“Jules?” Snowdon hopped up the steps to stand before her. “What are you doing out here? It looks like it might rain.”
She smiled. If only he'd shown an interest in her best friend, maybe all of this could have been avoided. She would have had a sister she adored, and her brother, a wife he could trust. But, alas, even over several meetings, there was no interest on either side.
“The weather will hold,” she said. “It's good to see you, Snow. It's been too long since it's been just the two of us talking.”
He circled his hat in his hands. “Yes, it has been. I'm leaving for Bluff Hall soon. Come back with me, Jules. Don't you think you've pursued this nonsense long enough?”
Her spine snapped straight. “Our father's life isn't nonsense.”
He frowned. “I thought since you broke off relations with the Bond Agency that you’d realized our father's life wasn't in danger.”
“You heard about my fight with Mr. Duffy?” she asked.
Snow rocked onto his toes. “Oh, yes. Half of the Ton has heard about that argument. Sir Williams is saying what poor form it was to fight at his house in such a public event, but secretly he’s delighted his home was the hotbed of a minor scandal.” He smirked. “It sounds like you gave that tosser a what for.”
“Brogan isn’t a tosser,” she said through gritted teeth. Stubborn. Infuriating. A right pain in her rear, yes. But he wasn’t ill-bred. She gripped the edge of the bench, the cold stone chilling her palms. “I had thought your association with Miss Lynn had changed your attitude about the working class.”
“Yes, well.” He cleared his throat. “Miss Lynn doesn't control my thoughts. I'm still my own man, sister.”
Juliana let out of breath. That was good to hear. It could make this easier. “Her ideas, while well-intended, can lead to much destruction. I’m glad you don’t agree with her on everything. She is a unique thinker, though. I credit her with that.”
A small smile tilted his lips. “Miss Lynn is unique in every respect.”
“Are you two close? Are you…” She hesitated. “Are you going to ask her to marry you?”
Snowdon studied her. “Perhaps. Does the idea of her as a sister bother you?”
“Yes.” A small niggle of jealousy wiggled beneath her breast, but she stamped it out. Her brother marrying a woman of his choice, one in a lower class, had no bearing on her ability to do the same. Brogan would be a mule about their relationship no matter what Snow did.
“And here I thought you believed in equality,” her brother said.
She stood and grabbed his arm, squeezing. “I don't object for the reason you think. I only worry about you. About the kind of woman she is.” Even though no one was around, she lowered her voice. “Don't you find it odd that father's accidents began after you became acquainted with Miss Lynn?”
“What are you saying?” He snorted. “You think she's behind it?”
Juliana shrugged. “She says she doesn't object to violence to achieve her ends. If she were to make you an earl, think she could control you, what wouldn’t a woman like that be capable of?”
Snowdon threw back his head and howled with laughter.
She tapped her foot until his amusement trailed off. Her reasoning was sound. He didn’t have to be a jackass about it. “I can see you disagree with my assessment of your paramour.”
He clapped her shoulder. “Not at all, sister dear. I laugh because of the irony. You worry about what Bella has done, but you’ve never once questioned what I am capable of.”
Juliana’s fingers tingled. “What do you mean?” She took a small step away from her brother, uneasiness sliding up her spine.
Snow slid his hand into his coat pocket. “Come with me to Bluff Hall. We can have a nice, long talk about everything that worries you. You’ve imposed upon the Butters family long enough.”
She glanced at the back door into the house and took another half-step away. “Mr. Butters has assured me I’m welcome for as long as I like. What do you mean ‘what you’re capable of?’”
“Perhaps he’s just being polite.”
“I don't want to go to Bluff Hall.” She stuttered over the words. The same feeling of dread that filled her veins when she entered their home was starting to swamp her now.
“Why do you always have to make things difficult?” he asked. “All my life it's been, ‘Isn’t Juliana clever,’ and ‘Why can’t you help the tenants like your sister does?’ Do you know how annoying it is being your brother?”
Juliana stumbled back. “What are you saying? You can't mean…”
“I'm tired of this family holding me back.” He slapped his hat on his head. “Bella's shown me who I can truly be. How much change I can make in the world with the Withington title. How renowned the name Withington, my name, can be. I'm not going to let you stop me.”
