“I know,” I managed to say at last. “It’s a miracle.”

I followed him into the room. Lily still clung to him. He sat down, taking her on his lap.

“How? Who?”

“It was my sister brought her here,” I began. “Nora Sweeney—the woman who’s been stealing your leases—she’s my sister, Aidan. I’m so sorry. . . .” My words trailed off as I began to sob.

“But I thought she drowned.”

“S-so did I,” I said miserably. “But she didn’t. A-and she must have found out I passed myself off as her and came here to get back at me—at us—for what I did!”

Aidan stood up, gently easing Lily into the armchair. Then he came over and put his arms around me.

I sobbed into his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so, so sorry.”

He took me by the shoulders and forced me to look at him. “Listen to me, Delia. You have nothing to be sorry for. You are not responsible for your sister’s actions. But . . . if she was really out for revenge, why did she bring Lily to you?”

“I don’t know. But she was the one who stole her!”

“No, she wasn’t.”

Aidan and I turned to stare at Lily.

“It was Mr. Kearney stole me. He came up to me in the hotel and took me down to Miss Francine and said I was to stay with her. He said he would come back to take me to Daddy.” She frowned and bit her lip. “I waited and waited with Miss Francine, but he didn’t come back until this morning.” She looked near to tears.

“It’s all right, Lily,” Aidan said, kneeling in front of where she sat. “Take your time. What happened then? Where did Mr. Kearney take you?”

“To a big hotel in Dallas. I thought he was taking me to see you, Daddy, but he wasn’t.” She heaved a sigh. “It was a lady named Nora. He told her to take me to New York on a train at two o’clock, and then he left.” She gave Aidan a pleading look. “I don’t want to go to New York, Daddy. I want to stay here with you and Delia.”

Aidan wrapped her in his arms. “You’re not going to New York, my pet, you’re staying here with us.”

“Forever?”

“Yes, forever.”

When she settled down Lily told us that when Nora found out who she was, she brought her back to Shotgun City. She’d told her she was bringing her to her father, although Lily wasn’t sure she believed her.

“But she did what she promised,” said Aidan.

Lily nodded her head.

I slumped down onto a chair. Suddenly, I didn’t know what to think. Had I blamed Nora too quickly? Was she innocent?