“That way, I could keep an eye on Kade, or so I thought,” Braden said in a bitter tone. “He was having trouble, but I didn’t even realize it.”
“But he seemed to be doing well,” Royal said. “At least that was my impression when he was home on his summer holidays.”
“He was doing well,” Nick said. “I’m sure of it.”
In fact, Kade had been eager to return to school and to his music tutors.
“What changed?” Miss Knight asked.
“He got a new head of house this term,” Braden said. “And a new head boy.”
Like other schools, Eskbank was divided into several houses, each supervised by a teacher who served as head. Head boy was usually the most senior pupil in the house.
“And?” Nick prompted.
“The new head teacher, a man named Corbin, took a sharp dislike to him,” Braden said. “He began to single out Kade for all sorts of silly infractions, some of them invented.”
“Good God,” Royal growled. “How could anyone dislike that sweet lad?”
Braden shrugged. “The man’s a bully, and bullies pick on those whom they perceive are weak. Corbin made it his mission to punish Kade whenever he had the chance. Those punishments included forbidding him to practice his violin.”
“Christ,” Nick muttered. Now it was beginning to make sense.
“The poor boy,” Miss Knight said, shaking her head.
“When did he finally tell you about this?” Nick asked, forcing himself to remain calm.
“Not until he fell ill, and I brought him to Kendrick House. That’s our residence in Glasgow,” Braden explained to Miss Knight.
Nick frowned. “But I came down to Glasgow as soon as you wrote to me. Kade never said a word about any of this.”
He’d driven like a demon to get to Kade’s bedside and had stayed there for over a week. That vigil had been agony, all the old sorrows and guilt surfacing to torment him while he struggled with fear of losing Kade. The morning the lad’s fever had finally broken and he smiled up at him with clear eyes was the morning Nick had started to believe in God again.
He’d only returned to Kinglas when he was certain Kade wouldn’t relapse. He trusted that Braden and the residence staff—along with the best physicians in Glasgow—would properly care for the boy until he could finally come home.
“Kade didn’t want to tell you,” Braden said quietly. “He knows you worry about all of us, and he didn’t wish to burden you.”
“Oh, God,” Royal said, pressing his hands to his eyes.
Frustration and guilt made Nick want to drive a fist into a wall. But for now, he shoved aside those emotions. This was about his little brother, not him. “Did Corbin physically abuse Kade?”
Miss Knight made a distressed sound as she covered her mouth, clearly understanding what he was asking.
Most boys who’d gone away to school knew what could happen even in the best establishments—beatings and degrading assaults that could scar a boy, physically and mentally. Nick had never experienced such humiliations, nor had his older siblings. Even as children, they’d been more than capable of defending themselves in the occasionally rough environment of boarding school.
Not Braden, though, nor Kade. That was why Nick had been especially careful when selecting their schools.
“Mr. Corbin never physically hurt Kade,” Braden said. “He knew you would never put up with that.”
“Did someone else hurt him?” Royal asked. He looked as sick as Nick felt.
“Yes. Lord Kincannon’s oldest son, Richard,” Braden replied. “He was appointed head boy for Kade’s house this term. That’s when circumstances took a bad turn.”
Nick had gone to school with Kincannon. He’d been a mean-spirited weasel, and it sounded like the son had followed in his footsteps. “What happened?”
“Another student was a particular target for Richard and his cronies. That little boy also suffered a severe caning at the hands of Mr. Corbin for a very minor infraction. Kade was outraged by the mistreatment and complained to the headmaster.”
“Damn,” Royal said with a grimace. “He should have written to us, instead.”
