Page 45 of Read To Me, Lyon

“What will happen to him?” Anna asked.

“Will he be in prison for the rest of his life?” Hazel added, frowning.

The idea of Uncle Dominic locked in Newgate Prison forever didn’t sit well with her either. Perhaps they were too soft-hearted, but she couldn’t fathom it.

“We need to ensure he doesn’t harm you,” Eloise pointed out.

Kitty nodded, reluctantly. “I agree, I guess.”

“I will speak with the constable to understand what the options are,” Oliver stated, reaching to squeeze her hand.

She smiled at him, grateful.

“Is there any worry he will share details about the publications?” Julia asked.

“We will handle that if the situation arises,” Oliver reassured them.

Kitty nodded. “All we can do is move forward and hope for the best.”

“Are Shannon and Jack unharmed?” Anna asked.

“Yes. Jack is a little banged up, but they are both fine. Benton and Mr. Hutchison escorted them home.”

The staff started removing the last plate from dinner, and Oliver rose. “Would any of you mind if Kitty and I walked in the gardens before meeting you all in the drawing room for an after-dinner drink?”

Everyone shook their heads, and Oliver held his arm out to Kitty. “Come, Lady Everly. I think a walk in the cool air will benefit us both.”

“Agreed.”

They wandered out to the terrace and down the steps into the garden. Oliver asked, “If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”

Kitty bit her lip, lost in the thought of her uncle, sitting in Newgate. It weighed on her. For all Dominic’s faults, and there were many, her father had loved him. They’d been brothers, one a loving family man, a father, and a successful businessman, and the other a scoundrel, a reprobate, and a blackmailer. Even still, she hated the idea of him in prison. “Is there an option to send my uncle away instead of going to prison? He won’t survive in Newgate. I can’t have his death on my hands.”

It was ironic, she knew. He hadn’t seemed to worry about having her death on his hands. Or Jack’s, or Shannon’s. But still…she didn’t have the heart to condemn him.

They stopped and sat on a bench. “There is transportation to a penal colony, but some say that it is more brutal than prison.”

Even if it shouldn’t, her heart ached for Uncle Dominic. “My father did love him very much.”

“Maybe he could be exiled, but we would have to ensure somehow that he is never able to return. When I speak with the constable, I will bring the matter up.”

“Thank you, Oliver. You probably think I’m irrational for wanting to protect him.”

He shook his head and grasped her chin. “No, I think you are someone who is saddened that your last living relative besides your sisters might be in prison for life.”

She brushed a kiss across his lips. “Not the last anymore. I have you and your family, but he is the last tie to my father.”

“I will figure something out.”

Kitty leaned her head on his shoulder. “We should join them in the drawing room.”

He pulled her close. “We will soon. I want to hold you for a moment.”

She burrowed into him.

A week later, Oliver and Kitty entered the home of Captain Harrison from the Royal Navy. He was a well-known military man who was about to begin a five-year tour of Asia for the Crown. Oliver had done as Kitty requested and found an alternative to Dominic Larson spending years in Newgate.

A butler escorted them down a hallway and into a drawing room. Inside sat Captain Harrison, and to his right stood Larson, dressed in a naval uniform. The captain rose when they entered, bowing. Larson bowed as well.