She left the dining room, unable to bear the pity on her mother’s face.
CHAPTER 26
“Isaid, get out.” Theodore would have glared at Percival, but the way it tightened his skin made the pounding in his head worse.
He had not eaten in days, though he had tried to put on a show of it for Phoebe. She had enough to deal with without worrying about him as well.
He pantomimed eating, moving the food across his plate. When he stood, he was lightheaded, dizzy. He steadied himself on walls, and more than once he found his niece watching him with terror on her face.
Another thing I am failing at.
In a fit of desperation, Theodore had tried whiskey. It had calmed his stomach, and for a brief, wonderful moment, the hole Harriet had left had felt a little smaller. Giving in to his weakness felt good.It gives me more of a reason to hate myself.
One glass had become two, two had become three and at some point he had stopped with glasses all together, deciding to save time and drink it straight from the bottle.
Percival arched an eyebrow at him, folding his arms across his chest. “Good God, Irondale. Tell me you were not drinking whisky straight from the bottle.”
Theodore gave in and glowered at Percival, ignoring the way the room swayed as he got to his feet. He kept a hand on his desk to steady himself. His mouth tasted like an ashtray.
I do not remember smoking.Several cigar ends were dotted around the room. Theodore hated the things, but apparently, he had felt unable to resist the urge the night before.
Pathetic.
“Why on Earth are the curtains drawn? You are a man, not a dragon in his cave.” Percival looked Theodore up and down. “Though you are doing a fair impression of it.”
He drew back the curtains and Theodore let out a hiss of displeasure and pain. “I will not warn you again, Wright. Get out.”
“No.” Percival replied.
“I am a duke-” Theodore puffed out his chest, but Percival cut him off, his eyes flashing. “As am I.”
Theodore gritted his teeth, wishing his mouth did not taste of acid and bile. He squared up to Percival, expecting the other man to meet his anger with his own. To his surprise, he found he wanted him to.
Theodore’s blood raced through his body, priming every part of him for a fight. He wanted to rage, to hit and be hit. Despite all his attempts at control, he was nothing but an animal, he had been the whole time.I may as well give in.
Percival raised a hand, and Theodore bared his teeth in a half snarl, half triumphant smile. Percival shook his head, and gently squeezed Theodore’s shoulder. Theodore’s snarl faded and his brow furrowed in confusion.
“I am not going to fight you, Irondale.” Percival gestured to the room around them. “Not in this state. It would be entirely ungentlemanly.”
“You mean you are too afraid to fight me.” Theodore goaded.
“You can barely stand straight, let alone throw a decent punch.” Percival plopped himself into an armchair and leaned back. “It would be like fighting a very large, very stupid kitten. I will not debase myself with such behavior, no matter how much you want me to.”
Theodore clenched and unclenched his fists, his jaw working furiously.
“Why are you here, Wright?” Theodore growled as he slumped into an armchair.
“I am your friend.” Percival replied simply. “I wanted to see how you were; though I will admit, I had not expected to find you in quite such a state.”
“If it causes you such offense, you need not stay.” Theodore’s lip curled.
“I am not going anywhere, Irondale. Not until you and I have talked.” Percival steepled his fingers together. “You have been avoiding everyone for the last week. And I can only assume it is because you and your wife appear to have fallen out. Where is she, by the way?”
“She left,” Theodore said, the words carving out a hollow in his chest.
“And I am guessing you do not know when she will be returning?” Percival let out a long whistle of breath between his teeth.
“I do not.” Theodore frowned. “But I do not see that it is any of your business.”
