Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
As soon as Clemmie had shared the revelation, a wave of guilt crashed over her.
Should she be sharing this? The letter had made it clear that both the Earl and Beatrice had secrets.
If those secrets were to come to light, what then?
What if they had the power to shake the monarchy itself?
The weight of that possibility settled heavily in the pit of her stomach.
But before she could voice her apprehension, Oliver reached for the photograph that was lying on the table.
He narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze flicking between the picture and the similar photo they had seen on the Royal Yacht of the Earl and Chef étienne.
She hesitated, feeling torn. ‘I’m not sure I should be sharing this,’ she admitted.
It was one thing to discover a family secret, it was another to reveal it to someone else.
But at the same time, she knew Oliver had connections, resources that could help them uncover the truth.
That’s what she was telling herself to justify this.
It wasn’t just reckless curiosity, it was a search for clarity, for answers that had been buried for generations.
‘I just… I don’t know, Oliver. What if we’re opening a door that was meant to stay closed?’ she said, her fingers tightening around the edge of the letter.
Oliver gave her a measured look. ‘What if we’re finally giving history its truth? What is it you know?’
She let out a shaky breath and, with a nod, continued.
‘We’ve just discovered that the man in this photograph, standing beside Chef étienne on the Royal Yacht, is the same man seen here with Beatrice, my great-great-grandmother.
We can only assume that after he ended his engagement, he changed his name to Arthur Rose.
’ She swallowed hard, barely believing the words coming from her own mouth.
‘That means … he is more than likely my great-great-grandfather.’
Their eyes locked on each other. Silence stretched between them, thick with implications neither of them had fully processed yet.
Oliver shook his head slowly. ‘No, he can’t be…’
Clemmie gave a mirthless laugh. ‘Twenty minutes ago, I would have agreed and said it was ludicrous, but…’ She trailed off, the reality of it setting in.
If this was true, then everything she thought she knew about her family’s past was a lie.
The Earl – Arthur – had walked away from royalty, from duty, from everything.
Why? What had happened that had driven him to erase his past and start anew under a different name?
The only explanation was that after falling in love with Beatrice, he followed his heart.
Oliver’s expression was unreadable as he studied the photograph again. ‘If this is true, then you’re part of a story the world was never meant to know.’
She exhaled, knowing full well that they had just uncovered something far bigger than either of them had anticipated. Yet, despite the unease coiling in her stomach, she couldn’t ignore the pull. She wanted to know the rest of the story.
Oliver studied the photographs again. ‘Arthur Rose,’ he murmured, before placing them back on the table.
‘We know there was a scandal, and the Earl chose to disappear from public life,’ he said slowly, as if piecing together a puzzle.
‘But was that because he was having an affair with Beatrice?’ He picked up his phone and quickly typed something into the search bar.
‘Let’s see what we can find on Arthur Rose. Was that just a name that he made up?’
‘I doubt you’ll find much on the internet. It was a long time ago.’
‘You’re probably right but leave it with me.’ Oliver’s tone was confident. ‘After all, I do have contacts in the Royal Family.’
Clemmie’s expression turned serious. ‘Please don’t let Fiona get wind of this.’
Oliver met her gaze. ‘Of course I won’t. Let me see if I can uncover anything first…’ He paused for a moment. ‘My granny knows everything. How would you feel if we went and spoke to her?’
Clemmie thought for a moment. ‘All this was a long time ago, well before her lifetime. Do you really think that she’d know anything? Maybe we’ve uncovered all there is to know. Henry fell in love with Beatrice, became Arthur and lived the normal life he craved.’
‘Possibly,’ replied Oliver. ‘But we could try? My granny is travelling to Scotland tomorrow. Maybe we could meet her somewhere or she could stop off here? What do you think?’
‘I’m thinking I should check with my granny first.’
‘But is there any need? What if we don’t uncover anything else, and upset her needlessly?’
Clemmie thought for a second. ‘Okay. You’re probably right. Thank you. See if she has time.’
Oliver leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful. ‘I noticed the Royal Yacht is still here. Apparently, there’s a problem with the engine?’
‘Yes, I’d heard the same.’
Oliver finished his tea and placed his mug on the coffee table, ‘Are we okay? I really didn’t mean to upset you. It was unbelievably thoughtless of me to write that review, and I didn’t consider the consequences, especially how it would make you feel.’
Clemmie studied him for a moment before asking, ‘When we met in London, did you remember writing it?’
He shook his head firmly. ‘Not at all. It was only when Fiona arrived on Puffin Island for the competition and sensed there was history between us that she reminded me. That was when I realised where my priorities truly lay, and it wasn’t with my money or reputation.
Maybe I should take a leaf out of the Earl’s book and give up the life I know for love. ’
She hesitated, then asked, ‘Do you think you could?’
Oliver’s gaze met hers, something unreadable flickering in his eyes, sending a shiver down her spine. ‘That depends entirely on your plans,’ he said with a slow, teasing grin.
Clemmie let out a soft laugh and swiped at him playfully. ‘You are incorrigible.’
‘Let me phone Granny and see if there’s a chance we can meet up tomorrow.’