Page 25

E zra’s eyes adjusted to the low light of the club. He scanned the room, looking for a quiet place to rest and enjoy his drink without being disturbed.

“Oh ho! Look who graces us with his appearance?”

Ezra turned his body to immediately step back out into the bright afternoon when a hand reached out and grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Going so soon, brother?”

Frederic’s voice boomed in his ear. There would be no rest for him this afternoon.

“Frederic,” Ezra sighed. “I’m really in no mood for your personality.”

Frederic grasped his chest in protest. “You wound me, brother. There is nothing here that cannot tame your senses. What has caused such melancholy in a joyful man?”

Ezra gritted his teeth. No one on God’s green earth would ever describe him as a ‘joyful man,’ not even those at Swarthmore’s who knew him as somewhat jovial.

He reached up and rubbed his eyes. “Honestly, Frederic, I question why we are friends sometimes.”

Frederic’s laugh annoyed him. “Well, it’s your misfortune if we are not friends, since I am married to your sister. Friend are not, I’m afraid I’m not going anywhere.”

Ezra groaned as he allowed Frederic to push him towards a corner that had two chairs on opposite sides of a chess set.

“I’m in no mood to play games, Frederic. I have enough game playing in my own life, I don’t need to do it for enjoyment.” Gods be damned if wasn’t whining. Ezra scowled, his whole life is becoming unrecognizable.

Frederic’s eyes focused on his friend. “Playing games, are we? Does this auspicious mood have anything to do with a certain Lady whose name begins with a ‘B’?” Frederic teased before pointing a finger in the air.

“Oh wait, or does her name start with the letter ‘C’? I also hear congratulations are in order. You do wound me, though. You’re married and you didn’t invite your dearest and oldest friend, nor your sister.

” Frederic tsked. “We expected more from the great solicitor.”

Ezra rolled his lips. “You spoke with Melinda?” His voice held no weight or emotion.

Frederic waved over an attendant who had two tumblers of whisky on his tray. “Aye, I did. She said you two were quiet the pair last night. Drinking and gambling, have a gay old time, did we?”

To Frederic’s defense, Ezra could tell his friend tried to hide his mirth but he was positively buzzing with it.

“Go on. Say what you’re going to say.” Ezra threw back some of the amber liquid and dropped his head into his hands.

Frederic laughed and ruffled his friend’s hair. Ezra swatted the hand away.

“How little you think of me that I would pick a man so obviously low that I would burden him with the knowledge that I was right.”

Ezra merely picked up his head and gave his friend a pointed look.

“And you’d be absolutely right to think that low of me, because I would love to burden you with such knowledge!” Frederic barked out a laugh, annoying Ezra to his core.

He drank more of the whisky, wanting the alcohol to dull of his senses. Particularly his hearing. Ezra sat back in his chair, resting his tumbler on his thigh.

“Well, then, let’s have it.” He conceded.

Frederic sat up and cleared his throat. “Give me a moment. It’s not every day you allow me the honor of being right.”

Ezra glanced to the door. There were other clubs he could go to.

“You’ve fallen for her.” Frederic’s words lost all jest and felt like a slap across Ezra’s face.

Ezra’s eyes snapped to his brother-in-law’s. “Excuse me?”

Frederic’s eyes searched Ezra. “Look at you. I have never seen you like this. You are positively lost to this woman.”

Ezra grimaced. “I am not.” He murmured.

Frederic tilted his head, considering his friend. “According to Melinda you have. She may not have known you as long as I have, but you must agree that she is an excellent judge of character.”

“And a gossipmonger if there ever was one.” Ezra grumbled into his tumbler, swallowing the last bit before signaling for another.

Frederic nodded. “True, the ton definitely missed out on her expertise. Regardless, she said she saw you in a way she’s never seen you before. You were…” Frederic waved his hands in front of him, as if he was conjuring the words before him. “Nice. Cordial.”

“I take offense to that. I may be a bit standoffish here,” his head gestured to the club, “in polite society,” he said with a sneer. “But there those people know who I really am. I am never not cordial to them.”

Frederic slammed his hand on the table between them, startling some of the fellow gentleman at nearby tables.

After nodding in apology, Frederic brought his attention back to Ezra.

“Exactly.” His voice just above a whisper.

“You took her to Swarthmore’s, a place you consider your refuge.

You’ve never taken any one there, your own sister has never been there. ”

“Well, that’s on you, brother. You can take your wife there.” Ezra interjected.

“Like you took yours?” Frederic challenged with a raise of an eyebrow.

Era’s eyes darkened and narrowed in on his friend. “Careful, brother. Or we will revisit our old ways and take this outside.”

Frederic smirked. “The years may have continued, but I assure you, I could still kick your ass.” His eyes moved to the door. “Would you like to test that theory?”

Ezra snarled. “No.” He rested his head on the back of the chair, and closed his eyes. How did he let this situation get away from him so quickly?

“Just answer me this, have you developed feelings for her?” Frederic raised his hand to stop Ezra’s immediate response. “No, I want you to really think about it. Put your pride aside and what you ‘think’ is right, and tell me honestly, do you seriously care for this woman?”

