William gave a small shake of his head. “No, I could tell it wasn’t Cicero. I know the tread of Father’s horse.”
And she would know in an instant if it had been His Grace. Even before he spoke.
Jenny suppressed a shiver. In the silence when the man had stood below as if listening for them to betray themselves, Jenny sensed an evil presence.
*
It was goneten o’clock in the morning when Andrew rode up the carriage drive toward the house. He dismounted and led his tired horse around to the stables.
George and Jem stood in the yard, then hurried over to him, clearly worried about something.
Andrew tensed. “Where is Miss Harrismith and the children, George?”
“That’s just it, Your Grace. We don’t know. They weren’t here when I came to collect them. But Jem says Miss Harrismith was here earlier, wasn’t she, Jem?”
Jem nodded. “With your daughter, Your Grace. They were playing with the cats. But when I returned from an errand to the kitchens, they’d gone, and Lord William’s horse wandered loose in the yard.”
Icy fear flooded through Andrew’s veins. “Did you check the schoolroom and the nursery, George?”
“I went straight there. Mary said they’d not been back. I asked around, but no one knows anything. Mrs. Pollitt has had the house searched.”
A horse came slowly into the yard, the rider hunched over its neck.
“Irvine? You’re hurt!” Andrew ran over to him.
Irvine swiped at the blood dripping down his forehead as he dismounted. “Someone shot me. Meant for William. Is he here, safe?”
“No. He’s gone, and so has the governess, and my daughter. It appears they did not return to the house.”
Andrew pulled out his handkerchief, he folded it into a pad and handed it to Irvine, before blood seeped into his eyes. “Where did this happen?”
Irvine nodded his thanks and held the handkerchief in place. “We’d taken a different route, but on the way home, William suggested we go back to the meadow where we were yesterday. He wanted me to show him more of my maneuvers, and that was the best place for it.” He groaned. “I should have refused. You did say not to go the same way twice. He lay in wait for us, the mongrel.”
“Did you see him?”
“No. He hid among the trees. Where could William be, Your Grace? Please God, I haven’t let the lad down.”
“You’ve done no such thing, Irvine. I’ll find them. Have that wound attended to. You’re remarkably lucky it didn’t kill you.”
Irvine pushed his shoulders back. “I’ll not rest ’til they’re found. Let me go with you, Your Grace/”
Impatient to be gone, Andrew nodded. “I’d appreciate it. Jem, go and round up the grooms, the coachman and the stable master,” Andrew ordered. “Get them out searching. Then you take the path to the river. Irvine, if you’re sure you’re up to it, take the western path. I’ll go north to the gamekeeper, see if he’s seen them.”
“Right you are, Your Grace,” Jem said moving away smartly.
Andrew led Cicero inside, quickly attended to his needs, then saddled Storm Cloud. He rode to the gamekeeper’s cottage. Clovis was outside, chopping wood, smoke coming from the chimney.
Andrew quickly explained and fired off a few questions.
“Wasn’t here earlier, Your Grace,” Clovis said. “I haven’t come across the governess or the children. “Saw the baroness, though, riding near the river. She was alone.”
“Alone? Not with her brother, or Mr. Forsythe?”
Clovis shook his head. “No. No sign of either of them.”
Andrew found it hard to think as he struggled to tamp down the fear. Go on or go back? Miss Harrismith had told him how she’d walked over to Spender’s Bluff. If something had frightened her and forced her to run with the children would she choose a familiar route?
“Should I try to find them, Your Grace?”
“No. Remain here. If the grooms or Mr. Irvine turn up, let them know my direction. But tell no one else.”
“Right, Your Grace.”
Andrew nudged his horse’s flanks and rode on. Had he made the right decision? What else could he do?
