Just to clarify, Brian is not a minor in Charity & Phillips. He’s just a young man. I chose the word “boy” to describe him because during that era, it was common to refer to young men that way. Plus, it highlighted his inexperience in comparison to Thomas. At the beginning of their affair described in flashback in the book, Brian is meant to be in his early 20s while Phoebe is in her mid to late 20s.