Henry turned to her. “Really? You want to blame me for his ignorant choices. Or were they yours? Whose idea was it actually to invest all of our money in a Central American country no one has ever heard of?”
“I’m your mother! How dare you speak to me in such a manner?” She pointed an accusing finger in his direction. Her dark hair and eyes were so different from her sons, much like everything else in their lives. “You will be thanking us that we had the intelligence to invest in a new world.”
Henry nostrils flared as he tried to calm his elevating heart rate. The storm inside of him raged. It wouldn’t take much for it to fully seize him. “Tell me exactly how you heard about this undiscovered country?”
“Mr. Stanford, the Cacique of Pomais, and Mr. White came into town two years ago looking for investors. I quickly saw what a great opportunity this was for us. Over the years, I have funded several expeditions to Pomais. We own fifty acres of land and currently have over ten thousand Pomais dollars in our possession.” His uncle puffed with pride.
“It seems to me that your Mr. White and Mr. Stanford have taken you for a damn fool!” Henry grabbed a fistful of his hair to avoid violence toward his blithering imbecile of an uncle. “Where the hell is White anyway? I want some damn answers!”
“Henry! Do not raise your voice! What has gotten into you?” His mother sounded like a squawking bird at sea. “White is an investor just like the rest of us. It is fortunate that he and Mrs. White invited us to stay with them.
“How convenient.” Henry held her gaze, inspecting this woman who had given birth to him. She was a stranger. Her hair, once entirely black, was streaked with gray. Wrinkles marred her pretty face, and the white of her eyes were a pale-yellow color from too much wine.
He couldn’t stand to look at the pair of them, acting like they had done nothing wrong. They had given their entire fortune away and were living in the home of a man they barely knew. These were not the same people he remembered.
“The devil take the both of you!” He threw up his hands.
His mother reared back as if he had physically slapped her, her eyes wide and full of fear. He had never cursed at his mother before. There were many opportunities over the years, but he had accepted her every flaw, until now.
“Y-you must understand it is an excellent opportunity for your mother and I to freely be together.” His uncle rushed the last words of his sentence. Sweat poured down his face and his hands shook nervously.
Bloody hell.
Just when Henry thought he couldn’t take any more surprises, they had to go and hit him with one the size of Mount Teide.
His mother walked over and stood beside his uncle and placed her hand on his shoulder in a sign of solidarity. It was an intimate move, one that Henry had noticed between them many times before after his father died. In the past, he had assumed it was familial affection, but now, the drapes had been opened and he could see their relationship for what it really was.
Slapping a hand to his face, he groaned in sheer frustration, not believing the turn of events of his life.
“This is our chance to marry, to not be ashamed of being together because of our connection to your oaf of a father.” She sneered at Henry like he had chosen his father over her. “Your uncle is going to be a government official!”
Henry gawked at her. She had truly gone insane. His mind couldn’t believe his ears. “You gave away all of our funds because you wanted to be together?” A vein throbbed in his temple as the rage built up inside him. “Why didn’t you just go to the bloody continent? Why invest everything in a place you’ve never heard of and no one has ever been to except this Mr. Stanford?”
“You will see once we are in Pomais that this was an excellent opportunity for your mother and me. We will be married and no longer have to hide our love from you or the world.” His uncle shifted side to side, his beady eyes pleading with Henry to understand.
“Well, forgive me if I’m not sympathetic to your cause, especially since you are not yet in Pomais. Where is this damn Mr. Stanford anyway?” Henry waved his arm in front of him as if the man would appear out of nowhere.
“Must you use that language in front of me?” his mother snapped, but he ignored her outburst.
“Perhaps it would be best if we all calmed down.” Elijah interrupted the family squabble with his deep, soothing voice. “I understand that this is a very delicate situation, but surely fighting amongst yourselves will not solve anything.”
“Thank you, Mr. Edwards, but we do not need your assistance. May I ask why you are here?” Lady Heartford’s nasal voice held derision.
“Elijah is my friend, and you will show him respect, Mother.” Henry’s commanding voice grabbed her attention. Her contemptuous gaze was now aimed at him, but he no longer cared for her opinion. “Uncle, where is Stanford?”
“He is currently traveling. Building international relations for Pomais. As is his duty.” His uncle pulled down his jacket and held his head high.
“That’s rather convenient, don’t you think? Why didn’t he go to Pomais with the first settlers?” Karrington faced the older man, the lines of his cheekbones prominent.
Henry contemplated Karrington’s words, thinking the same thing. If Stanford was the cacique, shouldn’t he be in his own country?
“I am sorry to keep you waiting, my lords.” Mr. White, a rotund bald man, came in holding ledgers and looking slightly out of sorts.
“Is this everything from my solicitor?” Henry asked as Mr. White placed the ledgers down on the table in the center of the large room.
“Y-yes this is everything. You will find detailed transactions between your uncle and the bank of Pomais.” He wiped at his forehead with a soiled handkerchief.
Henry began flipping through one of the books, scanning the thin sheets of paper.
