Page 56 of Rescuing a Tantalising Heiress
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Edward was lost in thought as he rode home across the moors that morning. He had gone to speak to Hugh, telling his neighbour he wanted to know his intentions towards Augusta. He’d felt satisfied with the response.
“I respect your sister, and I’d never do anything to hurt her,” he had said, and the two men had talked at length as to the future.
But Edward had been adamant—if there was to be a courtship, it was to be conducted properly, just as he himself intended to conduct his own courtship with Isabella along similar lines. Edward had been at odds with himself over Isabella, but her words had convinced him of his foolishness, and, in turn, Isabella’s words—and Hugh’s reassurance—had convinced him of the necessity of allowing Augusta to seek her own happiness, too.
Why shouldn’t she be happy, too? And Hugh is a good man. I just don’t want to see her heartbroken again,Edward thought to himself as he entered the house just before luncheon.
It was unusually quiet—he had expected to be greeted by the sounds of Caesar barking, and Isabella appearing in the hallway with something to say about the latest book she was reading or an idea for the hospital project. Edward had grown used to her presence, and he wondered just how many other men would surely wish to live with the woman they loved during courtship, as well as in marriage.
“Isabella? Augusta?” he called out, but no sound came from anywhere, and Edward felt suddenly nervous as to where they might be.
He was about to call for the butler when the door from the hallway leading to the garden burst open, and Marston himself appeared, breathless and red-faced. His usually immaculate black suit and waistcoat were covered in mud, as were his shoes; he’d removed his white gloves, and his starched collar hung loose. Edward stared at him in astonishment.
“My lord…” he gasped, just as a cry came from behind, and Hetty and Millicent—their dresses, too, covered in mud—appeared at the door.
“There’s no sign of them—but there’s been a struggle. The dog was barking like anything. I saw them…at the carriage, I saw them…” Hetty exclaimed as Edward let out a cry of horror.
“Lady Augusta, Lady Isabella, they’ve been taken, my lord—from the garden, they’ve been taken!” Marston exclaimed, leaning against the doorpost as Hetty and Millicent clung to one another fearfully.
Edward’s eyes were wide with horror, and he let out a cry, rushing past them into the garden, where Caesar was barking loudly. Isabella’s maid, Anne, was there, and she ran to meet Edward, who seized her by the shoulders, hardly daring to believe the awful tale the other servants had told.
“It’s true, my lord. They were out walking. I heard the scream, but by the time we got here…they were gone,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks as she pointed towards the shrubbery.
Edward ran to the spot she indicated, and there he saw the signs they spoke of—the mud on the path churned up in the struggle, pieces of red and blue cloth snagged on the tress—the same colours his sister and Isabella had been wearing at breakfast.
He pushed his way into the shrubbery, calling out their names in desperation. But there was no sign of anyone—only the broken branches and churned-up mud. Tears welled up in Edward’s eyes, and he cursed himself, letting out an angry cry.
“I promised to protect her,” he shouted, blaming himself for what had happened and feeling only a sense of desperation and despair—he had failed in his duty, and now the two women he loved were gone, snatched from right under his nose, even as he was no closer to discovering the identity of the kidnapper, or knowing where it was they had been taken.
“My lord, we searched. We did our best,” Mr Marston said as Edward returned to the house a few moments later.
“I know you did, Marston. There’s no one to blame but myself. Send the stable hand with a message to the Duke of Burlington. We need to act quickly if we’re to save them and tell him to call at the inn. The Baron of Longley should still be there—he was staying in the district a few days longer. Tell him to come at once,” Edward said, and the butler hurried off to do his bidding.
Edward could do nothing yet. He knew he needed help, but help was still far off, and he paced up and down the hallway, trying to gather his thoughts.
If they were in a carriage, they’ll have taken the bridleway. I could cut them off, but I don’t know which way they’ve gone. Oh…curse them! I need to do something,he thought to himself.
He snatched up his outdoor coat and hurried to the stables, calling for Blaze to be saddled again immediately before riding off along the bridleway, desperately searching for any clue as to where his sister and Isabella might be.
Chapter 24
It wasgrowing late when Edward returned to Howdwell Heights. He had followed the bridleway across the moorland for many miles, but with dozens of different tracks, and a confusing set of turns and crossroads, the trail had gone nowhere. There was no sign of Isabella and Augusta, and no one he encountered—though few and far between—had seen anything.
“A carriage driving erratically? A fearful face at the window of a compartment? You must’ve seen something,” Edward had said, pleading with a farmer whom he had stopped on the bridleway.
But the farmer had shaken his head and apologized.
“I’ve seen nothing, my lord. There’s been no carriage driven this way,” he had said, and Edward had feared he had taken the wrong way.
With darkness falling, Edward had no choice but to return home, where he found the Baron of Longley waiting for him.
“A dreadful business. How terrible,” Benjamin said, pouring Edward a drink as the viscount paced up and down in the drawing room.
“If only I’d been here. I shouldn’t have left them. What was I thinking? I warned them of the danger!” Edward exclaimed, but Benjamin shook his head.
“They’d have found a way, whether you were here or not. And no doubt, you’d have done something foolishly heroic and gotten yourself killed,” Benjamin retorted.
