Page 51 of The Rogue’s Offer

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

Charles slowly folded his paper and dropped it on the table next to his place setting. He leaned back in his chair allowing the arm rest to support his elbow as he rubbed his chin in a contemplative manner. Ignoring his brother’s stare, Mathias took another bite of his toast and stared down at his plate.

“Do you love her?”

The quiet question made Mathias jerk his head toward his brother who was studying him with curiosity. For days now he’d refused to believe he was in love with Ophelia. Now his brother was forcing him to face the truth. Mathias met his brother’s gaze as the harsh reality of his situation crashed over him with the strength of an angry wave in a stormy sea. The understanding in Charles’s blue eyes was sympathetic as he nodded.

“It appears you’ve just had a revelation as to your feelings for the lady in question.”

His brother’s quiet observation made Mathias jerk his head in the affirmative. Closing his eyes, he slouched back in his chair and struggled with the magnitude of what he’d done. Not once since Miriam’s betrayal had he allowed himself to become emotionally attached to any woman. He indulged in pleasant liaisons, but he’d always walked away without looking back. But Ophelia had slipped past all the barriers he’d erected over the years.

“Then you have one of two choices, little brother. Either take action or forget her.” The challenge in his brother’s harsh words sliced through the raw emotions rising to the surface.

“It’s not that simple,” he bit out between clenched teeth as he ignored the pounding in his head.

“It is that simple, Mathias.” The confidence in his brother’s voice made him sit up and glare at his brother.

“Do you honestly think I’d be sitting here if I knew of a way to make things right between us?”

“Christ Jesus. For a man who always has an answer when it comes to solving my problems, one would think you’d be able to solve one of your own,” Charles said in a disgusted voice. “Fight for her, damn it.”

“Who the hell are you to give me advice? As I recall, I tried to convince you to go after Beatrice, but you refused,” he said in a savagely bitter voice. “All I’m doing is following in your footsteps.”

Charles’s features hardened into a stony façade. The steely glint of fury in his brother’s eyes warned Mathias there would be hell to pay if he said one more word. His brother’s mouth thinned with anger as he narrowed his gaze at Mathias.

“This conversation isn’t about my past. It’s about how you resolve the situation between you and Lady Havenstock.” Charles’s voice was flat and emotionless as he met Mathias’s gaze.

With a jerk, his brother shoved his chair out from under him to stand up then make his way to the door. Charles paused for a moment in the doorway of the dining room and looked over his shoulder.

“The choice is yours, Mathias. Don’t make one you might regret.” It was his brother’s final parting shot as he left the breakfast room leaving Mathias to consider his own future.