Fate's Intervention (47 page)

“
Mark
’
s anger hardly concerns me, Mother. I
’
m a big boy, you know. I think I can handle Mark
’
s temper tantrums.
”

Lilith sighed. Matthew was a big boy, but Mark
’
s temper was notorious in and around
Rochester
. In fact, those very tantrums had landed him in custody on more than one occasion and his victim in the hospital or morgue. She started to enlighten Matthew, but the door swung open admitting the arrivals.

The look that Mark gave Matthew, before turning his attention toward her, made her worry
even more
. There was danger in that look. He may not have Matthew
’
s physical build, but there was more than one way to harm someone, and if anyone knew devious methods of retribution, it was her youngest son. He was more like her late husband than
Matthew was
. Matthew was wrong about one thing
–
s
h
e did pay attention to the rumor mill. It was the only way
she could keep abreast o
f her son
’
s antics
– since
Edward kept her in the dark.

“
Mother,
”
Mark said, placing a quick peck on her cheek.
“
It
’
s good to see you looking so fit.
”

“
Mark, welcome home, Son,
”
Lilith said, nodding stiffly. He
’
d never responded well to over-affectionate behavior, so she didn
’
t give it
,
“
a
nd
this must be your lovely new bride, Elizabeth,
”
she said, moving around her son and taking Elizabeth
’
s hands in her own.
“
Welcome to our home, dear. I do hope you
’
ll be happy as a member of our family,
”
she greeted solicitously, but Elizabeth
’
s return smile was tight and her blue eyes were cold.

Well
, Lilith thought,
I needn
’
t worry that this young lady is too fragile to handle Mark. It would appear that she has her own foreboding personality
.
“
Yes, well,
”
she said and turned
toward Matthew, rolling her eyes in a childish fashion.

Matthew grinned thinly.
Judgment
decided, if his mother
’
s expression was any indication.
Elizabeth
had obviously made the same poor impression on his mom as she had on him.

“
Where
’
s your
father
this evening, Elizabeth?
”
He asked cordially.

“
He made reservations elsewhere,
”
she answered vaguely. When no further information was forthcoming, he turned his scrutiny on his brother. He truly looked perturbed.

“
I do believe an explanation is in order, Matthew,
”
Mark said, planting himself in his mother
’
s rocking chair.

“
Exactly what explanation do you feel you
’
re entitled to, Mark?
”
Matthew asked, moving toward the liquor cabinet and pouring himself
more
bourbon. He knew he should ask if Mark or Elizabeth wanted something, but he didn
’
t feel very mannerly towards them, so he just splashed some of the golden liquid into his own glass and moved to take a seat on the couch.

Lilith could feel the tension build in the room,
winced,
and backed away, taking a seat near the patio doors.
A
little voice in her head warned that this was not going to be a pleasant evening and that it may deteriorate into fisticuffs before the night was over. She had not a doubt that Matthew would win any hand-to-hand competition, but the after effects worried her more. What would Mark
’
s reaction be to it all on the morrow?

“
Well, for starters, you can explain why you felt the need to lock me out of my own home, without benefit of returning my key
first.
Get me a drink
Elizabeth
.
B
ourbon,
”
Mark demanded without even glancing Elizabeth
’
s way.
Elizabeth flinched visibly at the order, and shot a look at Lilith. Lilith smiled encouragingly, but
Elizabeth
merely raised her chin a notch and rose
haughtily from her chair. She glided toward the liquor cabinet and pulled it open, scanning the labels with a cool reserve that did not match the fire raging in her veins.

What she wanted to do was take the bottle and slam it into her new husband
’
s skull and watch the liquid mingle with his blood as the life drained from his cold, unfeeling body.
The urge to kill him had started on the train when he
’
d come into her room and pounced on her, before she
’
d even had a chance to finish removing her corset.
Yes, she
’
d invited his attentions, in the hope of snaring a rich, young husband, but she hadn
’
t realized that intercourse would be so unpleasant and painful.

A
fter
the forced matrimony, she
’
d made it clear to him that she had no intentions of bedding down with him again, but he
’
d merely laughed at her protestations and forced himself on her again and again, their whole entire honeymoon night, until she barely had the strength to rise the next morning.

“
Do you need help locating the bourbon, Elizabeth
?
”
Mark asked, snapping her out of
a
daze.

