Mrs. Hathaway wiped her eyes with her lace handkerchief as Sophia patted her hand.Lucy could only nod as she tried not to think of what had happened to Oliver. At Broughton House, she’d slipped back into the morning room and had sat quietly, gathering her shattered nerves until Lieutenant Broughton had burst into the room, awakening his mother, and told them both the bad news.The countess had indeed been inconsolable. So much so that Lucy had helped her up the stairs, watching very carefully as a pale Dr. Redmond dosed her with laudanum and put her to bed. There had been no sign of Major Kurland, who she assumed had answered Broughton as to his part in the tragedy and gone back to his room. Why had he taken the medicine bottle from beside Oliver’s bed? What further horrors was he imagining?A knock on the door heralded the arrival of the butler, who bowed to Mrs. Hathaway.“Ma’am, there is a man in the kitchens who says he was sent here by a Major Kurland to await further orders.
