He turned and strode toward her.“Anything, Tulip?”
“No, but I think this might be something in itself.”
“What do you mean?”
She quickly told him about her search.“She had absolutely nothing in her bedchamber.Not a letter from a friend.Not old letters from family.No remembrance of her husband.No bible.No records whatsoever of her life before coming to Thornwycke Hall.”
“I am not surprised.”
“You aren’t?”
“Because her entire identity might be a ruse.”
Now, Tulip was really confused.“Are you saying she is not Mrs.Granger?And not related to Elspeth, the girl who disappeared all those years ago?”
He raked a hand through his hair, something he did whenever he was perplexed.“I don’t know.Anything is possible.She could be completely innocent, or possibly guilty of three or four murders.We don’t even know if these were murders.”
“Oh, Alex.My head is now in a complete muddle.”
“So is mine,” he admitted with a wince.“Let me find her and get this cleared up.One of the gardeners thought he saw someone heading toward the salt marshes.Could be her.Go back to the house and stay within sight of the staff until I return.”
“No, I’d rather stay close to you.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you searching alone along the salt marshes.I know these tides and you do not.Besides, am I not safer with you, at least until we find her?What if she went back into the house?How will I be protected while you are out here searching for her?”
He grunted, obviously not pleased that her reasoning made sense.
After a moment, he nodded.“All right, stay close.But you must do exactly as I say and the instant I say it.No questioning and no hesitating.”
“Got it.If you say hide, I hide.If you tell me to run, I’ll run.”
He cast her a wry smile.“And will you run even if you believe I am in danger?”
She cleared her throat and glanced down at her toes.
“This is important, Tulip.I am the one who has vowed to protect you.It does not work the other way around.”
Honestly, did he have to be so marvelously apish about this?She would run and she would hide, but she was not going to keep running or hiding if he were in danger and she could do something to save him.
Mr.Carver happened to be walking back from the salt marshes with some of his workers.Alex stopped them.“Have you seen Mrs.Granger?”
Mr.Carver frowned in thought a moment.“Perhaps, Your Grace.We noticed someone in the marshes and thought it odd because the tide was coming in.I just assumed it was a fisherman, but didn’t get a good look.”He turned to his workers.“Anyone notice who was out there?”
“No,” a few replied.
But one of the men regarded him uncertainly.“Didn’t look like no lady, but I only got a glimpse so I could be wrong.I thought it was a fisherman carrying his nets over his shoulder.Looked like a man hauling a bundle.Why would Mrs.Granger ever be out here?”
“No idea,” Alex said smoothly.“But she seemed out of sorts this morning and my wife is worried about her.”
Tulip put a hand to her throat.“The tide comes in fast and she may be too distraught to realize it.”
“I’ll come search with you, Your Grace.Er…with your permission,” Mr.Carver said, handing his shovel to one of his men at Alex’s nod.“Lads, escort Her Grace back to the house and then gather rope and rowboats, and come help us search.”
“Yes, take my wife back.Two of you stay with her until I return.”Alex now turned to Tulip.“Mr.Carver’s right.You need to go back to the house.I don’t want you getting caught up in the tide and drowning.”
She shook her head.“But I know my way around these marshes and you do not.”
