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Chapter 35
Silas returned home in a hansom cab. He was blissfully happy after his visit with Lucy. Even the lights in the rented town home seemed to burn much brighter. There was a light on in the parlour, and he wondered who was home.
Dinah was out, having dinner with Lord Browning and his set. Michael had been planning to be out at the gentlemen’s club. But they had left hours ago, even before Silas had gone to meet Levi.
He felt far more intoxicated than he was. When Silas went up to the parlour, his brother was sitting there, drinking some brandy and staring into the fire.
“How has your evening been, Michael?” Silas asked. His own had been excellent. He was buoyed by the turn of events.
“I’ve spent it here at home, so very quiet. Particularly since both you and Dinah have been out.”
“You should have come along,” Silas said, surprised to hear it. Michael was rarely one to remain at home in the evening, particularly when the family was in London. “After the play, Levi and I went to The Spotted Dog. You were most welcome to join.”
Silas poured himself a brandy from the decanter that sat on the sideboard and went to sit with his brother. The leather of the armchair creaked under his weight.
“I wasn’t up for it.” Michael raised his glass to his lips.
Silas studied his brother closely. Michael was grim-faced, clearly unhappy.
“When did Lady Arabella end things?” he asked, feeling horrible for not even noticing.
“About a week after father’s funeral,” he replied. “Apparently, she believed that you would defer the viscountcy to me.”
“I also believed that would happen,” Silas mused. “I thought I could persuade Father to give the title to you, so then I wouldn’t have to change my ways.”
Michael laughed bitterly. “That was never going to happen,” he said. “You were always going to have to learn that.”
“I’ve learned it the hard way,” he commented. “But I want to know what can I do to help you? You do so much for the estate and our businesses. Surely, there’s something?”
Michael stared at the fire. “I want to become independent,” he replied. “I want to buy myself a house,” he went on. “So that I can marry, and we can be happy. A woman wants to be mistress of her own home. In that, at least, Lady Arabella was right.”
“Done,” Silas agreed, thinking of the extra land that his father had bought prior to his death. It would make an excellent place to build a house. “There’s plenty of room near Thornbridge Manor. We can divide it up and give you a place that’s all your own.”
Michael looked him in the eye. “Do you really mean that?”
“I really mean it,” Silas assured him. “You do so much for the estate, and the running of the businesses. Merely because you’re the second son, you get almost none of it but your twenty thousand a year.” It was a considerable sum, but Silas could see why Michael wanted a home. It made perfect sense.
“Thank you, Silas. You have no idea what this means.” Michael was looking at him as though he were a drowning man who had just been rescued.
“Of course,” Silas replied. “It’s not fair that I should get everything, and you get only enough to cover your living expenses.”
“It’s how the world is.” Michael shrugged.
“It shouldn’t be. The estate should be divided up equally between the three of us,” Silas mused. “And the title should go to the one who deserves it, not the oldest.”
“You’re the one who deserves it,” Michael told him. “I really mean that. You’re proving every day that Father’s trust in you was right. You’re really turning out to be a kind and fair gentleman.”
Silas smiled at him, then raised his glass. It was good to hear Michael say that. “I still think it should have gone to you.”
“I disagree.”
The two brothers sat, sipping their drinks and staring into the fire. Silas was glad he’d had this talk with his brother. After all, Dinah was going to be married. And Silas would too, judging by how well things were going with Lucy. Which meant that Michael would need to find his happily ever after, as well.
And Silas meant to help him find it.
