* * *
The drawing room felt colder than usual as they entered, the morning light casting long shadows over the room. The air was thick with tension, and Frances could feel her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She steeled herself, determined to keep her composure.
Especially in front of her mother-in-law.
The Dowager Duchess was already seated in one of the chairs, her back rigid. She looked up as they entered, her light brown eyes narrowing slightly.
“Christopher,” she said, her voice clipped. “I heard about the… unfortunate situation. I thought it was time we had a conversation.”
Christopher’s face hardened. “Mother, I don’t have time for pleasantries. If you have something useful to say, get to it.”
Teresa’s gaze flicked to Frances, a faint sneer on her lips. “And I see your wife is here as well. How charming.”
“Please, this is not a moment to be cruel or judgemental,” Frances interjected firmly. “If you know something about what happened to the twins, we need to hear it.”
Teresa’s eyes flashed with irritation, but she quickly masked it with a cool smile. “You think I know something about their disappearance?”
“I suppose you might. Why else would you come here? If there’s anything you can tell us, any information at all, it could help us find them.”
Teresa leaned back in her chair, studying Frances with a calculating gaze. “I see you’re not as naive as you look,” she said slowly. “Very well. I might have heard something. But why should I help you?”
Christopher’s fists clenched at his sides, but Frances placed a calming hand on his arm before he could respond more harshly.
“Because they’re your grandsons,” she pointed out softly. “And because you owe it to them to help bring them home.”
For a moment, Teresa’s expression softened, a flicker of something almost like regret crossing her features. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, replaced by her usual hard expression.
“I received a letter,” she revealed finally, her voice cold and detached. “A few days ago. It was anonymous, but it hinted at trouble within the estate. I dismissed it at the time, but now…” She paused, her eyes narrowing as she looked at Christopher. “I thought you should know.”
Christopher’s eyes blazed. “You received a letter warning of trouble and you did nothing? You could have prevented this!”
Teresa’s expression remained impassive. “I had no reason to believe it was credible. Anonymous letters are often nothing more than gossip.”
Frances stepped forward, trying to defuse the situation.
If what the Dowager Duchess was saying held any truth, then they needed to handle the matter with great care.
“What did the letter say? Anything specific?”
Teresa glanced at her, then looked away, her fingers tightening on the armrests of her chair. “It mentioned something about the twins… and a man who might try to take them. But it was vague, and I didn’t see any immediate danger.”
Christopher took a step forward, full of rage. He was not as diplomatic as Frances was, and it showed.
“And you didn’t think to warn us? To give us a chance to protect them?”
Teresa stood up, her own anger flaring. “I didn’t think it was serious! And frankly, if you had been paying better attention, this wouldn’t have happened.”
The room fell silent, the accusation hanging heavily in the air.
“Enough,” Frances said firmly, stepping between them. “We can’t change what’s happened. We need to focus on finding the twins.” She turned to Teresa, her voice softening slightly. “Is there anything else? Any detail you might have overlooked?”
Teresa hesitated, then shook her head. “No, that’s all I know. The letter didn’t provide any more information.”
Frances nodded, her mind racing as she tried to piece together the puzzle. “Thank you for telling us. We’ll take it from here.”
Teresa’s expression hardened again, but she nodded curtly. “Very well. I hope you find them,” she uttered, though her tone was far from sincere.
As Teresa turned to leave, Christopher took a deep breath, his anger slowly giving way to a renewed sense of determination. “We will find them,” he said quietly, his voice filled with resolve.
