He looked like he was about to object then changed his mind. “All right, but not in here.”
I grabbed my hat and followed him back outside, around the side of the house and toward the barn. It was difficult not to let loose a barrage of questions on the spot, and I only held back due to the effort it took to keep up with his long strides. My restraint lasted until we reached the far side of the barn and were out of sight of Brighmor. “When did you plan on telling me who you really are?” I demanded testily.
He leaned casually against the towering wooden wall of the barn. “This afternoon on our picnic. I had hoped to first soften your mood with a basket of food and promises of my eternal devotion.”
So, this was his deep, dark secret. “James called you Lord Fitzalan. Is there any merit to that title?”
Henry sighed resignedly. “My real name is Henry Goderic Fitzalan. My father is the Duke of Norland. Before my mother died, she was a Margravine of Brandenburg-Ansbach and half sister to Queen Caroline.”
I gawked at him, shocked. “What does that make you?”
Henry pushed away from the barn and bowed deeply. “Lord Pompous and heir apparent to the Duke of High and Mighty, at your service, madam.”
I blushed at hearing my own words delivered in Henry’s deep voice. “Will you please be serious?”
“And favored nephew to King George II,” Henry said, ignoring my reprimand as he added to his pedigree. “It’s not an official title, mind you, but the benefits at court are extraordinary.”
The missing pieces fell tightly into place. “That’s why the King is so interested in your marriage.”
“Being his nephew has something to do with it,” he said indifferently. “Mostly it’s because I’m supposed to be betrothed to his second daughter, the Princess Amelia.”
A tight knot formed in my throat. Henry was betrothed to a princess. Just looking at him, I should have known this other woman had to be spectacular. But a princess...
“My mother and Queen Caroline were very close, and our marriage was spoken of soon after Amelia’s birth. For my father’s part, he’s a very wealthy and powerful man in England. The King favored the marriage as a means to ensure his loyalty to the crown.”
It couldn’t be true. Just over a week ago Henry had been under contract as my servant. “But you were indentured,” I said, finding my voice at last. “How could this happen to someone of your position?”
“The result of a family quarrel. As the only son, I stand to inherit my father’s land and title upon his death. A cousin of mine is next in line to the dukedom, and didn’t find this situation to his liking. He hired a group of men to have me killed. It was by good fortune that they were extremely greedy and decided to profit twice. First from my cousin and then from Captain Harlow.”
His words turned my stomach to ice. “If the contract was illegal, why did you agree to sail to the Colonies?”
“I was in no condition to protest. The men doused my clothing with whiskey and beat me unconscious. We were two days out to sea when I finally came around.”
“But, the captain is a man of honor. You should have told him who you were.”
Henry smiled weakly. “I did. So many times that he finally had me locked in the brig.”
“He didn’t believe you?”
“Selah, if you had seen me at the time, you wouldn’t have believed me either. I was bruised all over from fighting and my clothing had been changed for the coarsest of garments. What else was the captain to think when I was brought on board reeking of spirits? He’s been trading indentures for thirty years. I’m sure there isn’t a story he hasn’t heard yet from people trying to get out of their contracts. After two weeks in the brig, I decided to stop protesting and bide my time until we got to the Colonies.”
I glared at him, my hands held tautly at my side to keep from pounding them against his chest. “Why didn’t you tell me when we first met?”
“I considered it, but there was a good chance you would have thought I was lying. You might have returned me to the captain or, worse, handed me over to Fletcher.” He glanced down at his feet. “My best chance of escape was with you.”
To be certain, there had been ample opportunities for him to run away from Hopewell. “Then why did you stay?” I asked, both relieved and sickened from this latest confession. Kidnapped and indentured against his will, it was beyond my comprehension that he had remained a single day.