//CLARA//
The world blurred.
I didn't remember leaving the Velvet Noose. Just the carriage, and the blood on my palms.
Gary's blood.
He lay across the bench seat opposite us, his head on a cushion Hattie had jammed beneath him. His breathing was too shallow.
Hattie sat on the floorboards beside him, her hands trembling violently as she pressed a handkerchief against the split flesh of his temple.
A large hand settled over mine.
I looked up through the shadows of the carriage. Casimir was staring out the window. He wasn't looking at me, but his fingers tightened around my small, dirt-caked hand.
The carriage slammed to a halt, the horses whinnying loudly outside.
"Get him inside," Casimir barked as soon as the door flew open.
The mansion's footmen were already waiting, their faces pale with shock. Before I could even process that we were back at the estate, two strong men hauled Gary out, moving as quickly and gently as they could manage.
