about something? It is enlightening to see.” He did not like the wonder in his brother’s voice. “Perhaps now we can discuss this other matter that sits between us.”
“No.”
“I’ve given it a great deal of thought—”
“I wish you wouldn’t.”
“—and feel that we’ve never really talked about that time when I left home.”
“And now is not the time… in fact, it never will be,” Daniel managed to get out around the lump in his throat. “Leave the past there, Oliver. Good God, men don’t discuss such things, and most especially not Dillingers.”
“Where is that written?”
“I have the handbook.”
“I must have lost my copy.”
They walked in silence as he attempted to inhale and exhale slowly. He could control this. Must control this.
“When I left you all, I believed it for the best, you know, Daniel. I was a large mouth to feed. Without me, the family had more food.”
That he had touched on the one really raw ugly place deep inside Daniel was not a good move on his brother’s part. This on top of the frustration he felt about Abby was not a combination that could produce anything but trouble.
“I thought it the best course of action at the time.”
“You left us without a word!” The words came out fast and sounded hoarse.
Control!
“If I had tried to say something, Mother and Father would not have let me go,” Oliver said in a reasonable tone. Too reasonable.
Daniel stopped right there on the street and looked at the man who shared his blood. Happy, composed, he was a man who now had everything he wanted in his life. Daniel resented him for that.
“I understand and am grateful for the life you have given us, Oliver,” he said slowly. “But did you wonder what would happen to us when you left?”
“I thought about you all, of course.”
Daniel pulled his eyes away and looked around them at the buildings and people. Even focused on a pretty young woman passing in the hopes that it would calm him. It didn’t. He had to speak or explode.
“I understand and am grateful for what you have given us, Oliver. But did you wonder what would happen to all those boys and men who you fought and beat? Did you wonder who they would turn their attentions to once you had gone?” His chest felt so tight, he was struggling to breathe.
Shock held Oliver silent.
“Me,” Daniel rasped. “I fought your battles every day I left the house. And I didn’t win all of them. At eight, I did not have your size, but I soon learned to fight dirty.” Pulling his shirt from the waistband of his trousers, right there in the street, he showed Oliver the long scar that ran across his stomach. “You left me to face this.”
“Daniel.” Pain tightened his brother’s face, but he had no time for that. Right in that moment, the only thing he could think about was escape.
Turning on his heel, and likely for the first time in his adult like, he ran from his brother. Oliver would follow, but Daniel had always been faster. He used that to his advantage now.
Chapter 23
Abby walked through the gardens of her family’s townhouse. It was cooler today, the sun tucked away behind several puffy clouds high up in the sky.
She picked flowers and plucked a few weeds and thought about all those people who had not been saved that night the boat had sunk. Knowing so many were suffering due to the loss of someone they loved was awful.
She’d had to take the word of her brothers that Daniel was all right and doubted they would lie to her about something as serious as that. Still, she’d like to see him for herself, just to check. As yet, she’d not worked out how that could be achieved.
Once again, he’d been there when she’d needed him, and over the past few days she’d realized she wanted to spend time with him, wanted him to be part of her life. She wasn’t sure how to achieve that either.
“I’m not sure I like you wandering about out here alone, Abby.” Gabe was walking toward her, his long strides making short work of the distance.
“Surely here I am free to wander alone?”
As usual he looked every inch the town gentleman, dressed in a deep green jacket, his hair recently cut short. He preferred it that way, as then he didn’t have to brush it.
“You need to show caution.” Something was bothering him; it was there in the lines