Chapter 23: Charles Lee

Mentor Kenway,

I pen this missive at the request of my niece and daughter, Virginia. She has asked that you cease your attempts to contact her. I hope you will accede to her request.

I know exactly what sort of man her father was: proud, angry, harsh. Charles himself made note of the distemper which too often plagued his mind, afflicting him with bouts of rage and melancholy. He was a troubled man, and I write this as one who considered him a friend.

Of all this, Virginia is aware. But, when his mind was his own, Charles could be kind and thoughtful. He cared deeply for his two surviving children. For all his faults, he was as fierce with his friendship as his enmity. He was a loyal man and Templar and, when the distemper was not upon him, a good one.

He was also my brother, a fact you seem inclined to forget.

For the sake of retaining peaceable relations between us, I suggest that we refrain from discussing this matter further.

Yours,

Shay Patrick Cormac

Grandmaster of the American Rite

Mr. Miles,

This letter is quite interesting. Some historical sources do indicate Charles Lee, as well as some of his family members, suffered from some sort of 'eccentricity.' Today we know many of these to have been mental illnesses. Pity we can't know for certain which ones.

This letter also answers one question we had: we can now guess the earlier letter (which likely immediately followed this one) about Cormac's first wife was in relation to this. 'Brother' was often used to refer to brothers-in-law during this period. Lee was married to a Seneca woman; this would make Cormac's first wife a Native woman as well, which is probably why we don't have any records of her.

This letter seems to be a follow-up to the invitation. Which, now that I think on it, could mean Virginia was marrying her first cousin. Liam Adewale was born prior Cormac's marriage to Magdalene, and was known to be of Native heritage. Fairly common back then, and didn't cause them any issues ― more's the pity.

Shaun

AUthor's Notes:

Shaun has the sequence right.