"Darling, I'd advise you to let me handle the help. We wouldn't want there to be any misunderstandings as to where everyone's loyalties lie, now would we?" Paling slightly, she lost the ramrod posture she'd held up until then, tipping her chin down with a shake of her head. "Look at me when I'm talking to you, Shelby. It's rude to stare at the floor." Her whiskey-brown eyes flicked up to meet mine, her own mounting anger flashing in them. She wasn't as cowed as she wanted me to think. "Let me be clear, now, before we go any further with this. I do not care for other men giving you attention, nor you reciprocating it, even if it's harmless. In particular, I do not care for my brother or the man that has been assigned as your primary security. For now, my father's word is law, but there will come a time when that's no longer the case. Do you understand?"
Despite the myriad of emotions that flitted across her dainty features, she nodded with a subdued, "Yes, Dirk." It was enough for me, and now feeling marginally better with the warning in place, I got to my feet and offered her assistance in getting to hers.
I kept my stride short enough to match hers, but we didn't dally in the halls. The sooner dinner was over, the sooner I could settle Shelby in with Nina and pursue an outlet for my anger.
"It took you long enough. What was so urgent that you couldn't wait until after dinner?" Father's eyes narrowed before sweeping Shelby with a once-over. Seemingly satisfied with her appearance, he turned his attention back to me.
"Some topics are private, Father. I'm sure you understand that." I was treading on his temper, but my obedience only went so far, and it was at its limit.
Before he could reply, Milo and Nina appeared, taking their seats with a nod to my father. Their presence threw me off. While it wasn't odd for Carter, as Father's protégé, to join us for dinner, it was practically unheard of for any other staff, no matter how close they were to the family. Technically, Carter was our equal in society's eyes even if he'd given his fortune away. It wasn't like he was a pauper. He had access to money; he was just restricted in how he was able to use it. He held Father's proxy for business matters when needed, but he knew not to abuse the power. I wasn't sure what Father even held over him anymore, but it was enough to keep Carter in line as his errand boy.
I didn't have long to ponder what was going on, for after the main course was served, the old bastard got right to it… after making Shelby, and everyone else at the table, highly uncomfortable. Except maybe Milo. He liked to watch people squirm and could be a terrifying fuck when he wanted to be.
"I've invited you all, so we can get to know Dirk's intended. These two have a lot of work to handle on the backend after their impulsive engagement, and this will help expedite matters. I'll take my leave in the morning, Rafe will return to college, and Carter will remain as her head of security and report directly to me. Nina, I'm expecting you to get her into shape quickly. I don't want a backwater hick thinking she landed it big without having to put the effort in to better herself."
I watched Shelby wilt in her chair, but Carter, and even Rafe, attempted to shield her from Father's sharp tongue, jumping in to distract him while I squeezed her hand under the table.
"What are you talking about? School doesn't start for weeks! I'm not going to hang around an empty campus when I could be out and enjoying the rest of my summer."
At the same time, Carter tried to get the go ahead for setting up protocols. "I'll need to do biometric scans, enter her into the system, and I'll need you to sign off on it, sir.
"Yes, yes." Father waved Carter off, then pinned Rafe with a dark stare. "How is it that one woman can have you all up in arms and jumping to her defense? You two," he ticked a finger between Rafe and Carter, "just met her, yet you're running interference."
The patriarch of our family wasn't an idiot; it was why I'd kept my mouth shut. He always had to play his games, but I had nearly a decade on Carter and a bit more than that on Rafe. They'd eventually learn, but hopefully it wouldn't take that long for the old man to croak.
"She's going to be family, isn't she? Why wouldn't we begin how we plan to continue?" Rafe's confusion seemed genuine, while Shelby herself, who appeared to be ignoring the room, stared at the table, the fine tremble going through her body letting on to her upset. "I kind of like the idea of getting to be a big brother," Rafe mused before shrugging with a grin. "Besides, dinner wouldn't be complete without me getting taken to task for one thing or another."
Father's brows rose in surprise. At Rafe's assessment of the situation or the blunt summary of the usual interaction between him and my brother, I didn't know. Either way, he nodded, calculation lighting his eyes as he gave his backhanded approval without addressing their dynamic. "Well, in any case, it's nice to see you getting on with the agenda. Now, if you'd only apply yourself in other areas, you could be a productive member in this family." He began to eat, cueing the rest of us to begin as well. The moment Shelby slipped a bite between her lips, he started with the questions. "What is your major, Miss Tamblin? Will your credits transfer to the local college, or have you finished with university?"
