Page 107 of Dearest Beast
Roger blinked at him. Was this how it felt when he gave others the same knowing gesture? It was more than irritating. As was his brother’s latent ability to read minds.
Almost as irritating as the expectant gaze his brother was now leveling at him.
“So…” Roger raised an eyebrow of his own.
“While I will never be disappointed in you, I’d prefer you to have a little courage,” David said.
“I have courage,” Roger argued back. “But I also have sense,” he reminded him. And approaching the woman with this, especially now, was not a good idea, was it?
Even if he wanted it. Quite badly, it seemed.
Mercy, he was a coward, wasn’t he?
“Perhaps you should have a little less of the second,” his brother said, breaking into his thoughts. He smiled.
Roger turned to him to respond but was interrupted by the door of the parlor creaking open a touch.
“Ah, David, here you are,” a voice said. Quickly rising to his feet, Roger turned toward the sound to find Aaron Ellenberg of all people,standing in the threshold, still wearing his coat and hat, snow-dusted boots dripping on the floor. The man turned to David. “Are you ready?”
“Almost,” David told him, his hands on the side of his chair, though he remained in his seat.
Ellenberg gazed between the two of them and frowned. “You still haven’t told him,”
“Told me what?” Roger asked his brother. What was going on?
“That the Teres family had an additional motive for the marriage,” Ellenberg stated, his lips twitching.
David inhaled. “Judah’s business has been soft as of late, and he’s made some poor decisions in attempting to right his circumstances.”
“He’s been embezzling from several community charities to keep himself afloat,” Ellenberg explained, folding his arms across his chest.
“Beg pardon?” Roger managed to say out loud.
“We did an audit over the last few months and now have incontrovertible proof,” David added.
Roger stared at them. They had to be joking. Except neither man was laughing.
“You didn’t think to tell me before?” he sputtered.
“I didn’t see the need.” Rising to his feet, David joined Ellenberg at the door. “I never believed you were going to marry Miss Teres in the first place. You have far too much sense for that.”
Roger gaped at the two men.
“Your brother and I are going to the house to let him know and make a plan for him repay everything he’s taken with interest, as well as relieve him of his duties on the Commission,” Ellenberg explained.
The three men stared at each other for a long moment.
“So there will be another open seat?” Roger couldn’t help but ask.
“Yes,” Ellenberg responded. “Are you interested?”
David raised a brow.
Smiling, Roger shook his head. “Not in the slightest.” Which was the truth because truly, he just… No. Not in a hundred and twenty years would he transform back into what he’d need to be—or worse, jeopardize what he’d already gained and what he hoped to gain once he spoke to Miss Adler—for a seat.
“Good to know,” Ellenberg said. “Say, how does twice a week sound?”
“Beg pardon?” he asked. What was the man about?
