Shannon scrambled to her feet, horrified by the accusation. Anger blinded her as she backed away in disbelief. “No! How could you think it?”
Brandon gave Cody a hard shake before he released him in disgust. “He’s not thinking at all, Shannon. We heard the shot come from the west.”
Cody got to his feet, brushing himself off. “I’m sorry, Shannon. Bran’s right. I wasn’t thinking.”
Davey French tethered Anthem. “Will someone tell me what the hell’s going on? If this ain’t your wife, Bran, then who is she? And if she is your wife, then who is that?”
Brandon stood, ignoring Davey’s questions. He took a tentative step toward Shannon just as she was turning her back on him. He reached for her, touching her shoulder. When she didn’t spurn him, Brandon drew her close, sheltering her in his embrace. As soon as he felt her give over to her grief, he crushed her to him, his mouth against the dark softness of her tangled hair. “I was so afraid,” he whispered. “Afraid this time it would be you.”
She stiffened, acknowledging the truth she had learned minutes earlier. “I think it was meant to be.” Shannon clutched Brandon’s arms as she raised pained eyes to his. Her mouth trembled. “It was the hat, Brandon. She gave me her hat.” She shook her head, closing her eyes briefly. “Why did it happen? Why?”
“Shh.” He rocked her gently. “We’ll sort it out later.” Brandon shifted position so Shannon would not have to see Aurora’s lifeless body again. He lifted his chin in Cody’s direction and pointed to Pilgrim, who was cautiously approaching her fallen mistress. “Put her on Pilgrim. I’ll take Shannon back to the folly on Anthem. Davey?”
He held up his hand before Brandon could finish, knowing full well what was required of him. He had heard rumors that there was trouble at the folly, and he didn’t need to be struck over the head to realize he had stumbled into the middle of it. He didn’t understand anything but that Brandon Fleming needed his help. It was all he needed to know. “I’m on my way,” he nodded grimly. “If whoever fired that shot is still out there, I’ll find him.”
“I’ll hold you to that. It might help you to know that you’re probably looking for Parker.”
Davey swore softly, and then he was gone.
Shannon frowned, uncertain she had heard correctly. “Parker?”
“I don’t know,” Brandon said, running his palm along her spine. “It would make a terrible kind of sense.” He held her head. “Don’t look. Cody’s seeing to Aurora. We’ll follow after he’s gone.”
Cody hurried through his distasteful task, finding that while he could not pretend grief he did not feel, relief was not part of any of his emotions. Shannon had been right about him. As much as he wanted Aurora gone from the folly, he had never wanted her dead. He finished tying Aurora to Pilgrim and led the horse past Brandon and Shannon. Pausing briefly, he offered Shannon another apology. “I never meant what I said as an accusation,” he told her, clearing his throat. “Please forgive me.”
Shannon nodded, brushing Brandon’s chest with her forehead. She remembered the disbelief in Cody’s voice when he asked her if she had been responsible for Aurora’s death. “There is nothing to forgive.”
Cody’s shoulders straightened as if a weight were lifted from him. “I’m going to edge down toward the river, Bran, where the trail’s easier to follow. You can take Shannon through the woods.” He glanced around. “Be careful, Rory’s murderer is still somewhere about.”
Brandon didn’t release Shannon until Cody disappeared. “Are you able to ride?”
“Yes.” She wiped her wet face with the back of her hand. “I want to go home, Brandon. Please take me home.”
Brandon placed a light kiss on Shannon’s cheek, brushing aside the damp hair at her temples. One fingertip fluttered across her dewy lashes. “Wait here. I’ll get Anthem.” He went through the motions of untying Anthem and getting rid of the lady’s saddle without taking his eyes from Shannon for more than a few seconds. She was trembling badly by the time he had her mounted in front of him. Brandon slipped one arm around her waist. “Lean on me, Shannon. It’s all right. I’m taking you home now.”
Upon arriving at the folly, Brandon immediately took Shannon upstairs. She slipped her arms around his neck, clinging to Brandon’s shoulders. “My room,” she said when Brandon opened the door to his chamber, “is down the hall.”
“No, I don’t want you there. You belong here, where I know you’re safe. Please don’t argue with me.”
“I won’t,” she said quietly.
Brandon released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. He laid Shannon on his bed and helped her out of her jacket. “I’ll have Emily come to stay with you, bring you some tea. There are matters I must attend to, but I’ll return soon, and then we’ll speak of what happened if you wish.”
Shannon reached for his hand. “There were secrets, weren’t there? Things you suspected that you kept from me.”
“Yes,” he said gravely. “There were secrets. But no longer. You shall know the whole of it.” He bent and kissed her brow, withdrawing his hand from hers. “Later. For now I think you should rest.” He exited the room quietly.
Brandon called the house servants together in the drawing room to tell them what happened. His announcement was met with silence, no one daring to meet his eyes. Even though Aurora had rarely shown a kindness, Brandon realized his servants were embarrassed by their inability to display any sadness at her passing. Since he felt only a peculiar numbness himself, he well understood their feelings. He sent Jemmy to town for Sir James Harrity, and Emily to his chamber to attend Shannon. It was unnecessary to tell Martha what her duties were. She had prepared bodies for burial before, and she slipped from the room without any word from Brandon to await Cody’s arrival. After dismissing the servants, Brandon went to the nursery to face the one task he could not delegate to anyone.
Clara was sitting on the bed, her dolls arranged in a semicircle in front of her, while she pretended to read from her allybet book. Brandon’s mouth curved in a brief smile as he listened to his daughter earnestly describe the pictures and construct a fanciful story. She never noticed he was in the room until he asked Addie to leave and find Martha.
“Papa!” Clara clapped her hands in delight.
Brandon kissed her cheek and felt her arms go around his neck. The allybet book slid to the floor. He sat down on the bed and lifted Clara onto his lap. She felt so tiny, so vulnerable in the circle of his arms that it seemed to Brandon that his heart turned over. It was all he could do not to crush her in an embrace that was both desperate and despairing.
Clara tried to squeeze out of his arms. “You hug too tight, Papa.”
Brandon relaxed his hold. “Sorry.” He tickled the back of her neck, wondering what he should say to her, how he should say it. Somehow he worked the words past the tightness in his throat, stumbling occasionally as he searched for an explanation that Clara would understand.
