Hearing the icy tone on the phone, Oscar Merritt could almost picture his brother's expression.
Dark. Ominous. Like a sky heavy with storm clouds.
He could tell his brother was furious.
As soon as this thought hit him, Oscar's heart began to race.
Could it be—had his brother actually developed feelings for Violet Leach?
Now that he thought about it, his brother had indeed been treating Violet differently lately.
Take his germaphobia, for instance. He'd always hated being touched by women, yet with Violet—well, it seemed he'd already touched her in ways both appropriate and otherwise.
He even recalled how last time Violet had served him a dish, and he'd been so repulsed he was about to toss it—only for his brother to take it, muttering "don't waste food," and eat it himself.
The mor
