After handing the boy to his nanny, Patrick went back to his rooms to find Sophie, because the man Patrick had become needed to see if she was all right.Needed to see her.She wasn’t there.
Walking through the house, he looked for her. She wasn’t in the breakfast room; only Letty was there, and she had not seen Sophie.
Of course, he knew she was safe. She was here in their house, surrounded by staff and guests, so nothing would have happened to her. But the first fissure of fear had him moving faster.
He searched the top two floors, and any servant he encountered had not seen the Countess of Coulter.
The fear was real as he ran down the stairs to the lower level. Had Jack Spode managed to get inside the house? Did he even now have his hands on Sophie? Panic had him running.
“My lord, may I assist you?” Ribble asked when he reached the stairs.
“I am looking for my wife, Ribble.”
“I have yet to see her, my lord, but I will check in the kitchens. She was down there yesterday.”
“In the kitchens?”
His butler nodded.
“I will check.” Patrick ran down the stairs and into the kitchens, stopping when he heard voices.
“Well, as to that, my lady, Mr. Gumbrill and I were married for near enough thirty years before he was taken from me. We were blessed with three children, and they all live in the local village except for Billy, who works for a doctor and his family in London.”
“How lovely they are all so close,” he heard Sophie say.
The relief at hearing her voice nearly dropped him to his knees.
“Do you have any grandchildren, Mrs. Gumbrill?” Sophie asked.
“Five, my lady—three boys and two girls. Sweet young things they are too. I see them as often as I’m able.”
After taking a deep breath, he walked to where the women sat.
“Lord Coulter!” Mrs. Gumbrill said.
Sophie was sitting in a chair, and a plate sprinkled with crumbs was on the table before her. Her smile fell away as she looked at him.
“What’s wrong?” She climbed to her feet.
“I couldn’t find you,” Patrick gritted out.
“Well, if that will be all, my lady,” Mrs. Gumbrill said as she regained her feet and left the room with a remarkable turn of speed, considering her bulk.
“Thank you,” Sophie called after her.
“Hell, Sophie! Have you any idea what I thought when I couldn’t find you?”
“You were rude to Mrs. Gumbrill,” Sophie said, still looking toward the now-empty doorway.
“She’ll get over it,” Patrick snapped. “I, however, would like your assurance that you will never scare me like this again.”
“I was in the kitchen,” Sophie said calmly, which annoyed him more, as he was anything but calm. “Inside the house,” she added, sounding entirely too rational.
Whereas he was irrational.
“Promise me, Sophie.”
“Patrick, you’re being unreasonable.”
