Page 114 of Stolen and Seduced By the Duke

But first, Pierce needed to finish what he had begun.

I can not allow a shadow of uncertainty to hang over this family.

The questions surrounding Hugh's arrival. Augusta's disappearance, the mysterious woman who had taken a carriage south, and the secrets concealed for so long had followed him. He had tolerated uncertainty when he had been alone, but he would not tolerate it now. Not when Margaret's safety was involved. Not when Hugh was sleeping under his roof, innocent of the danger that might still exist beyond its walls. Whatever waited for him in the south, Pierce intended to find it, confront it, and end it.

He carefully pushed back the covers and rose from the bed, pausing when Margaret stirred. His entire body went still until she settled again, one hand slipping beneath her cheek as she continued sleeping. Pierce dressed in silence, fastening his shirt and waistcoat with deliberate care before pulling on his coat. He glanced towards her once more as he adjusted his cuffs, committing the sight of her to memory. He had no desire to frighten her with another departure, particularly after the argument at the masquerade, but he knew that if he told her he was leaving before dawn, she would insist upon coming with him or demand answers he could not yet give. Better to go quietly and return quickly.

He slipped from the bedchamber and walked along the silent corridor towards the nursery. The house was still asleep, servants and family alike hidden behind closed doors, and Pierce felt the familiar responsibility of Ravenfield settle over him. When he entered the nursery, he found Hugh sleeping peacefully in his cot. The little boy's cheeks were warm with sleep, one tiny hand curled beside his face, and Pierce stood beside him for several moments without moving. He had once regarded the child as a mystery deposited upon his doorstep, but now the sight of Hugh stirred something fiercely protective within him.

"Goodbye, my son," he whispered, leaning closer to the cot. His voice was so quiet that even the nursery walls seemed to absorb it. "I shall be back soon, and when I return, I shall make certain this house is safe for you forever."

He rested one hand against the edge of the cot, resisting the sudden urge to pick Hugh up and carry him back to Margaret. The boy needed neither fear nor disruption, and Pierce needed to finish this journey before the unknown danger had an opportunity to reach them.

He left the nursery reluctantly and descended the staircase, his footsteps measured upon the carpeted steps. In the entrance hall, the early morning chill lingered in the air, and the first faint light had begun to creep through the tall windows.

His valet appeared almost immediately, already dressed and prepared for the household's early routines.

"Have my carriage brought round," Pierce instructed, reaching for his gloves.

The valet bowed and immediately turned to obey, but Pierce stopped him for a moment.

"And inform Mrs. Norris that I have departed and will be gone for several days. I do not want the household disturbed." The valet nodded and disappeared towards the servants' quarters.

Pierce stood alone in the hall, pulling on his gloves as he considered the road ahead. He had spent too long chasing fragments, names, rumors, journeys, half-hidden clues, and unanswered questions. This time he had a genuine lead, and he intended to follow it himself rather than send another man to do what he could not. Perhaps he was foolish to believe that one journey could finally bring an end to everything, but Pierce had learned that a man could not protect his family by endlessly waiting for danger to reveal itself. He had to seek it out first.

Family. That word now meant Hugh and Margaret. I understand that now.

His thoughts returned to Margaret, and despite himself, his mouth softened into the faintest smile. She would be furious when she discovered he had left without waking her. She would call him an oaf, accuse him of being impossible, and demand to know why he had not trusted her enough to say goodbye. She would be right. Yet he would rather face her anger than expose her to whatever awaited him.

The carriage rolled to a halt outside, and Pierce stepped towards the door. Once this journey was over, there would be no more mysteries, he promised himself. No more unanswered questions lurking in the shadows, no more secrets capable of threatening Margaret or Hugh, and no unforeseen danger waiting for an opportunity to enter his home. He would uncover the truth, whatever it cost him, and then he would return to the woman sleeping upstairs and the little boy waiting in the nursery.

Pierce had something he was determined not merely to defend, but to keep. He climbed into the carriage, gave one final glance towards Ravenfield Manor, and then ordered the coachman to drive

* * *

Margaret woke with a smile already upon her lips. For several delicious moments, she remained beneath the blankets with her eyes closed, remembering the night before and feeling warmth steal through her all over again.

My…I thought I knew pleasure before. I had believed I understood what it meant to be desired and held and kissed by a man I wanted, but last night was something else entirely.

There had been tenderness in Pierce's touch, patience in every gesture, and a sense of trust between them that made her heart feel almost too full for her chest. She turned instinctively towards his side of the bed, expecting to find his broad shoulders and dark hair beside her, and then she froze.

The mattress was cold. The pillow was empty. Pierce was gone. Again.

For several seconds she stared at the vacant space as though sheer disbelief might make him reappear.

"Oh, I really hate that selfish, stubborn, impossible man," she muttered, pushing herself upright and staring accusingly at the empty pillow.

The words sounded convincing for perhaps half a heartbeat before her own heart betrayed her. No, she did not hate him at all. That was the problem. She loved him, or was perilously close to doing so, and every time he disappeared without warning, he took a little piece of her calm with him. She pressed her fingers to her temples and sighed, wondering how a man could be so infuriating and so wonderful at precisely the same time.

Margaret dressed quickly, refusing to allow herself another moment of brooding before she had seen Hugh.

She went directly to the nursery and found him still asleep, his little chest rising and falling beneath his blankets while the nanny sat nearby. The sight softened something inside her immediately. She approached the cot and bent to kiss Hugh's forehead before turning towards the nanny.

"Alert me the moment he wakes," she instructed, smoothing the child's blanket. "I do not care what I am doing or where I am. I want to know."

The nanny nodded, and Margaret gave Hugh one last affectionate glance before leaving, determined not to let her husband's absence ruin the morning.

Downstairs, she found Mrs. Norris in the hall and approached her with what she hoped was an expression of complete composure.