Chapter 23
Raphael had no idea how much time had passed since he had last laid eyes on Keira. Was it an hour? Less? Or maybe more? He couldn’t banish the feeling that something was amiss, his concern growing with each passing minute.
As he made discreet inquiries among the guests, it became clear that no one had seen Keira for some time. Concern etched across his face, he questioned those around him, searching for any trace of her. Yet, the responses were the same—no one had seen Keira, and her whereabouts remained a mystery.
He had then approached her mother. “Have ye seen Keira?” he asked politely. “I need to speak to her.”
“I do believe that she and Joan headed out to the garden for some fresh air,” the Duchess replied. “But that was over an hour ago. I’m sure that they have come back inside since then.”
“Thank ye.” Raphael nodded, looking about, his eyes searching for either Keira or Joan.
Endeavoring to keep himself calm, although questioning why Keira wasn’t here, he finally spotted Joan among the guests. With a furrowed brow and a sense of urgency, he approached her, his voice laden with concern.
“Joan,” he implored, “have ye seen Keira?”
Joan met his gaze with a knowing look, a blend of understanding and reassurance in her eyes. “Keira retired to her chamber for a brief moment to gather her thoughts. She mentioned that she would rejoin us shortly.”
“When was this?” he demanded.
She glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. “Maybe an hour ago?” she replied, but he could tell that she wasn’t certain.
Relief washed over him upon hearing Joan’s words, and he nodded his thanks to her. “Thank ye, Joan.”
As he hurried towards Keira’s chamber, Raphael couldn’t shake the inexplicable sense of dread that had enveloped him. His heart raced, and a feeling of unease gnawed at him.
He couldn’t understand why he was so worried, but the mere thought that she might have run away or faced some perilous situation left him with a deep sense of apprehension.
Raphael reached the door to Keira’s chamber, his heart still heavy with concern but his rational mind attempting to soothe his irrational fears. He tried to reassure himself that he was being overly dramatic, that Keira was likely in her chamber, safe and sound, as Joan had mentioned.
He knocked on the door to Keira’s chamber. There was no response, and the silence on the other side of the door only deepened his worry. He knocked again, this time with more urgency, but still, there was no reply. His concern increased, and he couldn’t suppress the unease that gnawed at him.
His hand pushed the door to her chamber open, and as he stepped inside, the eerie stillness enveloped him. The room was dimly lit by the soft, flickering glow of candlelight, casting elongated shadows over the walls.
“Keira?” he called out, his voice echoing through the silence, laced with deep concern and a touch of urgency.
The room remained still, as if holding its breath. There was no reply, no sign of Keira’s presence.
His heart pounded in his chest as he moved further into the chamber, his gaze scanning every corner. The four-poster bed, adorned with elegant drapes, lay vacant. The writing desk was neatly arranged, with no sign of recent activity. The dim light seemed to accentuate the emptiness of the room.
As Raphael’s eyes continued to scan the chamber, he noticed that the chair positioned by the bed lay on the ground. Its presence on the floor was a stark contrast to the otherwise tidy room. The sight only intensified his worry. Something was definitely amiss.
His gaze was drawn to the window, which was ajar. The cool night air flowed into the room, and the curtains billowed gently in the breeze.
The room’s eerie silence deepened, and Raphael’s concern turned into alarm as the enigmatic circumstances of Keira’s disappearance began to take on a more sinister dimension. It was clear that something had transpired.
His eyes widened as he noticed a piece of parchment pinned to the windowsill, fluttering slightly in the breeze. He approached it with a growing sense of dread.
As he read the words scrawled on the parchment, his heart sank. The man he had been looking for all these years had been here, in his castle. He had touched Keira, damn him.
Raphael swore to make every single guard pay as he read the message again.
Find your lass before the time runs out, it read, or she will meet a fate worse than death.
Raphael couldn’t stay calm anymore. He’d find the bastard, and he’d do what he should have done long ago. He’d kill him, and he’d very much enjoy the sight of his blood. If only he could find where he took Keira.
Driven by an urgent need to act, Raphael rushed out of Keira’s chamber and sprinted back to the grand hall, where everyone was oblivious to the kidnapping that had just taken place. Raphael’s eyes scanned the room, searching for Dallas.
As he spotted the man amidst the guests, he approached him hastily, for there was no time to lose. He had already wasted enough time in not realizing that Keira had been gone for over an hour. He grabbed Dallas by the upper arm and leaned closer to him, making sure that no one could overhear them.
“We have a dire situation, Dallas,” he told him. “Come.”
Raphael and Dallas rushed outside into the castle’s gardens, where the cool night air met them with a refreshing breeze.
