Question J

[Jonetta]

Ash/The Rook actually holds several titles...the Duke of Castel Domenico in Italy, the Comte de Lyon et de Verdun in France...obtained from the men he killed. Had you wondered why he was referred to as a duke in the book’s title?

[Robin]

Yes, I couldn't figure out why the title of the book talked about a Duke. Now my question is...does the person who killed a peer usually get their title? I thought that was kind of weird.

[Charlene]

Again, I'm with Robin on this one. It was bizarre, if true historically. Otherwise, having that heir and a spare would have meant nothing. Maybe this was a later development?

[Jonetta]

Only in England was the passage of title dictated by blood lines. Not so the case in Italy and France. Those title holders legally named The Rook as their heirs before they “died.’

[Anita]

I didn't get the title at first either. I actually thought The Rook was Sebastian Moncrieff, the missing heir. I had forgotten he was a Earl not a Duke.

[Jonetta]

I was confused about the title, too, which was one of the reasons why I was stunned to learn The Rook was the real Dorian Blackwell. How could he be a duke???

[Karen ♐]

The title confused me also. Glad you cleared that up for us, Jonetta! I thought it was always determined by blood lines everywhere.

[Lauren]

This required some suspension of disbelief. I have my doubts that naming him as the heir would actually be legal in France or Italy. I'm sure the real's Duke's heirs would have had something to say about it.

[Jonetta]

I just took the author at her word but agree that the real family heirs would probably raise the roof about it.