Stuart stumbled backward.One foot slipped to the next stair tread below.His arms pinwheeled.His expression morphed to panic as he lost his balance.He reached out with one hand to grasp her.
An instinct for self-preservation kicked in, and Violet stepped back out of his reach.
His eyes widened, and then he was tumbling backward down the stairs.Head over heels, he fell.He landed at the bottom with a loud thud.She stared down in horror at his crumpled form, face down on the black and white tiles, his head turned unnaturally too far to one side.Oh God.
A high-pitched scream ripped from her chest.
*
Servants came runninginto the foyer.The scramble of people below barely registered as she stared down at the still form of her husband.The panic in his eyes right before he fell flashed, and she began to tremble uncontrollably.
Hodgins looked up at her from the bottom of the stairs.“He’s dead, ma’am.His neck is broken.”
Ginny came racing down the upstairs corridor.She took one look down at Stuart’s body and gasped.“Dear God!”
Violet stared down at Hodgins.His gaze was filled with understanding.“I saw everything, my lady.Ginny, take Lady Sommerset to her rooms.She was never here.”
Ginny wrapped an arm around her shoulders to turn her from the horrible sight of Stuart’s lifeless body.
Violet didn’t turn from Hodgins, though.“Call for the duke.He will want to see for himself.”Then she allowed her maid to lead her away.In her room, Ginny guided her to a chair by the fire.Despite the heat, Violet couldn’t stop trembling.Stuart falling down those stairs played over and over in her mind.“Is he really dead?”
“I don’t know, ma’am.Looked that way, though.”Ginny wrapped a soft throw blanket around her shoulders.
“Can you go check?Ask Hodgins to make sure.”She covered her face with her hands.“Oh God, can he really be dead?”
Ginny disappeared from the room.Violet had no concept of how long she had been gone, but when Ginny returned, she simply nodded.
Stuart was dead.And it was her fault.
Violet stared into the flames.How much time passed, she wasn’t aware.She twisted the gold band on her thumb around and around.The duke’s deep voice boomed from a distance.The anguish in it pierced her stupor.She closed her eyes against the angry words.More yelling.Then silence.
Then the duke’s imposing form filled the open doorway.“Violet.Mr.Hodgins said they told you what happened.”
She tried and failed to clear the huge lump from her throat.In the end, she just nodded.
“I am going to take his body to my house to lay in respite.I think it’s best.I need to take care of my boy—” His voice cracked.“Do you want to come stay at Sommerset House?”
She shook her head.
Ginny stepped next to her.“We’ll take good care of her, my lord.”
“Are you sure, Violet?I don’t want the shock of tonight to jeopardize the pregnancy.”
Of course.The baby was his concern.Violet sucked in a breath and finally found her voice.“I think I will be more comfortable here in my own chambers.”
The duke nodded.When he left, Violet turned back to the fire.The horrible scene kept replaying over and over.His rough treatment.Her instinct to flee, to keep her baby safe.Her panic when he made a grab for her.Taking the step back to keep him from pulling her down with him.The thuds and cracking sounds as he fell.The slap of his body as he hit the marble tiles at the bottom.
“My lady.Perhaps you’d be more comfortable if we got you ready for bed?”
She turned to blink up at Ginny.“What time is it?”
“Almost midnight, ma’am.Everyone’s gone.The house is quiet.Can I get you ready for bed?”
Violet nodded and rose to her feet.She felt lightheaded, though, and swayed on her feet.She let her maid turn her toward the bed.Ginny undid the row of buttons down the back of her dress and then helped her out of her short stays and stockings.The whole world felt as though time was moving sluggishly.Once she was in a long flannel night rail and warm wool socks, she dutifully climbed into bed.Poor Ginny.Her maid was ever her supporter.
“Go to bed, Ginny.”
“Are you sure?I can stay if you are feeling upset.”
