“I suppose someone should go fetch Kitty,” Cass said, “or at least find out how far she’s coming along on the gingerbread house.”
Heywood narrowed his gaze on her. “You mean the one in the drawing room?”
Sheridan glanced from Cass to his mother. “We were just there. We saw no sign of Kitty.”
How odd. Anxiety gripped Cass. Surely Malet could not have sneaked in and carried Kitty off? It seemed unlikely.
“She’s probably just resting in her room,” the duchess said.
Heywood looked at Cass, apparently understanding at once her concern. “Perhaps we should make sure of that.”
Gwyn, being a very discerning soul, said, “I agree.”
At that point they split up to search for Kitty. Cass went up to Kitty’s bedchamber, only to find she wasn’t there. The others scattered about the mansion, looking for her. When Cass was nearly at her wit’s end and was staring out at the snow, wondering where else to look, Heywood came to her with an envelope in his hand.
“I found this behind the gingerbread house in the drawing room,” he said.
The envelope bore Cass’s name. With her stomach churning, she opened the letter. There were crossed-out words and plenty of mistakes, but she was used to that from Kitty:
Dearest Cass,
I hope you can forgive me, Cuzin, but I haveran away with the man I love. I’ve been in love with Mr. Adams For Ever. At least two years. He’s very swete to me. So we’re gone toGrenta Green to be wed. Please tell Mama I’m happy and will write to her as soon as possbile.And please don’t follow us.I am delited to be with my own dear Mr. Adams at last.
With muchaffecshun,
Kitty
P.S. Tell his Grace that we borrowd his slay on account of all the snow. We’ll bring itrite back after we marry.
Heywood had apparently been reading over her shoulder, for as soon as he was finished he murmured, “I can see why you needed to write letters for her.”
“And we can be sure that her ‘love’ didn’t write them for her since Mr. Adams is a well-educated solicitor.” Despair gripped Cass. “Oh, Aunt Virginia will be furious with me!”
“Why? It’s not your fault, and I shall make that clear to her. If anything, it’s mine for getting her away from home where this Mr. Adams could prey on her more easily.”
Just then the others came in. “We can’t find her anywhere,” the duchess said.
Wordlessly, Cass handed over the letter. They read it and were kind enough not to comment on Kitty’s poor writing ability.
“Who is this fellow, anyway?” Sheridan looked at Cass. “Is he at least a decent chap?”
Cass explained who Mr. Adams was to her family. “Kitty actually mentioned him in passing the night of the ball. I should have realized she found him appealing. He always treated her kindly, and she always asked after his children. He’s a widower.” When Gwyn lifted her eyebrows, Cass added, “A young, handsome widower.”
“Thank heaven,” Gwyn said. “Otherwise, I’d drive the sleigh up to Scotland myself to save her.”
“You couldn’t,” Heywood said. “They stole the sleigh, remember? And how did they manage that, anyway? You’d think a servant would have noticed.”
The duchess wore a pained expression. “I sent a couple of the men out with it to cut down the fir tree and haul it in. Kitty and her beau must have seen it in the drive and taken it while the footmen were bringing in the tree.”
“Then let’s hope they don’t run afoul of Malet on their way to Scotland,” Sheridan said. “And how did this Adams chap know to look for her here?”
Heywood rubbed his jaw. “I imagine that after Malet’s coachman told his master that the ladies had gone off with me, Malet took Mrs. Nickman home. Once there, he would have heard that I’d left my card, and he would have known I was in England, bent on protecting Kitty from him. This Mr. Adams could have insinuated himself into the search. Perhaps he offered to come down here while Malet took the road up to Gretna Green? Mind you, I’m just speculating.”
“It doesn’t really matterhowhe found out, just that he did,” the duchess said. “Something must be done about the elopement.”
“If we leave now, we might catch up with them,” Sheridan said.
“I doubt it,” Heywood said. “Besides, they might decide to travel by ship to Scotland. The coast isn’t that far from here. I don’t know if we could get there before they embarked. Or, once we did, find them in Grimsby or Boston or whatever port town they ended up in.”
