She couldn’t allow herself to think about him facing danger in London. Flipping back the coverlet, she reached for her wrapper, but he stopped her.

“Let me look into the matter,” he insisted. “I’ll do what I can to make sure the children stay with us.”

“I won’t give them up,” she insisted, her eyes brimming up. “They’re my children. Not my uncle’s.” Though she had not given birth to them, Royce and Victoria were the only family she had left. A storm of emotions tangled within her heart. “I don’t care what the law says.”

“I will find out what I can.”

But she was terrified that he would not be able to keep their family together.

Chapter Sixteen

The mid-morning sun cut a blade of light through the drapes. In the solitude of his study, Stephen occupied himself with household ledgers. Despite the night they had shared, Emily had grown cold as if he intended to abandon the children, which wasn’t at all true. If the will granted guardianship of the children to Nigel Barrow, then the law protected those rights. He would have to talk to Nigel, to find out whether the man actually wanted to care for them.

A knock sounded upon the door, and Stephen rose. Instead of his wife, Farnsworth stood at the entrance. “Forgive me, my lord. These were sent to you by the solicitor, Mr. Robinson.” The butler handed him a sheaf of papers.

“Thank you, Farnsworth.”

After the butler left, Stephen studied the sealed document. He found it strange that papers could wreak such havoc in their lives. He withdrew a pair of spectacles from inside his pocket. Resting them on the bridge of his nose, he opened the will. Though he did not know for certain whether the document was legal, it did appear in order. Nigel Barrow was indeed named the guardian of Royce and Victoria, as Emily had feared.

Stephen read the will twice more but could find nothing out of the ordinary. With no other recourse, he penned a note to his own solicitor. The only way to argue the law was with an expert. In the meantime, he would obey the dictates, but only with the greatest of caution.

Emily’s uneasiness, that the will had been found only upon Nigel’s return, resonated with him as well. It was possible that the document was a forgery.

Nigel had invited them to stay, with the intention of leaving the children behind. It might be best to visit the man. Only then would he know whether or not he was trustworthy.

No time like the present, he decided. And though his wife would be furious, he wanted to see for himself what sort of man her uncle was.