Natalie found herself the subject of attention from everyone present. She pinched her lips together to keep from lashing out when she needed to bide her tongue for Leo’s sake. So what if Papa had been baseborn? He’d had more virtue and honor in his little finger than any of these supercilious aristocrats who would disparage him for an accident of birth.

In particular, Hadrian watched her with a cool, enigmatic stare. It pained her to think he could be regretting their passionate encounter. Or worse, that he might be speculating that her tarnished heritage made her fair game for seduction.

“I’m still waiting to hear how all this relates to Leo,” the duke said, shifting that imperturbable gaze to Lady Godwin. “Miss Fanshawe’s family connections are irrelevant to this case.”

“Might I suggest it speaks to her character, Your Grace. Her father was the illegitimate son of a disreputable family. Deception is in her blood.” Lady Godwin stepped closer to her husband. “You must see that, Archie. Miss Fanshawe is precisely the sort of female who would concoct a wicked scheme to defraud you.”

Lord Godwin’s lined features wore a disgruntled expression. “This is all gossip and speculation when it is facts that are needed. Musgrave, I presume you know of a discreet investigator who can be dispatched to America to make inquiries into this claim. One who will not cost me too dearly.”

“Of course, your lordship,” the solicitor said, scribbling a note on a paper in front of him. “That certainly can be arranged.”

“But with an ocean voyage there and back, it could take months,” Lady Godwin objected. “Meanwhile, the child is living here, under our roof!”

“You bring up a salient point,” Hadrian said, speaking to the others while keeping his watchful gaze on Natalie. “I believe Musgrave would agree that under the law, Godwin has no obligation to house Leo until a positive identification can be made.”

Natalie’s jaw dropped. A positive identification? Hadrian had led her to believe that he trusted her word, that he had no doubt Leo was Audrey’s son.

The duke’s betrayal was like a kick in the stomach. Pain reverberated throughout her body as she absorbed the raw truth that whatever tenderness and affection he’d shown her the previous night had been all a sham. Was Hadrian just as horrid and cruel as the rest of his family? It was too much to bear!

All of her hard-won restraint shattered under an avalanche of icy fury. She’d had enough of this intolerable meeting and these haughty aristocrats who would reject a precious little boy, a child of their own blood.

Natalie shot to her feet. “For shame, all of you! You’ve made it very clear that Leo isn’t wanted in this house. As for you, Lord Godwin, you’ve no right to treat your own grandson like a pariah simply because your daughter thwarted you by marrying the man she loved. It’s beyond my comprehension why her last request was for a man as callous as you to raise her son.”