CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Helena sat on the edge of her bed and stared out the window, across the lawn toward the woods and the softly rolling hills in the distance whose silhouettes became more pronounced as the sky lightened.
Day was approaching, and she didn’t know whether to be glad that the horrible night was over or break down completely.
She wore her traveling dress and long coat that reached down to her hem and buttoned all the way up the front, with her bonnet resting on her lap, as if she would be stepping into a coach at any moment.
Even her trunks were all packed and stacked by the door to be taken downstairs by the footmen, her small travel bag sitting at her feet.
But departure was still an hour away. Even then, she would have to go into the village before she could leave for London and her family.
She had to go to the church and explain to the vicar and all the guests that there wouldn’t be a wedding this morning, apologize for any inconvenience she had caused, accept their confusion…
perhaps even their anger. She owed them that—she owed Gabe that, so that everyone would know that none of what had transpired was his fault…
even if it was. After all, she knew the pain of being jilted, of being the brunt of the gossip to follow, and she didn’t want Gabe, Verity, or Alice to suffer.
“So close,” she whispered to the window and the streaks of pink and blue becoming visible in the sky above the park. So very close to having all my dreams come true…
Dear God, her family… What would they say when she arrived, unmarried and without a settlement contract?
She pressed the back of her hand against her mouth to keep down a fresh bout of tears as the guilt rushed through her.
She had let them all down. Her marriage to Gabe would have saved them from destitution.
But she also knew that none of her sisters or her father would want her to marry Gabe now, not with such a disagreement about Alice weighing over them.
Sending Alice away would be a terrible mistake, for both the little girl and Gabe, and Helena simply refused to be a part of that.
Alice’s exile would be a wound a marriage could never withstand.
The sun peaked over the horizon, and its light flooded across the woods and fields, painting the land in golden yellow hues. It was a beautiful morning.
A perfect morning for a wedding.
She swiped her hand at the tear that escaped down her cheek.
Enough! Helena couldn’t tolerate just sitting here a moment longer.
She would go mad listening to the clock ticking away the minutes, so she set her bonnet aside and stood.
She would use the time before she had to leave to say goodbye to the people at Grangely Park who had been so kind to her…
Verity, Larkin, Mrs. Brimley, Cook, the footmen, all the maids.
But she would start with the one person she knew would be least likely to accept her goodbyes.
Alice.
The little girl would already be up, Helena knew, as she made her way through the silent house.
Most likely, she hadn’t slept a wink all night and had run poor Nanny Potts ragged from all her excitement over the wedding and her role as flower girl.
Helena’s heart broke when she thought of the hours Alice had practiced walking down the aisle, scattering paper confetti from her basket while longing to use real rose petals as she would for the ceremony.
Helena paused outside the nursery’s closed door and blinked hard to clear her stinging tears.
Good Lord, how did she have any left after a night spent crying in her room?
Yet still they came and blurred her vision at the thought that Alice might already be wearing her pink flower girl dress with its Belgium lace and satin trim that matched Helena’s.
But she heard no movement inside the room and none of the happy peals of laughter she’d come to associate with the little girl.
She pulled in a steadying breath and knocked softly.
No answer. She waited a moment longer, more to give herself time to clear the tears from her eyes than to give Nanny Potts time to come to the door, then knocked again.
Still no answer. Fixing a forced smile on her face, Helena opened the door. “Good morning! It’s such a beautiful day and—”
She stopped in the doorway. There was no movement inside the room, no tray of barely touched breakfast dishes, no flurry of getting ready for the wedding, no bouncing around with excitement—
Alice wasn’t there. Neither was Nanny Potts.
Everything was in its place, from the rocking horse with its real horsehair mane and tail to the dollhouse that was still closed up for the night, right down to the rows of stuffed animals sitting against the wall and the little table with its tiny child tea things, all set out for the dolls to enjoy.
No night clothes lying across the bed, no coat hanging from its peg near the door—
A chill shivered through Helena as her attention fell onto a little bundle on the floor.
It was the doll that Helena had given Alice on her first day at Grangely.
The same doll the little girl insisted went everywhere with her, including on her riding lessons and fishing along the river.
That doll lay dropped on the floor in a heap beside the bed.
Panic reverberated inside her, and she ran to the stair landing and leaned over the wrought iron banister. “Help!” Her voice came hoarse and winded with fear, but she forced down her shaking and called down the stairwell again. “Help me!”
A footman darted into the stair hall on the ground floor and looked up at her through the marble stairs that curled upward in an oval. “My lady?”
Her hands clenched the metal railing so hard her fingers turned white. “Find His Grace. Send him to the nursery—now!”
Nodding, the young man rushed up the stairs toward the bedrooms on the first floor.
Helena sank against the railing, squeezed her eyes shut, and forced herself to breathe. Oh God…Alice! Where could she be?
“Helena!” Gabe’s shout echoed through the house. He ran up the stairs to her, taking them three at a time. “What’s wrong?”
