Page 104 of Broken Princess

“Precisely. His actions put you and your sister in an untenable situation. I know your father provided for his family, just like I know the money he set aside for you was confiscated when Penn was arrested.”

She sips her tea before continuing. “Your father was researching your family history, too. He and his aunt worked together on it for many years before she passed away.”

“You knew his favorite aunt?”

“Yes, I did. I grew up hearing the stories. We all did. No one else in town would admit to what happened, but I felt compelled to keep an eye out on the family of my grandmothers oldest friend. I had Lillith over a few times for tea. You remind me of her, you know. She told me she was researching the history of the town and was quite adamant about trying to prove your family had a claim to being here, even though all traces of her line have been wiped away. The accident happened before they could finish their project. She kept at it, and I believe she was corresponding with Daniella’s mother. Then she unexpectedly passed last year and Daniella’s mom passed a few months ago. I’m sure they’d all be happy to know you’ve finished what they started.”

This is insane. Everything that she’s saying is 100%insane. “I didn’t get proof. That incomplete scroll of paper with the list of names doesn’t mean anything. None of this will hold up in court.”

“That’s why I’m working on getting certified copies of the marriage license, birth records, census reports and last will and testament of every family in New York from 1797 up until now. There’s a bunch of records missing though.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I haven’t seen this many official records missing since the fire at the national archives for the military back in 73.”

“Library fire, sixty years ago.”

“What’s that dear?”

“That’s what Mr. Grenier said. That the hand written records for three towns were destroyed, by a library fire, so you won’t be able to check at least three places.”

“My PI is one of the best. He’ll find something.”

My head is spinning, but I need to make sure I understand it all. “So let me get this straight. You think I’m rich and that my family descended from one of those towns where the records no longer exist?”

“No dear, Iknowyou’re rich and your family descended from one of the founding families inthistown. Back then, the boundary lines weren’t so precisely divided and the records could anywhere. That’s why we’re searching the trig-state area.”

“If I’m from a founding family, does that make me related to a McKay, Rutledge, or Hansen?” With my luck, it’ll be McKay, and I’ve already graduated to blue blood status by sleeping with Logan.

“Those are the families that are left. I believe your family line is from the Bendevires.”

I came across that name during my brief rabbit hole search of Arthurian legend. “Like the knight from the round table?”

“Mm-hmm.” She picks retrieves a tube of paper from the side of the couch and unrolls it across our knees. “These are the Bendevires. Of course names change as the women get married and I believe one whole generation was only women. One of the other daughters married into the Lan Bel Anons family and moved out west.” She taps her finger against the paper. “But this line. They stayed here for many generations, eventually helping to found the town… Camelot Court, before the Summer lineage took over and we know what happened then.”

I narrow my gaze at her. The conniving old geezer. “So you knew what I meant the first time I said those words.”

“Until that day, I hadn’t heard the town referred to as Camelot Court, in quite some time. It’s used more so as a derision of the founding families and how much they’ll stretch the truth for notoriety. Rumor has hit, a few of the men used to boast they could prove they were direct descendants of the so-called knights of the round table.” She rolls her eyes. “Men, and their fish stories.”

I chuckle because that’s basically the same thing.

“The name Kingsley Court was eventually adopted and with the growth came the division of city lines and income limits, with the wealthiest families remaining in The Hollows.”

My head is spinning. If any of this is true, then how can I have a family line out there that’s never reached out to any of us? I know dad was an only child but he has cousins and other aunts and uncles. None of us know anything about the Summers and Bendevires. I don’t know what kind of family can let a kid go and pretend she never existed for hundreds of years, and I’m not sure I’d want to be a part of it if I did.

Roff enters the room carrying an envelope on a tray. He bends at the waist, offering it to me. “What’s this?”

“A copy of Bartholemew Summer’s will.”

“And why would I need this?”

“Read it dear.”

I skim through the legalese at the beginning because the whole sound mind part of it is suspect after learning what I have about his family. I finally get to the part I think Pepper’s referring to. “Upon the occasion of the heirs twenty-first birthday, they shall inherit their portion of the company distributed equitably among all living descendants in that line.” I look up at her and shrug.

She’s got that look on her face she gets when she’s teaching me chess. “Everything I’ve heard about Elijah says he was an unforgiving man, and a ruthless tycoon. The company, ECS Enterprises is thriving. I haven’t done the math, in quite some time, but last I checked it was worth 3.2 billion.”

“For the company?”

The tea cup stops halfway to her mouth. “Foryourshare of the company.”

ECS Enterprises? The global shipping company? No. None of this is right. “There has to be some mistake. Daniella said Bartholemew was an actor.”

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