Page 31 of A Scoundrel All the Way
“She’sgone.Wemust find her,” criedKatie. “It’smy fault.Ishould have suspected something like this when she left the ballroom last night.”
Hestared down at the three almost identical letters.
DearestFrankie,
Thankyou andThomasso much for the wonderful house party.Itwas so generous of you to celebrate my engagement.Unfortunately,Irealized thatIcould not holdLordScarboroughto such an expectation, especially when we wouldn’t have been in that position hadInot stolenAshe.Although,Icannot feign regret about that.Iam returning home.
Sincerestthanks,
Lucy
“Whatis she thinking?”Rowanshouted. “Howcould she even consider going out in this weather?It’sthe coldest it has been all year out there.Theroads are completely frozen.”
“Andthere’s the promise of more snow,”Frankieadded, her voice threaded in alarm.
“Honey,Idon’t think another weather prediction will help,”Lathamsaid, kissing her on the forehead.
“Iwill find her and bring her back,”Rowangrowled. “Doyou have any idea why she left?” he said, buttoning his coat as he looked fromKatietoPaulatoFrankie.
FrankieandPaula, in turn, looked atKatie.
“Shehas convinced herself that you don’t love her, and she won’t marry again without love,”Katieblurted, swiping at the tears. “Ipromise, hadIany inkling she was thinking of doing this,I’dhave slept next to her door to keep her from leaving.Youhave to find her.Ican’t help but feel like something bad will happen to her.Lucydoesn’t have the best of luck…as we all know.”
“Ihad rather thought that we had changed all that,”Rowanmuttered.She’swrong, so wrong, he thought.Therewas every chance they could have an affectionate marriage.Heenjoyed her company.Shewas so beautiful and witty—and even if she could be argumentative, she was enjoyable to be around.He’dnever met another woman like her in his life.
“I’llgo with you,”Sliceoffered.
“Iwill, too,”Lathamsaid.
“Countme in,”Nelsonsaid.
“Theycan’t have gotten far,”Rowansaid. “Whattime did they leave?”
“Iunderstand that they left around five this morning,”Frankiesaid.Ichecked with the staff.Cooksaid she gave her a basket of food.”
“Whydidn’tCookalert us?”Lathamasked, irritated.
“Idon’t think she knew.Wedidn’t know, how could they have known about this,”Frankiesaid, defending her staff.
“Idon’t have any more time for this.Ihave to go find her,”Rowanmuttered.Hesprinted down the stairs and headed out through the kitchen to the stable.
Rowanrode in silence with his friends as they headed towardLondon.Hereasoned the carriage should be easier to spot now that it was daylight.Ithad started snowing again, but as they turned onto the main road toLondon,Rowangrew concerned.
Thesnow, mud, and traffic had made the road more rutted than usual.Itwas a half-hour into their journey when he spotted it—the wheels of a black carriage with its four horses nearby.Abody had been flung from the carriage.Thefour of them galloped toward the scene of the accident.
“DearGod!”Rowanslid off his horse and ran first to the man in the snow.
“I’llhelp him,”Lathamsaid, leaving his horse. “It’sthe driver.He’sstill alive,” he called out,” after checking the man’s neck for a pulse.
“I’llsecure the horses,”Nelsonsaid.
Rowanrushed to the carriage. “Lucy…” he shouted.Histhroat was so clogged with emotion he could hardly push the words past.Hereached the door of the carriage that was facing the sky, and with almost herculean strength, he yanked off the door and threw it aside.Luckily, the carriage was wedged between a tree and a rock—which was probably what had stopped it from continuing to roll down the hill.Butit was the scene inside that nearly undid him.Mary,Lucy’smaid, was sitting up against what would have been the floor and the seat of the carriage.
Lucywas crumpled opposite her.Thesmall fox had fashioned itself aroundLucy’sneck, like a scarf, and was making small keening noises and licking her face as if trying to warm her and wake her.Bloodran fromLucy’shead, and he saw a bloodied, warming brick lying beside her. “Mary, it’sLordScarborough, he said when the maid looked up at him.I’mhere to help you.Staystill.I’mcoming into the carriage.Hoveringhis body over the opened door, he slid into the carriage and braced his feet on the window lying flat on the ground.
Ashemade whimpering noises and continued to lickLucy’sface.
“Rowan,”Slicecalled from outside. “I’mclimbing onto the side of the carriage and will help you lift them out.Lathamsaid the carriage driver was awake.Hewas thrown away from the accident and seems mostly unhurt.”
