He had to distract the count from directing that dangerous mind at Jonathan, confirm his fears, and then at long last, take some sort of action against his father, although he had no idea yet what that might be. “I heard Hans-Friedrich and his mistress were felled by food poisoning.” Karl pushed for a little more information about his uncle. “Is that truly the case, or do you suspect foul play? Heaven knows the man has enemies.” The count shrugged and walked over to the fireplace, then leaned against the mantel and stared at the cold, empty grate. “It appears to be merely spoiled food. His mistress is already recovering, but Hans is an obese man who has indulged his vices for far too long. It is doubtful he has the strength to recover from this bout of illness.” “My cousin Gerhard and the rest of the family?” Karl asked. “Will be well taken care of. I shall make certain of that. With his father"s death, young Gerhard becomes a more important part of our family than ever.”