Being used to his abrasiveness, I continued eating, giving her knee a squeeze for support but letting her handle herself. She'd have to get acclimated soon enough, and at least this was in a private setting. But I could almost see Nina taking notes on her reactions and comportment for later lessons, and a niggle of guilt poked at me for putting her in the position.
The room waited in tense silence while she quickly chewed and swallowed. Her face was red with embarrassment when she finished, but she managed a smile. Well, more of a grimace, but who could blame her given the awkwardness of the situation. "I didn't have the opportunity after graduating high school. My mother wasn't… well, and I took over the majority of the household responsibilities. Maybe college would be an option now, but I haven't given it much thought…" She trailed off, seemingly unsure where to go from there, and lifted her water glass, using it as a shield while she sipped at it.
"That's unfortunate. I'd hoped Dirk would make a match with someone more accomplished, but you can hardly be faulted for your upbringing. And to lose your mother at such a time... It must be difficult. The boys have experienced that loss, yet they had the support of a father figure. I understand that yours wasn't in the picture?" The last word had barely cleared his lips before he took his next bite of steak, and at this rate he was going to finish his plate before Shelby even managed a second bite.
The set-up was plain to see with my knowledge, but there wasn't anything I could actually do about it. I just hoped she didn't run screaming from the house after dinner. I'd have to chase her down, and dealing with hysterical women wasn't in my repertoire.
"My mother hasn't passed, but no, I never met my father." She left it at that, and I admired her for not rushing to over explain, a common side-effect to being under Father's scrutiny. Unfortunately, her answer gave him the in he'd needed to cut her down even more.
"Oh? I'm surprised you were able to make arrangements for her so quickly. Is this a condition and expense that will be noted in the agreement then?" The last bit was directed at me, but Shelby paled at his blatant jibe.
"N-no, Mama is still at home, but I've arranged to have her looked in on." It was time for me to intervene, but Father pressed on, letting his captive audience know exactly how he felt about her. Not that it was a secret, but he was being particularly cruel today.
"So you left your invalid parent to fend for herself? Didn't you just say she isn't well enough to be independent, which is why you had to go on without bettering yourself? What a contrary way to repay your only family," he tsked without any sincerity. "Was she very distraught when you abruptly left her to whore yourself for access to my bank accounts?" His delivery was done with flawless nonchalance, but the challenge in his haughty stare felt sharp enough to cut me.
I wasn't the only one that reacted to that, but I ignored the round of indrawn breaths and my own constricted throat, pissed on my bride's behalf. Her barely audible, "Mama kicked me out," raised more than one pair of brows, and I was fed up with the shitty person he was making her out to be.
"That's quite enough and not a topic for anyone but Shelby and me to discuss. She didn't have a clue that I planned to propose last night, and she'd have been happier with a take-out pizza followed by a proposal in an ice cream parlor rather than the catty bitches and condescending staff I subjected her to. You won't put her down again, do you understand me?" Father's glower matched my own, and I struck while I had the chance. "Frankly, your behavior is odd and troubling. Attacking your soon-to-be daughter in law, random outbursts that should be kept in private... Maybe an evaluation request should be presented to the board. I'm sure they wouldn't want someone unfit at the helm of the business—"
"You've made your point, Dirk," he cut me off. Yet still, I wasn't in the mood to deal with more.
"Shelby, darling, why don't we retire to our rooms? My appetite isn't what it could be, and present company is less than desirable." I held out a hand as I rose, not caring if there were consequences later for my interference. There was only so much a person could take. While I played the long game, I wasn't a fucking doormat unless I deemed it necessary to further my own agenda.
Shelby did me proud though, holding her head high as she stood to leave the dining room with me. I knew she wouldn't be a simpering idiot like the women Father had wanted to sell me off to for his own gain. No, Shelby would be a fine wife and partner with a little guidance and polish to smooth out her lack of education and rough edges.
Father got in one last hit as we made our exit. "Be sure to remember what I said about refraining from your carnal pursuits, son. She's to remain in her designated room. I've directed the staff to set Carter up across the hall from your suite, so he'll be close at hand in the event that he's needed."
I didn't bother looking back or acknowledging him before the door swung shut, blocking anything else toxic that he might have thought to spew.