Chapter Twenty-Nine
Fear rushed down Marina’s spine. Evan did not look at her as he raced out of the room. She followed as quickly as she could.
Evan was already speaking with Carlson. “How long?”
“Thirty minutes, Your Grace.”
“Gather as many servants as you can find and organize search parties. You’ll need at least ten men to check along the river. Check the stables, too. She might have stopped to visit the horses. I must speak with Lord Heeway at once. After all, she was lost on his property, so he should be organizing search parties as well.”
Marina looked outside. Night had fallen not long before they came back home, which made her nervous.What if Lilly slipped and hit her head? What if she got too close to the river and fell in? What if …
The thoughts raced through her mind as they reached the entrance to the manor. Her parents were standing just inside, having the grace to look sheepish. “Your Grace,” her mother said. “We sincerely apol?—”
“Don’t,” Evan growled at her as he opened the doors and walked off.
Her mother looked imploringly at Marina. “We never meant for her to get hurt. Can’t you make him understand that?”
Anger rushed through her. “Now is not the time,” she snapped. “If you want to make yourself useful, then you can talk to Carlson and join one of the search parties. Otherwise, you may leave.” She didn’t give either of them a second glance as she rushed out the door after her husband.
Evan wasn’t looking at her as he made his way to the stables, but she knew he was scared. His shoulders were tense, and his hands were curling and uncurling into fists. “We’re going to find her,” she said, wanting to reassure him.
He stayed silent as he opened the doors to the stables. In the light from the lanterns hanging near the doors, she caught a glimpse of his face. He looked absolutely wrecked. His expression was twisted into one of worry and anger. Unshed tears glittered in his eyes. Her heart twisted at the sight of him. She knew there was nothing she could do to make him feel better until they found Lilly.
“Go back to the manor,” Evan said as he grabbed his horse out of the stable. He didn’t know how he got the words out. He could barely breathe through the tight knot that seemed to be binding his entire chest. He looked around, hoping to see Lilly playing with Prince William in a stall, but he knew that was foolish thinking.
“Let me help you,” she said.
“You will only slow me down.” He could not look at her.If I hadn’t met her—if I hadn’t let her influence me, then Lilly would be safe right now.He knew, deep down, that Marina had brought warmth and love into the manor. She had saved him and Lilly on more than one occasion. But he could not think rationally at the moment. There was too much fear coursing through his veins as he thought about his daughter. He grabbed an oil lantern off a shelf and lit it.
How could I have let her out of my sight for even one second?
“Do you blame me?” Marina’s voice cracked. He turned to look at her to see unshed tears in her eyes. Her bottom lip was trembling, and her shoulders were hunched, as if she was expecting a scolding. Something inside of him broke at the sight of her.
He knew, despite his harsh thoughts earlier, that this was not Marina’s fault. Her influence had not hurt Lilly or led to her disappearance. All Marina had done was bring joy into Lilly’s life and his own.
“I could never blame you,” he said. “How could I? You’re … you’re perfect. But you need to go inside and let me find our daughter.” He kissed her cheek.
A tear fell from her eye when he said ‘our daughter’, but she nodded and stepped aside, the worry clear on her face. He mounted his horse and rode out of the stable while holding the reins in one hand and the lantern in the other.
Anger and frustration filled him as he urged his horse into a canter. Why did this happen now? He was just starting to let himself be happy. Lilly had just started to heal from her incessant nightmares. And then she went missing. He doubted he would ever recover if she …
No. Do not even think it.
Evan rode his horse to his neighbor’s property. He did not even make it to the front door because he found Lord Heeway walking outside with a lantern of his own. The man looked anxious. “Your Grace,” he said when Evan approached. “We are going to find her. I have my entire staff combing my property. My manor has already been searched, including the servants’ quarters. There’s no sign of her.”
“What happened?” Evan asked, his voice gruff.
“Lady Lilly left with my niece, Emily, and her nanny. They were playing in the garden while I had tea with Viscount and Lady Shirley. Then it began to rain, and Emily fell into a mud puddle. Her nanny rushed her inside to get cleaned up. She had assumed Lilly would follow her. But she did not.”
Frustration filled Evan. He should have known better than to expect Lord and Lady Shirley to keep Lilly in their sight at all times, or even check in with her from time to time. They clearly gave little regard to their own daughter, let alone a child that wasn’t theirs. “Did Emily see where she went?”
The lord shook his head. “I already asked her. She didn’t see much of anything after she fell in the mud because her nanny was so quick to get her inside.”
Evan gritted his teeth as he looked out at Heeway’s expansive property. It was pitch black outside, and it had been raining on and off all day. Lilly could have slipped in the mud and injured herself. Or worse…
Do not think like that. She is alive unless the… alternative is confirmed.“If you find any trace of her, then let me know immediately. My butler, Carlson, will be waiting anxiously for any news.”
Lord Heeway nodded. “Absolutely, Your Grace. We’ll find her.”
