Beautiful Assassin by Emma Wildes

Author:Emma Wildes [Wildes, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-05-10T16:28:39+00:00

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

The explanation didn’t help his confusion. “I have a close male relative I’ve never met?”

The earl’s jaw set in a way Colin had seen before. When his father looked that way, most people stepped back a pace. He said in a cool voice, “You aren’t missing much, believe me. God help me for saying it, but I have met him one time too many.”

“Who the bloody hell are we talking about?”

“My youngest sister’s child.”

As far as he knew, his Aunt Chloe had died decades ago and no one spoke of her often. Colin frowned.

“Can you please explain? I never knew she married.”

“She didn’t. Michael is the by-blow of a scheming opportunist who took advantage of her. She was merely seventeen and died in childbirth.” His eyes were icy cold with what was obvious still a painful memory. “If I could have found the bastard, I would have killed him gladly. Unfortunately, fate did it for me. Lawrence Roberts was lost at sea, no doubt sailing away fromEngland to try and avoid my father’s wrath, and mine. I was hot-blooded in those days and her broken heart also broke mine.” He added in a quiet voice that sounded deceptively emotionless. “From the beginning, my parents did their best with Michael, but eventually, his parentage was evident. Early on he exhibited signs of being deceitful and dishonest, and at the age of fifteen was sent off to the colonies to live with one of my father’s cousins to save him from charges being pressed here inEngland .”

“What kind of charges?”

“One of the village girls that lived nearby died and the circumstances were very suspicious. Her family accused Michael and though he denied it, there was some evidence they could be right.”

“How come I never knew this?” Colin demanded, not sure how to feel about the revelation.

His father sighed and looked regretful. “My father was of a different time, though I am not sure how I would react either. Raising a bastard child in your household is a difficult thing socially, to be sure. They were older, grieving, and ashamed of Chloe’s indiscretion. Hiding the child away seemed best and they paid for everything so he could be cared for properly on an estate they owned in Wiltshire, but the one thing he didn’t have is affection. He is not one to inspire it, so that didn’t help, I’m sure.”

“Wait a moment, you said you’ve met him. Do you mean recently?”

“No, not since his departure, but before that he was a thorn in my side once my father died.” Dashing more brandy into his glass, his father grimaced. “He terrorized his tutors, no governess could last more than a few months, and when he came under suspicion, I did what I could to secure him another chance at a productive life. I bought his passage, wrote the letter, and bribed everyone I could so Michael could sail off unscathed. He is, after all, my sister’s child and had proclaimed his innocence.

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