Chapter 8

A aron gave Edmund's butler his hat and marveled that the old man still had the knack to browbeat him. The solemn faced man had been his father's butler. As a child, Aaron had been afraid of him. Even now, the old coot never cracked a smile and never spoke more words than necessary.

For years, Edmund had stayed enclosed in his house, hiding his secret from everyone. Megrims behooved his brother, to the point where Aaron had thought Edmund was losing his mind. Thank God, Nathaniel returned home when he did. For he brought the truth to light about many things.

"Is my brother home?"

"Yes. He is in the library."

"Very well. Are you going to tell me to wait here?" Edmund wasn't expecting him, and usually the butler had no qualms of letting Aaron know that fact. Today he said nothing of the sort.

"No. You may go to the library, master Aaron."

Did the man think he needed his permission? Aaron strode down the corridor, his boots announcing his arrival. The door was open. Feminine laughter floated into the hall. Ah, Joyanna. Edmund's lovely wife-to-be. How he managed to snag that woman was beyond Aaron's imagining.

"May I be allowed to join the party?"

"Aaron." Joyanna rose from the settee, holding out her hands. He clasped them in his own, pressing a kiss to the back of one hand.

"You grow more lovely every day. Are you tired of this insensitive man yet?"

"It's good to see you. You're looking well. How is Aunt Penelope?" Good of her to ignore the stab at his brother.

"She is well. Visiting another matriarch, today."

"Give her my love and tell her I shall visit this week."

"I will do that." Wolf had snapped to attention when Aaron wandered in. "Come here, boy." The dog bounded over to Aaron, greedily seeking praise. "How do you like having a dog in the house, Edmund?"

"I have to admit, brother, you were right. I would be lost without him."

"I see the bounder is still growing."

"Will he get bigger?" Joyanna asked. "I thought he was fully grown."

"If that beast gets any larger, my dear, he'll have to find a new home in the stables."

"Edmund, you wouldn't dare." She knelt down to give the dog a hardy rub. Wolf immediately licked Joyanna's face, causing her to laugh again. The same sound he'd heard before he entered the library.

"I'll take him for a snack," Joyanna said as she rose.

"Good God, don't feed that beast anymore. He'll eat us out of house and home." Edmund turned to Aaron. "I have you to thank for that."

"You're welcome." Aaron grinned. "You love that dog. And it seems Joyanna is fond of Wolf."

"Come on, Wolf. Let's leave these two to their men conversations." She made a signal with her hand for the dog to follow. At the door, Joyanna turned and blew a kiss to her husband.

Aaron could not believe Edmund was the same man. Growing up, they'd gotten into their share of scrapes, but Edmund was always the level headed one. Never laughed much, and after his megrims took hold, he was an absolute bear. Amazing how the love of a good woman could change a man. The tender expression on Edmund's face made Aaron nostalgic. Secretly, he was pleased. One day, perhaps, he too would have a wife he would look at with adoration.

The expression on his brother's face quickly changed. This thundering glower was the one Aaron was used to.

"What do you want?"

Aaron's good mood altered to disappointment. Would his brother ever forgive him?

Not that long ago, Edmund had looked like walking death. Aaron was sure the bottle had a lot to do with his brother's appearance, until he found out about the megrims. Since Edmund had surgery, things seemed to be going along swimmingly. For Edmund and Joyanna. Aaron still feared Edmund resented him for sending for their eldest brother.

"Do not look as if I have an alternative motive.

"Hmmm." Edmund stepped to the sideboard where the decanter was three quarters full. He didn't bother to ask if Aaron wanted a drink. He never refused a good brandy.

Edmund poured two fingers of the rich amber-colored liquid, then handed a glass to Aaron.

"You have something to say?"

Aaron hated the control Edmund always seemed to have. Today was no exception. "And here I thought Joyanna had mellowed you." He took a swallow of his brandy. "I had thought to visit my brother." Aaron wanted to cringe at Edmund's raised brow.

