Chapter 72

He knocked on the door and waited.

“Come.”

Dearne tugged at his collar, straightened his waistcoat, and went in.

Holbrook was seated behind his desk which appeared to be piled with ledgers. He was wearing a pair of wire rimmed spectacles perched on the end of his nose and leafing through a sheaf of papers.

“I didn’t know you wore spectacles,” he said.

Holbrook huffed, took them off, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Worn out my eyes with this damned lot,” he said, and pointed at the ledgers.

“I thought you had a man of business for all that.”

“I do, but it would be a pretty poor show if I didn’t have at least a grasp of what was going on, wouldn’t it?” he said. “Have a seat.”

Dearne sat down and regarded his older brother. He looked tired, but he never quite lost that air of breeding and authority about him.

“Did you sell Denton?” Might as well get to the point.

“Beg pardon?” Holbrook said with a frown. “Denton?”

“Yes. Denton. It has been sold. Did you do it?”