Before Liars Loved (Before Series, Book 3)

Frowning

"Where do you think you're going, Mav?"

Leo's little brother stopped in the nursery doorway, looking back at him with wide eyes.

"No wonder your governesses leave. You keep trying to sneak off the moment I turn my back to grab something." Leo gave him a severe glance, his patience dwindling that morning. He loved his brother dearly, but the last few hours had been long.

Maverick gave him an ashamed look, slinking back toward the table that Leo sat at. Sighing, Leo felt his face soften. It was hard to stay mad when Mav wore that expression.

"Sorry," Maverick said, sitting down again. As usual, his speech wasn't quite right, and the word came out sounding more like, "Sowwy." It only made it more challenging to discipline him.

Leo took another deep breath, steadying himself.

"It is fine, Mav. But you cannot give up. You have to keep trying." Leo pointed to the page of sums that they had been working on. He'd done the same lesson with Maverick countless times. Mav would always figure it out by the end, but the next day they'd sit down to do it again, and it would be like his entire memory of it had been wiped clean.

"It's hard," Maverick pouted, pushing the parchment with the numbers on it away from him. He crossed his arms dramatically over his chest.

"I know you can do it," Leo continued to encourage him. "You did it yesterday."

Maverick shook his head. He had blonde hair just like Leo, and it was sticking out in all directions. That hair was the only thing that had kept their family sane when Maverick was born. His face...well, his face looked completely different than anyone Leo had ever seen. In particular, it was the smallness of his eyes that had concerned everyone.

Leo would be lying if he hadn't wondered for a moment if Maverick had a different father than him. What else was he supposed to think? But then Leo had looked at that hair. Silver-blonde hair from birth. Leo's mother had dark brown locks.

Not to mention that Lord and Lady Aston were unwavering in their love for each other.

Any thought of infidelity was immediately pushed away, and instead, Lord Aston had put all of his efforts into figuring out why his son had been born... differently. Most aristocratic families would have sent such a child away, worried what others would say and how it would affect their reputation. But not Leo's parents.

Oh, Maverick was undoubtedly kept separate from the world of the ton. A secret, if you will. When he traveled into the public view, it was usually with a well-trained servant or with his friend, Langdon—never with Leo or his parents. All of his governesses were sworn to secrecy and continually paid handsomely for it. Lord and Lady Aston feared that Mav would be made a spectacle otherwise. And Leo knew what people would assume about his mother.

"I do not want to," Maverick said, continuing to pout. His feet swung below him, rocking back and forth. He was much shorter than other nine-year-olds; his feet did not reach the floor when he sat.

Leo didn't feel in the mood to argue with Maverick today. "Shall we take a break and try again later?"

Maverick nodded his head quickly.

"You promise to work hard when we come back to it?"

Maverick nodded again.

"Fine," Leo relented, and Maverick immediately shot from his chair, a smile spreading on his face as he assaulted Leo with a tight hug. It only lasted a moment, though, because then he was racing through the doorway as fast as his little legs could carry him.

Leo couldn't help but chuckle as he stood and also made his way through the door. Maverick was gone from sight, but Leo wasn't too concerned. He had likely gone to find Langdon, who was probably lounging in the library, reading. It was almost as though the other boy lived at Aston House, too. But no one complained because they were all happy that Maverick had such a good friend.