She screamed.
“What the hell is going on?” Brandon roared as he and Cody ran into the stable. Martha stayed at the entrance, holding back Clara, while two of the grooms followed in Brandon’s wake.
Shannon slumped to the floor, whimpering in pain when Rainbow lifted her foot. She did not see Cody yank the riding crop from Aurora’s raised hand, nor did she know Brandon was at her side until she felt his hands on her shoulders.
“Are you all right?”
Shannon bit her lip and nodded rapidly.
“Look at me! What happened to you?”
It was Aurora who answered. “She backed into Clara’s pony and got her foot trampled.”
Brandon did not spare his wife a glance. “Shut up, Rory.” He lifted Shannon’s skirt and slipped off her shoe, pressing his fingers across the bones of her foot. He felt her wince. “It’s already swelling.” He ordered one of the grooms to remove Rainbow from the stall and the other to make an attempt to quiet the horses. “Tell me what happened, Shannon. Clara told Martha that you and Aurora were fighting.”
Shannon shook her head, trying to remove herself from the pain in her foot. “No,” she whispered. “Not fighting. She knows, Brandon. She saw you holding me.” Shannon gasped as she tried to stand.
“Sit there!”
Except for the quick glance she darted in Brandon’s direction, Shannon remained unmoving. “Aurora’s very hurt,” she said quietly. “She didn’t know half of what she was saying or doing.”
“That remains to be seen,” he gritted, standing. What Aurora saw in his eyes was enough to frighten her. She took a little step backward and found her path blocked by Cody. “You have every right to be scared, Aurora,” he said, grinding out the words.
Aurora recovered a fraction of her composure. “Don’t take that tone with me. I know what she is to you. Was I supposed to turn my head while the two of you carried on beneath my very nose?”
Brandon refused to answer her question, knowing it would lead down old roads better left untraveled. “If you wanted to confront someone, it should have been me. Did you push her?”
“No!”
Brandon looked to Shannon for verification. “Is this true, Shannon?”
“Yes.” She lifted her eyes to Aurora. “Yes, she didn’t push me. I stumbled.”
Cody sensed all was not as it should be. He held up the riding crop. “Could this have anything to do with it? Did she strike you with this?”
It was not Shannon, but Aurora, who responded. “Yes! I struck her!”
“No, Brandon!” Shannon cried out as Brandon took a menacing step toward his wife. “She was distraught! You can’t hold her responsible!”
“You’re too kind, Shannon.” He pointed to Aurora but spoke to Cody. “Get her out of here.”
Cody grimaced, disliking the task. He took Aurora by the elbow. “If you have any sense, Rory, you’ll come with me. Now.” When she hesitated a moment too long to suit him, he tightened his hold on her arm. “I swear I’ll throttle you myself.”
Aurora tore her arm loose from Cody’s grip and began walking, her head held high, her carriage stiff. Cody followed, so angry that behind her back, he mimed a wringing motion with his hands.
Brandon turned his attention back to Shannon. Ignoring her protests that she could manage on her own, he helped her to her feet, and then lifted her in his arms. “Stop arguing with me and put your arms around my neck.”
Shannon complied. The length of hair that had curled around her throat fell back, revealing the welt made by Aurora’s riding crop.
Brandon swore softly when he saw it. “Damn her! I should have let Cody use it on her.” His steps quickened and he yelled at Cody to stop Aurora.
Aurora was at the entrance to the stable, ready to brush past Martha and Clara, when Cody reached out to hold her back. The grooms stopped what they were doing as Brandon strode past them, leashed anger in his every movement.
“Brandon, please stop!” Shannon begged.
Brandon did. But he was beside Aurora by then. “I want you to see your handiwork, Rory!”
The flush of rage vanished from her cheeks as her eyes dropped to the reddened weal on Shannon’s neck. She had the grace, or perhaps the good sense, to look contrite. “Oh, Shannon, I’m sorry. I didn’t know—”
