Free Brook Street: Fortune Hunter by Ava March Page B

tension there. Another long swallow. Then one more before he rested the tumbler on his thigh. Julian couldn’t very well expect him to down the entire glass in a few seconds.
    Letting out a sigh, Oscar leaned back, resting his head against the couch. “I hated living with them,” he said, low and quiet, finally giving voice to the sentiment that had filled him for years. “Well, not at first. At first I hoped perhaps…” He shook his head. They hadn’t cared one whit for him while his father had been alive. Why the hell had he ever hoped it would be any different after the man’s death? In fact, it had gotten worse. The disinterest turning to resentment and seething jealousy. “But no. Living with them was…terrible.”
    “Were they cruel to you?” Brow lowered in concern, Julian leaned forward, rested a hand on Oscar’s knee. “Oscar, did your uncle hurt you?”
    “No, not physically. And they weren’t blatantly cruel. They more tolerated me. I knew I was only there because they allowed it. Even my cousins made sure I was aware of that fact. George and Matthew never let me tag after them, and Alice ignored me. I quickly learned just to keep to myself. Became very good at patience and devoted a lot of time to my studies. Not much else to do in Yorkshire.” The endless acres of trees and fields hadn’t been very good company, and the children in the nearby village had been his cousins’ friends and therefore would not be his. “It wouldn’t have been so bad if I’d had a brother or sister, but it’s just me. Do you have any siblings?”
    “Yes, a sister. Six years younger. She married last year and moved to Baltimore.”
    “Do you miss her?”
    “Not really. We were never close, not even when we were children. My family isn’t a very tight-knit one. I don’t see my mother often either. She remarried shortly after my father’s death, though she still resides in Philadelphia.”
    At least the man had an immediate family, someone to turn to if he needed them. All Oscar had was his mother’s family.
    Julian nudged his chin toward the half-full glass. “Finish that.” Once Oscar did as bid, he asked, “If it was so terrible, why did you stay with your aunt and uncle for so long? Couldn’t you have left when you were eighteen or nineteen? Lived on your own as you do now? This house came to you a few years ago, correct?”
    “Yes, but my aunt and uncle were my guardians, and I didn’t realize I could petition the trustees for an allowance once I turned eighteen.” Aunt Beatrice and Uncle Charles had deliberately kept him ignorant of that fact. If he did not reside with them, they could not reap the benefits. “As soon as I turned twenty-one last July, my father’s solicitors paid me a visit to explain that I had reached my majority. My inheritance was now under my control. I could make my own decisions, do as I pleased. Which I did. My uncle still isn’t pleased that I left to live in London. If he had his way, he’d have kept me in Yorkshire and had me wed Caroline years ago. Not sure if you noticed her. She was the taller young lady in the entrance hall. The other one was Alice. Caroline’s my uncle’s brother’s daughter. We aren’t related by blood,” he added. “It’s not that she’s a horrid girl, but she’s a girl. Never had an interest in them. Even if I preferred women, I wouldn’t marry her. She doesn’t actually care for me in the slightest. I’ve told my uncle countless times that I would not marry her. Perhaps now he’s finally given up that hope.”
    Reaching to the side table, Julian grabbed the decanter of whisky.
    “More?” Oscar asked, as Julian refilled his empty tumbler.
    A grim nod.
    “You are determined to get me foxed, aren’t you?”
    “Sometimes one needs to get foxed. Good for the soul and all.” He set the decanter back on the side table. “Your inheritance must be impressive, given your relatives’ behavior.”
    Oscar shrugged as he brought the