"Caleb, you agreed."

"Very well."

Uriah hesitated a moment to gather his thoughts, "After Mary and Elizabeth's mother died, the girls and their father came to live with us. Both fathers hated the way the King ruled, favored the side of Bonnie Prince Charlie and often spoke out accordingly. When it appeared the Jacobites might win, the King . . . the King ordered the executions of our fathers.

On the twenty-ninth of January, 1746, and with the King watching from inside his carriage, our fathers were bound and slashed repeatedly with swords. At the end of a great length of time, a shot was mercifully sent through the head of each man to end his life."

Caleb blinked repeatedly, but didn't say a word. Levi's head was bowed and John simply stared at his father in disbelief.

"Signs were hung around their necks de­claring them thieves and Mary and I were forced to look upon the bodies. I was ten and she had only just turned eight. To this day I do not understand what evil made the King do such a thing.

A month later, our mother also died and we four children were left to the mercy of a man who claimed to be our elder brother. He took my title, our inheritance, sent us to Ireland and the girls were sold." Uriah held up his hand to stop him when John started to speak. "We were given new names to spare us the shame of being the sons and daughters of thieves.