‘I told you it was bad,’ said Freddie, to the others. ‘He has reverted to that dark, silent look again.’
His three brothers came to stand before his desk. Arms crossed, they regarded him as if he were an exotic creature in a menagerie. He glowered back at them, hoping that sent the message that he was not going to tolerate their nonsense this evening.
‘The question is,’ continued Freddie, as if Tobias couldn’t hear him speaking, ‘what are we going to do about it?’
‘Do you want to tell us what is wrong, Tobias?’ asked Edward, who was slightly less irritating than Tobias’ other two brothers.
‘I thank you, but no.’
None of them moved.
‘I think it must be to do with Grace,’ said Freddie. ‘She has been equally miserable all day, which is very out of character.’
‘Oh yes, she is always smiling,’ said Christopher unhelpfully. ‘Tobias must have done something to upset her, but we can remedy that if he tells us what he has done.’
Hell would freeze over before he recounted a single word about what had passed between him and Grace. Tobias did not want to add utter humiliation to his misery.
‘I am not hopeful he is going to tell us,’ said Edward. ‘He has that steely look on his face, which always bodes ill.’
Maybe if Tobias pretended they were not here, they would go away. In a futile attempt to block them out, he put his head face down on his desk, his forehead resting against the report he had been attempting to read.
‘I think we should try anyway,’ said Freddie. ‘The sooner they make up, the sooner he stops acting like a man who has lost his wits. Besides, she is good for him. I have never seen him so happy.’
‘Really? Look at him,’ said Edward. ‘I have never seen him this depressed.’
Tobias did not raise his head from where it was slumped on his desk.
‘He is showing emotion.’ Freddie was valiantly sticking to his opinion.
‘We cannot see his face,’ said Edward.
Tobias groaned. ‘Why did I think us living together again would be a good thing?’
‘It is lucky for you that we are, because we are here to advise you on what to do next.’ Freddie’s voice was getting quieter as he moved away from the desk, presumably towards where Tobias kept his brandy. His brothers were inordinately fond of drinking throughTobias’ cellar, despite claiming not to be all that keen on alcohol or adding anything to it themselves in order to bolster it. Tobias knew them to be wealthy men in their own right, but they appeared to forget all about their own coffers when his were more readily available.
‘What makes any of you qualified to give advice?’ he asked, finally lifting his head. Sure enough, Freddie was at the drinks cabinet, lifting out a fine bottle of brandy, which Tobias had been saving for a special occasion.
‘We are wise married men.’
‘Can you go and be wise elsewhere?’ Tobias asked, hoping, rather than expecting, they would agree.
‘No,’ said Christopher. ‘We are quite happy where we are and, at the risk of incurring your wrath, we will follow you should you decide you need to take yourself away from our wisdom.’
‘Is it Grace?’ asked Edward. ‘Of course it is. I do not know why I asked. You have upset her and now you need to make amends. It is easily done. We have all been there with our own women. I am sure we can come up with a solution between the three of us.’
Freddie poured four large glasses of brandy and handed them out to each of the brothers. ‘You could try wooing her,’ he said, placing one in front of Tobias.
Tobias groaned again. This was the worst conversation since speech had been invented.
‘How do you suggest he do that, Freddie?’ said Edward. ‘Take his shirt off and wait somewhere she is likely to find him?’
Despite himself, Tobias smirked at that. Finding Freddie half-naked kissing the woman he had loved for many, many years would never not be amusing. Only, Tobias considered, because it had ended happily and they were now married.
‘That is a low blow, Edward, considering you wooed your wife by cutting fruit cake to look like a fish,’ said Freddie.
‘You told me you would not tell anyone about that.’ Edward glared at Christopher, who tried and failed to look innocent.
‘None of you are helping,’ Tobias pointed out, before this descended into a brawl.
