My mother had voiced our worst fears. The possibilities were too numerous and unbearable to contemplate.

I’d never seen a person go as white as Sabine did then. Adrien reached for her hand, a gesture of comfort, but she shook him off, hugging her arms tightly around her as though she were cold. It was nearly thirty degrees out here.

‘Yes. Please. Call them.’ Sabine forced the words out.

‘Sabine, you come into the kitchen with me while Rupert calls,’ Mum ordered. ‘You’re in shock. You need hot, sweet tea. Adrien, you too. The police will need to speak to you both when they arrive.’

She turned to everyone else. ‘Please get yourselves into pairs, preferably where someone who knows the area is with someone who doesn’t. Rupert will be back out in a moment to give you directions.’ She forced a reassuring smile. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll find Gabriel. I can feel it.’

Sometimes, my mother’s strength came across as hardness or bossiness. Right now, it was what was needed, and it held warmth and concern. Anything else – anxiety, panic, despair – had been viciously damped down for the common good. Others were too close to what was going on. Mum had seen that and knew that someone on the outside needed to jump in and do what had to be done. I loved her for that.

She turned to me. ‘Emmy, you need to make some phone calls. Get Ellie and Sophie to help you. Phone all the guests who aren’t based here or at the château – people like Jonathan, Madame Dupont, Bob. Stop them from setting off, or at least turn them back.’

Mum patted my cheek and crossed to Sabine, taking her by the hand to lead her across the courtyard. When it looked like Sabine’s legs would buckle, my mother put an arm firmly around her shoulders for support. Adrien followed, head down, shoulders stooped. A lost soul.

Glancing at the kitchen window, I saw Rupert with the phone at his ear, speaking urgently into it as he gazed across his courtyard.

Kate, standing with my father, caught my eye and shot me a sad wave.

As I walked over to the house, Alain and Ryan came back from their perimeter search with a shake of their heads and joined Rupert, his phone call made, to get everyone off on their searches.

In the kitchen, Mum placed mugs of sugary tea in front of Sabine and Adrien and urged them to drink.

Sophie and Ellie were in the lounge on their phones. I found a piece of paper, scribbled down the names of people to call and placed it on the coffee table, ticking Jonathan to show that I was starting with him. They held thumbs up to indicate they understood.

It took time, but we got there between us.

‘Patrice is so sorry,’ Sophie told me. ‘He’ll talk to you about fitting you in at the mairie some other time, when the crisis is over.’

‘Bob was already at the mairie,’ Ellie said. ‘He’ll stay there to head anybody off at the pass who’s already set off. Then he’ll join in the search. The manager of the château phoned me back to say that some of the guests have offered to help, too, but I asked him to put them off for now. We have a lot of people, and it would only be helpful if they know the area.’

‘Good girl, Ellie.’ Rupert came in and sat next to her. ‘The gendarmes are on the way.’ He held out a hand to me, and I took it. ‘Emmy, love. Not the big day you anticipated, eh?’

I glanced at the clock on the wall. Alain and I should be at the mairie now, committing ourselves to a lifetime together. ‘All that matters is finding Gabriel.’

Mum bustled in with a tray of tea for us all. Grateful, we helped ourselves, and she shot off back to the kitchen to minister to her charges like a bustling matron from an old-fashioned comedy. Except none of this was remotely funny.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Gabriel. Who knew what went through a child’s mind? What was happening with his parents must have been too much for him. Maybe he wouldn’t go far. Maybe he wasn’t running to anywhere, but just needed to be alone for a while.

Something glimmered in my brain for a split second, but it was gone before I could grasp it.

There was a loud knock at the door.

‘That’ll be the authorities. I’ll go.’ Rupert hoisted himself out of his chair.

We heard voices in the hall, moving through to the kitchen.

A couple of minutes later, Mum came in. ‘They’re nice,’ she said chirpily, as if niceness alone meant that Gabriel could be found.

‘We’re not needed now,’ I said. ‘We should be out searching for Gabriel.’

‘Wait until Rupert’s finished talking to the gendarmes, Emmy. They might need you to make more calls; relay information to the volunteers.’ She hesitated. ‘And there’ll be decisions about the reception. The guests at the château.’

Ellie pulled Sophie to her feet. ‘We can give La Cour des Roses another once-over while we’re waiting. Gabriel might have snuck back by now and be hiding somewhere. It’s worth a try.’

I stood, too. ‘That’s a good idea. Mum, could you do upstairs again? I’ll do the gîtes.’

I went across the courtyard, first tapping on the door to Sabine’s gîte and letting myself in. Mireille looked up from the sofa. French cartoons were playing on the TV, the sound low, and Chloe was curled up in Mireille’s lap, fast asleep.

