Page 60 of The Thief
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Graham and Babette sat patiently waiting for their daughter and host to join them at the breakfast table.
According to what Scarlett had told them last evening after all of the upset about the missing Edward Holmes being the poisoner, they had decided that they could continue with their plans.
It seemed as if the danger might be over for the time being. So, they decided as a group that they would show Scarlett’s parents around Elfyre Hollow. Their outing today was to the market, and then over the course of the next few days, they would show them other places; like the hospital and their herb gardens.
The herbs were not grown on Obsidian Ridge as everything else was, instead being grown at the hospital so that they could harvest them and use them as needed. Most of the antidotes were mixed at the hospitals, but some needed to be produced elsewhere, such as the antidote for what Scarlett was being poisoned by.
Scarlett walked through the door of the dining room and smiled at her parents, excited to spend the day with them.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked.
Graham nodded.
“Where is our host?” he asked.
She looked around, just noticing that Alastair was not there.
“I thought he was down here already,” she replied.
Graham shook his head.
“Excuse me just a moment. I will go find out where he is.”
She turned around and walked out of the dining room, heading to the study.
She opened the door and looked around, surprised to not see him there.
When she came out, she ran into Bard, a smile coming to her face when she saw him.
“Bard, where is Alastair? My parents said he has not yet come down so I was hoping that you had seen him.”
Bard shook his head.
“He has not come out of his room or rang for me yet. I asked Mrs. Boudrow if she had seen him yet and she said she has not. She has not seen his parents either. I am not surprised as Lord and Lady Brannigan are still abed. They never were inclined to rise early.”
Scarlett had to hide a giggle behind her hand.
“That does not explain why Alastair is not out of bed as of yet. Do you think he has caught ill?”
He shook his head.
“I will go check on him, but I do not doubt that he is fine, just still asleep. You all spoke for quite a while last night.”
She nodded.
“My parents and I are waiting in the dining room.”
He nodded and bowed shortly, heading up the long staircase. Scarlett watched him go and then headed back to the dining room to await their arrival with her parents.
A few minutes later, Bard walked past the Brannigan’s door, halting for a moment when he heard a small shriek.
“Beau! You naughty man!” Antoinette cried.
It was Bard’s turn to hide a giggle behind his hand as he headed towards Alastair’s room.
He arrived not a minute later and knocked on the solid door, waiting a moment for Alastair to answer.
