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and on the lives of many others. And you may trust me when I say it is nothing you are expecting to hear.’
Robert could see that Lady MacInnes was indeed uncomfortable with the news she was about to impart, and for the first time, felt a frisson of alarm. ‘Has this anything to do with you personally?’
‘Mercifully, no.’
‘Then, with some other member of your family? Cedric is not in any kind of trouble? Or Fiona?’
‘Thank God, they are both fine. No, this has nothing to do with my immediate family, but rather with yours.’
‘Mine?’ And then, Robert knew. ‘Hannah.’
Lady MacInnes stared at him. ‘How did you know?’
‘Process of elimination, I suppose. My mother and father are dead and I am well, so that only leaves Hannah.’
‘Well, I fear you are right. It does concern your sister,’ Lady MacInnes told him. ‘Or rather, with she whom you have always believed to be your sister.’
Robert strove to ignore the sudden pounding of his heart. Believed to be? Surely that telling remark meant he was about to receive confirmation of what he had always suspected.
‘Would it help you to know, Margaret,’ he said slowly, ‘that what you are about to tell me may not be as much of a shock as you think?’
‘It may help me in the telling of it, but I cannot believe it would come as any less of a shock to you, especially given what you know of your mother.’
‘Perhaps it is because of what I know of her that the shock will not be so great,’ Robert said, in a voice that was barely above a whisper. He pushed himself away from the desk, but rather than look at his cousin, he turned towards the fireplace and stared down into the grate. ‘If you are about to tell me that Hannah is not who my mother has always led us to believe, pray do not trouble yourself. I already know that Hannah…is not my sister.’
Lady MacInnes caught her breath. ‘ Dear heavens! How could you ever have guessed such a thing?’
‘Guessing had nothing to do with it. I learned of my mother’s infidelity when I was quite young.’
There was a brief, but weighty pause. ‘Your mother’s infidelity ?’
‘Yes. But even had I not discovered the degree to which she betrayed my father, I would eventually have found out the truth about Hannah.’ Robert turned to look at his cousin—and was astonished to see her looking even more stricken than before. ‘What’s the matter? Have I not the right of it?’
‘You are right in believing that Hannah is not your sister, but not that your mother was unfaithful to your father.’ Lady MacInnes slowly stood up. ‘Oh, my dear boy, wherever did you get such a dreadful idea?’
Robert stared back at her, aware of a rushing sound in his ears. His mother had not been unfaithful? ‘I overheard Mama talking to her maid. It was…many years ago now, but I remember it as clearly as though it were yesterday. They said that…Hannah was not my father’s child.’
‘And they were telling the truth. She is not.’
Robert frowned. ‘Then I was right. My mother was unfaithful to him.’
‘Dear Robert, I fear the truth is much worse than that.’ Lady MacInnes moved to his side and put her hand gently upon his shoulder. ‘You were right when you said that Hannah was not your father’s child. But the tragic part is…she is not your mother’s either.’
CHAPTER FOUR
I F THE moon had suddenly dropped from the sky to land at Robert’s feet he could not have been more dumb-founded. He stared at Lady MacInnes, his gut twisting in a paroxysm of shock and disbelief.
Hannah was not his mother’s child? But…what the hell did that mean? If his father hadn’t sired her, and his mother hadn’t given birth to her—
‘What are you saying, Margaret?’ Robert demanded. ‘If Hannah isn’t my sister, who the hell is she?’
‘I have no idea,’ Lady MacInnes told him. ‘As hard as this is for me to say, I really have no choice. We don’t know who Hannah is. Your mother found her
Robert could see that Lady MacInnes was indeed uncomfortable with the news she was about to impart, and for the first time, felt a frisson of alarm. ‘Has this anything to do with you personally?’
‘Mercifully, no.’
‘Then, with some other member of your family? Cedric is not in any kind of trouble? Or Fiona?’
‘Thank God, they are both fine. No, this has nothing to do with my immediate family, but rather with yours.’
‘Mine?’ And then, Robert knew. ‘Hannah.’
Lady MacInnes stared at him. ‘How did you know?’
‘Process of elimination, I suppose. My mother and father are dead and I am well, so that only leaves Hannah.’
‘Well, I fear you are right. It does concern your sister,’ Lady MacInnes told him. ‘Or rather, with she whom you have always believed to be your sister.’
Robert strove to ignore the sudden pounding of his heart. Believed to be? Surely that telling remark meant he was about to receive confirmation of what he had always suspected.
‘Would it help you to know, Margaret,’ he said slowly, ‘that what you are about to tell me may not be as much of a shock as you think?’
‘It may help me in the telling of it, but I cannot believe it would come as any less of a shock to you, especially given what you know of your mother.’
‘Perhaps it is because of what I know of her that the shock will not be so great,’ Robert said, in a voice that was barely above a whisper. He pushed himself away from the desk, but rather than look at his cousin, he turned towards the fireplace and stared down into the grate. ‘If you are about to tell me that Hannah is not who my mother has always led us to believe, pray do not trouble yourself. I already know that Hannah…is not my sister.’
Lady MacInnes caught her breath. ‘ Dear heavens! How could you ever have guessed such a thing?’
‘Guessing had nothing to do with it. I learned of my mother’s infidelity when I was quite young.’
There was a brief, but weighty pause. ‘Your mother’s infidelity ?’
‘Yes. But even had I not discovered the degree to which she betrayed my father, I would eventually have found out the truth about Hannah.’ Robert turned to look at his cousin—and was astonished to see her looking even more stricken than before. ‘What’s the matter? Have I not the right of it?’
‘You are right in believing that Hannah is not your sister, but not that your mother was unfaithful to your father.’ Lady MacInnes slowly stood up. ‘Oh, my dear boy, wherever did you get such a dreadful idea?’
Robert stared back at her, aware of a rushing sound in his ears. His mother had not been unfaithful? ‘I overheard Mama talking to her maid. It was…many years ago now, but I remember it as clearly as though it were yesterday. They said that…Hannah was not my father’s child.’
‘And they were telling the truth. She is not.’
Robert frowned. ‘Then I was right. My mother was unfaithful to him.’
‘Dear Robert, I fear the truth is much worse than that.’ Lady MacInnes moved to his side and put her hand gently upon his shoulder. ‘You were right when you said that Hannah was not your father’s child. But the tragic part is…she is not your mother’s either.’
CHAPTER FOUR
I F THE moon had suddenly dropped from the sky to land at Robert’s feet he could not have been more dumb-founded. He stared at Lady MacInnes, his gut twisting in a paroxysm of shock and disbelief.
Hannah was not his mother’s child? But…what the hell did that mean? If his father hadn’t sired her, and his mother hadn’t given birth to her—
‘What are you saying, Margaret?’ Robert demanded. ‘If Hannah isn’t my sister, who the hell is she?’
‘I have no idea,’ Lady MacInnes told him. ‘As hard as this is for me to say, I really have no choice. We don’t know who Hannah is. Your mother found her
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