The hasty apology satisfied her greatly, though her face did not show it. The look on his face satisfied her as well. Both made him look like a school boy ready to take orders.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes to mentally prepare herself - or rather prepare him - for the next scandalous revelation. "He has forced me to raise the child he fathered with some servant girl." She brought the handkerchief up to her mouth as if to steady herself. Then she lowered it. "He could have paid for Miss Pearl to be raised anywhere, but it gave him pleasure to torment me with such a brazen reminder of his disregard for his family. Now he intends to remove me and my children from his will and leave everything to her too."