Edmund lifted his glass and turned to stare into the fire. "The ton will be ablaze with more than one Greystoke brother off the market."

"When were you ever on the market?" Aaron asked. "Nathaniel left for years. You holed up like a bloody hermit. I was the only one who frequented the ton's events."

"Yes. The rogue brother."

Bollocks. He wasn't that bad. He took a hefty swallow.

"You seem to have the impression I dally with innocents, brother."

"No, Aaron. Just that you are the brother to keep up appearances. While Nathaniel and I …"

Aaron looked up from the glare he had on his boot. "Yes? Go on."

"True, our father's influence on us was not completely favorable."

"Oh, I don't know. Father persecuted and terrorized Nathaniel until he fled from his loving home."

Edmund choked, causing Aaron to pause.

"What he did to our brother was insufferable, and we were not immune to his wrath. Favorable?" Aaron snorted in disgust.

"He is gone, Aaron. The man is dead and buried."

"Yet his ghosts still linger."

"No more, Aaron. Nathaniel is happily married."

"And living in the very house we all swore was haunted."

Edmund placed his glass on the oak desk. "Why are you here, Aaron?"

Yeah. Why drudge up old wounds?

"For two reasons, actually. One is to ask if you have heard news on Bellingham?"

"There's a name I wish I'd never heard."

About a year ago, a gentleman approached Edmund wanting to buy Greystoke Manor. Edmund was dealing with megrims at the time. Bellingham had taken advantage and used Edmund's condition to blackmail him. The man dealt with pirates, opium and slave traders. The color didn't matter, nor did a title; if a man was breathing, he could be waylaid and locked up in the hold of a ship.

The cur had opium hidden in the caves along the coat of Greystoke Manor. Aaron and his brothers fired the caves, and succeeded in blowing the cargo to smithereens. Bellingham had escaped, made it to his ship. Blade, and Bone, had gotten on board with a plan to blow it up, too. Aaron only wished he knew if Blade managed to get off the ship before the explosion.

"Bellingham has not been back to his country house in Kent. I doubt he will go there, but I'm leaving no stone unturned. I'm sorry, Aaron. No luck. No one has seen him."

Each of the three brothers would gladly flay the man if they could get their hands on him. First Bellingham had tried to steal Greystoke Manor. He'd blackmailed Edmund, then kidnapped Nathaniel's wife, Serena. They thought they'd gotten rid of the guttersnipe when their hired man blew up the caves on the beach. But the bastard had shown up again and threatened Edmund.

"He's popped up before. I'm not going to automatically assume he went with his ship to a watery grave."

"It's too soon for him to show himself. What about Blade?"

Blade.

"I have men searching up and down the coast in Brighton. I'm not giving up." Aaron scrubbed a hand over his worried face. "I've been asking around. No one's seen him." Aaron smacked his palm against his breeches. He felt responsible. Blade had gone on the ship at Aaron's directive.

"Maybe Blade is laying low. Don't lose hope yet, Aaron."

Don't lose hope? Don't give up? Should he wish that his brother would forgive him while he wished for the moon?

Aaron downed his drink.

"On to the lighter side of things, Aunt seems to be taken with Joyanna. You know, whenever you get tired of the old girl, I can take her off your hands for a bit."

Aaron sniggered. "She'd love hearing you put it like that. Aunt likes living in town."

"Parties, balls and all that rot?"

"That rot, as you call it, has a certain lure. She is happy. I have access to my club, and even though I am not in the chain of gossip, she keeps me informed of current happenings."

Edmund held up his empty glass, quietly asking if Aaron wanted another. As he poured brandy into both glasses, he spoke, "You said there were two reasons."

Aaron ran a hand through his hair. His brother wouldn't care, but he thought he should tell him anyway. "You're aware of Anderson Shipping?"

"Most businessmen are."

"You may as well know I am a partner."

"A partner?" Edmund handed Aaron his glass.

