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“My God, Flora, I’m so sorry,” the duchess said.
“It’s all right, Maggie,” Lady Ashford said. “I’ll take care of my child. You take care of yours. He needs you.”
“Daniel, my darling, I’m so sorry.” His mother took his hand from Lady Ashford. “Come with me.”
“I can’t leave her,” he said, his voice cracking. “I can’t.”
“Come. The doctor must be able to do his work.”
“Her Grace is correct,” Blake said. “I’m sorry, but you must all leave. I’ll need a few maids to attend me.”
“I shall stay,” Lucy said. “I’ve attended many of the tenants in my day.”
“Lucy will be of great assistance to you,” the duchess said. “She’s had some training in nursing.”
“Thank you. That will be fine. Miss Landon, I’ll need some clean towels and sheets, and have the kitchen send up some boiling water.” He turned to a maid. “Light a fire in the grate, so we can keep water boiling in here while I operate.”
“I don’t want to leave her, Mother,” Daniel said, as the duchess gently pulled him up from the chair. “She needs me. I need her.”
“I know, darling, but you must come with me. You must let the doctor help her.”
His mother nudged him forward, out the door.
Moments later, Daniel sat in his mother’s suite of rooms on the third floor of the west wing. She helped him sit down on a comfortable sofa and rang for some tea.
“My darling boy,” she said. “Can you tell me what happened?’
Daniel raked his fingers through his hair again, disheveling it further. “She fell down the back stairwell, from the third to the second floor. My God, she was probably coming to see me.”
The duchess nodded. “This isn’t your fault, Daniel.”
“It is,” he said. “I believe she was pushed.”
“What? Why would you think that?”
“She regained consciousness for a few moments in my chamber. She said… My God, she said it was Lady Gregory.”
“She actually said that Lady Gregory pushed her?”
“No. Not exactly. She just said ‘It was Amelia.’”
“Why on earth would Lady Gregory push Lily down the stairs?”
“I told you this is all my fault. Damn it all to hell!” He stood and started pacing, his heart thundering.
“Please, my darling, sit.” The duchess patted the sofa beside her. “None of this is your fault.”
“It is. Lady Gregory wants me for herself. She told me so.”
“Surely she wouldn’t…”
“She would. Remember how her husband died?”
“Nothing was ever proven.”
“It doesn’t matter. She pushed him, and now she pushed Lily. And if Lily dies, it will be all my fault. I can’t bear this. I can’t! Just when I thought I had everything.” He sat down and buried his face in his hands.
The duchess put her arms around him. “Daniel, if this is true, we need to summon the authorities.”
