardly taken his eyes off me since I made Lord Fremont draw up an agreement with his signature. In return for our silence, Wilkie will be well fed and clothed, and he’ll be able to go to school when he grows up. This isn’t the best result I want, but this means Molly and Nell don’t need to hawk in the streets, and Wilkie is less likely to fall sick. Moreover, with Lord Fremont’s vote for compulsory education, we’ll be closer to our goal. I make a note to ask Elle for a copy of the petition.

Both girls are so overwhelmed that they are speechless when Lord Fremont reluctantly signs the agreement.

“Just be sure to let your baby grow up healthy and happy, and don’t ever let me see you in the streets again.”

Once the girls have gone home, I return with Mr. Wellesley to The Bookworm. As Liam is still with us, I figure that the rest of the Wellesley family history should wait until another day.