Mable's face froze, but she kept walking beside Francis.

Attacked.  He was being attacked.  She had suspected that much just by looking at him, but the confirmation made her blood run cold.  By who?  Where?  Why?  Who would have any reason to ever attack him?  She'd like to meet that person and give them a piece of her mind.

But right now, she had to be calm.  Prove to Francis and her brother that she would be able to handle anything he needed to tell her!  So, she took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay.  But just so you know, I'm a lot more grown up then I seem!  Meaning, I've seen a lot of things that - that he has too, so... whatever it is, I'll be able to handle it."

Francis nodded. "I believe that. But just because someone hits you once, doesn't mean the second time hurts any less. He still wants to protect you." He said and gestured to the hotel. "We're almost there, if he isn't already here waiting for us, he'll be back soon enough."

Mable didn't think she agreed with Francis, no matter how nice and wise the words sounded.  If you were hit once, then the second time you'd know what to expect, maybe even protect yourself better from it.  Surely that would make it hurt less, wouldn't it?

She had no way to know for sure, though.  No one had ever hit her in her life; her brother had made sure of that.

The hotel was as big and extravagant and beautiful as it had been the first time Mable saw it.  Just as she and Francis neared it, Edmund walked out of the front doors, looking distressed.  Mable wanted to call out to him, but stopped herself, and nudged Francis instead.

Francis walked with her to the hotel and looked happy to see Edmund, or was it Toby? He noticed she didn't say anything. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, in worry she'd lag behind. "Edmund!" he called out to him and waved his free arm.

"I told you the beach was the most likely choice." He smiled then looked down to her. "We had quite a talk but I managed to convince her to return." He looked back up athim. "I hope you are as happy to see her as she is to see you." He said, hoping his bluff paid off.

Edmund was quick to turn towards where his name had been called from, and lit up when he saw Francis and by his side, Mable.  He met them halfway between where they were walking from and the hotel, having to swallow down the urge to hug the both of them.

"I'm very happy to see her," he said, looking between Mable and Francis.  The other man had said she was happy to see him, too, but she didn't look it.  But, at least she didn't look unhappy to see him.  Her lips were pressed together and her eyes wide and avoiding his own.

"You were smart to suggest the beach," he told Francis, hoping his sister would become more talkative if he didn't draw any more attention to her.  His poor sister might have been embarrassed.  "What did you two talk about for so long?  I swear I looked up and down the market three times before coming here."

It was impossible for him not to smile huge with joy as the other complimented him. He nodded then looked to her and back. "We had a lot to talk about. Some of it is about you being more open with her. She is very worried for you and feels you aren't telling her everything. I totally understand some of it, but she wants to be more involved in what's going on in your life."

Seeing no one in hearing range, he looked playful, "Also talked about you and me getting married and adopting lots of children.'

Edmund's eyes fell from Francis to his sister as he spoke, his face guarded.  Just the smallest amount of surprise was able to slip through it, until Francis mentioned getting married.  Immediately, Edmund's face colored.

"Wha - m-married, Mable, why would you..?!" he looked back and forth between her and Francis, incredulous.  He settled on Francis, waving his hands as if he could scrub whatever his sister said from his memory.

"Don't - don't listen to her, she doesn't - it's way too soon to talk about stuff like - like that, I'm so sorry Francis, please dis - disregard what she said."

He laughed softly and nodded. "I know it's too soon. But it was a fun part of the conversation, i had to mention it." Francis was happy to walk with him. "Why are you sorry, do you not like me that way at all?" He said, completely in a playful mood. "It was a longer part of our conversation. But yeah, please don't dismiss Mable so much. She wants you to give her a little more chance to be heard and to speak to her as a person." He reached out to rest a hand on his arm. "Please, Edmund?"

Apparently, humiliating him was Mable's idea of fun.  Edmund should have figured that out long ago, not that it would have stopped her.

The next thing Francis said made him pause again, brushing hair from his face and sending his sister a hard look.

"I don't know what she told you, but I talk to her a fine amount.  And I don't dismiss her, I don't know where she got that from."

"You dismissed me when I asked about the baton," Mable piped up.  Edmund blinked at Francis and then at her.

"That's not something you should be concerned about, Mable."

The girl crossed her arms.  "I shouldn't be concerned when you've been attacked, that's what you're saying?"

"Yes you were, don't lie!  Francis said you were, and you told him."

Edmund stared at her for a moment before he looked to Francis, questioning and cautious.

"You told her?"

Francis looked away, wilting at the look and argument. He held up his hands innocently, "I didn't tell her details. But she was curious. You could tell her some part of it, it meant a lot to her to know. She was worried and when someone wants to know something badly enough, they will find out eventually. I'm sorry." He rubbed his arm thinking Edmund was already so mad. He honestly thought the baton wasn't a big deal as long as he didn't tell her everything.

"I think you both didn't talk about as much as you could or should have the night before, so I was worried. I know it wasn't my place, but I just..want to help."