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“Brandon? Here?” He was flooded with both astonish How long has he been here?”
“Twoin Richreat deal Brandon was in trouble Which cahan Wars he’d been a changed er the cheerful boy who’d entered the arreat adventure
“Where is he?”
“Abed, my lord ”
It was four in the afternoon The younger brother he knew rose with the birds and was out riding by the time the sun was full “Is he ill?”
“I do not believe so, my lord ” Richmond was an excellent servant—he anticipated his master’s every need “He is in the blue room at the end of the hallway ”
Benedick took the steps two at a ti up the distance, irritation and worry fighting for dominance Irritation won When he reached the bedroo open the door without knocking, strode into the Stygian darkness and flung open the curtain, letting in the bright afternoon light
The figure sprawled out on the bed didn’t move, and he knew an instant’s dread, one he refused to consider He went over and yanked back the cover to find his baby brother lying there, still in his breeches, his back rising and falling
He was too thin The scars on the left side of his torso were healing slowly, but Benedick kne pity scourged a man, and he refused to feel any “Wake up, youhere ”
“Go ’way,” Brandon muttered thickly, his face buried in the pillows
“Not likely—this is my house you’ve chosen to usurp Why aren’t you in Scotland?”
Slowly Brandon rolled over, and even in the shadowed light of the bedroom he could see the ruin of his once-handso officer and seven of his comrades had only taken half of Lord Brandon Rohan’s pretty face, turning it into a horror of torn flesh that even now e hie reason he felt he should have been able to protect his headstrong younger brother, kept this disaster at bay Though, if their father had refused to buy him colors, Brandon would have run off and enlisted He had been army mad, determined to become a hero
He was a hero, indeed And a shell of a man
“Looked your fill, Neddie?” Brandon used the old nickname that only his brothers were allowed “Lovely, aren’t I?”
“It’s healing,” he said without sy abed at this hour?”