Read Online Borne in Blood by Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - Free Book Online

to give himself a leg up in the world.”
    “You: cynical?” Rogier regarded Ragoczy with skepticism.
    “Not cynical, old friend—appreciative. This man’s self-interests match with my intentions, which should stand us both in good stead.” He paused. “That is, if he agrees to work for me.”
    “He would be a fool not to,” said Rogier.
    “Ah,” said Ragoczy, “but how many men are fools?” Without waiting for an answer he turned away toward the front of the château.
    Text of a crossed letter from Hero Iocasta Ariadne Corvosaggio von Scharffensee at Vevey, in Switzerland, to her father, Attilio Aurelio Augusto Corvosaggio in Padova; carried by regular post.
    To my very dear father on this, the 6 th day of May, 1817, the affectionate greeting of your daughter, presently in Vevey with your brother Dario’s widow;
    I was saddened to learn of your illness this last winter, and I hope your recovery is now under way. From what Ortrude told me before she became incapacitated by her affliction, you have had much to burden you since October. I am pleased to hear that you are receiving such excellent care, and I am grateful to the good Widow Caglia for all she has done for you—far in excess of what you might expect from a housekeeper. I agree it was wise to send your wife out of danger. There was no cause for both of you to be at risk. I must suppose that you will return to Anatolia and the ruins you found there last year as soon as your health is restored; I wish you every success in your expedition, and ask only that you inform me when you decide upon your departure.
    Yet, heartened as I am by your tidings, I am duty-bound to inform you that your brother’s widow is not long for this world. It may be that by the time you receive this, she will have passed beyond this earthly abode. I have consulted the local physician and he has said that her lethargy is a sign of approaching demise, that there is nothing more that can be done for her. I have sent for my protector, who has a vast knowledge of medicaments and treatments not always known to the general run of healers, and he has promised to come here in two days. He will do what he can for Ortrude, but his note has warned me it may be nothing more than easing her dying.
    I have heard from my father-in-law, who informs me that my children are well, that their studies are going on properly, and that they are growing as one would expect them to grow. I devour his words as if I were starving and they were meat and bread, and at the same time, I resent him for all he has done to keep us apart. Hard as it was to lose my husband, it was a single blow—having my children growing up away from me is a new anguish every day. I miss them with more vivid emotions than I have words to convey; their grandfather has asked that I not visit them for this summer, a request that falls like a lash on all my hopes for being with them soon. How I wish my husband had left his affairs in a more ordered state, but, as he had no Will as such, I cannot challenge the Graf’s authority. What court would support my claim while the Graf provides for them so handsomely, and I have only the support of the Comte to preserve body and soul?
    Enough of such gloomy reflections. There is nothing you or I can do to change how matters stand, and although the Comte has offered to sponsor my court actions for the housing and care of my children, I have discussed the matter with an experienced advocate, who has assured me that any such action would fail. Had I a fortune of my own, I might be able to put forth an argument a justice might consider, but lacking fortune, a house of my own, or any other unencumbered security, I am unlikely to present a convincing case. It would mean that I would add needlessly to my children’s suffering, and my own. So I have decided that when the Comte travels this summer, I will go with him. It will be nothing so exciting as what you will undertake in Anatolia, but it will