‘That’s good,’ I said. ‘That she’s asleep.’

‘Only just,’ Mireille whispered. ‘So many questions about why everybody was out there and where they all went and where Gabriel is and when it will be time to put her dress on.’ Her face was drawn and tired. ‘Emmy, I’m sorry about your wedding.’

‘Thank you. Has anyone updated you?’

‘I had to put my phone on silent, but Alain and Christopher have texted. I saw the gendarmes arrive.’

‘Yes. They’re talking to Adrien and Sabine now. Some of us are having another trawl of La Cour Des Roses. We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.’

Half an hour later, Ellie, Kate, Sophie and I had achieved nothing, other than taking phone calls from searchers to confirm they’d not had any luck either.

By the time the officers left, Sabine was sobbing, her head on her arms on the kitchen table, while Adrien looked on, helpless.

‘Adrien, why don’t you phone Alain?’ Mum said kindly. ‘Join the search. We’ll take care of Sabine.’

He nodded, anxious to do something physical to help find his son, and disappeared.

‘What did they say?’ I asked Rupert.

‘They’re organising a search team. They know we already have people out on the roadsides and paths, so they’re asking us to stay off private property – they’ll go door-to-door at the local farms and search the land, to save any confusion.’

‘Sounds sensible.’

‘Could you get back on the phone and let all the volunteers know that?’

‘Of course.’

Rupert glanced down at Sabine and hesitated. ‘They … they can’t rule out abduction. They’re getting the word out for any sightings.’

Sabine let out a long wail – an animal cry.

Ice ran up my spine.

We went back into the lounge to make our calls, while Mum and Rupert stayed with Sabine, murmuring useless words of comfort.

With the calls done, we looked at each other in one accord. We’d had enough of being telephone operators.

In the kitchen, Sabine was being plied with a small brandy, and Mum and Rupert were self-medicating a little. I couldn’t blame them.

‘We’re going out to search for Gabriel,’ I informed them in a voice that brooked no nonsense. ‘We’ve done everything we can here.’

‘I’ll act as Switchboard Central,’ Rupert confirmed. ‘Text me with any messages you get, so I can keep track of everyone.’

‘You and Sophie go and search,’ Mum said to me. She looked pointedly at the clock, and we followed her gaze. We should be at the château, sipping bubbles and dodging Bob’s camera. ‘But Ellie, could you come to the château with me? I need your French, and I need that practical nature of yours. We have to update the guests and speak to the management. Looks like the meal isn’t happening, either.’

Ellie put her arm around my mother, the first one to offer support and comfort to a woman who, on the surface, didn’t appear to need it. If those two redheads got to know each other too well, they could become fearsome partners in crime.

‘And Rupert. I could do with a quick word before we go.’ Mum crooked her finger at him and led him off to his quarters.

I phoned Alain to ask where he wanted us.

‘Nobody’s done that path between the farms where you turn right onto the main road and go right again.’

‘I know which you mean. I’ve walked the dog there. We’re on it.’

We piled into my car and set off, Sophie keeping her eyes skinned all the way.

‘I don’t know how Alain’s doing it,’ I said as we began to trek on foot, Sophie looking left, me right, so we couldn’t miss anything. ‘He has a handle on every pair and where they are.’

‘He’s an accountant. He has a logical brain.’

‘Thank God for it today.’

We walked until the path petered out into nowhere, then carried on, picking our way through long grass and shrubbery.

‘This is no good,’ I said eventually. ‘I can’t imagine Gabriel got this far, or even wanted to. There’s nowhere for him to hide. Let’s go back.’

Despondently, we retraced our steps, jumping at every rustle in the hedges lining the path, but it was invariably rabbits.

‘How are you?’ Sophie asked.

‘Worried. Trying to block the word “abduction” from my mind.’

Sophie linked her arm in mine. ‘I know. Me too. But I meant about the wedding.’

‘Ah. Well. “What will be, will be”, as my mother is fond of saying.’

‘Your mother has been brilliant today, Emmy. I was scared of her before, but now I have seen the other side of her. She is bossy, but she has a good heart.’

I remembered all that had been said between us the other day. So many accusations. So many hard words. ‘Yes. She does.’

When we reached the car, I was about to call Alain to ask where next, but Sophie stopped me. ‘Could we go back to the guesthouse? I feel sick.’

‘Sophie, you should have said.’

‘It might be because I haven’t eaten.’ She gave me a sheepish look. ‘I know I shouldn’t be thinking about food.’

