“I will be sure to drop by and listen.”
Oliver sat.
“And now perhaps you can tell me what is on your mind, brother. While it is nice that you called, I am sure there is a purpose.”
“Do I need one?” The material of Oliver’s jacket stretched across his shoulders as he rested his arms on the desk. Huge shoulders that many had leaned on, him included, in his brother’s lifetime.
Looking at him, Daniel felt that mix of love and desperation tinged with anger that he experienced when Oliver was near. Anger that seemed to be growing inside him, not weakening, as surely it should be.
“Mother and Father are worried for you.”
“And as I have recently told the twins, I am well.”
“Ah. I did wonder if they would confront you.”
“They did, so there is no need for you to, as I’m sure, given time, they will tell you what we discussed.”
Oliver ignored his words. “That woman, Lady Abigail. She has you in your current mood, is my guess.”
“As I told the twins, I was surprised and annoyed over her lies, but I have moved on.”
“Have you?”
Daniel nodded.
“Did you care for her?”
“Why are we having this conversation? It matters not how I feel about that woman; what matters is she’s an earl’s sister and deceitful. Therefore, this discussion has no bearing.”
He looked longingly at the door, hoping that any moment Alan would appear with the tea and a large wedge of cake. Dear lord, let there be cake. He usually enjoyed spending time with his family; today, however, he wanted them anywhere but in his vicinity.
“Other than the deceit, there is no reason to believe you could not see the woman again, surely?” Oliver’s tone was reasonable.
“She is an earl’s daughter.”
“I am married to a duke’s daughter.”
“Because you and she were found in a compromising position,” Daniel pointed out. He raised a hand as his brother’s lips clamped together in an angry line. “I am not saying you weren’t destined for each other, because you clearly are a love match, but had the compromising part not happened, would you have yielded and pursued her?”
“I would have come to my senses.” His brother had that bullish expression on his face that suggested he would not be questioned on the matter further. To hell with that; he was poking at Daniel, so he would return the favor.
“Oh, really? Because I seem to remember you saying you weren’t worthy of her, and even after your marriage, it took Thea to bash some sense into your head to stop treating her like a princess!”
“Don’t raise your voice at me.”
“Stop poking your nose into my business and I won’t have to. You and the twins have so far confronted me today about Abby. I won’t have it anymore.”
“Oh, so she’s Abby, is she?” And just like that, Oliver was once again relaxed, smug even.
“Get lost, Oliver.” Daniel gave up playing nice and just went with insults.
“Can I ask you a question, Daniel?”
He only just refrained from pinching the bridge of his nose. “Can I stop you?”
“Thea said something to me a while ago, and I laughed at it, discounted it.”
“That does surprise me. Your wife is far more intelligent than you, and rarely speaks without a great deal of wisdom.”
“Extremely amusing.”
“I thought so.”
“Daniel.”
“Oliver.” Daniel sighed again, because really nothing else fitted the moment quite so perfectly. It seemed today was for sighing and annoying visits from family.
His brother looked up from contemplating his fingers, and the look in his eyes made Daniel’s stomach clench.
“When I first married Thea, she told me that I carried around many emotions inside me that I refused to acknowledge. I was driven to succeed only, and little else mattered.”
Daniel nodded, suddenly wary as to where this was going.
“Are you carrying around a lot of emotion inside you, Daniel? And I’m not talking about the anger over what Lady Abigail Deville did.”
“P-pardon?”
“Thea says you do, but as you always look calm and rarely raise your voice, I have not noticed it. Well, usually you are calm. Strangely, that has changed of late.”
There was suddenly a loud buzzing in Daniel’s ears, and he wondered if in fact he was about to faint. His chest felt tight, and it seemed hard to draw in air.
“Thea thinks the events of our childhood still weigh heavily upon you,” Oliver continued.
“W-what?” he managed to stutter.
“Your reaction would tell me that in fact her words have merit.”
“No.” Daniel got out of his chair. “They don’t!”
“You’re yelling again, brother. Not a regular occurrence. In fact, for the rest of the Dillinger siblings, it is extremely annoying that rarely can we get you to roar at us. We’ve tried, many times, and yet you always remain calm. The steely kind of calm that can always be relied upon, and yet I now wonder if we have been there for you to rely on.”
Daniel walked to the windows and looked down at the street below. He stared through the glass, but saw nothing as thoughts whirled around inside his head.
“I am not the one we rely on, you are, and this is the most ridiculous conversation we’ve ever had.” His voice sounded odd even to his own ears.
“Not always. It is you we all go to for rational opinions and problem solving.”
“We all have our place in the family, Oliver.” Daniel watched a young boy run across the street chasing another and wished suddenly to be out there running behind him.
“Talk to me, Daniel.”
“Oliver, I have done nothing but talk all morning. First the twins about my apparent foul mood and now you.”
“Tell me what you are feeling. Is Thea right, are you angry about more than Lady Abigail?”
“Th-there is no anger. Why and who would I have anger f-for?”