“
No,
”
Elizabeth
said shortly and pulled a glass from the rack above her head. She splashed the liquid into the glass, not bothering to clean up the small amount that splattered across the surface of the cabinet,
and
then turned and held it out for Mark. H
is grin, evil, sent a shiver along her spine, although she
should be
used to it by now. He reached over and snatched the glass from her hand
, downing it in one swallow.

“
A
nother,
”
he snapped, tossing the glass in her direction.

Elizabeth
caught the glass and glared at her husband. She was about to give him what for
when Matthew spoke up.

“
I think that one glass is enough for you, Mark,
”
he said, moving to close the cabinet and lock it.

“
So
now you are going to deny me my drink, Brother?
”

“
T
his is Mother
’
s home, Mark. Therefore, the liquor inside this cabinet belongs to her
–
and me, until I leave.
”

“
I see.
T
hat
still
doesn
’
t explain why you locked me out of the house, which brings me back to asking why?

“
You have an apartment. I simply wanted to ensure that you remained there instead of trying to insinuate yourself here, while I conducted my business.
”

“
I
’
m not a two-year-old child that you can manipulate at your whim, Matthew,
”
Mark snapped.

“
Well, you
’
re not here to argue that matter, Mark,
”
Matthew said, trying to keep provocative statements to a minimum. What he
’
d really wanted to say is that he behaved exactly like a two-year-old, most of the time, with his temper tantrums and immature behavior, and that he truly did need someone looking after his hide.
Fortunately,
that someone was not going to be him after he concluded his business this evening.

“
Exactly why am I here, pray tell?
”
Mark asked. He pulled his watch from his vest pocket and flicked it open.
“
Your letter merely said that it had something to do with the company. Have you signed the papers then, entitling me to full ownership?
”
He flipped the watch closed and
returned it to his pocket, then leaned forward expectantly, a gleam lighting his eyes. The thought of finally getting his hands on Daragh Steel temporarily overshadowing his anger at his brother. He
’
d been waiting for this moment for, what seemed to him, eternally, and now it was about to fall in his lap.
A
knock on the door interrupted Matthew
’
s response and Mark sighed impatiently.

“
Come in!
”
Matthew called.

The door opened and Jeremy popped his head in,
“
Dinner is served, sir.
”

“
Thank
you, Jeremy,
”
Matthew said, then faced his brother again.
“
It would appear that business
is going to have to
wait until after the meal.
”

“
Sure
ly you jest!
”
Mark said and leapt from the chair.
“
It should only take a moment to conclude our business and then Elizabeth and I can take our leave. I
’
ve reservations at the Chateau M
argo
, and I most certainly don
’
t want to be delayed.
”

“
Mother arranged for you and Elizabeth to dine with us this evening, Mark,
”
Matthew said, and moved to where his mother sat,
“
a
nd
it would be extremely rude of you to accept a dinner invitation and then not stay for dinner.
”
He reached for his mother
’
s hand and helped her rise from her chair.
“
Besides, your mother hasn
’
t seen you in quite some time, nor has she had the opportunity to spend time with your new wife, so to bolt only moments after arriving goes against your upbringing, wouldn
’
t you say?
”
Without waiting for a reply, Matthew placed his mother
’
s hand in the crook of his arm and left the room, not bothering to see whether Mark and Elizabeth were following.

Matthew would have liked nothing more had they been able to conclude their business prior to dinner, but he
’
d already known that wasn
’
t likely to happen. Neither did he particularly
want his company at dinner. The last thing he needed was to attempt civil small talk across the table with Mark, when all he really wanted to do was to tie a chain around his ankles and drop him off the nearest bridge into a very deep lake. He was certain that Mark wasn
’
t pleased about spending time in his company either
b
ut he
’
d seen his mother
’
s reaction when Mark declared his intentions to leave so abruptly and wasn
’
t going to let Mark hurt her again.

In reality, Lilith
’
s reaction had been one of relief at Mark
’
s announced intentions to leave. She
’
d seen the barely contained fury behind her youngest son
’
s eyes and dreaded having her two children in the same room with each other for any longer than was necessary. The more time they spent in each
other
’
s
company, the closer it came to bloodshed, she had not a doubt. Had Matthew not jumped to her defense so readily, she would have gracefully accepted her son
’
s excuse, and shown him to the door in all haste
, b
ut she wouldn
’
t humiliate Matthew
’
s chivalrous intentions like that. She couldn
’
t.