Page 34 of The Labours of Lord Perry Cavendish

Perry heard the slight note of bitterness in Jonny’s tone.

“Sounds like there are a few of you,” he said.

“Five in all,” Jonny confirmed. “Three boys, of which I’m the second, and two girls. ”

“Are any of the others artistic?”

Jonny shook his head. “No. My mother had some talent, though. She secured me a good drawing master, and she made sure to cultivate Uncle Godfrey’s interest in me once she realised I had some talent. I was even sent to a different school from my brothers—one that was close to Uncle Godfrey’s house.”

“Did he have no children of his own?”

“No,” Jonny said. “He was married, but he and his wife never had children. He was very interested in us, though. Mother used to take me and my brother Tom and my sister Harriet to visit them every summer for a few weeks—just us three youngest ones. They had a big house on the coast near an enormous beach. It was wonderful. Uncle Godfrey used to let me paint with him, with real paints, and never scolded me about wasting paper. He wasn’t a bad artist himself, actually. With a bit of tuition, he might have been really quite good.”

“He sounds like a very nice uncle to have had.”

“He was,” Jonny said. “Especially after my mother passed away. I missed her terribly. My father used to send me to Godfrey’s for the holidays rather than bringing me home.”

Perry glanced at him sidelong. “With your brother and sister?”

Jonny shook his head. “Not by then. I’d been established as the favourite by this time, and Tom and Harriet preferred home.”

“But you didn’t?”

Jonny shrugged. “I didn’t have a choice. By then, it was understood that I was my uncle’s favourite and his heir. Besides, my father and I didn’t get along. He found mywaysaggravating.”

“Your ways?” Perry pressed.

Jonny lips tightened into a thin line. He looked straight ahead, not meeting Perry’s eyes. “No need to pretend, Peregrine. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Perry frowned at that, and he stopped walking. “That’s not a fair thing to say,” he said, annoyed.

Jonny’s head whipped round. “What do you mean?”

“Well, how am I supposed to reply to that?” Perry demanded. “It’s like you’re assuming I’ll agree there’s something bad about you when you haven’t even said what that thing is. And if I take a guess at what it is, you’ll take that as proof that Idothink it’s bad.”

Jonny blinked at him, seeming confused. As well as he might—that had sounded confused even to Perry.

Perry’s annoyance faded, and he sighed. “What I’m trying to say is that I don’t think there’sanythingbad about you.”

For a moment, Jonny just stared at him, his expression stricken. Then his eyes filled with tears and he quickly looked away.

A few moments passed. Then, in a tight voice, Jonny said, “I can assure you there are plenty of less-than-admirable things about me, Peregrine, but you’re right about one thing. Thatwasan unfair thing to say.” He paused, then added, “My father did not like what he called my‘molly ways’. He found me lacking as a man, especially compared to my brothers.” He paused again, then said hoarsely, “He was—is—ashamed of me.”

And in that moment, Perry saw that Jonny—poor Jonny—was ashamed too.

Perry laid his hand on Jonny’s shoulder and Jonny looked up, meeting his gaze.

Gently, Perry said, “Sometimes people don’t see what you are. They only see what you’re not.”

Jonny frowned, but he didn’t say anything, just waited for Perry to go on.

“Maybe your father was so busy noticing you weren’t like him and your brothers that he didn’t notice how talented and clever and witty you are. ButIsee that, and so do Adam and Zander and probably lots of other people.”

He squeezed Jonny’s shoulder, then dropped his hand away and began walking again.

After a moment, Jonny followed him.

They strolled in silence for a while. Then, finally, Jonny said, “You’ve got quite a wise head on those broad shoulders, Hercules.”