Soon, Thea and her grandmother appeared on the stairs. A footman helped them into their pelisses and bonnets.
Ash stood back, admiring Thea in her pelisse and matching bonnet. “That color becomes you, Thea.”
“Thank you.” Her flushed cheeks added to the charming picture she made in her blue coat.
“I must apologize,” he said as the footman opened the coach door and put down the steps. “Lord Spencer’s dog travels with us. He is to stay with my grandfather until I can find someone in Scotland who wishes to take him.”
Lady Trentham eyed the dog while she arranged a rug over her knees. Thea warmly welcomed Whisky and soon had him placing his long, gray nose on her lap and gazing up at her adoringly.
Ash laughed. “You have a way with dogs.”
“We’ve always had dogs in the house.” She gifted him with her sweet smile. “We lost our beloved Jessie at eighteen years of age, a few years ago. Papa was heartbroken. He hasn’t got another.”
After a slow beginning on the traffic-laden roads, they finally arrived at Ponder’s End and stopped outside the school.
As Ash reached for the bell, the door flew open. The headmistress stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with alarm. “Oh, Lord Grainger, I am so pleased you are here. I simply don’t know what to do.”
At what surely must be bad news, Ash ushered Thea and Lady Trentham inside. He removed his hat. “What has happened, Mrs. Tyler?”
“The most extraordinary occurrence.” The lady clutched her hands and seemed incapable of thought.
“Perhaps we should go into your office,” Ash suggested.
“Oh, yes, of course. Do come in.”
“We have only now discovered Julia has gone,” she said as they took seats. “Never in all my born days have I lost a pupil!”
Alarm threaded through him. Had Farnborough wasted no time in snatching her away? “When did you last see Julia?”
“When the girls retire for the night, Miss Davis always visits them to ensure they’ve snuffed out the candles. Julia was there then. But Mary, the girl in the bed next to hers, told us Julia had packed her bag. Mary woke to see her slip away at first light.” Mrs. Tyler’s eyes narrowed. “The silly lass didn’t tell us because Julia asked her not to.”
So, it wasn’t Farnborough, Ash thought, seeing relief in Thea’s eyes.
“We searched the village,” Mrs. Tyler went on. “But found no sign of her. However, the gentleman in the haberdashery told us he saw a young girl board the mail coach traveling north.”
“It’s surprising they took her up. There are usually few seats to be had, and those are booked in advance. Do not worry. We will find her, Mrs. Tyler. You shall be notified as soon as I have her safe.”
“Oh, thank you, milord.” She clutched at her collar as if it choked her. “I have yet to send word to Lord Farnborough, as I hoped Julia would see sense and return before I had to worry him.” The lady covered her scarlet cheeks with her hands. “And here I haven’t offered you tea, Lady Trentham, Miss Tothill, what you must think of us. We run an efficient school here, I assure you. This is most unusual.”
Her ladyship smiled sympathetically. “I can see that you do, and I would have no hesitation in recommending your school to friends. You must have more important things to concern you than serving us tea, Mrs. Tyler. Please do not distress yourself. We will find the naughty child soon enough.”
Mrs. Tyler looked gratified and sank unsteadily back into her chair.
They climbed back into the coach, having left Miss Tyler squeezing her hands together at the door. “Julia will make for Cambridgeshire,” Ash said. “We’ll have no trouble catching up with the mail coach, which has to slow periodically to drop off the mail.”
As the coachman guided the horses out onto the road leading north, Ash accepted with some dread that his visit had unsettled the girl and prompted her to leave.
As if she read his thoughts, Thea leaned over and touched his hand. “Julia must have intended to run away. She believes her mother to be alive and is determined to find her.”
“You are probably right.” Her concern touched him, but Julia had been waiting for her uncle to come for her, and on learning of his death, took the matter into her own hands. “We’ll find her,” he said grimly, his gaze fixed on the passing landscape.
In the next town, they passed the post office. A mailbag thrown down as the coach passed was just being carried inside.
“There are a series of hills ahead,” Ash said. “That will slow them down.”
Sure enough, in the distance, a red, black, and gold mail coach ambled up a steep hill, the horses straining, the passengers walking behind.
“I can see a young girl carrying a small bag,” Thea cried, gazing out the window. “She appears to be alone.”
