Page 78 of A Raven Repents

“That was before he knew it was my father who sent the man.”

“You are not your father. Giles has plenty of people to spread his contempt around to: Your father, the man with the knife, me, and I’m sure he’s heaped plenty of it onto himself. But not you.” He placed the stopper back into the bottle he’d poured from.

“Then why won’t he even look at me?”

Brennan shrugged. “I won’t pretend to know what he’s feeling. But if I were in his shoes, I would probably feel unworthy of you after losing an eye.” He handed her a glass.

“Is that brandy?”

“I thought you could probably use it after everything you’ve been through recently.”

She sighed and took a sip. It burned a bit, but the flavor was nice. “Will you please sit, so I don’t have to crane my neck so much to look at you?”

He settled into the chair across from her.

“If he does feel unworthy, which makes no sense by the way, what am I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know. Truth be told, I’m the very worst person to talk to about these kinds of things. But perhaps he just needs time to regain some of his confidence.”

“I hope you’re right.” She took another sip of brandy. She would give him whatever time he needed. He’d certainly been patient with her when she’d needed it. “Do you know if they’ve… paid a visit to my father yet?” Dread tightened around her stomach.

“Not yet. I think Ash wants to wait until your husband is ready.”

She sighed, hating everything about it. She didn’t want to have to choose between her father and her husband. But if she did have to, she would choose Giles. “You will keep Giles safe, won’t you?”

“I promise to do a better job of it than I did with you.”

“Thank you, Brennan. I know none of this is in your job description. Waiting on me, telling me stories, giving me advice. But I appreciate it more than you could know.”

Brennan shook his head. “I expect I’m better suited to dishing out beatings, but if it helps you to talk to me, I don’t mind doing that either.”

A half hour later, Giles appeared in the doorway, dressed in a neatly pressed black suit. “I’m ready. Are you staying here with my wife? Or following me to the club like a lost puppy?”

“Are you going back to work tonight?” She approached him, unsure where to look to make him feel most comfortable.

He nodded. “I need to. I can’t spend any more time wasting away in a bed.”

She understood his need to get back to normal, but didn’t want him gone already.

“Don’t wait up for me.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek and turned for the door.

Brennan gave her a sad look before following him from the house. He had said Giles didn’t hate her, but it was quite obvious he did.

“What are you doing here?” Ash asked when Giles walked into the office.

Fitz looked him over from head to toe, and although he said nothing, the thinning of his lips conveyed his concern.

“Dr. Goodluck said I’m allowed to come back to work.”

“Not tonight. You need at least one good night’s rest in your own bed first.”

“Please don’t send me home, Ash. I need this. I need to know that I can still have a life. I’ll stay on the balcony where no one will see me.”

“Where no one will see you?”

“I know this is a problem,” Giles said, pointing toward his face.

Ash put down what he was counting and came to rest a hand on his shoulder. “The eyepatch is not a problem. You’re no less of a man than you were.”