Page 106 of Dearest Beast
There was a pause as David leaned forward in his seat. “You’ve never disappointed me,” his brother told him. “Even if I disagreed with your choices at times, that never changed the fact that I love you and it’s a great privilege to be your brother.” His voice was thick. “Isn’t that how you feel about me?”
“Yes,” Roger affirmed, his own throat tight.
“So why wouldn’t I feel the same way?” his brother pressed.
Roger turned the information over in his head. “Perhaps it wasn’t completely you or the rest of the family. It was also me,” he mused. “That I’d disappoint myself.”
“And that’s changed?” David asked.
“Yes.” Roger nodded. “Or at least it’s changing. I’m changing,” he amended.
“For the better, it seems,” his brother declared. With a small smile, he leaned back in his chair. “That’s quite amazing at your age. Though perhaps you’ve had some influence?”
Roger frowned.
His brother barked a laugh. “Mercy, for someone so well educated, you’re rather oblivious. I was referring to Miss Adler.”
“Ah” was all Roger could say, as yes, that was most certainly true, in more ways than David could ever know. Though it was rather peculiar that his brother had deduced anything of the sort in the first place. David was interested in business first and foremost, and afterthat, maintaining the status quo for the community and the family—Uncle Naphtali’s role, which he’d stepped into at barely nineteen but which had seemed to fit him so perfectly.
Not uncaring about the finer points of social and political matters, but they were not his focus or interest and perhaps he was a touch oblivious to them.
Or at least that’s what he’d believed.
Perhaps he’d misjudged his brother in multiple ways. There was another long pause.
“You know she isn’t married,” David continued, eyeing him.
Roger nearly fell out of his chair. His brother couldn’t be possibly suggesting… It was, well, out of the question. It wasn’t that he wouldn’t be amenable to it, but Rebecca couldn’t possibly want the same, could she?
Yes, he enjoyed her presence. And yes, they’d become not merely lovers but nearly friends.
Or something deeper than friends. Something he could not quite find a word for, despite his supposedly impressive vocabulary.
Still, it would never work. Their lives weren’t compatible. Not in the long run. Yes, his was changing, but she’d not—there was just too much.
“I do know that,” Roger affirmed, shifting in his seat.
“I don’t believe she’s completely opposed to it as a concept,” David continued, not relinquishing his gaze.
“No,” Roger said slowly, choosing his words carefully. “Though she’s made it clear that she’d require a very particular husband and very few of us could ever live up to such.”
“You do enjoy challenges,” his brother commented, his tone seemingly mild, but there was also an odd gleam in his eye.
“She’s a person, not a challenge, and this is marriage,” Roger returned, suddenly quite irritated with his brother.
David cocked his head. “Are you opposed to the concept for yourself now?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I just require the correct person.”
“Ah.” His brother nodded. “Like her.” He tented his fingers. “Interesting,” he murmured, aggravating Roger even more.
“Not interesting,” he snapped. “She’d not say yes.”
“Well, not if you don’t ask,” David had the nerve to respond.
“You don’t understand,” he murmured, shaking his head.
“That you’ve potentially said and done things that could make this quite difficult back when you were attempting to be the person you thought you were supposed to be, I can only imagine.” His brother raised his brow yet again.
