Gerard had never experienced regret leaving the Centennial or his home and life in Georgetown. His “death” had been well timed. Marital relations with Ellie had all but disintegrated due to her angry preoccupation with his keeping mistresses, and despite having hired a seemingly well-qualified nanny, his son, Mortimer Ascariot had grown up to become a hapless misanthrope, who only brought him shame and embarrassment to the Ascariot name.
But all that had changed in a moment.
He knew it was time to come home when he had received Robert’s telegram. Miraculously, Mortimer had not only become a captain of the best ship in the Ascariot fleet, but that he had also managed to get a hold of some of the finest tobacco of the century, thereby making the Ascariot name even more wealthy and esteem
