4. Chapter Four #2
Colin drew up a chair and sat down. “You look very comfortable. Please don’t bother to move on my account.”
“You look brown. Where have you been for the last few months? On holiday again?”
“No, I’ve been working. I had to go out to California to see one of my clients, so I spent a couple of days sightseeing.”
“Working.” His father grunted. “Is that what they call it these days?”
Colin kept his pleasant smile firmly in place. His father had every right to believe that Colin was a freeloading Hooray Henry who spent his entire life partying with the likes of Pippa Middleton. But Colin had changed, and it was frustrating his father refused to believe it.
“Anyway, you are back now. There are a few things we need to discuss about the estate.”
“I know,” Colin said gently. “That’s why Edward asked me to come down here.”
“You only turned up because our family solicitor invited you? Not because you wished to see your own father?”
“Not at all. I wanted to see you, but—”
“But you thought you’d come down just to make sure.”
“To make sure of what?” Colin held his father’s gaze. “My inheritance? God knows, I’ve been avoiding that for years. What makes you think I would suddenly be interested in it now?”
“Because I’m dying?”
Colin slowly stood and looked down at his father. “I don’t want to fight with you again. In fact, I refuse to. I came because I thought you needed me. If that isn’t the case, just tell me and I’ll leave.”
He waited for his inevitable dismissal. When had his father ever needed him? When had Colin ever been anything but second best? The spare who had taken the place of the heir and never been allowed to forget it.
“You are my heir,” his father said gruffly.
“I am well aware of that.”
“You owe me your duty.”
Colin slowly unclenched his fists. “I’m more than willing to accept that responsibility.”
“You never were in the past.”
“I’m not that person anymore.” The skeptical look in his father’s faded blue eyes made him want to do something stupid like smash a window or hang from the massive chandelier over the bed and whoop like a monkey.
But he’d tried those tactics before and almost killed himself.
“I’m willing to do whatever has to be done. ”
His father leaned back against the pillows and closed his eyes. “Then God help us both.”
Mabel eyed the gorgeous Freddy Marcham as he waved his hands, illuminating a point in his story. He had the same bright blue eyes as Colin, but his hair was a light shade of tawny brown with perfect gold streaks. Maybe they were highlights?
He was charming and funny, but she wasn’t attracted to him in the slightest. She wondered about the tension she’d sensed between him and Colin and hadn’t liked the obvious jabs Freddy had lobbed at him. But relationships ran deep and were often impossible for outsiders to fathom.
She’d hoped to talk with Colin’s sister, but she and their grandmother had left the table together, muttering something about flowers and letters to write, leaving Mabel alone with Freddy.
“So how long have you known my esteemed brother?” Freddy asked her.
“Not long.”
“Where did you meet?”
“He was introduced to me by the CEO of a company I’ve worked with in Silicon Valley. Colin said he was working on some personal and business designs for him to be built here in England.”
“Viz did?” Freddy grinned. “You shouldn’t always believe what he says, you know. He has terribly inflated ideas of his own importance.”
Mabel widened her eyes. “You’re suggesting your brother is a liar?”
“Not exactly. It’s just that we all know he got that job because… Well because something had to be done about him, and Stephen, who owns the firm, helped out because he’s a distant cousin of our father’s.”
“So, you’re suggesting your brother achieved his current position through nepotism?” Mabel smiled. “How very supportive of you.”
Freddy blinked at her. “Ouch.”
“I have a question,” Mabel said. “Why do you call Colin viz?”
“It’s a long story. When we were kids, he used to love a chocolate biscuit called a viscount biscuit. Often, people don’t say the word ‘viscount’ properly—the ‘s’ should be silent—and so the biscuits get pronounced ‘viz-count.’ Hence viz.”
“Oh.” Mabel nodded as if what he said made perfect sense. “Did Colin particularly like or hate those cookies?”
Freddy’s smile dimmed. “He stopped eating them after our brother died.” He shoved a hand through his hair. “I never thought about that until now.”
Only her loyalty to Colin kept her from asking Freddy a million questions about the brother he’d never mentioned.
“And what do you do around here?”
“Technically, I’m the estate manager. I went to agricultural college to get my degree in land management.”
“Impressive.”
“It would be if we had any money to actually put anything I learned into practice.” He sighed. “And my father… Let’s just say he has some difficulty sharing necessary information.”
“I gather your father isn’t well.”
“Yeah. He has Parkinson’s.”
Mabel winced. “Bummer.”
“Which is why I assume Viz has finally deigned to come home.”
“To do what?”
Freddy’s smile was resigned. “To hammer the final nail in our father’s coffin.”
Mabel wasn’t sure how to respond to that, except by asking a lot of questions Freddy probably didn’t want to answer. She exhaled a silent sigh when Colin returned.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Even she could tell that it obviously wasn’t, but she didn’t want to give Freddy the opportunity to pick at his brother when he was obviously upset.
Colin’s answering smile was distracted. “Father’s as well as can be expected. He’s hoping he’ll be down for dinner and he’s looking forward to meeting you.” He turned to his brother. “What time is Edward due in?”
“About four. I’ll pick him up at the station.”
“I can do it if you’re busy.”
Freddy raised an eyebrow. “What would I be busy doing?”
Colin sighed. “I’m sorry, Freddy. I really am. As I told Father, I want to get this mess sorted out as soon as possible.”
“So that you can move on.”
“I haven’t made any decisions yet. That’s why I came down here. I want to talk to you all and get an overview of the situation from Edward.” Colin gripped the back of the chair. “Give me a chance.”
“Fine.” Freddy held up his hands and stood. “I’ll get Edward from the station. Enjoy yourself with the lovely Mabel.”
Mabel waited until he’d left the room before turning to Colin. “Is it just me or is every word your brother says to you loaded with venom?”
Colin shrugged. “Not quite venom, but he does disapprove of me. I haven’t exactly done much to gain his trust or approval.”
“I don’t get it. You’re nice, you’re funny, you have a paying job, and you have your own dower house. What more could any family want?”
“Thanks for the positive endorsement.” His smile was warm.
“I wasn’t quite such an upright citizen during my teens and early twenties.
In fact, I was a complete fuckup. I got kicked out of Cambridge and apparently disgraced the family name at every opportunity.
I don’t actually remember much about it.
And that it explains it all, really.” He sighed.
“I understand why they are all a bit wary, but you’d think five years of steady employment and good behavior would count for something. ”
Mabel rose from her seat and took his hand. “My closest half-sibling tells everyone I talk to myself in the bathroom mirror and have an imaginary friend named Jennifer. I haven’t spoken to Jennifer for years.” She paused. “I do still talk to myself occasionally, but that’s normal, right?”
His mouth quirked. “You have a way of putting things in perspective that makes me feel so much better.”
“We’ve already agreed that families are hell. It’s super hard to change their minds about anything.”
“I don’t seem to have the knack of it. I feel like they are constantly waiting for me to screw up.”
“Yeah, I know how that feels. My board—” She suddenly remembered the confidentiality agreement she’d signed restricting her to discuss her projects. She hated that feeling of not being free, even after being officially off the original team for five years.
“Would you like a tour?” Colin asked when the silence began to stretch,
“Yes, please.” Mabel was extremely glad he hadn’t asked her to elaborate.
They started walking and her gaze went upward to a high hall, a sweeping staircase and a massive chandelier hanging overhead. She squinted up at the painted ceiling and was awed to see a detailed mural of fat cherubs and pink clouds.
“Wow.”