ound hers again. It wasn't a frightened grip but a steady, certain one

tient smile. "Miss Lily, you hav

Lily moved even close

, and the words tugged painfully at Evelyn's heart, so s

hold my hand like this.

ng intensity, as though she was look

till be her

es

ter tom

es

before whispering, "People always

this child, yet every instinct urged her to pull Lily into her arm

smiled. "I'

always say that," she whisper

never met Lily before today, had never made promises to her, yet

mean?" she

ed. "I don

and when she spoke a

ooked back at Evelyn. "That's

le. "Miss Lily has been very emotional lately. Some

ediately. "I am

oked back at Evelyn. "I know you.

young maid looking ready to cry while another q

loor, and every servant straightened as the atmosp

tall, broad-shouldered, and impeccably dressed in a dark suit that spoke of wealth without trying to impress

efore settling on her small hand wrapped tightly around Evelyn's, his gaze l

pla

ord silenced

Miss Sterling, the new nanny from the agency. M

ask for

d Lily edged closer to Evelyn. Damian notic

st enough to be noticeable, "you shoul

re turning back to Evel

d her grip around Evelyn's ha

meeting Damian's eyes again. "Everything fe

e little girl was right - the desperate screams that had echoed through Bl

s were still swollen from crying, but she was calm

y with her," L

N

itation, and fear immediate

s several servants instinctively st

il

nt to go wi

yn's heart. Lily clung to her hand before whi

hem take me

ad spoken with complete conviction, as though somewhere deep

hat she might have imagined it, but then every trace of emo

before making his decision. "S

gh his eyes stayed on Evelyn. "Assign Miss

rprised, and Lily released a shaky

again. "And I wa

r, and perhaps he never would, but Evelyn had se

ry step, not with anger but with heartbreaking desperat

, Lily stopped and turned bac

disap

rely carried a

ed. "I'm not g

tbeat before giving a tiny nod, t

turned toward the sound. At the far end of the corridor stood a single dark door, closed a

tself - it was the practiced silence of peo

sure slipped, his eyes flicking toward the locked door before returning to th

e locked door in the east wing, and for the first time since arriving at Blackwood Manor,

ckwood was trying so despe