Gerard, meanwhile, gave Lilah a stern look.

Laura subtly observed the scene, her satisfied expression concealed beneath her lashes.

“Are you okay, babe?" Gerard asked, his deep voice filled with concern as he gazed at Lilah with worry.

Lilah reassured him, “I'm fine, just a bruised ankle." She then turned to Jerrold. "What happened to you, Jerrold?"

"“I-I think it was a bit slippery," Jerrold mumbled, his voice tinged with guilt, upset at the thought of Lilah getting hurt because of him.

“But that doesn't make sense," Laura interjected, still perplexed.

She quickly instructed someone to inspect the stairs, but upon examination, they appeared to have ample friction, just as she had claimed.

The servant returned with a report that only deepened the mystery.

“The stairs aren't slippery. Nobody has ever slipped down them before," he reported with a shake of his head.

"Yes, I never had any accidents on those stairs as a child," Laura added, her gaze on Lilah revealing a mix of emotions.

A doctor arrived shortly to tend to Jerrold's and Lilah's injuries.

As he worked, Laura sat next to Jerrold, gently stroking his hair with a concerned look. "Jerrold, are you alright?" she asked softly.

Jerrold simply nodded in response.

Laura let out a sigh, turning her attention to Gerard. “Have you still not found Jerrold's mother? He must miss her a lot, right?"

Gerard's eyes narrowed, but he chose to remain silent.

Gretchen, emerging from the kitchen, was visibly shaken by the scene.

Her concern was genuine, as her own grandson was about Jerrold's age.

“What happened to Jerrold?" she asked.

Laura filled her in, "He fell down the stairs with Lilah."

Gretchen's eyes darted to Lilah, her expression souring. "Miss, how could you let this happen to the child?"

Gerard's gaze turned icy at the accusation. "Gretchen?" he questioned, a warning edge in his voice.

“Mr. Harris, I know you're fond of this lady, but your son is young and needs careful looking after," Gretchen implored, her frown deepening. “To be honest, it's not common for someone to just fall down our stairs, I think..." She left the sentence unfinished and gave Lilah a meaningful look.

Walter, sensing something amiss, spoke up in defense. "But Lilah was the one who saved Jerrold. If she had any bad intentions, why would she risk injury to rescue him?"

Gretchen, however, was unconvinced. "Mr. Morrison, you're too naive.