Chapter Four
Through exhaustive and exceedingly non-traditional research methods, Ward had managed to reconstruct much of the story. The rest was based on his excellent intuition spurred by numerous small, adventitious clues inadvertently – or purposefully? sometimes Ward wondered – provided by Michelson.
Historically, Michelson’s family had never been prolific. After years of miscarried conception attempts, Michelson’s own beloved wife and infant son had died in childbirth. That was twenty years ago. Although he had since had one mistress and many more slaves, he had never been able to bear the thought of remarriage.
Eleven years later, his last relatives, cousins, brought their ten year old daughter for a visit. She was a small, sweet, beautiful child with palest skin and enormous, tr
