Page 38 of A Duke in Pursuit of Passion
At her maid's reassurance, Ella could only feel slightly better. Now she wasn't just concerned with her sister's safety but also with the safety of the men who had followed Mr Giles.
What if something went wrong? What if he spotted one of them? Who was to stop him from attacking Nate? All these questions and more buzzed through her mind as she and Alice were forced to head back out of the park to the carriage that awaited them to return them to Lady McGilligan’s estate.
Oh, please, don't let anything go wrong!Ella prayed, knowing there was little else she could do now. She had played her part perfectly. Now all that was left to do was wait.
Chapter 23
Hours passed before Ella knew anything. And those hours passed by excruciatingly painfully with her pacing up and down the drawing room at Lady McGilligan’s manor. Luckily for her, the lady herself was out at some luncheon or other, leaving Ella to her worrying.
Only Alice kept her company, and the maid looked about as fraught as Ella felt, though she seemed to be having a better time standing still.
Their entire ride back in the carriage had been silent, with Ella gazing out the window, part of her hoping that she might actually see some sign of her sister. After all, if Mr Giles was close, then perhaps she was too.
But that had just been wishful thinking, and as the hours passed, Ella felt her hopes fading faster and faster. She hated the feeling gnawing at her gut, and it left her unable to sit still no matter how much Alice insisted she ought to be resting.
The moment when Nate finally arrived was the only time that Ella found she could stand still. Having heard the front door opening and unable to stop, she met him in the middle of the entryway and was relieved by how he gripped hold of her hands and stepped in to meet her, holding her close.
“Well? What did you find?” Ella asked before he could say a word.
The look in Nate’s eyes darkened, and it only made Ella’s stomach feel worse. All hope faded.
“We followed Mr Giles for hours until he finally led us to his lodgings,” Nate explained. “Then we were forced to wait until he left again so that we could search the place.”
“And? What did you find? Was Louisa there?” Ella asked hopefully, even though deep down she was aware that if she had been, there was no way Nate would have returned without her.
With one last bit of hope, Ella glanced around Nate, wondering whether her sister might run through the front door and into her arms.
But there was no sign of Louisa. Mr Murphy had already firmly closed the door behind him.
Shaking his head, a sadness in his eyes that cut Ella like a knife, Nate explained, “We searched high and low, and there was no sign of her. Not even a letter hinting where she might be being kept. This Mr Giles covers his tracks well.”
The lump in Ella’s throat grew larger and harder until she felt as though she could barely breathe. “What are we to do?” she whispered, barely able to get the words out as she felt tears beginning to prick the corners of her eyes.
“We found Mr Giles. Eventually, he will lead us to her,” Nate said with such certainty that Ella truly wanted to believe him. “He has to.”
Though Ella’s hope was hanging on by a thread, she pressed herself into Nate’s arms and breathed a sigh of relief when he wrapped them around her. The way he reached up and stroked the hair at the back of her head and made sweet, soft comforting sounds as though they were the only ones in the room made Ella feel slightly better, and for once, she was glad not to be alone.
“Everything will be well,” he continued to reassure her, “you will see.”
Ella pressed herself closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing him back as she felt her tears stream down her cheeks. She buried her face in his chest and tried to muffle the sobs that started to wrack her entire body.
“I just want my sister back,” she whispered into his chest, wondering whether he could even hear her with the way she was standing. And yet, he seemed to.
“We will find her,” he said firmly, squeezing her tightly to him.
At that moment, Ella barely heard the sound of someone clearing their throat behind her. Stunned by the sound, she quickly pulled herself from Nate’s arms and wiped her eyes upon the sleeve of her gown.
“Yes?” Nate said, looking over Ella’s shoulder, and she turned to see his aunt’s butler awaiting them in the entrance to the hallway. He stood with his head bowed and his eyes focused on the floor.
It was only when he removed his hands from behind his back that Ella saw he was holding an envelope in his hand.
“Forgive me for the interruption, My Lord, but a letter arrived for you while you were out.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so sooner?” Nate demanded, stepping up to meet the butler as the elderly man walked up to offer the letter.
Ella’s stomach clenched, and her breath caught in her throat as she wondered what might be contained within the letter. Very few knew of their whereabouts as far as she knew.
“Who is it from?” she asked, unable to stop herself when Nate took hold of the letter and looked at the handwriting on the front of the envelope.
