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“I don’t think so, love,” Sergeant Crashey sighed

“It’s my fault I made him come I danced with him and I bantered with him and I fluttered my stupid eyelashes and I talked hiive ain I killed the Duke of Wellington!”

Branwell’s guts twisted She never was going to get up, was she? Charlotte didn’t really kno to let things go She always blamed herself It dawned on him that perhaps this was part of the Eldest Child’s Chores Taking the bla the one at fault He was terrifically glad he wasn’t the eldest, for once But his guts weren’t glad His guts knew the truth

“Don’t say that,” Emily said softly “You didn’t”

“It’s not your bullet in his chest, is it?” Anne suggested

“I did,” Charlotte insisted “As sure as Napoleon, I did If I hadn’t convinced hiht he could catch the Gondaliers off-guard He’d never have tried the feint at Calabar Wood It’s all ood girl” Charlotte was sobbing in big, choking breaths now, and nobody thought it was only because of Wellington for a moment “If I’d only protected theh, nobody would ever have died” She buried her face in her hands “I should have died instead If I’d gotten the fever first, they’d have gone home and we’d never have invented Glass Town or come here at all and none of it would have happened”

“Who’s they?” asked Leftenant Gravey Crashey shook his head

“I got lost a ways back, ed

Eed her tight

“No, Charlotte, no,” they whispered over and over

“Yes,” Charlotte wept “Yes”

Branwell’s guts couldn’t stand it any longer He was supposed to protect theo on like that, with all that pain It orse than a cannonball, and he hadn’t hesitated to throw himself in front of that, had he? His head didn’t want to do it No one would ever know He was safe It was all done But his guts were always er than his head

“No,” he said fir any attention to him, just like always They all turned to look They heard hi attention now “It’s my fault”

Anne slapped her knee with one hand “I knew it,” she whispered

“I” Oh god, thought Bran They’ll hate me forever But he didn’t stop AUp “I told Old Boney you were co When and where”