Who was a sneaky brother and an even sneakier fiance? … Not-fiance? No, that implied defeat. Fiance.

Zechariah! That was who. He inched across the floor to lurk at the stairs and eavesdrop.

Every damned slide of his shoe screeched like nails on a chalkboard. The slower he went, the more they screeched.

He picked his foot up and ended up stomping forward, catching himself on the banister to leer up.