Page 72 of Margins of Love
She shook her head.
“Now, now, Carol, don’t be so peevish,” Arnold said.
“I am sorry I missed your grand announcement this evening.” Fave walked toward her. “But my dear cousin informed me that Marvin is engaged to your daughter?”
Bustle-Smith looked at Eve. But Eve’s gaze was colder than ice.
Gustav came to Fave’s side, even Lizzie had closed in on her.
“Why did you try with all your might to hold on to this house?” Gustav asked.
Bustle-Smith remained silent.
“Carol,” Eve admonished.
“It’s her dowry,” she mumbled.
“Ah!” Fave turned to Arnold. His eyes saidprèt.But this was not training, they would attack together. With another blink, Fave nodded at his father.En garde.
“And the match will fall through without her dowry, of course,” Gustav said. He used to fence, too, and enjoyed a good stab at the enemy.
Bustle-Smith stiffened.
“But the emerald you intended to use to pay off your debt, or at least a fraction thereof, turned out to be a fake?” Gustav added for good measure. “Did you think you could fool us?”
Lizzie clapped her hands as the pieces fell into place.
“This is what the barrister wanted from you, Papa?” Rachel asked Ilan.
“Loan forgiveness,” he confirmed.
“It’s always about money with you, Carol,” Gustav sputtered. “Shame on you!”
He went to Ilan. “I am sorry that your family was dragged into our mess. We have indulged her far too long and…”
Rachel noticed her father’s demeanor changing. This was a turning moment, she could read his expression.
“Pardon me,” Ilan approached Gustav. “What is your Hebrew name?”
“Gidon. Gidon ben Yitzhak.Gustav, son of Isaac.” Gustav supplied his full Jewish name and stood straight and proud before Ilan.
Ilan handed him the paper thoughtfully.
Arnold stepped over to look at it but shook his head at Fave with a shrug, and handed him the paper. While Fave scanned the pages, Gustav looked at Ilan as if they had been friends for a lifetime. Rachel was so tense that her hair must have been sticking straight up in the air.
Fave looked at his father as if asking to take the reins.
Gustav smiled at him with all the charm of a proud abdicating king.
Fave bowed to his father and smiled at Rachel with all the love in his heart. Then he turned to Bustle-Smith. “Allison may keep Brockton House and retire to the country with her newly betrothed. A little bit of country air will not harm Marvin. As I know him, he is rather pallid.”
“Get out of my house,” Bustle-Smith barked.
“This is notyourhouse.” Eve’s wagged at her.
“It’s our headquarters now,” Fave added. “Get out.” He whipped his head to the door with a new air of being in charge.
Bustle-Smith crawled away, leaving a trail of disgust behind her like a rat’s tail. Arnold shut the door. A moment of silence swept through the room.
