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later he will lose interest in his philosophy and mathematics long enough to fall in love, marry
    and produce even more heirs."
    –That still leaves you unaccounted for,"Wilson pointed out. "You are the eldest of the lot. You should
    have been the first one to marry"
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    "It is absurd to sit here and discuss yet again my failure to find a wife when we should be occupied with
    a far more pressing problem," Adam said, hanging on to his temper with an effort. "I suggest we return to
    the matter of the diary."
    'Wilsongrimaced. "Very well, but I must tell you that I am not nearly as concerned about it as you are"
    "Yes, I can see that. Would you mind explaining why in blazes you are not worried about it?"
    "The diary's sole value lies in the fact that it can be used as an instrument of blackmail. Sooner or later,
    whoever stole it from Elizabeth Delmont will make contact and at-tempt to extort money from you, just
    as Delmont did. When t hat occurs, you will track down the new blackmailer, just as you did
    Delmont"Wilson raised one narrow shoulder in a dismissive shrug. "It is simply a matter of time."
    Wilson's logic was impeccable, as always, Adam thought. But he was unable to take a similarly sanguine
    approach to the problem.
    "It is not in my nature to wait upon the convenience of a blackmailer who is also very likely a killer," he
    said quietly.
    Wilsonsighed. "No, of course not. Very well, find your blackmailer and deal with him. Then you can get
    back to more important matters"
    There was only one really important matter inWilson 's opinion these days. He was determined to see
    Adam wed. Having made his decision, he had become relentless.
    Adam felt the sort of affection, respect and loyalty for his mentor that he imagined other men felt toward
    their fathers. Nevertheless, he had no intention of marrying merely to satisfy Wilson Grendon's demands.
    Wilson Grendon was in the latter half of his sixth decade. He was the last direct descendent of a
    once-powerful aristocratic family whose properties and finances had been sadly depleted by a long line
    of wastrels and rakehells. Endowed with a steely will and a great talent for business,Wilson had devoted
    himself to rebuilding the family for-tunes. He had succeeded beyond anyone's wildest expectations only
    to lose the very reasons that had inspired him: his beloved wife and two children.
    Brokenhearted,Wilson had devoted himself to building an even larger empire. He had lost himself in the
    arcane machinations of his far-flung enterprises inEngland and on the Continent. On several occasions
    over the years, the long-reaching tentacles of the Grendon empire had proved useful to Her Majesty's
    government.
    Wilson's agents and employees abroad often picked up rumors and information concerning clandestine
    intrigues and foreign plots. That sort of thing was passed along to the Crown, which, in turn, sometimes
    took advantage of the Grendon connections to send secret diplomatic messages.
    The informal arrangement had continued after Adam had become involved inWilson 's business affairs,
    hence the occasional breakfast conversation concerning murder and mischief. For Adam, it all came
    under the heading of business; a natural extension of the career he had pursued while making his living on
    the streets. Information was a commodity, just like everything else. It could be bought, stolen, traded or
    sold.
    Much in his world had changed fourteen years ago when he and Julia and Jessica and Nathan had
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    moved intoWilson 's big, lonely mansion inLaxton Square , but the way he made his living was not one of
    them, he reflected.
    Society was under the impression that he and the other three were long-lost relatives ofWilson 's.
    According to the story Grendon had put about, the family connection had been fortuitously discovered by
    his