Chapter 342: Discipline (3)
A little over an hour later, Cassius started to place the dinner he had made on the table, as someone had already sent for Quinn.
Cassius retreated to the kitchen to finish off the last of the dishes he was preparing.
Cooking was a skill Cassius learned since it was his only duty when Quinn was out earning money. He perfected the skill so Quinn couldn’t have any complaints about what was cooked.
By the time Cassius returned with the last dishes, Quinn was already seated at the head of the table.
"It looks good. I should discipline you more often," said Quinn.
Cassius didn’t respond since there wasn’t a point. If he accepted the compliment, then Quinn would only think it was reasonable to keep discipling him, but if he said something wrong, he could end up beaten with a cane again.
"I am in a good mood, brother. You may sit closer to me today. Right here," Quinn said, pointing to the chair to the right of him.
Cassius thought it was odd since he always sat at the other end of the table to give Quinn his peace.
Still, Cassius walked to where Quinn sat and sat to the right of him.
"I am considering letting you go into the business of preparing food for others. Make it an expensive treat for the townspeople so that only those with money and status can taste your food. Did you inherit this from our mother?" Quinn wondered.
"Our mother couldn’t cook. She would cook rice for us, and most of the time, it would be burnt," said Cassius.
The taste of burnt rice was something Cassius would never forget.
"Well, she was raised as a lady who didn’t need to lift a finger when it came to cooking. Still, we ate every bit of her food. Burnt rice was better than starving, right? Sometimes we would be so lucky to eat the treats a customer bought her," Quinn said, enjoying old memories.
"I always wondered what would have happened if she had married one of the men who took a liking to her. I might not have gone through with my plans. Enough talking," Quinn said, ready for dinner. "Have a bite of what you created. Let me see you enjoy it."
Cassius was puzzled by Quinn wanting him to eat first, but he was hungry, so he picked up his fork and began to serve himself.
After taking the first bite of the fish he made, Cassius looked at Quinn to see if he would eat next, but Quinn only stared at him.
"I said you may eat. Go on and have another bite. Try everything you have prepared. It pleases me to see you eating well," Quinn said, waiting for Cassius to take the next bite.
Cassius caught on to what Quinn was doing.
"Why aren’t you eating, brother? Is there something you don’t like about the food? Do you need to go and start over? I can wait for you," Quinn offered.
"No," Cassius replied, reaching for something else to try. "It is lovely."
Cassius continued to eat, trying to get his strength back. His body still ached, and he had a long night ahead of him, so the food did wonders for him now.
Halfway through the food, Quinn started to eat.
Cassius stopped to look at Quinn.
"I knew that you didn’t have it in you to trouble my food. I just wanted to see you eat like a pig," Quinn said, revealing his earlier intentions.
It would be a cold day in hell before Cassius gathered the courage to poison Quinn.
"That has never crossed my mind-"
"Don’t lie to me. I don’t mind if you have thoughts about killing me as long as you keep them in your head. I have thoughts about killing you, and I have been kind to share them, but I don’t go through with them. You mustn’t lie," Quinn said, thinking of disciplining Cassius again.
"I’m sorry," Cassius apologised.
"You know that I hate to hear you apologise. It means you’ve either disobeyed me or done something wrong. I don’t like either option. Do better, Cassius. You make it hard for me to want to take care of you," said Quinn.
Quinn was kind to take care of Cassius, though he would rather be alone.
"I’ll let you get away with lying just this once since you prepared us a nice little feast. I am going to let you prepare dinner from now on. You’re good," Quinn complimented Cassius. "You must have inherited this from your father since our mother couldn’t cook."
Quinn continued to say, "I am giving you the chance to get back in my good graces by carefully planning how Harper’s family will end up in my hands and to get the Callahan girl. I want it all to happen in a few days. I need something to make this town panic."
"I promise I will send a group out to watch the knight’s daughter and have Harper in your hands in a few days. She’s so desperate for my love that she might even offer us her parents for my hand. Trust me, brother," said Cassius.
"I trust you," Quinn replied. "I must get near the duchess again, but the duke always crowds her with a lot of guards. I need to see her up close again to understand the interest my father had in her."
"We could have lived together, but Edgar got in the way of it. I had never seen my father more upset, and then that night, Rowan never returned home. I used to like Rowan," Quinn said, missing the man who gave him a knife. "I need to know what social events they are going to attend."
Quinn needed Alessandra alone so he could get a better look at her and witness the fear once she realised who he was related to.
Quinn hoped that bringing up his father’s name would drive fear into Alessandra to the point she would be unable to rest, and then he would have a visit from Edgar.
"It’s time that we see what makes so many townspeople fear, Duke Collins. I’ll prepare something nice to wear when we see the duchess. Does that please you?" Quinn said, extending an offering to end the tension.
"It does," Cassius replied, his gaze focused on the food. "It is always good to get dressed up since it brings young ladies closer to me. I look forward to having them eat out of the palm of my hand."
"What do we do about the brothels now?"
"I wanted to take over them, but sitting in one has made me realise just how much I still hate them. We’re going to ruin all of them and leave the owners with nothing," Quinn decided.
Every brothel owner would soon share Victor’s fate.