“Yes, I suppose it’s wrong of me to come to your home, but I really needed to see you.” She glanced over her shoulder at the coaches. “I fear I’ve come at a bad time, too.” She moved her stare back to him and continued, “But it can’t be helped. We really need to talk.”
He didn’t want to walk all the way to the church, so hopefully because he had guests here, it would be proper to take her into Frederick’s study and speak privately with her there. “Of course. Please come in.”
Once she stepped inside and he closed the door, he turned and led her to the study. As he passed the sitting room, his guests looked his way with curious eyes. He paused at the doorway and told them, “Please excuse me for a moment. Something important has just come up and I need to speak with this lady.” He looked at the girl. “Come, my child. Let’s adjourn to my study.”
Murmurs from the brothers echoed in the room. Nic took a peek inside once more before walking away. He noticed how hard it was for his friends to keep a straight face. Trey and Tristan held grins behind their hands, and the women had turned their heads so their snickers were not noticed. He triednot to grin, himself. If the roles were reversed, he’d have been cackling with laughter and rolling on the floor by now.
He hurried the girl into the study before she noticed his friends’ reaction and commented on it. Once inside the room with the door closed, he sighed and folded his arms. “Now tell me, what has you in such a worried state?”
“My family has decided to send me to my aunt’s place in North Yorkshire until after the baby is born, which is the right thing to do.”
He nodded. “Yes, that is very good.”
“But as I have pondered this and everything else that has happened with David, I realized something that might be important. That’s why I knew I must tell you. I’ll be leaving tomorrow morning for my aunt’s, and that’s why I’m here now.”
“Go on.” He steepled his hands against his chin.
“While I was having problems with David, I confided in another woman…one that I knew would hold my secret. This morning when I went to tell her about me leaving for North Yorkshire, she said something that made me very curious.” She rubbed her arms. “Thinking about it even now makes my skin crawl.”
“What did this other woman say?”
“She reassured me that none of this was my fault…that going to North Yorkshire was the best thing to do to have my baby. When I made a comment about missing David, even though I know he’d wronged me, she told me that David was Satan’s spawn and that David deserved dying in such an unnatural way. She believed it was her duty in life to weed out men like David and make them pay for their sins.”
Nic could now understand why Miss McFadden’s skin had crawled after hearing this, because his was doing the same thing. He tried shaking off the feeling. “Indeed, that isn’t natural forsomeone to say. Will you tell me who this woman is? Perhaps this information should be given to the constable.”
Her head bobbed quickly, making her ringlets bounce in rhythm. “Yes, that’s what I thought as well. It was Miss Talbot who I had confided in; who had said those most disturbing things to me.”
“Miss…Mildred Talbot? The spinster sister of Mrs. Smythe?”
“Yes of course. Is there another Miss Talbot you know?”
“Actually, there isn’t.” Slowly, he shook his head. “That does surprise me that she’d said such things about David.”
“Apparently, many years ago when Miss Talbot was younger, a man had broken her heart, as well.”
“Yes, I did hear about that.” This tale was becoming very interesting now, and he was eager to find out more. “Well, I do appreciate you coming to me first. Please don’t say anything to anyone right now. I’ll take this up with the constable and let him see if it needs further investigating.”
“I thank you, Mr. Woodland.” She stood and walked to the door.
“Miss McFadden,” he stopped her from opening the door. “Please remember that God does love you, and your sins can be forgiven.”
Tears collected in her eyes. “Yes, I know.”
He nodded. “I’ll pray for you while you’re gone.”
He walked her through the house and to the front door. As he opened it, Sally stood on the other side, her hand raised and ready to knock. She hitched a breath but didn’t say anything. Miss McFadden mumbled something and hurried off the porch and down the drive. Sally watched the other girl leave and didn’t turn back to look at Nic until Miss McFadden was gone.
“Sally? What do you need?” he wondered.
“Oh, Lord Hawthorne. We are most distressed. Tabitha is still missing,” she cried out before placing a hand to her mouth.
Quick footsteps from the other room came toward the entrance. Nic glanced over his shoulder to see Tristan and Diana ahead of the others.
“Sally?” Diana exclaimed and rushed to her, taking her shaking hands. “What is this about Tabitha?”
“She’s gone, my lady. She disappeared and nobody knows where she went.”
Tightness enclosed around Nic’s heart. “She never returned last night?” he asked the maid.
