Page 110 of The Truth About Lord Stoneville
“Even if she doesn’t relent,” Gabe pointed out, “we don’t need her money, thanks to Maria’s fortune. Right, Oliver?” He flashed Maria a grin. “We’re most grateful to you for that, Maria.”
Time to lower the boom. “Actually, my wife and I have decided that part of her fortune should go to help her family—she has an aunt and four cousins, you know. The other part will go into a trust for our children.”
Gabe’s grin faltered.
“And I was the one who called this meeting,” Oliver added. “Not Gran.”
At that moment, his grandmother came in, tapping her cane along the floor. “Sorry I’m late, but I had an emergency at the brewery.”
“It’s no problem,” he said. “We were just getting started.”
As he held out a chair for her, the stunned expression on his siblings’ faces had him fighting a smile.
“Now, then,” he said, returning to the head of the table, “I think you should know that Gran’s original requirement is still in place. The four of you must marry or she will disinherit the lot of us. I’ve done my part. So I suggest that while Maria and I are in America, you four start looking for mates.”
It took a second for that to sink in.
Minerva exploded first. “That isn’t fair! Gran, I’m sure you’ll have your heir from Oliver and Maria in no time, given the hours they spend up there in the master bedchamber. Why in heaven’s name must you continue this farce?”
“I asked her to continue it,” Oliver said. When his siblings gaped at him, he added, “Gran is right—it’s time that we take our place in the world as more than hellions. We’ve been sleepwalking too long, locked into the past, unable to live fruitful lives. Now that Maria has awakened me, I want to wake you up, too. I want you to stop boxing at shadows and hiding in the dark from the scandal of our parents’ deaths. I want you to find what I’ve found—love.”
He gazed at Maria, who cast him an encouraging smile. They’d both agreed that this might be the only way to force his siblings awake.
“Speak for yourself,” Minerva answered. “I’m perfectly fine. You’re just using that nonsense as an excuse for joining up with Gran to ruin our lives.” She glanced resentfully at Maria. “Is this the thanks we get for pushing him into your arms?”
“Pushing me into her arms?” Oliver echoed.
“All that making you jealous and keeping you from her—” Gabe began.
“And lying to you about her inheritance,” Jarret added. “Though that didn’t work out quite as planned.”
“You wouldn’t evenbetogether if not for us,” Celia said.
“I suspect my wife would beg to differ,” Oliver drawled.“But that’s neither here nor there. Rail at me all you want, but Gran’s deadline is still in place. You have ten months to marry.” He cast them a thin smile. “Given how difficult that may prove, however, I’ve hired someone to help you.”
He turned to the door. “Mr. Pinter? Would you step inside, please?”
The Bow Street runner walked in, looking uneasy at facing the entire cadre of scandalous Sharpes.
“Mr. Pinter has agreed to help you by researching the backgrounds of your potential spouses. I know it can be difficult, especially for you girls, to sort the legitimate suitors from the fortune hunters.” He knew that firsthand. “So Mr. Pinter will investigate anyone who sparks your interest. That should make the entire process move more quickly.”
“And cold-bloodedly,” Celia muttered under her breath.
Pinter arched an eyebrow but said nothing.
“Thank you, Mr. Pinter,” Oliver said. “If you’d be so good as to wait in my study, I need to say a few more things to my siblings.”
With a nod, Pinter left.
Now came the worst part. Turning to close the door, Oliver went to stand beside Maria. He needed her strength now. She took his hand and squeezed it.
“I’ve never told you the truth of what happened the day Mother killed Father. It’s time that I did. There have been too many secrets among us for too long.”
Shocked silence fell upon the room. He’d gone over thespeech in his head twenty times, yet now that it was here, he could hardly say the words. Fortunately Maria was at his side, her forgiveness and understanding bolstering his courage.
He clung to that as he related the events of that horrible day. He’d considered not revealing that he’d slept with Lilith—indeed, Maria had tried to convince him that he need not endure that humiliation. But every time he tried to figure out how to tell the tale by glossing over that part, it came out wrong. He had to say it all.
As he got through it, he couldn’t look at them. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy to tell his siblings that he was responsible for the deaths of the parents they still mourned, but he’d never guessed it would besohard.
