Page 50 of Merrick

“You don’t just go over a woman just like that and one you barely know. She’s not even your type.” He pointed out.

He flinched at the look his brother gave him.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“It’s not because of her color…”

“It had better not be.”

Maurice hastened to add. “She is not sophisticated. You usually go for the glamorous type. I am not saying she isn’t lovely…” He threw up his hands and took a gulp of his own scotch as his brother continued to stare at him. “I just want you to be careful.”

Merrick relented and took pity on him. “You think she’s after my money?”

“She might be.”

He twirled the glass around in his fingers, an amused expression on his face. “She does not care about that sort of thing. No!” He shook his head. “I am not blinded by love and yes, I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love with her.

She is the most intriguing woman I have ever met. She fascinates me, excites me and that is something I never expected. She has not asked me for anything and when I tried to buy somethingfor her, she freaked out. Which makes me want to buy her the world.”

Maurice stared at his brother in shock. His usually cool and controlled brother was behaving like a lovesick idiot – something had to be done about it. The woman was unsophisticated at best and crude. He had watched her at the table, and she did not practice dining etiquette, he had an idea that she did not know any of it.

He had also never seen Merrick look at anyone the way he was looking at her.

“What about Laura?” He asked softly, knowing that the subject was taboo.

“What about her?”

He gulped some more of the scotch. “You loved her. You always claimed that no woman could ever replace her.”

“No one could, until I met Margo. What the hell is your point? I thought you would be happy for me, and this works to your benefit.” There was a cynical twist to his lips. “This will take Janey’s attention off me.”

The minute he said the words, he regretted it. His brother looked like he had swallowed a trout. His face paled and his hand holding the glass trembled slightly.

“Look, that was uncalled for.”

“No.” Maurice shook his head and went to refill his glass. “We both know that I am second best at everything. Not even second, but a dead last. Janey wanted you first, she always wanted you and I have accepted that.”

“Maurice…”

Maurice turned to face his brother, anger giving his face color. “You are better at everything more than I ever was. At business,at women. Everything you touch turns to gold, while I have to trail along in your shadow.”

“Is that how you see yourself?”

“It’s how everyone sees me.” He finished the drink. “I need some air.”

“Maurice…”

“Congratulations, by the way.”

Merrick swore viciously and considered going after him but decided to let him cool off. Finishing his own drink, he went to find Margo.

*****

“Want to talk?” He asked quietly. Sitting on the edge of the sofa, he turned to face her. He had been afraid that she would insist on going straight to her place, after what had happened at his family’s place and was pathetically grateful that she had come back home with him.

But she was quiet, had been quiet on the journey home and had turned her head away and closed her eyes to avoid conversation.

He had let that go because he had been doing some thinking of his own. His brother had been stiff and formal with the goodbyes and Janey had been rude. Jason had disappeared. Michael was the only one who had extended a warm goodbye, and he was grateful to his nephew for making her feel welcome.

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