He waited several heartbeats, praying her will would bend to his. Turning her out was not a threat he wished to make good on. More than an hour by carriage separated his home from any other civilization. To turn a woman—even an exasperating, untrustworthy one—out on her own was unthinkable. His mother would have boxed his ears for even suggesting such a thing.
A weary sigh reached him, followed by the sound of paper unfolding.
“Very well.” The spinster’s voice quavered. “I apologize in advance for my cousin’s words. She has never thought of much beyond herself, as you will soon realize.”
“This does not sound like the Violet that I know.”
“She is also an accomplished actress,” the woman said. “But believe what you will. Here is the letter—word for word.
“Beatrice,
I hope you enjoyed your nap. At the least, you looked better when resting. All that pressing your nose to the window was rather ridiculous. Trees and hills are the same anywhere. Why those in Scotland should so interest you is beyond reasoning. At any rate, you shall be well rested for delivering this message to the earl. I will not be continuing to Inverness with you for a summer in the Highlands. I have no intention of marrying the old cripple Father has chosen for me. William and I have eloped, and we will be starting our life together. By the time you wake and read this, we will already be married, so there is no point in coming after me—not that you will be able to. Good luck with the old chap.
—Vi”
Old. Cripple. Eloped. No intention of marrying...Stunned, Theodore sat unmoving as his mind tried to make sense of the words and his body absorbed the instantaneous pain they caused. In the past quarter-hour, he had felt disappointed, fearful, frustrated, and now deeply hurt.Humiliated.
“I am terribly sorry.”
“Did you go after her? Did you even try?” This washerfault. The chaperone’s, who had not chaperoned well at all. “You might have gotten off at the next station, might have gone back. Who knows but that this man forced her to write that note before he abducted her!”
“I could not go after her,” the woman—this other Miss Worthington—said. “Violet took my reticule and all the money I had with me. If I exited the train, I would not have been able to board again. And I knew that I must let you know what had happened.”
“You fell asleep. That’s what happened!” Theodore’s shoutsurprised even himself. His initial shock was being quickly replaced by anger, and the only one to whom he could direct it was this mystery woman before him. The one who was supposed to have delivered his fiancée safely to his home and had instead slept while who knows what had happened. “Who is this William fellow? Are you familiar with him?”
“I—I have heard of him. He is a local man Violet’s parents did not wish her to continue association with. I did not realize it was he when we made his acquaintance on the train on the first day of our journey. They acted as if they had just met as well, and he identified himself as Mr. Fitzwilliam.”
“It is he who has done this,” Theodore exclaimed. “He has stolen her out from under your not-so-watchful eye. It was he who arranged this, who also took your money—who put a sleeping draught in your tea, if that part of your story is indeed true. And now Violet is in grave danger.”
“If she is, it is of her own doing,” the woman said calmly. “I have known her since I was twelve years old, and during that time she has been involved in one scheme after another—always for her benefit, with no thought given to the feelings of others nor the consequences of her actions.”
“But she agreed to marry me,” Theodore argued. “She wished it when last we parted, and I have her letters of the last two and a half years as proof of her devotion.”
“Did she write to you often—or recently?”
Theodore had no answer—other than the one that pointed at the possibility that this Miss Worthington spoke the truth. Had Violet’s affections changed? If so, why had she not simply told him, told her parents? Why the charade of coming to spend the summer with him?
Because it provided a means for her to elope.Theodore still could not believe it. He would not until he had proof. He would send a message to Violet’s father and have it deliveredposthaste, but not by this fool of a chaperone her family had arranged for. He’d send a messenger to the train station with a telegraph that could be posted at Glasgow.
“I see that I am not going to convince you, so I will bid you farewell. I apologize once more for my cousin’s unkind words and her absence. I hope someday you will come to realize that the latter was a blessing.”
“That hardly seems likely,” Theodore mumbled, already mentally composing the message to Lord Worthington. Theodore wheeled his chair to the bellpull and rang for Logan. A minute later the door opened.
“I need a message taken to the train station straight away.” With brevity, Theodore dictated the words but felt no measure of satisfaction when they had been dispatched.Would they make the train today? Or was it already gone?It might be that Miss Worthington would know, having just come from the station herself. Theodore opened his mouth to ask her, then realized the stillness of the room meant that he was alone. Where had she gone? How long ago? Had she taken him at his word that he would turn her out?
He rang for the butler once more. Logan returned almost instantly as if he had been awaiting the summons.
“Please send Miss Worthington in,” Theodore said. “We ought also to post a notice in the papers and notify authorities in Edinburgh. Miss Worthington can assist with that by describing this William fellow, as well as what he and Violet were wearing.”
Logan cleared his throat as if he had an uncomfortable particle lodged there. “Miss Worthington isnae here, milord. I dinnae ken where she’s gone either. She was bletherin’ on about some such. I asked if she required a ride somewhere, but she didna wish it. Said she’d walk.”
“To where?” Theodore brought a hand to his temple,rubbing absently at the near-persistent ache that had only increased this afternoon. “Nothing is a walkable distance from here.”
“Aye. But she didnae wish tae trouble ye more.”
“Well, she has.” Theodore wheeled himself toward Logan. “Have the carriage readied. I am going after her.”
THE AFTERNOON SUN was no doubt pinking her nose, but there was no help for it. Her hat, along with all of her other belongings, had disappeared from the train along with Violet. Beatrice supposed it was fortunate that she’d had her shawl draped around her as she slept, or Vi would have taken that too.
