Page 76 of Almost A Scoundrel

Phaedra pointed at the doll. “Is that Miss Trumpet?”

Abigail nodded. “She wanted to dance.”

Phaedra smiled. “Well, I shall leave you to dance with your Miss Trumpet.”

“Wait,” Abigail said. “Are you looking for Papa?”

“Your papa?” Phaedra shook her head.

“Oh,” Abigail said, then piped up again. “But you’re the wench that lives next door? Papa talked about you.”

“I beg your pardon?” Phaedra furrowed her brows. “Just whoisyour father?”

Surely, it’s not one of those fortune-hunting baboons?

“You know, silly,” the little girl said, followed by a giggle. “He lives here.”

“The Earl of Deerhurst lives here.”

“Yes! I just call him Papa.”

The entire world dropped from beneath her slippers. This was Deerhurst’s daughter? As indaughter?

No.

That couldn’t be.

She would have known about it, right? At the very least, her mother would have known! She hadn’t said anything the morning she enquired after their neighbor. Why would no one know that the Earl of Deerhurst had a daughter?

Because he has no wife.

Phaedra froze.

For a moment she thought she’d missed that tidbit too. If Deerhurst had a wife that meant...

“Where is your mama?”

Please tell me Deerhurst does not have a wife.

But then would mean his daughter...

“Papa said Mama is in heaven.”

His wifedied?

Phaedra shut her eyes to calm her beating heart. Logic told her Deerhurst had never been married. The countess would have known and told her as much. So that meant this little girl had to have been born out of wedlock and was perhaps the reason Deerhurst refused to take a wife. Why no one knew of his daughter. He had kept her a secret from their world.

Phaedra smiled and approached the little girl. She lowered onto her haunches. “I heard that heaven is a wonderful place.”

“Papa says that too.”

“Then you should believe him,” Phaedra said. “Have you always lived in this house?”

The little girl shook her head. “I live in the hills.”

Phaedra blinked. “The hills? Do you mean the country?”

Abigail nodded. “There are lots of hills. I heard Miss Green once say that Papa saved me and brought me there, which is why I like it so much.”