“To find your sister.”
“You don’t really think she’s been kidnapped, do you?”
“I admit she wasn’t pleased about our discussion last night, but Dawson was obviously the one who had orchestrated their entire elopement. He was determined to get a payout by marrying her. And I don’t blame her at all for it. Your uncle has done the bare minimum to keeping you and your sister safe. I have half a mind to fetch her and bring her directly back to your uncle’s house and tell him exactly what he’s done wrong.”
“Oh, but—”
“However, as that man is incapable of caring for his nieces, I believe the best place for your sister is Fenwick Park.”
Louisa’s eyes went wide.
“Do you believe that? Truly?”
“I do.”
He was prepared to argue, but in the next instant, Louisa’s arms were wrapped tightly around his shoulders, hugging him as tightly as she could. The pressure of her soft body against his was enough for him to want to drag her upstairs, but in the nextinstance, he heard sniffling. Pulling back, he saw Louisa’s face, eyes red with emotion.
“Louisa?” he asked tentatively, not entirely sure how to handle a crying wife. “Are you all right?”
“It’s just…” She shook her head. “Every day there is something new and good about you, Rhys. And even the idea of bringing my sister here is beyond generous.”
“It’s not generosity, Louisa. She’s your sister, your family.” He paused, himself realizing what his next words meant. “Which makes her my family as well.”
A new wave of tears crested her cheeks and Rhys was confused.
“Louisa—”
But then she was kissing him. Not one to ignore the needs of his wife, Rhys kissed her back, pushing her up against the doorframe. Thankfully Mrs. Crawford had hurried out of the house to the stables, but he broke it off as quickly as he had succumbed.
“No, Louisa, I need to leave.”
“Yes. Yes, of course,” she said, walking to get her cloak. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, you are not.”
They seemed on the precipice of an argument when the sounding of pounding hoofs in the distance distracted them. Turning, they both saw Mr. Trench riding towards them, and it looked as though he had a bundle of blankets before him. Rhys could see a face, and he soon realized it wasn’t a bundle of blankets, but Louisa’s sister.
As the horse carrying them abruptly stopped in front of the house, they saw Kitty’s drawn face and sad expression.
“What’s happened?” Louisa asked.
“She was ditched on the side of the road,” Mr. Trench said, swinging a leg off his horse and jumping down, arms extendedfor Kitty as he helped her off. “I spotted her not two miles down the road.”
“Ditched?” Louisa repeated.
“Yes, by that villain of a fiancé.”
Kitty wailed as Louisa wrapped her arms around her, rubbing her hands over her sister’s back as she tried to soothe her and stop her from crying.
“There, there. Do not worry yourself about the likes of him anymore,” Louisa said as she led her sister back into the house. Mr. Trench and Rhys followed.
Once settled in the drawing room, Mrs. Crawford went off to make tea. Then, Kitty told her story.
“I hadn’t slept well last night and had decided to dress for the day when I heard movement outside my door. I opened it and saw Lord Dawson. He told me we needed to leave, that he couldn’t bear not to be married to me a moment longer. So, I hastily dressed. I wanted to write a letter, but he told me there wasn’t enough time to do so, and I could post a letter at the next tavern. When we were a few miles away, he said the horse was lame. He drew the carriage off the road and climbed down. He helped me down as well, saying he didn’t want the animals to become spooked and take off without a driver. But the moment I turned back, he hopped back into the carriage and took off. At first, I thought the horses were acting up, but then he lifted his hand in the air, like this”—she did so to demonstrate—“and waved goodbye.” Her voice cracked as she stared blankly into oblivion. “No explanation. No words, just a farewell.”
She burst into tears and buried her face in Louisa’s arms.
“Oh dear,” Louisa tried to soothe her. “Come now, there’s no need for tears.”
