“I understand that, and it’s very good of you to watch out for her, but this is going above and beyond that.”
He looked at his brothers, who sat across from him wearing matching expressions.
“Why don’t you take her as your mistress?” Zach asked, rather unwisely to Gabe’s mind.
“You do realize that your sister would likely maim you if she heard you speaking that way?”Even though that is exactly what I want and offered her.“Plus, I have no wish to make her my mistress, even if she should wish it, which I assure you she would not,” he lied. He wanted it above all things. Wanted to feel her pressed to him again and his lips on hers.
“So you do want her? We have discussed this at length and are divided,” Zach said.
“For the love of God, shut up, Zach,” Nathan moaned.
“You discussed it?” Gabe’s words came out coated in ice.
“I wonder if you will ever grow up.” Nathan looked disgusted. “We have discussed it only in passing, I assure you, Gabe. I mean, she is a beautiful woman, and clearly there is that—”
“That?” Gabe snapped.
“Certain spark between you.”
“There is no spark. She was my employee, therefore I feel a certain responsibility for her, as I would for any of them. Plus, our sister calls her friend.”
“That must be it then.” Michael jabbed Zach in the ribs with his elbow as he snorted. “And clearly nothing to do with the look you get in your eyes when she’s near, or the fact you both appeared after her impromptu swim in the lake, looking flushed.”
“Shut up.” Gabe followed those words with a glare. Thankfully, they obeyed. “If you can manage to keep your mouths shut and simply look menacing, I would be grateful,” he added as the carriage stopped. “Try not to look witless.”
“A particular skill he’s perfected,” Michael added, looking at Zach.
“I’ll have you know, there are many who think me extremely intelligent.” Zach did not look insulted.
“Name me one,” Gabe said, opening the door.
“Thompson.”
“Please. That man can’t get out of bed without falling flat on his face. He’s an imbecile. If you are keeping company with him, it is hardly surprising you behave as you do,” Gabe said.
Michael and Nathan chuckled. Brothers especially enjoyed it when another was under fire.
Gabe knocked on the front door of Dimity’s father’s home with his brothers flanking him. When it opened, he looked at the man framed in the doorway. Not overly tall, he had a large belly and ruddy complexion. There was no resemblance to Dimity at all.
“How may I help you?” he asked, his gaze moving along the line of imposing Devilles before him.
“Mr. Brown?”
“I am he.”
“I would like to discuss Miss Dimity Brown with you,” Gabe said. The mention of her name changed the expression to anger.
“I have nothing to say about her.”
“She is your sister.”
“She is nothing to me,” he spat out.
“And yet she shared this house with you and your father before you tried to pay your debts with her!” Gabe snarled out the last word. “I want answers as to why you threw her out of the only home she’d ever known!”
“Gabe,” Michael cautioned.
He inhaled, realizing he was roaring.