“Dallas,” Raphael said, his voice strained with worry, “I found Keira’s chamber in disarray. The window was open, and I found a message from Gresham pinned to the windowsill. He’ll harm her, just like he did to Eleanor. He’s the bloody curse on me lands.”
Dallas, his expression steely and determined, nodded in understanding. “We’ll search all of Scotland if we must, Raphael.”
“But he hasnae left a single clue.” Raphael sighed heavily, feeling the burden of the entire world resting on his shoulders.
This was all his fault. He knew that much.
If he had not brought Keira here, or if he had had half a mind to tell her to go back with her parents, she would not have been in this life-threatening situation right now.
Once again, his loved ones were paying the price of his sordid past. He couldn’t allow that to happen.
Not anymore. This would be the last time. He would make sure of it.
Dallas thought about it for a moment, then he spoke, “He wanted ye to ken that he has taken the lass. Otherwise, he wouldnae have left the message where ye could so easily find it.”
“Aye.” Raphael could agree with that. “But where do we start?”
“Where do we start what?” A voice behind them made them twitch with nervousness. Both men turned around, only to meet Jasper’s good-humored smile. “I’ve seen ye two sneak off into the garden, and I thought to meself, heck, I should do the same. The chatter has become intolerable, lads.”
But neither of the two men offered anything in response. They were stunned by Jasper’s appearance and remained silent until the man spoke again.
“Heavens, did I interrupt somethin’?” Jasper asked, walking over to them. “Ye two look like ye’ve seen a ghost.”
Raphael could not have said it better himself. For that was what Gresham Paddley was. A ghost from the past who had come to haunt Raphael’s present, threatening to destroy everything.
“I have no time to explain,” Raphael spoke quickly, fully aware that time was of the essence. “But Keira is missin’.”
“Missin’?” Jasper gasped, his eyes filled with fury at once. “What do ye mean missin’?”
“She’s been kidnapped by an old enemy of mine,” Raphael explained as he shoved the message into Jasper’s hands.
“Only, we dinnae ken where he might have taken her,” Dallas interjected with a helpless tone. “It could take us hours, days even.”
“Aye.” Raphael nodded. “Will ye help us?” he asked Jasper.
“Of course,” Jasper said without hesitation. “Ye can count on me help for anythin’.” Suddenly, he seemed to pause for a moment.
His eyes quickly locked with Raphael’s again.
“Come to think of it, I went out to the terrace for some fresh air about an hour ago, maybe a wee bit longer. I leaned against the railing, lookin’ into the distance, and I noticed a horseman in the distance, ridin’ away from the castle.
It looked like there were two people on the horse, but I thought nothin’ of it at the time. ”
Raphael’s eyes widened in realization as he listened to Jasper’s account. A sense of urgency coursed through him, and he exclaimed, “It must be them! We need to act quickly.”
“Aye!” Jasper and Dallas exclaimed.
“Do ye remember in which direction they were headin’?” Raphael asked.
“Aye.” Jasper nodded. “I think they were headin’ in the direction of the clearin’.”
Raphael thought about it for a moment. It all made sense.
Gresham was done playing hide and seek. He had kidnapped Keira because he needed leverage.
He didn’t want to kill her. If he wanted to kill her, he would have done that when he had had the chance, in her chamber, when she had been alone and helpless.
He could have done it so easily, and no one at the cèilidh would have been none the wiser.
The thought sent shivers down Raphael’s spine. He was supposed to keep her safe and sound. And yet, she had been kidnapped in his own castle, right under his very nose. It made his blood boil with rage.
But it was Raphael whom Gresham had always been after.
He was merely biding his time, hiding in the shadows like the villain that he truly was.
And Keira… she was merely bait. At least that’s what Gresham should think of her.
For if he knew that she meant anything to Raphael, he’d kill her. And he’d make her suffer first.
Raphael felt horribly guilty. He couldn’t imagine how frightened Keira must be right now, how utterly hopeless. He’d never let her feel like that again. He’d make sure she was safe. Even if it meant she’d be away from him.
“Quickly!” Raphael gave clear orders.
Raphael, Dallas, and Jasper wasted no time. They rushed to the stables, where their loyal steeds awaited. The horses, sensing the urgency of the situation, were ready to gallop through the night.
In the moonlit darkness, the three men mounted their horses, their steely determination etched on their faces. Raphael gripped the reins tightly, his heart heavy with worry and his thoughts consumed by Keira’s safety. He urged his horse forward, the others following suit.
They rode fast, the sound of hooves pounding against the ground echoing through the countryside. The castle and the guests faded into the distance as they raced towards the clearing.
Please, God, let it not be too late.