Page 87 of Madcap with a Marquess
Concern shimmered in her eyes, and he tried to breathe away the confusion warring with his insides. Her condemnation of Franny grated more than it once had. But she was worried about his welfare, and he couldn’t exactly fault her for caring for him.
His mother waited, delicate brows lifting infinitesimally higher at his prolonged silence. He drummed his fingers on his thigh. He needed to come up with a placating response that also didn’t lead to further disapproval of Franny. He was determined to find a way through his mother’s animosity toward his wife and his wife’s blatant disregard for propriety. He nearly laughed. Could there be a more impossible task?
The sound of hooves thudding against the drive drew his attention, and his gaze fell on Blaze trotting up the drive, stirrups flapping against his sides, tail swishing. Empty stirrups. Empty saddle. Rupert’s heart kicked up.
He turned to one of the footmen unloading his mother’s carriage. “What is the meaning of this?”
The footmen’s eyes widened, and he froze at Rupert’s harsh tone. “I-I do not know, my lord.”
“Sanderson!” he bellowed.
“Goodness, Rupert. Calm yourself. What is this, bellowing like a heathen?”
Rupert bit back a less than pleasant retort and turned toward the manor, where Sanderson was already hurrying down the steps. His butler stopped in front of Rupert, his gaze darting to Blaze, and panic shot through Rupert at the worry reflected in his usually stoic butler’s eyes.
“Why is Blaze trotting about, saddled, without a groom in sight?”
“My lord,” Sanderson said, his voice low. “Her Ladyship set off for a ride with Blaze just over two hours ago.” He glanced again at Blaze. “The grooms would never allow Blaze to roam freely, let alone saddled.”
Rupert’s heart sank to the depths of a cold, bottomless ocean. “Have my horse saddled immediately.”
Sanderson nodded. “Straight away, my lord.”
“Oh heavens, do not be silly, Rupert. Sanderson, you will do no such thing.”
Rupert spun on his heel to face his mother, his lips pressed painfully tight, not trusting himself to speak. He lifted his brows in silent question.
She blinked up at him with wide eyes. “Darling, son. You cannot abandon your poor mama upon her arrival. Send out a search party, as any great lord would wont to do. That is a servant’s responsibility, not something you should bother yourself with.”
Aggravation ate at his insides. He didn’t want to send out a bloody search party. He wanted to go search for his wifehimself.
She directed her attention to his butler. “Sanderson, please gather whoever our best riders are to search for Lady Rutledge. Do not forget to look up when searching. You are as likely to find her in a tree as you are on the ground.” She turned to Rupert. “I see now why she wasn’t here to greet me.”
Fury simmered just underneath the surface, but years of habituation had him somehow modulating his tone. Barely. “You overstep, Mother,” he said stiffly.
Something flashed across her face, there and gone so fast Rupert hadn’t time to register what it could possibly have meant. Then she shrank in on herself, and she took a small step away from him. “I see,” she said in a small voice.
And now Rupert felt like the biggest bloody cad. He wasn’t sure if emotions could slay a man, but he was one more riotous feeling away from his brain simply exploding.
He turned to Sanderson. “Arrange a search party. I want the entire estate, every inch, searched for Lady Rutledge. And I want word sent to the tenant village as well. Alert the Doherty’s immediately.”
Sanderson dipped a quick nod and strode back inside.
Rupert prayed for patience and turned back to his mother. She smiled at him approvingly, and he clenched his teeth. He gently tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led her up the steps to the mammoth entry of Rutledge Manor. “I believe it prudent I assist in the search, Mother,” he explained calmly. “Iwantto, regardless of the fact that we have able-bodied servants.”
Her smile faltered, but then it softened, and she patted his arm gently. “My kind boy. Do not fret. I am sure Lady Rutledge is just fine. I’m proud of the dedicated husband you are becoming, but let us be level-headed about this, darling. You are letting your emotions rule you instead of logic. She most likely didn’t tie up her horse properly while she partook in some improper adventure or another. Are you truly going to desert me for such triviality? I’m sure she’ll be storming into the Manor at any moment, covered in muck or mud or what have you.”
He let out a controlled breath even as he frowned. Had she always tucked insults away like that—hidden amongst her praises and compliments? He couldn’t deny the truth in her statement; he shouldn’t jump right to panic. And, Lord, he hoped she was correct, and it was only a matter of Blaze having wandered off while Franny decided to go for a swim or skip stones by the river. But he wouldn’t breathe easily until he knew.
“I will get you settled, Mother, and then I will join the search party.
Her features tightened, but she nodded. “I understand you must do what you feel is best.”Even if I disagree. The sentiment was so loud she didn’t need to say it.
“Now, while this display of concern may be admirable, I do hope you remember to practice better restraint in public company. It is a sign of poor breeding to be so transparent in one’s emotions, especially regarding one’s wife.”
He wondered if she would think it was poor breeding if he tipped his head back and roared his frustration into the heavens.
She chuckled. “Goodness, you almost had me believing you had formed atendrefor your wife. How unfashionable that would be.”
