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“The blasted thing has been an unending source of argument for Dantes and me. He wanted it down here, where we all can see it, but I can’t stomach looking it and want it gone.”

“That seems a bit unfair to Dantes.”

“He had it for a number of years. Now you can have it. And anyway, he won’t argue with me about giving it to you.”

Ollie hesitated but crossed the room to grab it. He already knew where on the parlor mantel he would put it. “Thanks,” Ollie said to Victor, cradling the tintype carefully.

Victor didn’t respond.

“Look, I’m really sorry—”

But Victor suddenly turned, his face tense with emotion. “Don’t you think I would have wanted to be there?”

Ollie blinked. “Sorry?”

“Don’t you think I would have wanted to be at your blasted wedding?”

Swallowing hard, Ollie tried to think of how to respond. That was why Victor was upset? The hardest, coldest man he knew felt this strongly about his wedding?

“To be honest,” Ollie slowly responded, “I never would have expected you would want to.”

Victor turned back to the fire, and the light threw odd shadows over his face. “I know we have always been at odds with each other. And that probably won’t ever change. But I’ve always tried my best, Ollie. I really did.”

“I know,” Ollie replied quietly.

“We were only in Whitechapel for four years. I know you don’t remember it. But for me, those four years may have been four decades. Too many times your life, Dantes’s life, were in peril. I was never at ease, I was always worried and looking over my shoulder.”

Ollie didn’t respond. Victor had never shown this vulnerable side to him before. And Ollie was afraid if he moved or said something, Victor would retreat like a startled bird.

“I just—I would have liked to have been there.”

Maybe, once he convinced Evelyn to really marry him, he would invite his brothers to their real wedding, though he wasn’t sure he had the patience to wait weeks or months to plan one.

But for now, he had tread lightly and bringing up the fake marriage would only add fuel to the fire.

“I would have liked you to have been there, too. It was kind of unexpected.”

Victor gave him a tight nod, sniffed, then straightened his back. He seemed to transform back to his usual self. “Fergus spoke to me tonight. First time in twenty years.”

“And how did that go?”

Victor chuckled—though it was not one of amusement—and shook his head. “All he did was remind me I’m next in line to the title.”

For some reason, Ollie never really thought much about what would happen after Fergus passed. It seemed impossible his giant, terrifying grandfather would one day be gone. “Right. Forgot about that,” Ollie said.

Victor glared at him.

Ollie laughed nervously. “Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he lived another thirty years. I doubt death wants anything to do with him.”

“You jest, but the man’s in his eighties.”

Ollie’s face twisted in thought. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Oh.” A long pause. “I don’t think you need to worry about it for a while yet.” But Ollie could tell Victor wasn’t so sure. And he wondered if maybe Fergus had confided something to him.

Not that he would dare ask.

“Some family you married into.” Victor changed the subject.

Letting out a long breath, Ollie agreed.

“Your father-in-law approached me as well,” Victor said with bitterness. All his oldest brother cared about was running the pub, yet he always seemed to get dragged into Ollie’s and Dantes’s messes.

“Oh?”

“He is, understandably, quite furious. And exceptionally frantic as well. Did you know there was a contract signed? For your wife’s hand in marriage, the earl loaned the baron a disgusting amount of money, the debt to be forgiven upon marriage.”

“I, uh, did know a bit about that, in fact.” Ollie rubbed the back of his neck.

This was another part of really getting married that he had to figure out.

He knew what the reward amount was to turn Evelyn in, and he also knew the loan was much larger than that.

He wasn’t poor by any means, but he didn’t have that kind of money, either.

Victor looked him square in the eye. “And are you going to cover the amount? Because the earl is threatening to take away their home and drag them through court and the newspapers.”

“Actually, I don’t have that kind of money.”

Victor nodded and returned his attention to the fireplace, his usual tension still in place. “I covered it.”

Ollie pulled back but was too stunned to say anything. Christ, now he was really going to have to convince Evelyn to marry him.

Victor scowled at him. “The least you can do is thank me.”

It took a moment for the shock to subside. Victor was not a kind person. He was hard, unyielding, and as approachable as a rabid dog.

Or maybe, that was all a mask. Like the one Eamon wore.

Ollie hurried over to Victor and gave him the hardest hug he had ever given in his life. Victor, who was larger than Ollie, still let out a pained noise.

“Get off of me!” Victor growled.

“No.” Ollie hugged him even tighter before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. He knew it would enrage his brother.

And it did. Victor swore, shoved him off, and wiped the wetness off his cheek while Ollie howled with amusement. “Do that again and I’ll punch your teeth out,” Victor warned.

“Seriously, though, Victor. I don’t know how to repay you.”

“You can’t. And you won’t.” He rubbed at his cheek again.

“That wasn’t…all of your money, was it?”

Victor laughed, a very rare occurrence. “No.”

Where had he even gotten that kind of money? Victor could be such a mystery that, really, it wasn’t surprising at all he was secretly incredibly wealthy.

“Don’t ever bring it up again. I’m serious, Ollie,” Victor said when Ollie started grinning. “It’s a gift. Because I can’t help myself. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ll always look out for you.”

Ollie’s eyes were becoming misty. “Thanks. I know I drive you to madness, and you irritate me, but I do appreciate everything you do for me. Truly.”

Victor ignored him, not one to like emotionally charged moments. “Don’t tell anyone what I did for you. In fact, let’s just forget about it.”

“Promise.” Ollie made a crossing motion over his heart. “Obviously, I have to tell Evelyn.” Assuming she would agree to marry him.

Victor nodded. “You’re going to have some interesting moments with that one.”

“Yes,” Ollie agreed, feeling nervous about tomorrow.

It was his best chance to convince her to come home, to be his wife both legally and in the eyes of God, to live her life with him.

If she went to Paris and he had to convince her to come home from such an amazing city, he would have his work cut out for him more than he already did.

“But I’ll take the hardest moments in life as long as she’s with me. ”