Fenwirth growled to the two men who stood beside Lily, "Keep to your posts. I'll go down and investigate." Turning back and pointing at Lily, he shouted angrily, "And keep her here! No one is to move from their station!"

But his entreaty fell on deaf ears. No one was paying attention to him at this point. They were standing silently, watching him go.

Fenwirth didn't wait to see if they were listening, before he ran toward the stairs.

"He's getting the money out of his office," a little voice spoke up. Lily turned to gaze on Finnian, who continued. "Whenever something happens, that's what he does. And leaves with it." But the smoke was thicker now, and Lily turned toward the women who had stepped in to protect her.

"Hurry! Out, everyone! All of you! Ashton wouldn't be shouting a warning if it wasn't true—get to safety!" She turned toward the little boys. "Finnian, Bryce, run straight down to the bottom and have Ashton get you outside! Hurry!"

The women and children from the floor began scurrying toward the stairs, trying to make their way down. Shrieks were coming from the floor below, carried upward through the staircase. The workers were all hurrying as fast as they could. Lily waited, shouting to the men to go down and get the ladies and children out, pleased when they scrambled to do her bidding. The top floor cleared out rapidly, but when they got down to the third, there were still people still trying to get out.

Lily rushed toward some of the material from the rolls of cotton and began to pull it from the looms, calling out for others to help.

"Hurry! Help me make knots in this! Those who have strong arms, any of you who can, climb down the rope! Here! Then take some of the sheets and pull them tight for others to land on! Quickly!"

The women rushed to help, tying the long pieces of cotton end to end. She realized they would need something to attach the other end to, and she looked to the pillars in the middle of the room. Many times, when aboard the Charlotte and then the Arabella, she'd watched the seamen tie the ropes in knots. She'd learned how they did it, thankfully.

It was ready. The women were climbing out the window now, making their way down. When she looked down a few minutes later, there were ten or twelve ladies down at the ground level, encouraging others to follow. They had rolled up the edges of the material to cling to and pulled it tightly across so the children could land safely. Some of the children were climbing down the rope, as well, into the arms of the women waiting for them.

Suddenly, on the third floor, Ashton was at her elbow, and she threw her arms around him. "What ere you doing up 'ere?" he bellowed. "Annie said you were 'ere, an' then—"

"Ashton, make sure the little carders are out from the second floor—they need your guidance!" She shouted as loudly as she could, but the place was full of the screams and terrified cries of the children, and he could barely hear her.

"But, Lily—"

"Now, Ashton! Please, they need you! I will be fine. Go!"

He disappeared downward once again, shouting over his shoulder that many of them were already out, but not all. Lily once again ran toward the window. There were probably thirty women and children there now, but that wasn't enough. She was unable to see out the front. Coughing and choking, she pulled her woolen garment up to her face and tried to filter out the smoke, but it was still hard to breathe.

The third floor was almost clear, and she ran, untying the end of the cotton rope and dragging it downward to the second. "Who is here?" she shouted out.

A woman's voice answered, "The ground floor is on fire, the children are up here, huddled in the corners—it won't be long before the fire reaches us."

"Where? Take me to them! We can't let them perish!"

In the northwest corner, she located a mass of children, crying and screaming in fear—but little Annie was there, holding tightly to her injured arm.

"Annie!" She reached out and held the little girl to her. "Come here, we'll get you out! All of you, hold on to each other and follow me!"

One by one, the children made a chain, holding on to each other when they couldn't see for the smoke. The distance to the ground was only one floor down from here, but it was still, with the height of the windows, twelve or fifteen feet. Lily attached the rope to the column in the middle of the room but noted with dismay that it felt hot to her hands. The ladies outside were at the base—there were men down there, too, now, catching ladies and children who couldn't hold on to the sheets.

"Catch the children! This little one is injured! Don't let her slip past you!"

"We'll get her, ma'am." The men were ready, and she watched as little Annie held on with her good arm and literally slid down, to be caught by a man below. Lily turned to the rest of the children, encouraging them.

"Let's play a game and see who can be the bravest!" When hands went up, she took two of them and had them hold on to each other.

Two at a time, the children all jumped, encouraged by their peers. Lily clapped from above as each of them was caught in the webs held by the men and women below.

One by one, the second floor began to empty out. Ashton appeared, saying the ground floor was empty, and everyone was now up here. He was coughing dreadfully.

The heat was overwhelming, and it was tempting to climb up to the third. Together, they made rounds to each corner to check. The smoke was so thick, it was difficult to see, and Ashton moved thoroughly through the room from wall to wall, attempting to make sure he didn't miss anyone. It was as they were both about to go back to the window that Lily heard it—the sound of a child weeping.

"Ashton—"

"I 'ear it.'" He moved closer. "'Tis me, Ashton. We'll get ye out!"

The child moved slowly toward his voice. It was Finnian, reaching out desperately in front of him, terrified.

Ashton picked him up and brought him to the window. "Ketch!" he called out to the men below. Working to disentangle Finnian from his neck, he tried to encourage the little boy, but Finnian refused to let go.

"Go with him," Lily ordered. "I'll be right behind you!"

"Cain't. Cain't leave ye up 'ere 'n me down."

"Oh, Hell's bells, Ashton. Then we'll jump together. On three."

She counted. But on three, when Ashton jumped with little Finnian in his arms, she didn't. The flames were leaping up the stairs now. When Ashton realized that she was still there, he bellowed with rage. "Jump, Lily!"

Lily stuck her head out the window as far as she could, but there seemed to be no air present. Nothing but caustic smoke made its way into her lungs. Far off in the distance, she saw a man in a grey suit with a box under his arm, running away from the establishment.

Fenwirth.

"Bloody blazes, girl, jump!" Ashton was swearing now.

Lily's gaze moved to Ashton, but it was not his face she saw. It was Darby's frantic face that called to her. What if she never saw him again? Would he ever forgive her if she died in the fire? Could she forgive herself? The last thing she remembered was the hurt in his voice at her lack of trust as she leaned forward out the window and fell.