He shook his head. “We are doing nothing, Lady Allison. You are going home now. I will escort you.” He hated having to leave the scene for what essentially amounted to babysitting, but he knew the earl would want to know what had happened, and Lady Allison could not be trusted to actually go home on her own.
“But my girls—”
“The girls will be fine without you,” he interrupted smoothly, noting with interest the looks of appreciation on the other women’s faces. “My men will have everything cleaned up within the next few hours, and we’ll have someone keep an eye on the place tonight. I’m certain the girls would just like some time to grieve for Polly in their own ways.”
“Yes, we’ll all be fine,” Lucy chimed in. “We appreciate you coming down today, and we’re very sorry you had to see such a terrible thing, but the girls and I really don’t need you to stay.”
Lady Allison managed to bite her tongue, but he could see she felt hurt that they were all treating her as though she had nothing to offer, as though she did not belong here. But the truth was that she had no idea what these women wanted or needed. Her life bore not the slightest resemblance to theirs, despite the fact that she sometimes put on her oldest gown and went slumming.
“You needn’t take me home,” she said stiffly. “Joseph and Heather will escort me.”
“I insist,” he muttered, knowing there was no end to the trouble she might get into if he let her leave with her two loyal servants who would do anything she asked. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
Not staying to argue the matter with her further, he sprinted back up the stairs, to find his men had things well in hand. He motioned Ness over. “I’m going to escort Lady Allison home. Can you see that things are wrapped up here and then meet me back at the station? I’ll get Lady Allison’s statement tonight. The rest of the women will come to the station and give theirs tomorrow. They aren’t going to say anything interesting in front of her anyway.”
Ness nodded, keeping his thoughts on this uncharacteristic behavior to himself. That was what Quinn liked about the man. He never asked questions he already knew the answers to.