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Eloise ran a finger along the cover of her journal before closing it and holding it close to her chest. The night was quiet, the wind was brisk, but the moon was bright - it was a nice enough night for a stroll, and definitely a nice enough night for some time to think on the swings. As she headed toward them she noticed someone was already sitting there, their head of dark brown hair leaned over, obscuring their face from view. A small smile broke out over her face - it was an even nicer night for company.
“Benedict!” she called cheerfully. The figure didn’t react, so she cleared her throat before calling a little louder (but not too loudly - she didn’t want to attract the attention of anyone in the house). “Brother!” The figure swayed a little in the swing, but still didn’t look up at her. Concern started to creep in, but she pushed it down, quickening her step until she reached the swings, sitting herself down in the empty one. She was about to reach into her bag for some tobacco when a whiff of something sour hit her nose. She wrinkled it at the smell, before looking around with a frown.
There was a small puddle of vomit at her brother’s feet.
She got up quickly, moving so that she was facing the hunched figure, who had still not responded to her “Benedict?” she could no longer ignore the growing fear. She put one hand on his shoulder and the other on his face, pushing him backwards slightly until she could look him in the eye.
It was only then that she realized she wasn’t looking at Benedict at all, but at her eldest brother. From the back, in the dark, she hadn’t even noticed.
“ Anthony? Anthony, what are you doing out here?”
Anthony’s eyelids were drooping as he blinked slowly, his eyes not focusing on her. The panic finally flooded in completely, and she screamed.
—
Benedict gave the coachman a brief nod of thanks before turning toward the door to his family’s home. He was a little drunk, to be sure, but he didn’t think he was quite ready for bed just yet. He was just thinking that a smoke might do him nicely when he heard a scream pierce the air.
“Help! I need help! ”
Eloise.
The alcohol-induced fog cleared instantly as he took off running in the direction of his sister’s voice.
“Eloise!”
“Benedict! Benedict, over here, hurry!”
He ran through the garden, nearly tripping over his own feet as he came to an abrupt halt in front of Eloise and Anthony, who was listing sideways in his seat. He dropped down to his knees in front of his brother, narrowly avoiding the sick on the ground in front of him. He took over Eloise’s grip holding Anthony up, and as he was brushing his brother’s sweaty hair back from his face he caught the strong scent of alcohol on his breath.
He sighed, a bit of the tension leaving his shoulders. “He’s drunk.”
Eloise blinked a few times “Drunk? This is all just drunk ?”
Benedict nodded, pulling Anthony’s arm over his shoulders, getting ready to haul him to his feet. “ Very drunk, but yes, drunk.”
“Are you sure? Should I ask someone to fetch a doctor?”
Benedict was just about to say no, that water and bed (and perhaps a little hair of the dog) would be all that their brother needed when he caught a glimpse of Anthony’s shirt collar in the moonlight.
His eyes followed the trail of blood up into his brother’s hair, where it disappeared among the dark strands in the night. A quick touch with his free hand confirmed that the back of his head was wet and matted. Anthony squirmed away from the touch with an unintelligible mumble. Benedict sucked in a sharp breath.
“Yes. Yes, we need a doctor. Eloise, run. Tell them to hurry.”
He shifted his grip on his brother. Reaching down to hook one arm behind Anthony’s back and the other under his knees, he lifted him to his chest before taking off in the direction of the house.
—
“He has taken quite the blow to the head.”
Eloise gripped her mother’s hand tightly as they looked on from the door to Anthony’s room. She knew she should be helping Colin who had ushered Hyacinth and Gregory, who had been woken by the commotion, away to the sitting room, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave her brother.
“He has a few bruises on his torso,” the doctor glanced briefly at Violet before continuing, “and he is clearly also quite inebriated, but my main concern is his head.” The doctor looked up at Benedict, who was standing by his brother’s feet, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in concern. “He was sick?”
Benedict gave a brief nod, “at least once.”
The doctor straightened up from where he had been adjusting the bandage on Anthony’s head. “I have sutured the wound, and I have left a tincture for the pain. I will return tomorrow to check on him, but in the meantime there is nothing we can do but let him rest.” He paused for a long moment, as if considering his words. “It was clearly a fight. He has bruises on his knuckles, he landed at least one hit. The other party…?”
Benedict shook his head. “We found him alone.”
The doctor nodded a little absentmindedly as he picked up his bags. “If his condition changes abruptly, call for me immediately.”
“Yes, of course, doctor. Thank you, doctor.” Violet’s voice was strained.
As soon as the door shut behind the doctor Violet rushed forward to take her eldest son’s hand.
“What happened, Benedict?” Her eyes were still entirely focussed on Anthony, but she could hold back the desperate question no longer.
He shook his head. “I do not know, mother, truly. Eloise found him.”
At that Violet spun back around to face her daughter. “Eloise?”
Eloise shook her head, her eyes focussed on the floor. “He didn’t say anything.”
“I tried to ask him questions as we were waiting for the doctor,” Benedict murmured, “but he didn’t say anything coherent.”
Benedict said nothing about his brother’s silent tears.