She sins in the grocery store — buying flowers for her own grave of a bedroom, hoarding hope like a thief in a burning church.

By keeping the secret, Lily helped create the toxic environment at Blackheath. The guilt and the cover-up corrupted the souls of everyone involved, trapping them in a cycle of blackmail, resentment, and eventually murder. Her inaction allowed the infection of the past to fester into the murderous present.

And sometimes, when the moon is thin and vicious, Lily Alcott sins with both eyes open: she prays to no god and calls it freedom.

The central tragedy of the story stems from an event that occurred years prior to the novel's setting: the death of a young boy. The characters present at Blackheath House were involved in or witnessed this event. Lily’s primary sin is her silence. She knew the truth about what happened but chose to protect herself and her family's reputation rather than seek justice. This complicity makes her morally responsible for the chain of events that followed.