The Lord's Secret Lady

Prologue- The Lord's Secret Lady -

1st day of Spring, 1798

Emerald Falleron was eight years old.  She was happily playing in the lake with her Uncle Thomas, who was then 17.  Their old cottage was just a few meters away from the house.  She could see her Papa and Maman set the table for their usual Sunday picnic.

But their beautiful afternoon was shattered when scary men, about six of them, came to their house.  Without a word, her mother was forcefully taken by some of the men.  The other men beat her father until he could no longer stand.

Emerald wanted to run towards her parents but Thomas stopped her.  They heard one of the men ordered to look for Emerald.  Thomas quickly pushed Emerald to the lake and followed her.  When the men came close to the lake, the two children remained underwater.  Emerald was struggling to breathe but Thomas kept her underwater.  She almost drowned.

It was already night time when Thomas and Emerald went back to the house.  George Falleron, Emerald's father, was still on the ground unconscious.  Thomas carried him inside the house.  When George regained his consciousness, he took his rifle and left the house.  It was the last time Emerald saw him.

A few days later, they received news that George was shot dead by William Mordare, the Duke of Wentworth.

According to the news, George Falleron attempted to kill the duke.  They did not relay the truth that the duke of Wentworth forcefully coveted George's wife, Mary Ann and forced her to be one of his mistress.  There were rumours that before George died, he cursed the Duke of Wentworth that no one of his sons will live beyond twenty eight years and none of them shall bear an heir.

A month after George Falleron was killed, Gabriel Mordare, the eldest son of the Duke of Wentworth died in a mysterious accident.  He was standing next to his father when a large stone sculpture fell on his head.  He died instantly.  He was only 27. 

The rumour about the Falleron's curse spread around town.  People were saying that the death of the eldest heir was due to the curse.  The duke did not believe the rumours.  In order to pacify the people and to prove that George Falleron had no power to set a curse against him, the duke ordered that the family history of George Falleron be investigated openly.

When Thomas heard of the order, he and Emerald fled from their cottage.  Thomas had a very good reason to flee.

George and Thomas Falleron are descendants of the Sinclair clan.  The Sinclairs were once prosecuted for allegedly using witchcraft and sorcery.  Their women were burned alive.   The men had their heads cut.  George and Thomas only survived when their father, the then Viscount Berus Sinclair, switched their identities to the sons of their loyal coachman.  Thomas knew that he and Emerald will have the same fates as their ascendants if the secret of their birth lineage will be uncovered.

Thomas and Emerald hid in the far-end of the Wentworth forest, the scariest place in town.  People believed that evil spirits wandered around the area.   No one dared to come there for the fear of being killed by the evil spirits.  It might be the scariest place but it was the safest for Thomas and Emerald.

For twelve years, they quietly lived inside the forest. They lived by selling herbal tonics and different potions in town.   Emerald was completely concealed from the world beyond the Wentworth Forest.