‘Nick, if someone had told me that you would be such a fucking pushover as a parent, I would have fought them.’
I frowned. ‘Is Ollie here?’
‘Present.’ He wheeled himself into my line of vision and his injuries shocked me again, though I was happy to see him upright, and some purple and yellow in his bruising.
‘Jesus Christ, Ollie. You look like shit.’
‘I’ll have you know I have taken absolutely sensational drugs, and I am feeling rather robust. This should last approximately forty-five minutes.’
I left my suitcase at the door and walked down the stairs. I held aloft the bottle of whisky.
‘Can you drink this?’
‘Yes,’ he said.
‘No,’ Evelyn said.
I handed it to him and put my hand on his shoulder before hugging my sister. I went to the kitchen and grabbed three glasses from the cupboard.
Ollie studied the bottle and then had an unspoken conversation with his twin, before turning to me.
‘What the fuck did you do, Nick?’
I handed the glasses to Ev before pushing him over to the dining-room table. When we were all seated, I poured.
I sniffed the glass appreciatively. It smelled both sweet and earthy; I felt I could smell hay and perhaps brandy. I took a large mouthful. It was as sweet, smoky and smooth as anything I had tasted before. It was an excellent whisky to fess up to breaking Northby rules.
‘I spent the weekend with Abbey.’
‘No shit,’ Oliver said shortly.
‘And??’ Ev said.
‘And she is in love with me. She told me.’
‘Well, that is wonderful, Nicky. I’m happy to celebrate the drought being over, brother.’
‘I can’t do that, Ev.’ I drank again. ‘I told you guys I could never do that again. You both remember it. It was a fucking disaster and I … I almost didn’t recover.’
My sister put down her drink, the heavy crystal base making a solid thud. ‘So, let me get this straight. This lovely woman who you adore, and wealladore, tells you she is in love with you and you – what? Just say nothing?’
‘I told her I couldn’t. Right at the start. I said I can’t. She knew the lay of the land. Jesus, Ev, you make me sound like the world’s biggest prick.’
‘You know what, Nick? If you felt nothing and you have been behaving like you have, then you are abigfucking prick. Do you think Ollie and I don’t know about that dress? About the payment to her kid’s school? About the salary increase? Your visits to her grandmother? Those things –theysay that you are not being honest. Still. And outside of your relationship with her, she is our fucking employee, Nick.’
‘She’s about to resign.’
My brother clenched his jaw and then winced from the pain it caused in his skull.
‘I’m sorry. I know you’re angry, Ollie.’
‘Do you, Nick? You have been dishonest, and we did not call you out on it because we thought you were finally going to let yourself love again. Your behaviour has beenoff the chartsunacceptable. You have put our business at risk time and time again. And your eyes are still not open. You want to cut yourself off? Just focus on work? The one thing you are good at … how many fucking times have I heard that? Meanwhile, you raised us. You raised Summer, who is a little fucking legend, by the way. You are so much more than our business, Nick. You deserve a loving partner. You deserve to live your life with love and support.’ He paused for breath. ‘I am so fucking mad at you. Abbey deserves so much better than any of this.’
A lump formed in my throat and tears stung my eyes. I could feel heat flooding my face as I became incredibly interested in the woodgrain pattern on the table.
‘I’m going to step aside. At Delacqua.’
‘Perfect. Should we send Summer in?’ Ollie asked, his sarcasm biting.
