His calm, logical approach jolted Grace from her distress. ‘I think it is prudent for us to continue with our original plan and visit the tenants.’ She paced up and down the study, then stood in front of Mr Stone, ‘We will complete our cottage inspections, gather as much information as possible about the missing girls, and see if we can get a lead on the whereabouts of Gibbs and his associates.’
WHEN THEY ARRIVED ATthe Trent farm, Mr Stone inquired about Melissa, prompting Mary to recount the events of that fateful day.
However, Grace learned nothing new. She already knew Melissa had visited a friend at a neighbouring cottage about a mile away. On the day she disappeared, she had been late returning home, so Mary had sent their eldest daughter, Chastity, to fetch her. Yet, when Chastity set off to find her, Melissa was nowhere to be found.
After speaking with Melissa’s friend, they discovered that she had left around five o’clock. Concerned, Melissa’s father immediately searched the main pathway leading back to their home, but there was no trace of her anywhere.
As Mary spoke, Grace noticed that Chastity was listening closely, her expression pinched with unease. A flicker of guilt crossed her features. Grace made a mental note to question her privately. Using the excuse of inspecting the cottage, she asked Chastity to show her around. Once they were safely out of earshot of her parents, Grace began questioning her gently.
‘I noticed you seem very anxious about your sister. I want to reassure you that Mr Stone and I are doing everything we can tofind her. Anything you remember from that day—no matter how small—could help us.’
Chastity remained silent, looking increasingly distressed. Grace hesitated, then pressed again. ‘Anything at all? Even the tiniest detail might lead us to Melissa.’
Suddenly, Chastity broke down in tears. Grace, unsure how to comfort her, simply held her, whispering soothing words. After several moments, Chastity began to speak.
‘It’s my fault she’s missing!’
Grace stiffened. ‘What do you mean?’
‘It was my fault,’ Chastity sobbed. ‘I was supposed to walk her home, and I told Ma I was going, but instead, I went to meet my beau. I thought she would come home on her own, like she always did.’
Grace’s mind whirred. These confessions from the female species will be the end of me, she thought. ‘So, when you told your mother that you could not find her when you went to collect her, that was a lie?’
Chastity choked on her words before admitting, ‘Yes, I never went to fetch her! She probably took the shortcut through the woods—it’s the fastest way back to the farm. We used that path often, even though Pa said it was dangerous. When she didn’t come home, I checked the woodland path all the way back to her friend’s house, but I found nothing. I never told Pa about us using the woods pathway, so he still believes she went missing along the main road. He keeps searching there, even now.’
Chastity’s sobs resumed, and Grace knew better than to push her further. She wrapped an arm around the girl, offering quiet reassurance.
AS THEY MOUNTED THEIRhorses, Grace recounted the conversation to Mr Stone. He looked suitably astonished.
‘Miss Skye, you continue to astound me with your feats. Your considerable talents are wasted in this place.’
Grace blushed, feeling both pleased and embarrassed. ‘Shall we check the woodland pathway before we return home?’ she asked, her voice betraying urgency.
Mr Stone nodded and gestured for her to lead the way. Together, they made their way towards the clump of trees behind the Trent farm. It was a small patch of woodland, so they agreed to dismount and search on foot. They brought along Jimmy, who trudged behind them, clearly bored with his role as chaperone and bodyguard. Grace and Mr Stone split up to search different areas.
Grace had no idea what she was looking for, but she figured anything out of place—signs of a struggle, discarded clothing, jewellery—might be significant. Not wanting to dirty her hands, she picked up a fallen branch and fashioned it into a makeshift stick to sift through the leaves. Mr Stone, on the other hand, used his boots to shift the underbrush aside.
They worked in silence for half an hour, each hoping for some clue, when Grace’s stick nudged a large mound of earth. Instead of feeling firm, the soil was soft, and a horrible stench rose from it. Wrinkling her nose, she covered it with her gloved hand and prodded the leaves away.
Her breath caught.
A hand. A body.
Terror surged through her. The stench overwhelmed her, making her stomach churn violently. In a blind panic, she turned and fled, her feet tangling in the uneven ground. She stumbled, nearly toppling over a root—only to collide with a solid chest. Steady arms caught her before she fell.
‘Miss Skye, what happened?’ Mr Stone’s voice was low, taut with concern.
Gasping, Grace pointed shakily towards the mound, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Mr Stone’s grip tightened protectively around her shoulders. ‘It is all right,’ he murmured, guiding her towards the edge of the woods. He sat her down on a fallen tree, crouching beside her until her breathing steadied. Only when she nodded did he return to the site with Jimmy.
Still shaken, Grace gathered her courage and followed them after a few moments. Her legs trembled beneath her, but she forced herself to continue. As she approached, she saw Mr Stone and Jimmy carefully removing mud and leaves from the body.
Mr Stone turned to face her, peeling off his gloves. ‘Are you all right, sweet?’
The unexpected endearment made her pause, her heart stuttering in her chest.
She nodded, moved by his concern. But as his hand settled gently on her shoulder, a nervous energy flickered through her.
