Page 109 of One Night with a Prince

At the mention of Sally Byrne, His Highness stiffened. “I suppose that’s why you wanted the private meeting with me. So you could blackmail me with the letters into admitting—”

“The letters are gone,” Gavin snapped. “I burned them.”

His Highness gaped at Gavin.

“Thatwas what you wanted, wasn’t it, Your Highness?” Christabel said hastily. “For them to disappear?”

“Of course, but—” The prince eyed Christabel skeptically. “Yousaw him burn them?”

“Yes. So did Lord Stokely and Lady Kingsley, if you need witnesses.”

His Highness’s expression shifted to one of incredulity. “Did Mr. Byrne know what was in them when he burned them?”

“He did, Your Highness. Yet he burned them right there before Lord Stokely’s very eyes.”

The prince released a long, heavy breath. “That would explain why Stokely fled the country.”

“Did he?” Gavin asked.

“Went to Paris. He wasn’t waiting to see what measures I’d take to ruin him.” His Highness gave Gavin a cold smile. “But he’ll find out eventually.” He paused to assess Gavin. “When you first agreed to this scheme, Mr. Byrne, you said you wanted to meet with me privately. Why?”

“Why do you think? Because I wanted—still want—something from you.”

“Oh?” the prince said stiffly. “The barony is not enough?”

“To repay him for how you treated his mother?” Christabel put in. “How you left him friendless to—”

“Hush, my love, it’s all right.” Gavin took her hand, rubbing his finger along her wedding ring, which matched his own. He turned to the prince. “You owe my mother an apology for many things, but especially for how you called her a whore to any who would listen. My mother didn’t deserve that. You and I both know she wasn’t one.” When the prince said nothing, he went on, “I don’t expect you to make a public declaration—I know that it wouldn’t be politically prudent. But among your friends—the ones who matter, the ones who gossip—I want you to set the matter straight.”

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.htmlThe prince inclined his head. “I suppose I could do that.”

“Secondly,” Gavin went on, “I expect you to fulfill your promise to pay her an annuity. I want you to pay it in full, going back to when you first stopped it, and continuing it until her death.”

Christabel blinked. She hadn’t heard about this.

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “Yes, Draker told me about your mother’s surviving the fire. He says you keep her comfortable at your estate at Bath, so I don’t see why she needs an annuity.”

“That isn’t the point,” Gavin ground out. “It’s the principle of the thing. So I want you to establish a charitable annuity in her name, to be paid to St. Bartholomew’s Hospital for indigent women. St. Bartholomew’s took care of her after the fire. And your establishing the annuity will show to the world that she wasn’t the sort of woman you made her out to be.”

“All right,” His Highness said, his expression showing that this new demand had caught him by surprise.

“Anything else?”

“No,” Gavin said tightly.

“One more thing, Your Highness,” Christabel put in. Her proud husband wouldn’t ask for himself, so she would askfor him. “After all that Gavin has been through, the least you can do is privately acknowledge him as your son.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Gavin told her. “I did what I did for you, not for him.”

“I know, darling. And I also know itdoes matter to you, in your heart.” She turned back to the prince, who was watching them with interest. “Please, Your Highness, just this once admit who he is.”

The prince let out a heavy sigh. “Of course you’re mine, Gavin. No one with eyes could ever doubt it.”

Then he stiffened. “And we will never speak of it again.”

“Of course not…Father,” Gavin retorted, clearly unable to pass up his one chance to annoy his sire.

“Don’t worry, I’ve lived this long without a father—I certainly don’t need one now.”