I sighed, slipped a hotel robe over my naked form, and exited the room, desperate for a cup of tea.
Nile was sitting at the dining table, the remains of a traditional English breakfast pushed aside. There was yet another place setting covered by a domed metal lid which I assumed was for me. The thoughtful wanker.
“Good morning,” I called out, heading straight to the hot carafe and the goal of caffeine.
Nile glanced at his watch and then back at his tablet. “Nice of you to join me.”
I pulled out the chair and sat, then filled my cup with hot water and tossed a teabag in it. “It’s barely past seven.”
Nile looked at me over the rim of his glasses. “Exactly. You’re late. We have our last meeting with Madam Alana and Ms. Dawson at eight.”
I sipped my tea, removed the dome, and dug right into my breakfast before glancing up at my brother.
“It’s quarter past the hour. Relax, Nile. I’m not going to make us tardy. I know how that irks you,” I teased.
Nile’s lips quirked, hinting at a smile, which I knew was the best I was going to get from my stodgy twin.
“You know seven in the morning is incredibly early for me. It’s often not long after I’ve made it to bed.”
“Like I’ve told you before, you should focus your time and money on the wineries, not the nightclubs,” he stated for the millionth time. If I had a pound for every time he’d brought this up I’d be doubly rich.
“I own ten percent of the entertainment establishments in the world. All of which are padding my holdings considerably. You just don’t appreciate the value of a nightclub or a pub the way I do. Never could. ”
“Nightclubs and pubs.” He scrunched his nose as though he’d just smelled something putrid. “Perhaps if you reviewed the most recent profit and loss statements, the wineries we share might merit a bit more of your…managerial expertise. The analytics are encouraging.”
I lifted my tea as if in cheers. “Brilliant. Then maybe you should be giving them more of your attention. You’re the one who loves the art of wine and winemaking.”
Nile flattened his lips and focused on his tablet. “Perhaps, I will.”
After a few silent minutes of me eating and Nile working, I leaned back and sighed. “I think what we should be talking about is Ruby.”
“What of Ms. Dawson?”
I groaned and stretched my arms over my head. “How are we going to win her heart? Ultimately, there must be some ground rules between us, or we’ll be headed down a very jagged and rocky path.”
“Win her heart?” He scoffed. “I have no intention of wining anyone’s heart. I want to wed her, bed her, and transform her into the perfect Pennington wife. I do not have time for anything more.”
“She’s not something you purchase,” I sneered.
“Oh? I believe that’s exactly what the two of us did yesterday. Or were you not there when I bid six million dollars for her? As I recall, we agreed to evenly split said expenses and to pay the double commission. The first deposit has already transferred into Ms. Dawson’s account. I will remind you, dear brother, purchasing Ms. Dawson was the point of yesterday.”
My nostrils flared at the mere mention of Ruby being “purchased” even though Nile was accurate in his description. However, now that I’d spent time with the woman, I had a hard time remembering that we’d essentially bought her like a fine piece of china or a beautiful piece of art.
“Speaking about her as though she were an object stops now. She’s a human being and deserves to be treated with respect.”
“Agreed,” Nile stated flatly, looking at me over the rim of his glasses. “Anything else?”
“Yes! Since we’ve agreed to woo her into choosing between us, I’m planning to take the process seriously.”
“As will I. However, first and foremost, the woman must be trained. The governess will see to all of that.” He tapped on his tablet screen, dismissing me.
“And if I don’t agree to that plan?” I argued.
Nile sighed and set down his device giving me his full attention. “She will be eaten up by the wolves in our circle if she’s not given the appropriate tools. She didn’t know which cutlery to use at dinner last night, and that was considered a social, casual dining experience. Imagine her response to a six-course meal? Not to mention, the woman didn’t even know what the word ‘philanthropic’ meant. A Pennington wife should handle all of our charitable interests on our behalf. Wouldn’t you agree?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never spent a lot of time participating in those things. I usually just write out a check.”
“I know. I attend all the events, just like our parents used to. Network with all of their business associates and acquaintances. My team manages The Pennington Children’s Foundation. Something you’ve not inquired about since Grandfather’s death. Noah, you have no idea what it takes to oversee our family’s businesses. I’m not even sure why you’re fighting for the additional percentage and governing rights. You never gave so much as a fig toward it when our parents or even our grandfather were running it.” He crossed his legs and rested his interlaced fingers over his knee looking every inch the head of the family, just like our father.
God, I missed him.
Self-doubt wormed its way into the back of my mind. Nile wasn’t wrong. I hadn’t given a lot of attention to any of the family businesses when our grandfather was alive. I focused on what I wanted out of life. Forgoing university altogether and using my trust to purchase rundown nightclubs and pubs and bringing them back to life. Then taking that further by opening new, exclusive establishments that everyone but the governess despised. Grandfather believed a Pennington should work in areas that added something important to the world, not frivolous outlets such as nightclubs and pubs. Nile, ever the perfect son, did exactly what our father and later our grandfather expected. Went to university and worked at Pennington Enterprises learning the business. And he did all of this while composing award-winning orchestral music scores that he would later be known for worldwide.
It wasn’t until Grandfather passed and the stipulation of marriage came into play regarding our family legacy, that I became invested in any of it. Then, all of a sudden, a switch clicked, and I realized what I’d given up. How I’d made myself completely disconnected from what should have been important in life. My family. Somehow, I’d immersed myself in the nightlife scene far more than I originally intended. Losing Grandfather made it all the more real.