Chapter 225

“Very well, I shall get straight to the point,” Simon said. He handed Stahl the envelope. “This is a court order to acquire a DNA test from Miss Stahl.”

“What?” Stahl was outraged, but Howard’s eyes were narrow. “The funeral,” he said softly.

Well, it was often difficult to get anything past Howard. The man was brilliant, even if almost no one knew it. But Simon had worked with Howard for the venue and catering of the wedding and seen firsthand how easily and quickly Howard could work long columns of figures in his head. “I believe so, yes,” Simon said softly.

“What?” Stahl repeated. “I’m missin’ something.”

“Honey, lookat him,” Howard said, not unsympathetically. “And the last time Mace was in town, before the wedding, was your mother’s funeral. The timing…works out.”

“It does indeed,” Simon said. “I also believe Mace attempted to tell me at your wedding, but…certain misunderstandings prevented it.” He held up a hand to Howard. “I do not blame you. We were arguing, and she might not have spoken even then. But…the fact remains that it is quite likely that Mary-Alice Stahl’s daughter is also mine.”

Stahl took a step backward and nearly fell into his chair. “Oh my God.”

Howard grunted. “Court-ordered paternity test, okay. Can’t fight that. Do you want to tell me what your end game is? Because we were appointed guardians in Mace’s will.”

“I’m not a cretin, Mr. Howard, no matter what my brother may say of me. I did not know. She never told me. But if the child is my daughter, then I am responsible for her, and I will do my duty, as far as it extends.”

“Billie,” Stahl said. “Her name’s Billie.”

Of course Mace, who had a brother named Scooter, of all things, would name their child something outlandish. “Forgive me. This is still very new information for me. You can imagine how I feel. Mace…well.” Simon didn’t quite know how to finish that. He certainly was not going to confess to Mace’s brother that he’d nursed a terrible crush on her since he had been thirteen years old.

“You’re not really going to insist on a custody fight, are you?” Howard asked. “She’s only just begun to recover from one upheaval and move; another would be traumatic at best. And maybe I’m wrong, but from what I’ve heard, you’re not exactly…a family sort of man.”

Stahl blinked. “Custody fight?” He turned to Howard, concern on his face. “He can’t…he can’t do that, can he?”

“It is all rather moot, if the test comes back negative,” Simon felt compelled to point out. “And I resent the implication that I would be less fit to parent my own child than either of you.”

Howard held up his hands. “I didn’t say that. We were pretty unprepared at the outset, too. I’m just saying…is this really what you want?”

He gave in to uncertainty. “I don’t know, damn it. Two weeks ago, my oaf of a brother comes into my office to explain in no uncertain terms that he is convinced he has just met my daughter. I have to be told of this in such a manner? It is deplorable and should never have happened.” Simon balled his fists. “I asked her to stay. I didn’t even know she was pregnant—I doubt she even knew—and I asked Mace to stay with me then. I wanted…I wanted her to.” He shuddered. The things she had said to him when he’d asked; God, he’d give quite a lot to unhear them.

“Ow,” Stahl said. When Simon whirled on him, furious, Stahl just shrugged. “Mace pretty much hated it here. It didn’t help that all Dad wanted was for her to get married, settle down—preferably close by—and start making babies. I don’t think there’s any possible thing you could have said to her that would piss her off more.”

Howard shrugged in agreement. “Yeah. If you’d offered to go with her, maybe…but if she’d wanted that, she might’ve brought it up. She wasn’t exactly the shy and retiring type from what I saw.” He sighed. “Look, we’ll get the test, since you went to all the trouble of obtaining a court order, and we’ll see what happens from there. But let me just say—let’s sit down and talk before you go back to the court with the results. We’ll fight it, if we have to, but we’d rather not have to.”

Yes, thank you, Howard, by all means, remind me of my missteps.“I wish to know the truth before any decisions are made,” Simon said. “My condolences, however belated they may be. I will mourn the loss.”

“Thank you,” Stahl said quietly. “I appreciate that.”

“Let me walk you out,” Howard said, gesturing.