Chapter 28: Brandon - Why Do Things Keep Getting Worse

Chapter 28 Deep Dive

Outline:

Brandon is glad he is at home after the warm few days - what would Mistress Goode say?
He imagines her scolding travelers after the apple
Brandon shakes the thoughts of the apple from his mind
He distracts himself by helping Thomas pack
Thomas gets Hart's new tunic and hose and Hart is surly
Brandon distracts himself helping Pip and Ed till the southern field
In the evening Brandon is too tired and hungry to think of the apple
He overhears Rick and Annie arguing
Rodrick calls Brandon to his room
Brandon apologizes for eaves dropping
Rodrick insists that Brandon is not in trouble but only that he wants him to know everything will be ok
Brandon things will not be ok
Rodrick asks if he is ok and Brandon nods
They say goodnight
Brandon is woken up by voices
Rodrick opens the door to the room
He tells Brandon to go back to sleep and wakes Hart
Brandon follows them
Annie is unwell
Rodrick will go to the doctor, Hart to the midwife, and Rick to Mrs Marsham
Rodrick sends him to bed but Rick sends him to Annie
Annie is in the room, she asks Brandon to hold her hand
She tells Brandon she's worried
She asks for water
Brandon asks if its the baby
Annie looks very pale and she groans in pain
Brandon finds his father, Rick, and Hart are all gone
He tries to wake Dec but he doesn't budge
Thomas and Pip wake up
They care for Annie
Brandon asks if this is the sweating sickness and how their mother died
Pip says doesn't remember it but doesn't think it is
Moment later Dec comes storming into the kitchen demanding to know where everyone was
Dec says he'll get water since she has a fever to fill the tub
Rick returns at dawn with Mrs Marsham
Rodrick returns with the doctor
He makes teas and poltices
Hart returns with a midwife
She makes tea and polticies and she examines Annie
The men still go to the fields
Brandon is in the upper field with Hart and Dec
He is exhausted
Brandon stretches and he and Hart make eye contact
Hart suggests her and Dec go for the apple
They say how they could use the money but they don't have the courage
Brandon keeps working then looks back at them