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“It wasn’t the fault of either of you. There’s nothing you could have done to prevent it. It’s not like she couldn’t wait until everyone fell asleep and then throw herself down the stairs if she chose to. We’re going to move forward as if it were nothing more than an accident. I will speak to Dr. Turner, and he can in turn let her family know what happened. Otherwise, we’ll just see to her care.”

“I’ll make sure we have someone with her around the clock,” Leah said, regaining her composure. “The maids can sit with her through the night, and Nurse Foster and I can take turns during the day along with Brigette. I’m sure she won’t mind helping out.”

Mrs. Astor arrived. “I heard the door. Ah, Nurse Foster, may I take your coat?”

Before she could answer, Zelda appeared in a panic. “She’s gone!”

Everyone turned to look at the young maid. “Natasha?” Leah asked.

“No, Miss Hancock. She’s taken her things and—and . . . gone.” Zelda shook her head. “We don’t know when or how.”

The time for privacy and intimate feelings was long behind them, and Leah couldn’t stop the sense of frustration that washed over her. She had known this job wasn’t going to be easy but certainly hadn’t anticipated runaways.

Leah called her mother later that evening to say she wouldn’t be coming to dinner or church the next day. She explained about Natasha and Carolina, stressing that she felt it was important to remain at home should anything else go wrong. It was the perfect excuse, and she knew that even Randolph couldn’t question it.

Sunday passed in surprising calm with Erik making a brief visit to check on Natasha. Leah hadn’t really tried to avoid him, but after a restless night, she had decided to take a nap and was sleeping when he arrived. Nurse Foster had seen fit to let her go on sleeping, so the two didn’t encounter each other.

On Monday, Leah received an invitation from Randolph asking her to come to dinner at his place on Wednesday evening. Leah sent back a note of approval and began to think about how she would let him down. Since he was a good friend of the family, she couldn’t very well be rid of him altogether. She knew they would need to be amiable and open about the matter. Still, it offered discomfort, and there was also the matter of whether or not he was up to no good.

When Erik showed up to check on Natasha, Leah and Nurse Foster accompanied him to the bedroom to hear how she was doing. The exam took very little time.

“You appear to be in very good health,” Erik told the girl. “The baby seems fine as well.”

Natasha remained silent. She had been far more withdrawn since the accident. Leah thought her to be in a rather hopeless state and wished fervently that there was something she could do about the situation. She’d tried talking with her, but Natasha wanted no part of it.

“She’s not eating well,” Nurse Foster said. “She drank a little juice this morning but otherwise has been unwilling to take nourishment.”

“I’m not hungry,” Natasha explained. “I haven’t been since I fell.”

“Still, it’s important to eat,” Erik said. “You need to maintain proper nourishment for yourself and for the baby. I would certainly hate to have to hospitalize and force-feed you. It’s most difficult and unpleasant.”

Natasha’s lips tightened as if to prove she could make it just as troublesome. Leah moved to take her hand. Natasha did nothing to fight her hold.

“I’m sure we can entice Natasha with some of her favorites. I’ll get a list from her and give it to Cook. We’ll have her back on the right path in no time at all,” Leah said.

Erik met her gaze and gave a slow nod. “That should help.”

Nurse Foster remained with Natasha while Erik and Leah made their way downstairs. Leah knew he was worried. She was plenty concerned herself.

“I think she’s given up on life.” Leah paused a moment to consider the situation. “I think I must involve her family.”

“I’m inclined to agree with you. I talked to your grandfather, and he said he would be in touch with her parents. I don’t know that it would matter to have them visit her, but perhaps the mother might offer solace. I know Natasha speaks quite negatively about her father and his failure to take her attacker to task. Do you know anything about the mother?”

“No. She says so little about her family.” Leah tried to remember the few things that had been said about Natasha’s mother.

“Well, try to get her to eat, and I’ll consult with your grandfather. She’s in perfectly good health for the moment, but it won’t take long for her to fail if she’s determined to do so. Has there been word of Carolina?”

“No. We notified her father, but otherwise there’s been nothing. One of the maids suggested she ran off to be with the father of her child, but I couldn’t say.”

They made their way downstairs and paused in the foyer. Leah turned to face Erik. “I want you to know that Randolph has invited me to come to dinner at his house on Wednesday. It seems like the perfect place to explain everything to him. He’ll only have his staff to contend with regarding his disappointment. That will be far less embarrassing than a public forum.”

“But if he is up to something, you have no guarantee of safety.”

“I don’t think he would harm me. As I said, he’s been like a family member since before I was born. He wouldn’t want to risk losing my family’s support of the CRB. That means far too much to him.”

“I suppose. Still, I don’t like it.”

“I have a great idea. He’s sending his car for me. What if I go, and then you show up a short time after I arrive? Say, ten or twenty minutes? That way I can refuse his proposal and leave before dinner is served. You could explain that you’ve come to drive me home, since I obviously couldn’t walk the distance.”