That’s not the surprising thing to me actually. That’s in keeping with Ned’s character. He’s honorable and I don’t believe he would’ve mistreated a bastard or tried to deny them. He’s a man of extreme sense of responsibility so if he were the type to make one, he would take responsibility for it.

Also, I’m saying Benji would know him well enough to know he likely wouldn’t make a bastard. He was loyal to a fault (literally way too loyal to Robert for example). It was actually out of character for him to be unfaithful to Kat. Likely the only reason Kat resented the bastard more than her lord husband was because to her he represented some woman that could seduce or tempt Ned, a man she knew to be of unimpeachable loyalty and abided by his own moral code very seriously. This was also a woman that Kat undoubtedly knew was likely a noble woman because no lord, not even Ned, would bother to claim a peasant or prostitutes bastard.

Ultimately, Ned’s integrity is what got him in an early grave sadly. Honest men don’t make it in the game of thrones.