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"Boys or girls?"

"Girls"

"Did you know that I was a boy?"

"Yes"

"What wasthat he would continue But Villiers turned another page

"You’re being an ass," Tobias said, dropping the words into the silence of the carriage with great precision

At first his father didn’t ather you believe this is an unusual occurrence, or merely that I should be concerned by your assessment?"

"Why didn’t you marry my mother?" But he knew He knew even as he asked it

"I didn’t er, and my mistress She was also Italian, and quite beautiful, and rather mad She was not a lady in the strict sense of the word"

Tobias hated him, from the tip of his polished boots to the sheen of his heavy silk coat

"She didn’t care to rear you," Villiers said, putting his book down "She was not a ht you were beautiful"

"How do you know?"

"Unlike the other children, you were born on land, and when her confinement interrupted that tour, she and the rest of the troupe stayed with me"

"In the house? With Ashmole?"

"With Ashmole, but at one of ine that "Did you ever see her again?"

Villiers looked at hier, Tobias"

Tobias felt his blood running cold But it was no more than he already knew, had known for years There was no one for hiue She had stayed out too late after singing a special concert for the doge"

Tobias shrugged "Sheto me Just a doxy as too pretty to wed"

His father ht I would keep you safe You should be angry at ht with you, I shall take a nap," Tobias said, closing his eyes

He thought he heard his father say, "Toushay" What did that ht