A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (The Doomsday Books, #2)

by K.J. Charles

The North Wing was, it seemed, unused. It did have a portrait gallery, though, to which Odo took them as a sort of grand finale. This included indecipherably dark fifteenth-century images painted on boards, and crumbling parchments, reverently kept, that Odo said went back to the thirteenth. “These show that William le Bâtard, the Conqueror himself, bestowed the barony of Stone on Aymer d’Aumesty in 1068. Henry the First created the earldom, making Pagan d’Aumesty the first Lord Oxney in 1129. Of course Henry founded the Angevin dynasty”—his tone suggested that this was a regrettable faux pas—“but as the Conqueror’s son, he was of the true Norman blood, which we have the honour of carrying in our veins. Aymer was a paternal cousin of the great William, as you know.” “I didn’t,” Oxney said. “So as the twenty-second baron, I’m William the Conqueror’s first cousin twenty-two times removed?” “Well, the exact number—” “And that’s impressive?” “Of course! The unbroken lineage—” “Everyone’s got an unbroken lineage,” Lord Oxney said. “We’ve all got a father and a grandfather and a twenty-two-times great-grandfather. Can you name your twenty-two-times great-grandfather, Doomsday?” “Aymer d’Aumesty,” Luke said without thinking. “I beg your pardon?” Luke cursed himself mentally. He ought to have learned about keeping smart remarks inside his head a long time ago. At least Oxney looked startled rather than annoyed. “Well, if the Doomsdays are an offshoot of the d’Aumestys at some poin...