“Not always,” Mary said. “Once he was as hotheaded as you, Peter. Do you remember how there were weeks when he came home bloodied and bruised? There was that time when we weren’t sure if he would make it—”
“We do not need to discuss that again, and especially not at such an occasion,” Daniel said, giving his siblings a look that shut them up.
He’d spent a great deal of time fighting after Oliver left their house to go to London and seek his fortune. He’d had to step into his brother’s shoes to protect his family, and they’d been hard boots to fill. He’d learned to resent him after the second night he’d come home bloodied and bruised.
Thus far, he’d managed to keep most of this from Oliver, simply because he’d told his siblings that the eldest Dillinger did not need to know what had taken place after he’d left them. Until now, they’d held his secret.
“What are you talking about? Why was he bloodied and bruised constantly? What weren’t you sure about?”
“I am taking flute lessons.” He said the words quickly so the discussion would end. He had no wish to think or speak about that time in his life.
“I beg your pardon?” Oliver looked at him like he’d said he was playing the female lead in Shakespeare’s The Tempest.
“I have been learning to play the flute.”
“Really?” His mother clapped her hands. “Will you play for me? I’ve always loved the flute.”
“I could teach you, if you want?” Daniel found himself saying. Her smile told him it had been the right thing to offer. Plus, his family seemed to have forgotten what they’d been discussing. Though perhaps not all, he thought, looking at Oliver.
“You’re not going to join some travelling show and leave, are you?” These words came from Peter. “Become a wandering minstrel. Grow your hair and have women trailing about after you.”
“I believe they play a lute, so I think not… but the idea does have merit. After all, what possible reason could there be for me to stay here with you all?”
His family laughed, their reactions a mixture of pride and shock. But there was no mockery, no disbelief. Abby had said they’d be proud of him, and in this she’d been right.
“How long have you been taking lessons, and why is it we are only finding this out now?” Mary asked.
“I know the answer to that,” Kate said. “He will never make a fool of himself. Clearly, he is good at it, or we would never have known. It’s the fencing thing all over again.”
“He and the Hetherington twins and Finn all fought each other the other day. According to Finn, he has excellent technique,” Oliver said.
“Was there any doubt?” Peter asked, looking disgusted.
“I am sitting right here, you know, there is no need to discuss me as if I am not.”
His family continued to tease him and each other, and he felt himself relax… until Oliver moved to take the empty seat beside him.
“I don’t want to discuss what we talked about the other day in my office.” Daniel went for honesty.
“Now is not the time, but we will discuss it,” Oliver said.
Daniel sighed.
“Lord Raine has contacted an investigative service to find who was behind that incident that day in the street. It could have been random but seems unlikely. Like most powerful men, the earl and his brothers will have enemies and they fear one of those is targeting their sister.”
The thought of Abby in danger actually made nausea well up in his gut.
“Finn saw Raine two days ago, and now he is calmer, he knows that were it not for you, it is likely his sister would have been maimed or worse,” Oliver said so only he could hear.
Daniel would not think what the worse could be.
“Is there anything between you and Lady Abigail, brother?”
“No, nothing.”
“And yet according to Ben, you called her Abby as you ran to save her, and then there was that business at the flower display. Plus, she seemed extremely interested in you at the Upton ball.”
“And I repeat, there is nothing between Lady Abigail and I, brother.” Abby had been foolish to discuss him with Oliver.
“I like her. She seems a nice and intelligent woman.”
“I wouldn’t know.” But he did, and wasn’t that the problem. She was clever, funny, and cared about people. It was an intoxicating combination.
He kept his eyes on two of his nieces, who were now being galloped around the room on Peter’s back.
“I hope, as your eldest sibling, that you would come to me should you need to, or if you want to discuss something.”
Daniel nodded.
“A nod does nothing to ease my mind.”
“I had no idea it needed easing, brother.”
“Daniel, you walked out on the discussion we were having the other day.”
“I did not walk out, I had an appointment, and I said I have no wish to discuss this further.”
“You had no appointment. You were avoiding me.”
He huffed out a silent breath, aware that at any moment a sibling would demand to know what it was he and Oliver discussed.
“I do not like to discuss things such as this, and the only reason you do is because of Thea. I said just this to Ben. It seems when men fall in love, suddenly they understand emotions. It’s extremely disconcerting.”
“Well, that is true, but with the—”
“If you say the love of a good woman I’m leaving.”
“Talk to me, Daniel. Tell me about these beatings you took.”
“I am fine, and everything is fine. How could it not be, considering how we once lived.” He could feel the anger clawing its way through him. The unreasonable, ugly feelings that made him want to roar at his brother.
“How indeed?” Oliver didn’t
