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withdrew with a pronounced waddle to her walk. Before she made it outside she paused, leaning against the wall to take several deep breathes. Patsy rushed up to her again but the woman waved her off and continued out of the stable. Still frowning in concern, Patsy caught Annabel's gaze.
    "Tha's Hetty - Tom's wife. `e's my older brother. Brought you `ere wi' Trevor."
    Patsy seemed angry about her family connection to Tom. Annabel didn't care about this information but Patsy continued none the less.
    "She's pregnant but he makes her work even harder than when she wasn't. He says it'll make his son stronger."
    She looked at Annabel cautiously, desperation for affection etched in her features.
    "Sorry," Patsy said when Annabel made no attempt to speak. "About earlier. I know it must be bad for you `ere, I don't wanna make it worse...honest. It's jus', I didn't know you'd feel so bad `bout people not likin' you. I like you though...I do. You're like - like a princess."
    Patsy smiled somewhat sheepishly and Annabel knew she couldn't remain angry with this girl. She gave her a small smile back. Patsy crept forwards a little more.
    "I know wha' they did to you. They don' treat me nice neither. They hate girls. We're jus' whores and housemaids to Papa and Tom. But doin' that to you, when you didn't deserve it...ain't right."
    Annabel looked at Patsy in confusion. "And you think you do deserve it?"
    Patsy lowered herself down to the floor, tucking her legs under her body in a subconscious effort to make herself as small as possible.
    "No. Well...I guess. He's my papa. He brought me into the world, so `e's earned the right to do what he wants t' me. I'm not `is favourite...friend though. Tha's good."
    Her attempt at humour was hollow, it made Annabel's stomach turn.
    "He should be hung," Annabel muttered.
    A look of shock passed over Patsy's face but before she could act on it Billy traipsed in, leading the horses. Patsy watched him tend to them with a deep fondness in her eyes. Upon noticing Patsy Billy ran over, his face full of enthusiasm as he hugged her tightly.
    "Pat!" He burrowed his head in her shoulder as a child would their mother - not that Annabel had ever done that to her mother. Patsy begun to stroke his hair away from his face with the same rhythm Billy had used on Annabel.
    "Hello brother," she gave him a soft kiss on the forehead. A look of confusion crossed Annabel's face.
    "He's your brother?"
    Patsy looked up, still brushing back Billy's hair.
    "Yeah. I guess with the yellow hair you can't tell. Daniel's the only other light haired one of us. You'd see it if you met him, Mama's kinda yellow but not like this."
    Annabel smiled again, the movement felt strange on her face. The love Patsy seemed to show her brother was beautiful, even more so compared to the hate she had seen from everyone else.
    "How many of you are there?" Annabel asked.
    "Billy's the eldest, he's twenty six. Then there's jus' Tom and Daniel. I'm fifteen. That's not countin' all the other bastard kids he an' Tom have probably had all over the place."
    A hand went reflexively to Annabel's stomach, Patsy registered the movement.
    "Don't worry, he ain't fathered anythin' since me. He blames Mama but we all know it ain't her."
    Patsy's young face puckered in a worry she should not have known. "He says she gave `im tainted sons an' girls on purpose."
    She planted another kiss on Billy's head, brushing his cheek with her spare hand.
    "But he has Tom." Annabel spat the name out. "And - um -"
    "Daniel. Yeah I know, but he wanted all boys. Tom gets everythin' they can afford; he's Papa's pride and joy. Dani was born jus' after `im but was always very different. He was really early too, nearly died. Papa thinks he's weak `cuz of it. Dani sings all the time as well, like an angel...to piss off Papa I reckon."
    She laughed softly to herself, obviously fond of this brother too. "Dani'd sooner deck Papa than let him `ave his way with us. He's nearly been killed so