And if things didn’t work out?

By God, he would not allow Leo to bear the brunt of his grandfather’s acrimony. Natalie was right, the boy did remind him of himself at that age, alone and bewildered, grieving for his father and denied the comfort of his mother. Leo’s situation was that much worse, considering Godwin’s reluctance to acknowledge the child.

“What if your solicitor has no clear answer?” Hadrian asked. “How familiar is he with foreign documents?”

“We shall find out soon enough.”

“But what would you do in such an instance? You cannot abandon the boy after Miss Fanshawe endured an ocean voyage to bring him to you.”

“Miss Fanshawe.” The earl’s gaze sharpened. “That reminds me. This afternoon, Priscilla saw you with her from the window of my study. The two of you were seated together beneath a tree.”

Hadrian restrained a curse. Though he’d done nothing wrong, it irked him to know that the countess had been spying on a private moment. “I walked back with her from the stables. We were enjoying a bit of sunshine while Leo played on the lawn.”

“Is that all? My wife noticed a decidedly cozy manner between you two.”

“Cozy?”

“Yes, you were seen kissing Miss Fanshawe’s hand. Good God, Clayton. One would think you’d have the sense to show more discretion. Keep a mistress if you like, but don’t seduce her under my roof. I won’t have my innocent daughter exposed to your dalliances.”

Hadrian’s glower turned icy. He clenched his jaw to keep from lashing out and throttling the man. Never in all his years of living here had he ever felt such a cold fury toward his former guardian.

He shot to his feet. “And I won’t tolerate slurs cast at Miss Fanshawe. She was your daughter’s friend, and her moral character is beyond reproach. You should be thankful that your grandson was entrusted to her care, but instead, you’re too mired in your own bitterness.”

Hadrian sent one last glare at Godwin’s startled face before turning on his heel to stride out of the dining room. It was either depart the man’s company, or do something he might later regret.

In the shadowy nursery, Natalie opened the door to the room opposite hers. She tiptoed to the cot in the corner and held up her lamp so that its golden glow fell upon Leo. He lay curled on his side beneath the blankets, his tawny hair mussed, his eyes closed in childish innocence. The toy cavalryman that he’d been holding had fallen to the rug, so she picked it up, placing it on the table beside his bed.

Her heart squeezed. How she dreaded the time when she would have to depart! Alas, that day was fast approaching.

Lord Godwin’s solicitor had been summoned from London, though no one seemed to know exactly when he might arrive. It comforted her to think that even once Leo’s papers were verified, she would still have a little more time left with him. A new governess would need to be hired through an agency in the city. Natalie would happily fill the post herself even though it would mean delaying her plan to open a school in Philadelphia. But she knew the Earl of Godwin would never permit his grandson to be taught by an American.