“You will say nothing!” Emma shot back. “Brandon has forgotten who I am, presumably he’s forgotten his entire time in hospital. There’s no earthly reason why I or anyone else here would know whether he was intact or not.”
“But Benedick is so distressed!”
“The perhaps Brandon will tell him the truth. In the meantime, you are not to say a word! Promise me?”
“I promise,” Melisande muttered in a grudging voice, and Emma was content. Whether her friend liked it or not, she would never break a promise. “So you aren’t going to say anything either?”
“I’m going to be gone, I told you. The entire situation is much too complicated. I think that it’s better if I leave and let the family work this all out. . .”
“You are family, Emma. You’re my sister, just as important as Benedick’s assorted siblings. And you love Brandon.”
“Would you stop saying that? Of course I don’t. I just. . . I just. . .” Words failed her.
“Exactly. And you’re in no fit state to travel. You’re going to stay right here for the next few days while you recover and we find where Rosie ran off to. The girl has some questions to answer.”
“I’m not the frail flower you imagine me to be. I’ve survived a lot worse than this and been back on my feet in less than a day.”
Melisande shook her head. “When did you. . . I don’t want to know, do I?”
“You do not. I’m better off not remembering. Just leave it. I promise you I’ll be fine.”
“And I promise you that you aren’t going anywhere.” There was a stubborn set to Melisande’s jaw. “Don’t worry—you won’t have to see anyone. I can have a tray brought to you.“
“You are not to say or do anything,” Emma said fiercely, and there was no missing the edge in her voice. “Do you understand me, you are not to interfere in any way. I would never forgive you. That is not hyperbole, that is the simple truth. I would still love you, but I would never forgive you.”
Melisande nodded, the light fading. “I know. I still wish. . .”
“Don’t,” Emma said flatly. “Wishing is a waste of time.”
Benedick was standing impatiently at the head of the breakfast table when Brandon came down in search of coffee, and three other men were in attendance, including Charles, dressed for riding. “What a slugabed you are, Brandon,” Benedick greeted him. “It’s good to know that some things never change. Mother used to make me try to get you up in the morning and you resisted every effort.”
For a moment Brandon remembered those long-ago days of youth with the three of them tumbling around their country estates. He’d been the youngest, of course, and he’d made it his mission in life to annoy his older brothers. “I believe I even slept when you poured a bucket of water over my head. Mother wasn’t best pleased with that.”
“You weren’t asleep,” Benedick said. “You were feigning it.”
Brandon’s mouth curled in a seraphic smile. “You’ll never know. What are we all doing here?”
“We’re going to continue our search for Mrs. Cadbury’s attacker. Also, Rosie, one of our maids, has disappeared. She’s the one who told Mrs. Cadbury to take that roundabout way, where it appears that the man was waiting for her. I want to know who paid her and why.” His face was grim.
“Give me a moment and I’ll join you,” Brandon said, tossing his coffee back ruthlessly.
“I need you to stay here.” Benedick was as autocratic as only an older brother could be. “With the rest of us gone, I’d like at least one Rohan on site to make sure the women feel comfortable.”
Brandon nodded, accepting the decree without pleasure. “And you believe I’m less able bodied than the others.”
Benedick’s laugh was unrestrained. “Hardly. I may not have been a soldier, but I know how to apportion my troops, and one leaves one’s most powerful weapon in charge of one’s most precious assets. If that man shows up here I want you to be the one he has to face, not Charles here.”
“I say,” one of the other men objected, clearly not wanting to be relegated to the rank of less dangerous.
“Put a sock in it, Duckworthy,” Charles grumbled. “It’s bad enough we have to go out.”
That explained why Charles was going—Benedick hadn’t given him any choice. Brandon accepted his fate with more grace.
“Just promise me one thing,” he said, pouring himself another cup of the strong coffee and seating himself.
“What’s that?” Benedick demanded.
“Let me kill him.”