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“No I fear the duke’s obsession with me poisoned his mind I left because it became intolerable, because I feared for my life One cannot remain in a destructive environment”

In the diht, it was hard to see the scar on her cheekbone She has not aged well, he thought He wanted to believe it ste her son He wanted to But couldn’t

“I begged him to let me take you away, too,” she said, yet her tone lacked conviction “But you belong to the duke—”

“I belong to no one,” Lucius snapped

If anyone had a right to make such a claiht hier who had enabled him to prosper

“Tell randmother” Many times, he had tried to form a mental picture of the benevolent lady “What was she like? How did she coenerous wohter to become a courtesan?

Julia Fontaine looked as if he’d asked her to name every Home Secretary since William Petty She opened her , “I’m not sure where to start”

“Was her hair as dark as mine? Did she think of ue of questions

She pursed her lips and seemed to consider her answer carefully “I don’t remember her,” she finally admitted “My mother sent me to live with an uncle when I was five”

Lucius fell silent, lost in a moment of confusion

“She died a year later,” Julia added

“Died?” Lucius reeled from the shock “That’s ihteenth birthday My inheritance was held in trust until I reached my majority”

“Lucius, Katharine Fontaine was destitute when she died”

“Destitute?”

“She was buried in a pauper’s grave”