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He left his study in search of more alcohol. However, he paused at the staircase.

He was not quite certain where to put his leg, as he knew that one simple mistake could cause him to roll down the staircase and possibly even break his neck.

He began to walk, one step at a time, his cup firmly in hand. He had barely taken two steps when he miscalculated. Instead of stepping on the next step, he missed it, and then slipped.

William swore as he landed on the floor with a thud. Thankfully, he did not roll down the staircase.

However, the cup in his hands did not quite make it, as it shattered immediately. Still dazed, he tried to pick it up. He winced as a jagged edge cut his hands, and a slight pain shot up his arms.

He dropped the cup and pushed himself to his feet. He heaved a sigh of relief when he finally made it to the bottom of the stairs in one piece.

At that point, however, he was faced with a new problem. He did not quite know where the alcohol was stored. He had not been to Bath in a long time, and he was not certain that the housekeeper was still awake.

Now, he was in the foyer, confused and alone and unsure where to go to get his alcohol. And even if he was somehow able to get his hands on the alcohol, he knew he still had to look for another cup, since the one he had was now broken.

He was still confused, unsure how to proceed, when he heard voices outside the house.

Because William was so drunk, he was not quite certain if he was imagining the voices or if they were real.

“Who is ‘eeeere?” he called, uncertain why his words had come out garbled.

He heard footsteps approach the front door. Again, he wondered if he was imagining them.

He wondered for a moment if the footsteps belonged to intruders, and he suddenly realized that he might, in fact, be in danger.

“I must protect my home,” he muttered to himself, planting his feet properly on the ground to steady himself.

His legs, however, soon buckled, and he fell to his knees.

The footsteps outside the front door grew louder, and he could even hear the sound of someone fumbling with the locks.

William rarely regretted drinking alcohol. However, as his vision blurred and his senses began to shut down, he regretted getting so drunk. He tried to keep his eyes open to no avail. The last thing he saw was someone entering the house through the front door.

At first, he was not quite sure if the person was a man or a woman. However, as the person came into focus, he realized who it was.

“Eveline?” he said as he raised his hand to touch her face in a final attempt to stay awake.

But he soon slumped and slipped into the darkness.

It had been four days since Eveline had arrived at Notley Manor, and unlike the previous days, she woke up elated.

She got dressed quickly and made her way to the drawing room to meet her sisters. Her ankle had all but healed, and she could now prance around in her father’s home without limping.

She had spent the past few days crying and moping about. However, her spirits had been lifted when Ava had informed her the previous night that Lily had promised to come to Notley Manor the following morning.

“Is Lily here yet?” Eveline asked as soon as she entered the drawing room.

She was disappointed to only see Stella with her head buried in a novel and Ava crocheting in the corner.

“I suppose she will be here soon,” Ava replied.

As if on cue, Eveline heard the voice of the footman.

“Lily!” She quickly rushed to the front door to meet her friend, her worries momentarily disappearing.

She hugged her friend as soon as she saw her.

Lily peered at her closely after they pulled apart. “You seem to be happy, Eveline. I am glad,” she noted.