Étienne looks at me from the corner of his eye. “You will not see her again, will you?”
“No. I don’t believe I will.” I pause. “She wants commitment.”
Étienne dramatically gasps. He’s been spending far too much time with his wife. “A woman wants commitment from another human being? My God. The nerve. Did you alert the police?”
I fling my hand in the air. “I don’t understand what happened to casual datin’.”
“I’m afraid that is somethin’ of the past. At your age, settlin’ down with a woman might appeal to you.”
The mere thought causes me to shudder. I have far too many scars from my past and questionable ways of coping with them. I have no desire to bring someone into my personal life. Indefinitely. “Why would I want to settle with one woman?”
“Because we’re made of sugar and spice and everything nice. So kiss my ass.” Étienne and I turn in time to see Serene walk into the ballroom.
I gesture to my sister-in-law. “Here walks Exhibit A. Dear God, you’re still pregnant? It’s been almost two years.”
“Do not get me started. This child is bringing the noise and bringing the funk on my bladder.”
Étienne stands and grabs a chair lined against the wall, and places it next to ours.
“What brings you here?” Étienne asks as he helps his wife sit down.
Serene links her hands around the underside of her stomach as she makes herself comfortable. For all her bellyaching, I believe a small part of her truly enjoys being pregnant. “No reason. The two of you have been in here for a long time.”
My brother looks my way. “It’s Livingston. He wouldn’t stop. I almost stabbed myself to make it end.”
Furrowing her brows, Serene looks at me. “Why the intense fencing game?”
My brother leans back in his chair. Arching a brow, he smiles at Serene. “Because of Rainey.”
“Oh, of course.” Serene slaps her palm against her forehead. “I should’ve known that. This pregnancy is seriously throwing me off my game.”
“I’ll have the two of you know that me fencin’ has absolutely nothin’ to do with Rainey.”
The two of them stare at me with bland expressions. They don’t believe a word I’m saying.
“I’m serious,” I insist.
Serene nods, her eyes wide. “Of course.”
I look around the room before my gaze ventures back to Serene. Do I dare ask the question that’s been hounding me since last night? Oh, why not? This is Serene we’re talking about. Somehow, someway, she finds out everything.
“Has she expressed interested in seeing Beau again?”
Serene looks at Étienne before she answers. “No, not to me. But for the sake of transparency, Beau told Étienne he wants to see Rainey again.”
I snort. “I’m sure he does.” I push myself out of my chair as a sudden surge of adrenaline courses through me.
“Has it ever occurred to you that these men might want to be with Rainey for Rainey?” This question comes from Étienne.
“No. And you know why? Because I’m a male, and I understand what they’re thinkin’. Trust me when I say gettin’ to know the real Rainey is the furthest thing from their mind.”
Serene stops rubbing her stomach and gives me a thoughtful look. “But what if it is?”
As I sit there thinking of the bachelors having genuine intentions, something unheard of courses through me. It isn’t jealousy, anger, or fury, but something between the three. It’s hot and powerful, and makes my hands clench several times. My mouth opens and closes, yet I can’t seem to muster a reply to Serene’s question.
“Chan-Chan! Chan-Chan! Don’t run!” Alex hollers in the hall, impeding my aggressive thoughts.
Serene slaps her hand against her knees and attempts to stand. “Ah, crap. I gotta go.”
Wordlessly, Étienne holds his hand out, and Serene takes it. She launches herself out of her chair and waddles toward the doors. Once in the hallway, Serene yells for Alex to slow down.
I look at my brother. “There’s never a dull moment in this home, is there?”
Étienne shrugs, but a tiny smirk covers his lips. “I find it pleasant. Belgrave was quiet for far too long. A home of this size needs to be filled with children.”
“Precisely how many children?”
“As many children as Serene wants to give me.”
“My Lord,” I groan. “Belgrave doesn’t have enough room for the number of children the two of you will produce.”
With that said, Étienne laughs heartily. Some of my pent-up aggression fades, but it won’t completely disappear until I know Serene is done with this bachelor charade. This is going to drive me mad.
Sighing, Étienne looks at me. “If you want to remain a bachelor your entire life, so be it. I will no longer browbeat you.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
“And in terms of Rainey, if you’re truly disgruntled with Pleas’s will, then perhaps we can have our attorney look through it and see if there are any holes in it.”
“That would be good,” I reply noncommittally. I appreciate the offer, but I’m certain Pleas’s will was ironclad. I think of a conversation Rainey and I had the day Serene proposed the idea of having a bachelor ball, and how Rainey privately confessed her family’s financial peril. I promised my discretion, and she has it. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t help guide Étienne in the right direction. “And I’ll look through the family’s financial documents,” I blurt.
Slowly, Étienne turns to me. “Why?”
“To make sure all is well. Rainey mentioned they are between accountants, and I know Pleas played an important role in their finances. It’s just to make sure everythin’ is okay.”
Étienne absorbs my explanation. “Very well, then. If you need help, let me know.”
“Thank you.”
Étienne gives a blunt nod and stares straight ahead. “But it goes without sayin’ that the process will be tedious and can take quite a long time.”
“I know,” I say empathetically.
I understood that more than Étienne realized. The examination through the first set of ledgers Rainey gave me was not going how I anticipated. Miles took painstaking care to list everything that came into the Pleasonton household and everything that went out. The daily expenses were neat and orderly, as was the cash account, and the two were always on separate pages. It was evident that Miles had been attempting to hold the creditors back, for years, to the best of his abilities by taking loans from one bank and paying them off from another loan through an acquaintance or friend. On one of the cash account pages, toward the bottom, was Étienne’s name. There was a date the loan was taken out and the amount. There was no date listed for any payment. I don’t know if that was because Étienne refused for the loan to be paid back or Miles didn’t have the funds. But seeing my brother’s name in the ledger brought a sinking feeling to my gut.
“She should continue seein’ each bachelor,” Étienne says, his tone frank.