‘I did no such thing. Charlotte has her network of spies,’ Grace replied archly.
Heather huffed. ‘Well... I do not know how I feel about him yet,’ she said, though her expression betrayed her words.
Charlotte chuckled. ‘Well, you had better make up your mind quickly—men have short attention spans. Has he expressed any interest? I mean, aside from just staring at you?’
‘How do you know he does that?’ Heather asked, startled.
Charlotte beamed. ‘Well, I didn’t—but I do now.’
Laughter erupted amongst the ladies. Heather was soon whisked away by her next dance partner, leaving Grace an opportunity to confide her recent woes to her friends.
Charlotte, the daughter of a baron, was, to her mother’s chagrin, still unmarried. Like Grace, she was fast approaching spinsterhood, though the label did little to dampen her sunny disposition. In contrast, Anne was a quiet, bookish young woman, but over the years, Grace and Charlotte had coaxed her out of her self-imposed shell.
‘I still cannot believe your cousin did this to you and your sister. Is there truly nothing you can do?’ Charlotte exclaimed.
Grace shook her head. ‘Ahh, Charlotte, we have everything we need. If I let myself dwell on it, it will only make me bitter. I would rather have our independence than live under his thumb.’
Anne, despite her reserve, was indignant. ‘Still, I am sorry this has happened to you. I have heard that since the new owner took over, the tenants are suffering. They are not being looked after the way they were when you were there.’
‘Yes,’ Charlotte added. ‘Some have sought help from my father. And there are whispers of a couple of missing girls from Skye Estate.’
Grace stiffened, horrified. ‘Missing girls? Mistreated tenants?’
‘There is a rumour that the families believe their daughters were kidnapped. You know how country folk are—any newcomer is viewed with suspicion,’ Charlotte said.
A chill crept over Grace. ‘Which girls?’
Anne sighed. ‘Allegedly, Millie Hayhurst and Leah Jones.’
Grace paled. ‘That is impossible!’ She said, shocked by the revelation. ‘I know both of them from Skye Estate. I thought Millie eloped with a beau?’ She clung to the hope that her friends were misinformed.
Anne shook her head, ‘There was talk that she might have eloped, but her family are adamant that she has been snatched.’
‘Who could be taking them? There has never been such a crime in our area before.’ Grace murmured.
‘You should ask the magistrate. He will have more details,’ Anne suggested.
Grace nodded. ‘Mr Smith did not mention any of this. If girls are going missing from the Skye Estate, then something is very wrong at Skye Manor. Could the new steward be involved?’
Charlotte scoffed. ‘I doubt it. As far as I know, he is just incompetent.’
‘So the tenants are being turned away when they ask for help?’ Grace asked, her voice rising in anger.
‘I am afraid so.’ Charlotte replied. ‘Many had their roofs damaged in the storms last month, and some lost their crops. When they approached the new steward for assistance, he refused. Father was furious—he has helped them this time because of his friendship with your late father, but this cannot continue.’
Grace clenched her fists. ‘I worked so hard to improve their lives, and now they are left at the mercy of a heartless landlord! Please thank your father, Charlotte—he has always been kind. And I suspect he sold me the cottage at a bargain out of generosity rather than disinterest.’
Charlotte scoffed again. ‘Hardly! It was a derelict building; he had no use for it. You have transformed it into something beautiful through sheer effort.’
Grace barely registered the compliment, lost in thought. She needed to uncover what was happening at Skye Estate—but how?
‘I hear the landlord is the Duke of Armitage,’ Charlotte said. ‘He is elderly and does not travel much.’
Grace frowned. ‘Then the real culprit must be this new steward—who, unsurprisingly, was recommended by my cousin.’
‘Father wrote to the Duke, but he never replied,’ Charlotte added. ‘Perhaps you could write to him aswell?’
Grace hesitated. ‘I should verify these claims before taking action. Perhaps I can make discreet inquiries with the magistrate first?’
