Page 24 of Harvey

“I think we have forgotten that this is Kendra’s first night here, and we would not want to spoil it for her.” Julia intervened with a charming yet steely smile that made it plain that she would not tolerate discussing business at the dinner table. “Why don’t you take her for a walk in the gardens after dessert?” she asked, looking at her older son.

“I am afraid I am going to have to pass.” Pushing back his chair, he rose, sending a glance to Silas. “I am sure my brother would love to show her around. Please excuse me.”

With that, he strode from the room, leaving everyone staring after him.

“My dear, I am so sorry about that,” Julia said quietly, turning to Kendra.

“Please don’t apologize.” Forcing a smile to her lips, she assured the older woman, drowning in humiliation. He had made it plain he couldn’t stand her and was behaving as if she had set out to trap him in this farce of a marriage.

She knew he had waited at the last minute to arrive for dinner and had deliberately ignored her during the meal. Not that she wanted to be noticed by him in the first place. Harvey Blackwood was the last man she wanted attention from.

*****

“At some point, you will have to stop apologizing.” Kendra admonished him gently.

“Perhaps for the next month or so, I will not feel the need to do so.” He admitted wryly as they strolled along the winding path to the tennis court.

He had insisted on them taking a walk after the vibrant banana and strawberry dessert, and after seeing the guilty look on his face, she didn’t have the heart to refuse him. “He takes some getting used to.”

“I am assuming we are speaking of your brother.” Shoving her hands into her coat pockets, she stopped at the edge of the court.

“Who else?” Silas turned to look over the glossy green of the court, a smile touching his lips. “He taught me the game. He taught me all the games. Harvey was a jock in high school and excelled in all the sports.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

He did not miss the sarcasm in her voice..

“So, he excels at everything, excluding being polite.”

Silas laughed at that, feeling the tension draining from his body. He had been very uncomfortable at the dinner table and could have strangled his brother for making her feel unwelcome. They had been brought up to make people feel at home, and he had gone out of his way to ignore Kendra.

“I suppose you are right.” Silas agreed with a sigh. “I am to be blamed for putting you in this position, and I feel guilty. I am also cognizant that my brother is doing this for me, and as much as I want to knock him upside the head, I will have to resist the urge to do so.”

Turning to look at him, she studied his earnest face and relaxed. He was more her type, sweet and uncomplicated, and certainly not the brooding type. “He is still not talking to you?”

“No. And he knows that’s the worst punishment he could ever throw out. I hate the silence between us.”

“Then you should do something about it.”

“You don’t know my brother.” Silas told her dryly. “He is like an immovable object when he gets going.”

“Then perhaps you should light a fire under him.” She touched his jacket briefly. “You are very close. I never had a sibling, regrettably, but I would like to think that if I had, the passing of my parents would have been easier.”

Silas felt a stab of remorse. “Forgive me for going on about the lack of communication with my brother and forgetting how much you still suffer.”

“It gets easier. Or it should. Now tell me about your success on this court.”

*****

He wasn’t sleeping. It was too early anyway, and if things had not changed, he would either be taking a ride to the local tavern on his bike or spending part of the night with his latest lust interest. But now he was an old married man and had to stay put, and it was pissing him off.

It was also pissing him off that he could not get the image of her out of his head or the flashing of her dark brown eyes when he refused the suggestion to take her for a walk. Neither could he forget the contemptuous look on her face. To hell with her! She was welcome to Silas as far as he was concerned.

He was about to get up and pour himself a drink when he heard the discreet knock on the door. Swearing under his breath, he waited for the person to enter, wondering why it had taken his mother this long to come and reprimand him for his rude behavior at dinner.

He stiffened when he saw his brother coming into the room.

“I am going to start looking at the bloody doors. What do you want?”

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