Ezra bit the inside of his cheek. He owed his friend an honest response. As his mind replayed their exchanges, their dances, their conversations, his hands remembered the way her body felt in his. His tongue recalled the sweetness of her kisses, and the taste of her body.

Ezra licked his lips as he sat up, suddenly uncomfortable in the oversized chair. He looked toward the attendant.

Where is my bloody drink?

“Ezra, you can only stall for so long.”

Ezra rolled his eyes. “I’m not stalling.

I’m processing.” As soon as the words left his mouth his mind flashed bright brown eyes, full of intrigue and mischief, with a bit of stubbornness in them.

She said those exact words to him the night after the last ball, when she found him on the veranda.

The night he offered to help her complete the items on her list. Every item, but the last one.

To fall in love.

Unease settled within Ezra.

“While I will concede I have developed some sort of feelings for the woman, they fall within the realm of friendship. Our arrangement has become nothing more than one friend helping another.” He sniffed as he grabbed the new tumbler of whisky off the attendant’s tray with a sneer.

“Why did you offer your assistance in the first place?” Frederic’s question prodded.

Ezra lifted a shoulder. “I was bored? I was available? I don’t know, Frederic. Because I wanted to. Do I need more of a reason than that?”

Frederic shook his head. “No, I guess not. What of your list?”

Ezra looked up to his friend after a healthy pull of whisky. “What of it?”

“One of your golden rules in no repeats. You’ve not only been seen repeatedly with this woman but you took her to Melinda’s place.” Frederic leaned in and lowered his voice. “And speaking of Melinda, am I correct to assume it was not Melinda sneaking out of your box the other night?”

Ezra’s back snapped up as he put his tumbler on the table, his eyes searching the room to make sure no one heard.

“Keep you voice down, you want to be the cause of a ruination?” Ezra’s heart was beating uncontrollably in his chest. He made sure Beatrice was protected in every aspect of their outings.

From her clothing, to how and when they were to arrive, he had coordinated everything so her reputation would survive her list.

Frederic hunched his shoulders in apology. “You are playing a dangerous game, Ezra.”

Ezra swallowed. He hated to admit his friend was right, but he was. He can say she is just an acquaintance all he wants, he knew, deep down, there is only one way for this to end and that is with her heart being broken.

Whether it’s due to feelings or from ruination is yet to be determined. Either way, it cannot and will not end happily for Beatrice.

“Why you refuse to admit the reasoning behind your own list is in because of what happened to your sister is a discussion I’m tired of having-”

“Thank God for that.” Murmured Ezra.

Frederic ignored the interruption. “Because I’ve already decided it is and you admitting it does nothing.

The fact is, you have that list for a reason and it’s to protect whomever you’re with.

If you are to stay true to yourself, and her, you should end whatever it is going on between the two of you. ”

Ezra mashed his teeth together. There was nothing serious between them, was there? He could admit he admonished his list in order to help her complete hers. But there were no real feelings there. At least not for him.

Sure, his body hums when she was near, an his hands itched to touch hers. He also noticed himself smiling more around her, which was highly annoying.

Ezra’s eyes met Frederic’s when the realization dawned on him.

“Ah. There it is. I love watching you come to the same conclusion as me. It takes you longer, but you always get there.”

Ezra disregarded the comment and sat up. “Hold on, Frederic, I’m not conceding to anything of the sort. I remain steadfast that my feelings remain platonic.”

The word felt like dust on his tongue, but he pushed on.

“However, I will admit that this has gone on for too long.”

Frederic considered Ezra’s words. “Only if you are still steadfast in not wanting to marry.”

“I can’t marry her.”

Ezra did not appreciate how his gut seemed to drop at his admission.

Frederic snorted. “And remind me again why you can’t. From what Melinda said it seemed like she would be willing to change her stance on spinsterhood for you.”

Ezra steeled his thoughts. His mind pushed to allow him to fantasize what a life with Beatrice would look like.

Alas, he knew he could not offer the life she deserved.

He was not soft, he was not one to think of others first. One would only have to look at his sister’s situation before Frederic to see how he could fail.

He could not, and would not, let that happen to Beatrice.

“Ezra?” Frederic’s voice penetrated Ezra’s thoughts.

“Beatrice is not your sister. And even if she reminds you of her, your sister is fine and well taken care of. If you want her, take her and end this madness. For both of you.”

End this madness.

This is madness.

Ezra finished his tumbler and slammed it on the table. “You’re right, Frederic.” He stood and straightened his jacket. “See? I can admit when you’re right.”

Frederic stood and followed his friend through the club. He stopped Ezra just as he was about to open the door. “So you’re going to marry her?”

Frederic sounded hopeful. Ezra smiled and clapped his hand on his friend’s shoulder.

“No. I’m going to end the madness.”

Ezra left Frederic standing in the darkened club. With every step that carried him further away from the conversation his feet became heavier. He knew he was doing the right thing, for Beatrice’s sake, but it didn’t lighten his step in the slightest.