The next day, Nathaniel sent for his brother under the guise of discussing business. When Finn arrived, Nathaniel poured him a drink, but Finn pushed Nathaniel’s hand away from the bottle and poured it himself. A silence hung below the sound of the men, a silence that contained the absence of their father, the absence of their mother and Jacob and the life they had lived together. The silence contained the inevitability of death and the fact of their father’s will.
In the living room, Nathaniel prepared himself to speak. He watched Finn sip his drink and look around the room as if there was something he wanted and couldn’t find.
“I know what you did to Rachel,” Nathaniel said.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This will stop, and it will stop right now.” Nathaniel stood over his brother where Finn sat in their father’s chair. “You’ve no right to go after her like that.”
“I’ve as much of a right as the next man.” Finn looked up at Nathaniel over the edge of his glass.
“You don’t have any right to force yourself on her.”
“You don’t know anything about that girl.”
“I can’t rely on you to be responsible for our father’s money if you lose control like that. How can I trust you?”
“I have every right to be angry.” Finn stood now and paced before the empty fireplace. “Father left everything to you. You’ve no idea what that feels like.”
“You can’t take it out on Rachel.”
“I wasn’t taking it out on her. You must know that I regret it.” Finn finished the whiskey in two swift gulps, and his expression turned smug as he lit a cigar. “What are you going to do with Father’s cigars?”
His sudden lack of interest in the situation infuriated Nathaniel. “Until you prove that you can leave her alone, I’ll not give you a dime, Finn.”
Finn stared at him as if trying to find a foothold, and finding none, he shoved his brother back against the fireplace. Nathaniel shook his head, knowing that Finn had just proved that he couldn’t control his rage.
“It’s not your money, Nathaniel! He was going to change the will.”
“But he didn’t. It’s your anger, Finn. You’re not trustworthy.”
Nathaniel wanted to feel confident in having made a decision, but he only felt a sense of regret for having been put in charge of his father’s estate. He didn’t want to use his position against his brother, but he could think of no other way to keep Finn away from Rachel.
Finn poured another shot of whiskey, then took a drink from the bottle. “You think you can control me,” he said.
“Go home,” Nathaniel said.
“I’m taking this with me,” Finn told him, swinging the bottle as if it was all the power he had in the world.