Page 62 of The Ones Left Behind
“Thank you,” he said with relief, then took a sip of the liquid fire. “Now, where is Kitty?”
The two ladies exchanged guilty glances. “She went to look for Henry,” Amelia admitted at last.
“Alone?” he asked slowly, in too much pain to shout in the way he wanted to.
“She said she would take a groom, but she also said she would return by nightfall.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“A folly where they had been used to play as children. She mentioned it was his favourite place to hide.”
Matthias narrowed his gaze in thought. “We passed the folly on our return here and there was no sign of either her or Henry.”
“Oh, dear,” the Duchess said, looking distressed. “This is my fault for asking her questions.”
“It is hardly your fault for trying to help, my dear,” Waverley remarked.
“I will go to the stables and discover which groom went with her,” Philip said and slid from the room.
“May I take it you did not find Henry at the hunting lodge?” Amelia queried.
“No. There was no sign of him having been there,” Waverley answered.
“Where else is there to look? London? The ports?” Amelia asked doubtfully.
“Unfortunately, with Worth having already engaged the Runners, unless Henry comes here there is little we can do.”
It was not long until Philip returned from the stables. They all gazed at him with anticipation. The look on his face told Matthias what he needed to know.
“There are no horses or grooms missing.”
“She went alone?” The Duchess sounded distraught.
“It appears so. The Head Groom told me they were all helping clear away the afternoon’s festivities or seeing to their duties, and some had been given the evening off.”
“We must mount a search for her. It is now dark and I believe she would have returned if she could have done,” Matthias declared, trying to force himself from the chair.
“I do not think you are in any case to go anywhere,” Waverley remarked. “She knows the estate well and it is not a cold night, thankfully.”
“What if Henry has her?” Matthias argued.
“Do you think he is capable of doing her harm?” the Duchess questioned. “She said they were once close.”
“I do not think he is in his right mind at the moment. When he is himself I cannot think he would hurt her, no, but he is a fugitive and has already murdered one man.”
“I will go and rouse the menservants to help search,” Philip said, and promptly left again.
“I will go with Philip, but you need to remain here, old friend.”
“Absolutely not! No one knows the estate like I do!” Matthias protested.
“We will have grooms with us,” the Duke stated flatly and pointed Matthias back to the chair. “You will only hinder us. We took the carriage roads on our way back from the hunting lodge. For certain, anywhere else we go will have to be in the saddle or on foot.”
Matthias knew the Duke’s reasoning was sound, but it was painful to admit he was not capable of helping his love when she was endangered. What if Henry had hurt her?
The gentlemen set off again with every able body to assist, and Matthias was left with the two ladies.
“Try not to worry,” Amelia said as she brought over the decanter and refilled his glass.