"Yes, Edmund. Your rogue brother has invested in the shipping business."

Edmund glared. "You have a chip on your shoulder? Was this something you wanted to do?"

"Yes, Edmund. This is something I wanted. As a matter of fact, I've wanted this for a long time."

"Then why didn't you invest sooner?"

Aaron saw red. The haze threatened to swallow him. Damn his brother.

Damn and blast him.

"For some insane reason, I thought you might want to know and not be caught unaware."

Edmund looked thoughtful.

What the devil was he thinking?

"Anderson Shipping is well known among the nobles. If your investment is public knowledge, someone would have mentioned it."

Well, hell. He tried.

Aaron downed the brandy, enjoying the burn. "Now you know. I'll be off." Before he could pace two steps, Edmund stopped him.

"Aaron. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

Sod off.

But he kept that to himself.

Edmund walked to the drawing room and stood before the floor to ceiling window.

"Is anything wrong, Edmund?" As always, Joyanna's presence calmed him.

"Not at all my dear." There was a time, not so long ago, he would have answered differently. Thank Christ, he suffered no more headaches that hammered away in is skull. Megrims—the doctor had called them. "I'm simply watching Aaron leave."

"Is he well?"

Edmund turned to his wife. "All is well, my love. I just feel that something is off with him. He's holding something back."

With the cold greeting he had given Aaron the last time he came to his home, Edmund was surprised that his brother had bothered to come back. But then Edmund had been in agony, and the damned brandy did nothing to alleviate the pain.

"You know, I rebuked my little brother for tattling on me to Nathaniel."

"Your megrims?"

Edmund gave a nod. Then reached for Joyanna's hands. "‘Twas bad enough, trying to hide the headaches from Aaron. I knew I wouldn't have a chance of concealing them from Nathaniel."

She leaned into his chest. "My poor darling. Surely, Aaron understands now."

"I don't know."

"Do you think he is still worried about how you feel? Him sending for Nathaniel?"

"Aaron had always been the one to intervene when Nathaniel and I would argue. Humph. We would be shouting down the house, and Aaron would step in, reminding us we were brothers. I'll always be grateful for that. He cared about Nathaniel and me."

One corner of his mouth lifted into a grin.

"Aaron was also the carefree brother. Of late, he's too solemn. He sure as hell shouldn't be worried about me. I wasn't thinking clearly then. I have no grievance with Aaron now."

"Does he know that? Have you told him—with words?

Edmund raised a brow. After a moment, he shook his head. "He can't still think—"

"What did you talk about? Can you tell me?"

"He asked if I'd heard anything about Bellingham."

"That hateful man. I hope he is dead."

"My ferocious wife." Edmund chuckled.

"Do you blame me? He threatened us, attempted blackmail. He tried to ruin things between us."

Edmund pulled Joyanna into his arms and rested his cheek on the top of her head. "I know, my love. But here we are. You and me."

She pulled away enough to see his face. "I love you."

"I know you do, darling." He kissed her lips. "I love you, too. Bellingham tried to do his worst, and failed. We're together. And we will always be together. I'll never let him or anyone else take you from me."

"I'll hold you to that." She laid her head back on his chest, close to his heart.

God, how he loved this woman.

"Aaron didn't give you any idea what he had on his mind?"

Aaron kept personal things close to his vest. He'd never been one to share. Most of their discussions were about Nathaniel. Aaron idolized him. Nothing Edmund could do about that. But Aaron seemed to be more detached since Nathaniel's return to Greystoke. Perhaps that wasn't the right word.

"It was almost as if he was worried about me?" Edmund said aloud.

"Worried about you?"

"I mean, as though he was worried about my reaction. Like I was going to berate him for something."

"What do you think he's done?"

"Nothing serious. At least I hope not. He's not himself."

"What about Aunt Penelope?"

"If there was anything in that quarter, he most assuredly would have told me. I will speak to Nathaniel. Maybe he knows something."