The wind tugged at her cloak, snapping the hem against her boots as she marched up the short stone steps to the door of Sommer Chase and rapped twice, sharply, without patience.
The door opened a moment later, and Kenworth, ever poised, blinked only once.
“Mrs. Hemsley. We weren’t expecting—”
“Clearly,” she said, brushing past him. “Where is Mr. Barrington?”
He gestured, unruffled, toward the study. “With Lord Weld, ma’am.”
Her eyes flicked to him, surprised. “Weld is here?”
“Yes, ma’am. They’ve been in conference nearly an hour.”
“Good.”
She swept down the corridor like a gust of judgment and flung open the door to the study without an announcement. Of course. He had come here straight from breakfast, just as he’d said. And yet, why hadn’t he known?
Inside, Barrington stood near the hearth, a sheaf of papers in one hand and a decanter in the other. Alex sat in one of the leather armchairs, one booted foot resting on the opposite knee, his posture deceptively relaxed.
Both looked up at the intrusion.
“Mrs. Hemsley?” Barrington blinked. “Is something wrong?”
“You might say that,” she replied, voice cool as pressed linen.
Alex stood. “What’s happened?”
“I’d ask you that very question.” She stepped inside, allowing the door to swing shut behind her. “Where is Lady Ravenstock?”
Alex’s brow furrowed. “She’s in town. She said she was visiting Miss Eliza.”
“She never arrived.”
Silence cracked across the room.
Alex’s breath stilled. For one heartbeat, he saw her as she’d been that morning, her hand warm against his chest, her smile still lingering, and then it vanished.
“What do you mean?”
“She wrote a note this morning and asked that it be delivered to Miss Eliza, arranging to meet at half past eleven behind the bookshop.” Her eyes locked on his. “It is now after four o’clock. Eliza arrived at Ravenstock in a fury, having waited an hour and searched half the town. Georgina was nowhere to be found.”
Alex was already moving. He pushed the chair back with a thud, then crossed the room.
“I thought she’d be out of harm’s way,” he said, more to himself than to her. “I left before breakfast. She said she was meeting Eliza. There was no reason to question it.”
Barrington set down the decanter. “She didn’t go with you?”
“No.”
Mrs. Hemsley’s voice was flint. “Then where is she?”
Alex’s mind was already running ahead. “Did anyone see her leave?”
“A footman said she departed as usual. On foot. With her shawl. No carriage was ordered.”
“That was hours ago.”
He turned sharply to Barrington. “Summon your man. Tell him to check every path between Ravenstock and the town square. Speak with the bookseller, the grocer, the postmaster, anyone who might have seen her.”
