I raced down the stairs, heart hammering against my ribs. The sound of Beatrice's choking cough echoed through the mansion, each gasping breath like a knife in my chest. By the time I reached her bedroom door, a small crowd had already formed.
"Mrs. Dubois!" I pushed past Alistair, who stood frozen in the doorway.
Beatrice was hunched over, face turning an alarming shade of blue as she struggled for air. The family doctor hovered helplessly beside her, patting her back as if that would somehow help her breathe.
"Do something!" Genevieve shrieked at the doctor.
I didn't wait for permission. I rushed to the nightstand where I'd left my medicine and fumbled with the bottle. My fingers trembled as I shook out a tablet.
"Don't you dare!" Fiona darted forward, trying to snatch the medicine from my hand. "That's what made her worse in the first place!"
"No, it wasn't," I snapped, dodging her grasp. "It was stopping my treatment that triggered this attack."
