The accusation withdrawn

An original fiction passage set in the nineteenth century.

Edith had ordered the drawing-room door locked when her aunt's brooch could not be found. Now she stood with the key in her palm, facing Nell.

"You were beside the cabinet," she said. "It cannot have walked away."

Every denial from Nell seemed to polish Edith's certainty. The others watched the maid, and Edith felt the room settling around her verdict.

She turned towards the bell. Her cuff caught on the back of a chair, and the missing brooch dropped from its folds with a bright, accusing click.

Every face turned. For one second, Edith's shoe hovered above the brooch. Then she moved her foot back.

"I mistook suspicion for truth," she said. Her voice was quieter now, but she made herself look at Nell. "I have wronged you, and I am sorry."

Edith unlocked the door and placed the key on the table. No one left. Nell did not answer at once, and Edith waited.

Analyse how the writer uses language and structure to show how Edith reacts when she discovers that her accusation is wrong. Support your answer with references to the passage.