The Prince looked around the assembled company.
“No doubt you are all wondering now why Count Megherny acted thus. I believe it was because he felt that the family name was dishonoured when Mordhile eloped with Giorni and did not marry me as arranged. He was maddened with the thought that both his natural daughter and his adopted daughter should have fallen in love with men whose status he did not approve of. He changed his will to punish Mordhile and, apart from his Solicitor, the only person who knew of this change was his old Nanny, Grete.”
Konstantina could now hardly believe what she was hearing. She looked at Mordhile, who was regarding the Prince balefully as he carried on,
“Mordhile had no intention of giving up Megherny and its treasures to the relation she had never met and so
