Page 3 of Read To Me, Lyon

It had to be bad if Julia met him on the walk with this news before he’d even entered the house. Oliver held his arm out to Julia. “Let’s go inside.”

She took it. “I shouldn’t be airing our business on the streets. Mother would be horrified.”

Their mother would. She worked very hard to ensure the Everly title was well regarded. Oliver and Julia only made it a few steps inside when his mother spotted him. She gasped and placed her hand to her mouth. Oliver released his sister and opened his arms to her. She ran into them, sobbing. “I’m so glad you are home. I was so worried. Hopefully, your time wasn’t too difficult.”

Napoleon’s last stand had been messy and devastating for all the countries and soldiers involved in the fighting. Still, he said, “I’m well, Mother.”

She leaned back in his arms and searched his face as if concerned his assurance might be a falsehood to put her at ease. Somewhat appeased by what she saw, she reached for one of his hands and pulled him toward the drawing room. “There is much to talk about.”

Oliver allowed her to pull him along but gently shook himself loose from her hold when he spotted Hanson standing to the side of the entryway of the room. “I will be inside in a moment. It has been ages since I’ve seen Hanson.”

His mother didn’t argue but simply said, “The staff has missed you.”

She continued into the drawing room. Oliver stopped and grasped the butler’s shoulder. “It is good to see you.”

Hanson beamed at him. “We are happy you are here, my lord. I’m sorry your father passed in your absence.”

“Thank you, and you have my gratitude for caring for my mother and Julia.”

“He has been wonderful,” Julia added from inside the room.

The older man, shockingly, blushed. He’d been in their lives since Oliver’s first memory. “Lady Julia, you are much too kind.” He seemed to pull himself together, then assumed his usual butler posture, clearing his throat and announcing, “I will have the housekeeper prepare you all some tea, my lord.”

Oliver grinned at him one more time. “Thank you.”

He entered the room and found his mother staring out the window. A frown marred her face. Julia was right; she appeared strong and regal, but if you studied her for longer, there was fraying underneath it all.

His parents had been so close. Oliver couldn’t imagine her devastation.

She turned to him and smiled softly. “I’m fine.”

“You are not, and it is okay to admit that to your children, at least,” Julia said, taking a seat on one of the floral sofas in the room.

Oliver sat in one of the wingback chairs. “Your missive mentioned financial problems.”

His mother joined them but let out a reluctant sigh. “That can wait a few days. You’ve only just returned.”

He glanced at Julia, who shook her head. Clearly, their issues couldn’t wait. “I’d rather have it out of the way.”

Their housekeeper, Mrs. Fitzsimmons, arrived with the tea. “My lord, it is good you are home. I’ve brought your favorite biscuits.”

Oliver smiled. “I thought of them often while on the Continent.”

He wasn’t lying. It was strange what one craved or missed when so far away from home. Mrs. Fitzsimmons beamed at him, delighted with the compliment. After laying out the tea, she departed. Oliver turned back to his mother, who sat in her chair, wringing her hands. Finally, she said, “After Mr. Hancock became ill and left for the country, your father hired a new man-of-affairs. Mr. Devons was younger and appeared to have a deep understanding of innovation, trends, and money management, or at least that is what we thought.”

“He was a fool,” Julia said bluntly.

Oliver had been gone for no more than a year. How had it all gone so bad, so quickly? Should the man be brought up on criminal charges?

His mother explained, “Mr. Devons thought we should invest in a new diamond mine on the Continent. He swore it was a good deal and would double our annual income. Unbeknownst to me, your father, excited, withdrew almost all of our accessible money and became the primary investor. Unfortunately, over the last six months, it has become apparent that the mine doesn’t contain any deposits of diamonds. Right before your father’s death, the mine was shuttered, and he was informed that there was no way the Everly estate would get any of the invested money back.”

“Where is Mr. Devons now?” he asked, determined to hear the story from the man’s own mouth.

“Gone. He passed shortly after Father,” Julia stated.

His mother wiped at her eyes. “Your father must have been beside himself with worry, and I believe he died from the stress of it all. I wish he had told me. He never kept anything from me but this.”

While Oliver knew the financial loss upset his mother, he suspected she was more devastated that his father had kept it a secret. “I’m sure he only meant to protect you until he found a solution.”