Page 4 of A Wicked Viscount's Stormy Affair
George wanted this meal to be a moment where he did not have to think of anything, certainly not the past, but unfortunately, he could not avoid it. It seemed that the more he surrounded himself with people, the more he kept thinking about what awaited him. Even if Gregory did not know for sure if he was going to be home or not, he had to be suspecting that he might.
Hopefully he was going to treat this reunion as a chance to make things right as well.
He slid his eyes closed for a moment, recalling the last time him and Gregory saw one another face to face, when terrible words were slung and fists too. When jealousy really got the better of Gregory and everything went to hell, all because of money, because of an inheritance that had been offered to George because he was the older twin.
No actually, that was silly. It was not because of the few minutes of difference in age, even if that was what they had been told at the time.
It was because George was always a little bit better at everything than his brother. With his studies as well as his athleticism, and he seemed to find life and socializing more straight forward as well.
Gregory seemed to have issues with everything, and never wanted his twins’ help which would have made everything far more straightforward.
There had always been a divide there because of that, but naming George the sole heir to everything because he was the more responsible twin, and did not waste far too much of his time in gambling halls, had tipped Gregory over the edge.
In a fit of jealousy, Gregory had confronted George, yelling and screaming at him about the inheritance. It did not even seem to matter when George insisted that he did not want the title, only to see their family’s success continue. Words which had fallen on deaf ears and only seemed to wind Gregory up even more.
The squabble escalated and a few punches were thrown. By Gregory. But he had spent the whole day drinking and could not seem to land anything. He hit harder and harder, but never connected with George’s face.
Unfortunately, because he was so intoxicated, he tumbled and hit his head on a rock, all while screaming out obscenities the entire time, not listening to George’s pleas to just stop it already.
Even the gash on his forehead did not seem to silence him.
If that had been the end of it, it might have been alright, but that was just the beginning.
By the morning after, everything had changed. Changed for the worst.
Gregory went to their father and concocted a story about how George attacked him to ensure there was no other claim to the title. Believing his son because of the proof of blood, their father made the difficult, yet rapid in George’s opinion, decision to disinherit George, sending him away with only a small amount of money and the advice never to return to London.
He had never seen such disappointment in his father’s eyes, and that was the moment he realized that it did not matter what he had done in his life, how many of the rules he had followed, it would never matter.
George did not fight it.
He was not concerned, he simply wished to escape then. He did not want to face any of his family members again because it seemed like they had never understood or known him, and that they did not even care to.
George took only a few things, including a small fortune he had stashed away on top of his father’s money, and left for his own safety, knowing that Gregory might try again to harm him to ensure his inheritance.
And that was how he ended up in Sweden, where he had gone on to start a very successful business, eventually becoming a wealthy lord there.
He reminded himself yet again that he would not be in London for a long time. A week or two at most. During which time he would let Gregory know that he was only there to support him, to ensure that their family estate passed to him smoothly and that it was in good hands.
Then he could get back to his real life. To everything that he had built all by himself.
Everyone chattered around him, George could hear Sebastian charming the table with his wonderful personality and making everyone laugh, but George could not find the courage to engage himself. Not with this heavy weight pressing down on his shoulders.
Perhaps coming to the dining hall was a big mistake.
He was much more comfortable eating in his room where he did not have to worry about any eyes upon him.
Thankfully, the meal did not last too long. Or perhaps it just seemed that way because George was lost in his thoughts most of the time. It did not seem too agonizing an amount of time before Sebastian was leading him from the table and walking back to the room.
“There are some very nice families here, George,” Sebastian informed him. “I think it would be good for you to open up a little, to speak to some people while you are here. I know that this is not the nicest journey a person has ever had to take…”
“That is putting it mildly,” George interjected.
“Perhaps, but why not make it a little better for yourself? Why not socialize while you are here?”
George offered his friend a one shouldered shrug. He could not see any reason to argue this right now, even if it was the last thing that he wanted to do. He just wanted to make it, to get there to London without making too much of a dent in his life.
Then he wanted to return to normal and forget it all. Was that too much to ask?
