“Lady Penford, please. It’s not safe here.” Nelson kept a firm grip on her, but the older woman began to scream.
“Help!”
A few bystanders turned to look, but before anyone could approach, Lily saw a dark figure hurrying toward them. When he reached the light, she saw that it was Matthew. His carriage was nearby, and a sudden rush of relief passed over her.
“Lady Penford, what is it?” Matthew asked. He motioned for Nelson to let go of her. The coachman waited until he was closer and then obeyed.
“I want to be with George,” Iris wept. “I’m so lonely. I just…need George to be with me.”
Matthew exchanged a look with Lily.
Help me,she pleaded silently. Her mother’s grasp on reality was slipping away. Lily worried that she might have to take Iris back to Yorkshire if she continued to have bad spells.
“May I escort you home?” he asked her gently. “You must be weary after this long night.”
His sympathy seemed to break through Iris’s frustration, and she looked back at him with tear-filled eyes. “I—I don’t know. What’s happening?”
“Mother, let us go and have a hot cup of tea,” Lily urged. “It’s very cold outside, and you need to get warm. Matthew will accompany us, won’t you?”
He nodded and offered his arm. “I should be glad to take you home.”
Iris rested her gloved hand in the crook of his elbow, weeping silently as he helped her walk back to the carriage. Lily overheard him giving orders to Nelson to drive around the city for a while, giving Lady Penford time to calm herself.
When they were safely inside the vehicle, he took a seat beside her mother, talking all the while. His calm tone seemed to soothe Iris, and she leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes after a time. The rocking motion of the carriage helped, and Lily whispered, “Thank you, Matthew.”
He gave a nod. “How long as she been like this?”
“Ever since my father died. It broke her heart, and I know she wanted to join him in death. Rose and I had to take her to the country, and even then, she has not been well. She may never be the same.”
The worry over her mother was a burden she would always carry. But for now, it eased her to have someone else to share the responsibility.
“She is lucky to have you,” he said quietly. In the darkness, his steady gaze warmed her. Lily felt the comfort of his presence and braved a smile.
“Will you stay a while, just to help me get her inside the house? You could have tea with us, even though it’s late.”
“I will stay as long as you have need of me.” His quiet reassurance filled the space between them. He reached out to take her hand, and she squeezed it in thanks.
A moment later, the carriage lurched, and she went crashing forward into his arms. Matthew caught her, and Iris awakened.
“What’s happened? Was there an accident?” Her mother’s eyes had gone wild, and she twisted her hands together. “Why have we stopped?”
“Wait here,” Matthew bade them. “I’ll find out.” He opened the door and closed it behind him.
Lily rubbed at her shoulders, which were bruised from the collision. She didn’t know what had caused them to stop, but it was her mother’s fear she had to manage.
“I’m certain everything is all right,” she said. “You aren’t hurt, are you?”
“No.” But Iris appeared agitated by the accident. She began twisting her hands together, staring out the window and muttering to herself about wolves. Lily reached out to take her hand. “Matthew will be back in a moment. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
But it was indeed taking a while. Lily started to open the door, and then she saw Matthew approaching. He was no longer wearing his coat, and he was carrying a bundle of something enormous, dark, and furry. Was that an animal bundled inside his coat? Lily saw the concerned look on his face and asked, “What is that, Matthew?”
A whimpering sound came from the coat, and he said, “It’s a dog. It ran out in front of the horses and startled them. I don’t know if he’ll live, but I didn’t want to leave him there.”
In the darkness, Lily could hear the dog panting and whining from pain. “Bring him inside the carriage, and we’ll take him home. I want to have a look at him.” She had read the medical book Dr. Fraser had loaned her, but she wasn’t certain if she knew enough to help the animal. Perhaps not.
And yet, she did want to help in some small way. The dog was enormous, like a black bear, and she didn’t know what breed he was. His fur was matted and filthy, and his ribs were evident through his skin.
Matthew climbed inside the carriage, and the dog nearly filled up the entire space. Lily moved across to the opposite seat and the animal was so large, his head rested in her lap. “He looks half-starved.”
