'Is there a bell you can ring to summon help in an emergency?' Sofia asked knowing there must be something of the sort as if there was a fire it was imperative that everybody was roused to put it out.
'It's up there, miss, do I ring it for you?' The boy pointed to the top of a flight of wooden steps.
'Yes, his lordship wishes all the outside staff to help search for my missing maid, we've not seen her for several hours and fear she's met with an accident.'
The lad didn't need telling a second time. He tossed the bridal he'd been cleaning at the other boy and clambered up the steps. The next moment the clanging of the warning bell boomed out and within minutes the stable yard was full of men – not just those that worked in the stables in some capacity but also outside men, gardeners, cow men and so on.
A sprightly middle-aged man with startlingly red hair approached her. 'Why are we summoned like this, Miss Brotherton? I ain't seeing no fire.'
'Mary, my maid, is lost somewhere and it will be dark soon. The earl is hunting for her with his dogs and sent us here to involve as many of you as possible in the search.'
The man touched his forehead. 'Yes, miss, we're happy to help. You'll not get nothing from those working inside.'
Sofia thought it better not to comment, discussing such things was not appropriate and the man should not have mentioned it.
'To whom am I speaking?'
'Begging your pardon, miss, I'm Samuel Piper, head groom here. I'll organise a search of the grounds.'
She was about to agree when she thought that the house had to be investigated as thoroughly as the outside.
'I need half your men to come with us and we'll start searching the interior. The rest you can direct as you think best.'
Piper allocated ten of the younger men to her team and she led them to the side door. 'Have any of you been into the house?'
Two of the tallest men stepped forward. 'We have, miss, three years back his lordship had a party for her ladyship and we were needed as extra footmen.'
'Excellent, then you shall lead this party as neither Miss Sinclair, nor I are familiar with the interior or exterior of Avon Court.'
She was aware there was some unease in the group as they approached the side door which she'd left ajar. She turned to smile at them in what she hoped was a reassuring way. 'You may make as much noise as necessary; there's no need to remove your footwear, just scrape any debris from the soles of your boots before entering. Bedford is no longer part of this household.'
From the delighted expressions of the men surrounding her this was good news indeed. Annabel indicated she wished to speak to her and Sofia stepped to one side waving to her team that they go in ahead.
'What is it? Is there something else I should have told them?'
'I can no longer hear the dogs, Sofia. They must have been outside initially, or we wouldn't have heard them but now I believe that they've returned indoors.'
'Then we shall follow their lead and look in every anteroom, pantry, cupboard, disused chamber and empty attic until we find her.'
The only good thing about the search was that Sofia and Annabel were now more familiar with their new surroundings. The house was so vast if they hadn't had one of the erstwhile footmen as their guide they'd have been hopelessly lost on more than one occasion.
'Listen, them dogs are getting closer. I reckon we're on the right track,' the young man said.
'I don't understand why Mary would have come to the attics,' Annabel said as she brushed away another cobweb.
'I don't think she came here willingly, but I cannot think of a single reason why anyone would wish to harm her.'
The groom, who was called Sid, was carrying a candle, despite the late evening sunlight filtering in through the grimy windows in the attic it was still dangerously dark.
Sofia stopped. 'Mary, Mary can you hear us? We've come to find you,' she called and immediately received an answer. Not a verbal one but the sound of someone banging their feet on the boards.
There was no need to tell Sid as he raced ahead of them towards the noise. How he avoided knocking himself out on the low beams she'd no idea as twice she'd narrowly avoided an accident herself.
'The door's locked miss, shall I break it down?'
'Yes, please do so. I can hear the dogs approaching so I'm sure that his lordship will be joining us soon.'
Sid handed her the candlestick and then instead of barging with his shoulder as she'd expected, he stood back and smashed his booted foot against the lock. The wood splintered satisfactorily.
