This is a note  from the protagonist of my novel in progress, Book I of my historical fantasy series: Who By Fire.  He is answering my question about who his parents are:

       I am the escaped body servant of a man who is still legally in possession of my person, and of my life.  He may also be in the process of purchasing my wife Lucy, a quadroon.   She is more a parent to me than any person on this earth ever has been.

I never knew my parents , because I was raised by a speculator who, I am told, purchased me as an infant from a “pleasure house” where my mother was a fancy maid.  As it is told, the speculator bought me with the intention of grooming me, as the Fancy Maids are groomed and trained, in order to be sold to a gentleman…