“There are foods like that?” Sol frowned. Really? Food was supposed to be food.
“Shellfish is a common one,” Rebecca offered. “We all wouldn’t know because we don’t eat it but there are other foods that make people sick, like strawberries.”
“They irritate the body so much that it fights itself, which is what I believe happened to you,” Doc explained. “None of us know where the cake came from, and it wasn’t on the windowsill before we left. We think it was left by whoever is trying to kill you.”
Rebecca turned to Doc. “And nuts can be made into an oil, can’t they? It fits, since oil is used in applecake to make it parve…”
“But how would anyone know peanuts would have that effect?” he asked, frowning. “I haven’t thought of the incident in years and the only people who were there were our family physician and Frederick’s friend.” Sol’s temples began to thud. “And… both men are long gone.” The doctor had passed several years ago, and… hadn’t Frederick told him his friend returned abroad or some such?
The women all shared a look, their faces grim.
No. There had to be another explanation.
Because yes, Frederick hadn’t been pleased with him of late. Not for some time, to be honest. And yes, his brother was unhappy with his return to the Jewish community, not to mention distrustful of his friendships with Aaron and Roger Berab. And Hannah… she’d tried to tell him, hadn’t she? That he’d more than disapproved of her, that he’d warned her off.
But his threats were mere words. Merely a ploy.
His brother could wield smoke and mirrors with the best of them, but he’d never intentionally attack someone. His actions were always in defense. Besides, Frederick was the smart one, the clever one, the planner. But… the marquess’s son, Hannah… that was risky.
That wasfoolish.
His throat tightened. Frederick wouldn’t. He loved his brother. And Frederick loved him.
After all, Frederick had raised him. Made him who he was. If that wasn’t love…No.Sol shook his head. It couldn’t be Frederick. It couldn’t.
Only… all his brother’s words from the last few months—god, maybe longer—whirled in his mind. How he’d not been able to make his brother happy, no matter what he tried. How his successes seemed to anger Frederick as much as his failures. How his brother only held disdain for everything Sol was or cared for. Especially his Jewishness.
And how his brother had been imagining his future—without him.
We should invent some sort of fashionable disease for you.
He closed his eyes.Fuck.That was the only appropriate word for the situation.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
The backs of his eyes burned as he realized the truth. It would never be enough for Frederick—he could never repay him for stealing his youth, never make up for the unfairness his presence had brought. The unforgivable sin of his existence—the yoke that hung around Frederick’s neck—would never permit his brother to love him back.
Frederick had never—and would never—love Sol in the way Hannah loved her sister, no matter what he had thought. What she did for Tamar—how she felt, how she loved her sister—there was no debt between them. Hannah thought Tamar deserved the world—it was only herself she did not think worthy of the same.
It was so clear now that he’d bothered to really look, instead of only seeing what he wanted.
But still… to want to kill him?
“Impossible,” he muttered, but he knew that it wasn’t. It was the only explanation that made sense.
Sol closed his eyes, hating himself and his own incompetence. He was never committed enough, never followed through, never did what needed to be done. Just like his brother always said. Why wasn’t he—and he nearly laughed in despair.
His brotheralways said. Not Isabelle. Not David Berab. Not the ever-judgmental Rebecca Adler and Roger Berab—oy—if ever there were two people who thought highly of their own judgment… he sniffed.
You’re brilliant, actually. More than you know.
Hannah’s words rang in his ears. Now, that was a touch of an overstatement. If anything, he was closer to merely clever, he was—wait—Hannah—he craned his neck, searching for her. She’d not spoken in a while and—
“Where’s Hannah?” he asked. “Where did she go?”
Rebecca and Doc exchanged frowns.
“What?” he asked. The two moved back to reveal an entirely empty room.
