Lady Be Reckless (Duke's Daughters #2)(26)

He wished he could have met his mother, just once. According to his father, his mother had been able to hold him for a few hours after his birth, but then something had gone wrong. And then things had gone even more wrong as his maternal grandfather tried to dump him at an orphanage. It was only due to his father’s perseverance and ability to stand up for what he believed in that saved Edward from having no family at all.

His father’s perseverance had helped with his business success as well.

“I am so sorry for your loss,” Olivia said in a much quieter voice. Pearl nodded in agreement, her eyes bright.

“Thank you. I am very lucky Mr. Beechcroft wanted me. He rescued me from being sent to an orphanage.” His father had had to pay Edward’s grandfather for the privilege of taking his bastard child, even though it depleted all of Mr. Beechcroft’s savings, money he’d been saving for his marriage and to make his way in business.

That fact never failed to make Edward furious, a bitter feeling rising up in his throat at the thought.

He’d never met his grandfather. Nor would he, even though the man lived in the next town over still; how could he meet someone who’d been willing to turn an infant over to an orphanage rather than to his parent?

“Oh my goodness,” Olivia said. She reached her hand out as though to touch him, and he felt himself lean toward her, only to snap back when he realized what he was doing. What she was doing.

He didn’t know what he’d do if she touched him.

Although parts of his body knew what they wanted him to do.

Which was absolutely why she should never touch him.

“Thank you,” he said, turning his head to look anywhere but at her. At her vivacity, at her sympathy, at how much he craved her spark. “I haven’t ever known what it was like to have a mother, so I can’t say I grew up missing anything. My father did his best to fill whatever gap I might have felt.”

“And he never married?” Lady Pearl asked, her tone soft.

Edward shook his head. “I asked him about that once when I was small. He told me he didn’t think he could love anybody as he did my mother, nor could he love anybody as much as he did me.” Edward felt his lips twist into a half smile. “I think he said it to make me feel at ease in my situation, but I also think it was the truth.”



Olivia tried to calm herself as they drove toward the park. His story shouldn’t have affected her so; she’d heard it before, as soon as word spread that Mr. Beechcroft was being bold enough to bring his illegitimate son with him to London. That the businessman had brought his son into his business so completely that it was impossible for any person doing business with Beechcroft and Son to avoid meeting Mr. Wolcott.

And since everyone—at least all the gentlemen—did business with Beechcroft and Son, Mr. Wolcott’s story was well-known. It must have cost Mr. Beechcroft some business to acknowledge his natural son. It spoke to Mr. Beechcroft’s business acumen that he was so wealthy now. Even her father the duke conducted business with Mr. Beechcroft, and her father was averse to any kind of risk, either when it came to his finances or his family.

But she’d only heard gossip and rumors before. Hearing the story from him made her heart hurt. How he set his jaw and relayed the facts as though they didn’t matter. As though it wasn’t an infant’s future that was affected by a father’s love, as though Mr. Wolcott wouldn’t have grown up alone with no one to care for him, had his father been less determined and less wealthy.

Her throat tightened. She was accustomed to feeling this way when she encountered some of the people affected by her charitable work. But those people were so far removed from her in life; it was as though they weren’t of her kind. Which of course they weren’t; she was the daughter of a duke, not a penniless child left to fend for itself.

A disconcerting thought crossed her mind; what if those other individuals were just as much people as Mr. Wolcott here? Had strong emotions and intelligence and the ability to do things, if given the opportunity? What would the world look like then?

Dear lord, she didn’t know if her heart could take it.

“Olivia?”

Pearl’s voice, and nudge to the shoulder, snapped her out of her thoughts, thank God.

“What?” she said in a snappish voice, then shook her head in apology. “I am sorry, I was thinking about something. What is it, Pearl?”

“Mr. Wolcott is wondering just where in the park we should go. To see and be seen.”

“Oh yes.” Olivia glanced around, startled to see they were already in the park. How long had she been thinking? That never happened.

Well, she did think, of course, but not so intently.

It was all his fault.

“I believe we should go just over there and then get out and walk a ways. Perhaps feed some of the ducks.”

“Because duck feeding is conducive to getting accepted into Society?”

She bristled at his sarcastic tone. Although it did sound ridiculous.

How many things that she said could be thought of as ridiculous? Was that why Pearl was continually rolling her eyes? And pointing out what she’d said?

“It is.” She couldn’t waste time on trying to parse out what might or not be ridiculous. She had a goal. An agenda, and a time in which to accomplish it.

If it meant that he thought she was foolish, well—well, he likely already thought that, given how they’d met. She winced as she recalled picking up the objet d’art and hurling it toward the opposite wall. What if she’d struck him? What if she’d struck Bennett?