He cupped her face between his hands, then scoured his gaze over her to check if she were all right. Smelling of liquor, he still wore his clothes from last night’s party, and a growth of morning beard darkened his haggard face. His eyes were red from his own sleepless night.
She gulped in large mouthfuls of air and fought to control her shaking. “It’s Alice,” she rasped and pointed toward the nursery. “She’s gone!”
His face paled instantly. He let go of her and hurried into the nursery, only to halt in the middle of the room and look around.
He shook his head. “Nanny Potts isn’t here either,” he said calmly despite the rapid rise and fall of his chest with labored breaths.
“They’re probably downstairs in the kitchens bothering Cook, or outside talking a walk. ”
“No.” Helena couldn’t bring herself to follow him into the nursery and remained on the landing, insisting, “Someone’s taken her.”
He checked the doorjamb for any signs of forced entry, then did the same with the windows. When he turned around in a slow circle to take in the state of the nursery around him, Helena knew what he was thinking—
“I know there’s no sign of struggle, and we would have heard Alice and Nanny call out for help if someone had kidnapped them,” she forced out, so distraught her lips could barely form the words. “But she’s missing, Gabe…I’m certain!”
“Calm down, darling,” he said gently and pulled in a deep breath as he slowly returned to her. “There’s no reason to think—”
“Her doll! She would never part with it. She even insisted on carrying it down the aisle for this morning’s wedding.” Helena snatched up the doll, then held it out toward him. “She’s gone!”
His face hardened. “Adam,” he bit out. “He must have come back last night after I threw him out. That’s why there wasn’t any struggle. Alice knew him and wouldn’t have cried out in fear if he took her.”
“But Nanny Potts—”
“Would have believed any lie he told her. Christ!” He shook his head, then gestured angrily toward the stairs.
“She heard us fighting in the morning room. He probably told her the wedding had been postponed and that he was taking Alice away until matters here were settled. Nanny probably helped him pack Alice’s bag and gladly went with him. ”
“He made good on his threats,” Helena whispered.
“But he won’t harm her,” he assured her, taking her shoulders. “Not even Adam would harm a child. He’ll simply hold her for ransom.”
She gave a jerking nod, not daring to believe anything else.
Lady Verity emerged from her room on the floor below and finished tying closed her dressing robe as she hurried to the stairs. She craned her neck to stare up at them, frowning “What on earth…?”
“Alice is missing,” Gabe called out, heading down the stairs toward the ground floor.
“Tell Larkin to have all the maids and footmen search the house and outbuildings for her, have the grooms search the grounds.” He didn’t pause as he rounded the landing and charged down the next flight, with Helena fast on his heels.
“Have them turn over every inch of Grangely, especially the old cottages and unused buildings.”
Verity’s hand went to her throat. “Oh, sweet heavens!”
But he didn’t stop to comfort his aunt and hurried on toward the front door.
“Where are you going?” Helena demanded, catching up to him in the entry hall.
“After Adam.” He flung open the door. “He’s not getting away with this.”
Helena chased after him to the stables. “Then I’m coming with you. You’ll need me to help with Alice and Nanny Potts.”
“It’s too dangerous—”
“Which is exactly why I have to be there.” She trembled to think what Gabe might do to his brother if she wasn’t. “You are not leaving me behind.”
He halted and turned to face her. From his expression, he knew he wouldn’t win this argument. He raked his gaze over her travel dress. “You can ride fast in that?”
“Just watch me.” She’d fly if she had to!
Muttering a curse beneath his breath, he shoved open the stables doors and shouted to the stable boy who kept watch overnight, “Saddle Miss Sinfell’s mare. Quickly!”
Not waiting for the other grooms to dress and come down from their rooms in the loft, he strode down the aisle to his horse’s box to saddle his large gelding himself.
Both horses were ready in less than ten minutes. Gabe helped her onto her horse’s back and yanked her dress and coat down into place to cover her legs. Then he swung up onto the back of his gelding. With a tap of his heels, they were off, galloping across the fields.
They rode in silence through the sleeping village. When they reached the inn, Gabe jumped down from his horse in the yard and threw the reins at a stable boy who trotted up. Helena scrambled to the ground, hitched up her skirt, and raced after him into the inn.
“Where is he?” Gabe shouted angrily at Mr. Brown as he strode through the common room. Both men knew exactly whom he meant.
The surprised innkeeper pointed toward the stairs. “Last room on the first floor, Your Grace.”
Gabe took the stairs at a run, ignoring Helena’s calls to slow down and the stunned stares of the travelers who had gathered for an early breakfast in the dining room.
His boots stomped across the uneven wooden floor as he charged down the hall.
Helena winced at the pounding sound as she chased after.
Around them, the inn was still mostly asleep, but it wouldn’t be for long.
He reached the last room.
“Your Grace!” Mr. Brown called out as he scurried after them. “Your brother has been with—”
Not bothering to knock, Gabe kicked in the door.