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"You own Senton Castle and all the land around it Your parentsGrand affair, if I do say so myself," Mr Hoover said to Elaine "Here are the property descriptions and locations" He passed a pile of papers to her

"They were married at Senton Castle? Why didin her eyes

"Many years later, they left when they couldn’t maintain the castle Wars, famine One of those wars resulted in the death of your older brother"

"Brother?" Elaine asked, sounding horrified "I had a brother?"

"Two, but one was stillborn The other was ten when you were born Fighting broke out and he was beyond the shelter of the castle walls at the tiht over the death of their male heir" Mr Hoover looked at Ian as if the fault was his

That had Cearnach thinking about the times they’d bombarded the castle with cannon fire

"Your parents left the castle in your uncles’ care shortly after that Not wishing to remain in Scotland, your parents started anew in Florida While your uncles were away sailing the seas, the Kilpatricks and McKinleys ran Senton Castle into the ground Your uncles bought the other properties also All of them were bequeathed to you"

"I’d had no word My parents never mentioned any of this to "

She hadn’t been for years Cearnach frowned at the solicitor

Mr Hoover cleared his throat "We did try to locate you, Miss Hawthorn You’d changed your identity and moved so esture of helplessness

He glanced down at his notes "You oo manors and a keep in Scotland that have been continuously rented out at a goodly income for years The properties have been well ood shape All but Senton Castle, which as you probably have learned is in…"

"Ruins, I know," Elaine said, frowning

"Did the Hawthorns store any merchandise at any of the locations?" Cearnach asked

"You mean, sir, the merchandise stolen from ships while they were away at sea?" Mr Hoover inquired, his brows raised

Elaine barely breathed

So the old fox knew Cearnach nodded "Aye, that’s what I mean"

"Nay Several warehouses full of stolen merchandise were captured and sold to pay off those whose property had been taken at sea Some of the merchandise had already been moved before the authorities learned of the locations"

"None of the lancing at the docuan to study them in earnest

"Nay"

"Did my uncles leave me a key?"

"To the manor houses and keep, aye Several To the warehouses, several more But those I didn’t bother to pay the rent on No need when they held noused I turned the keys over to the owners of the warehouses years ago Most of the buildings don’t even exist any longer"

"So no ht have stolen is left," Elaine said, sounding both disappointed and relieved at the same time

"That we know about, nay That doesn’t mean they didn’t hide soht you the deeds and wished to offer e your properties, should you so desire"

"Why didn’t you contact rowing flushed, her whole posture stiff

"We couldn’t locate you"

"Maybe early on," she retorted "But my cousin found idly in the chair, his jaw tightening with tension "He hired so here to meet with him I asked how he had located you He said he had friends in low places, laughed, and wouldn’t say anything further Even so, it took hilanced at Ian and Cearnach, then focused again on Elaine and hesitated to finish what he was going to say

"He… what?" Elaine asked, her voice terse

The solicitor ground his teeth "Your uncles had told me never to contact your relations in Scotland, but a renter offered a substantial ao I didn’t knohat to do He decided to keep renting If you were no longer living…" He sighed "I had to find you, to let you know you had properties and learn what you wanted to do with theht know your whereabouts

"I contacted Robert Kilpatrick since I handle his estates also I didn’t tell hih I’m certain he assuone was because you had an estate He said since I couldn’t find you, he’d have someone else search for you It wasn’t easy He had several false starts, and then finally you changed your nao As soon as Mr Kilpatrick could verify it was you…"

"How did he confirm it was me?" she asked warily "I’m certain there are tons of female Hawthorns in the state"

"Aye I don’t know for sure He wouldn’t say I assu in the area to check on you and substantiate that you were one of us, for one thing You were the only Hawthorn she-wolf in the area"