‘That baby doesn’t know any better, does it? I don’t want you to dehydrate, either. And I ought to drop in on Mireille.’

I texted Alain, then drove the short way back.

While Sophie went into the house to find something to settle her stomach, I went across to see Mireille. She put her fingers to her lips, but this time it wasn’t for Chloe. Chloe was wide awake, watching television.

It was Sabine who was lying on the sofa, her head in Mireille’s lap, while Mireille stroked her hair to soothe and Chloe held her hand.

I looked at Mireille in admiration. Here was a woman, worried sick about her grandchild, comforting the daughter-in-law she disliked so intensely, the woman who had broken both her sons’ hearts. I would never have more respect for my future mother-in-law than I had at that moment.

I crept into the kitchen, poured Chloe some juice, made Mireille and Sabine some tea, and placed them carefully on the table near Mireille.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered. ‘No luck?’

I shook my head. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘What is happening with your reception?’

‘Mum and Ellie went to the château, but nothing can be done now. We need to find Gabriel before it gets dark.’

‘I am proud to have you in our family, Emmy.’

She held out a hand and I took it. We squeezed tight before I let go, let myself out and crossed to the guesthouse.

‘Are Mum and Ellie back yet?’ I asked Rupert.

‘No.’ He’d made tea and toast for Sophie, who was looking green around the gills as she forced it down, and he pushed a mug across to me. ‘I expect they’ll chat to all the guests, as well as speak to the management. They may be a while.’

I chewed my lip. ‘I should have gone. All those people came for my wedding. They must think it’s awful that I’m not there.’

‘Emmy, nobody will think like that. A little boy is missing, and that little boy is your very-nearly-husband’s nephew.’

He could be his son.

‘I’ll go there now.’ I stood, but Rupert applied gentle pressure on my shoulders until I was forced back into my chair.

‘You’re not going anywhere until you’ve drunk that tea.’

‘Rupert, there are goodness knows how many people out there searching, without so much as a cup of tea.’

‘But you’re here, so you have access to one. I don’t want a pregnant, fainting woman on my hands, so you can stay for five minutes till Madam here perks up. Then you can phone your mum and gauge the lie of the land at the château. How’s that?’

‘Okay.’ It was deathly quiet, and it occurred to me that I hadn’t seen the dog for hours. ‘Where’s Gloria?’

‘In my lounge. I didn’t want her getting in everyone’s way. She’ll need a walk later, but she’s fast asleep for now.’

I squawked in frustration. ‘Haven’t we heard from anybody?’

‘People check in from time to time, to let us know where they are, or to say they haven’t found him yet, or to ask if anyone else has.’

‘And the gendarmes?’

‘They’re coordinating with Alain and Adrien, since Alain knows where everyone’s looked. No point in going over the same ground twice.’

My chest felt tight. I couldn’t bear the thought of Gabriel, lost and alone. Or worse – not alone. For a moment, my breath stopped as my mind ran with the possibilities.

I willed them away. We had no evidence for that, yet. And we knew he hadn’t been taken from the gîte but had left of his own accord.

Where did he go? Did he have somewhere in mind, or had he set off with no destination in his head? And why did he go? To be alone with his misery and confusion over his parents? To think things through? To get away from everyone?

There it was again. That glimmer of something. Damn! What had I just been thinking?

I rewound, concentrating hard, my hands clutched in my hair, raking through my thoughts for what they were trying to tell me.

‘Emmy? Are you alright?’ I heard the alarm in Sophie’s voice but ignored it as I grasped after whatever it was.

Alone. Privacy. The children had asked about privacy, and I’d explained that it was when you wanted to be on your own for a while, away from other people. What had I said? Something along the lines of when you needed to think, or if you were upset.

Well, that didn’t help. We’d already established that Gabriel wanted to be alone; that he must be upset.

But the memory of the afternoon I’d shown the children around the garden was lodged in my head now. The orchard. Gloria running through the trees. The kids nosing about in my room. The chickens. ‘Their little house makes them feel cosy and safe from anything bad that could happen to them.’

The chicken house. Had anyone checked it?

I shot outside and raced down the garden at a speed I hadn’t known I was capable of, crashing through the gate and startling my feathered friends into a frenzied panic. But when I fell to my knees and peered into the coop, there was no Gabriel.

Rupert appeared, out of breath. ‘Emmy. Are you okay?’

‘Yes. Sorry. I had a sudden thought, and …’

‘It was a good idea. But I already checked in there. Twice. It looked Gabriel-sized to me, too.’ Helping me to my feet, he bent to ineffectually brush the dried mess off my knees. ‘Come on, love.’

He led me indoors, where I dutifully sat down again and sipped at the tea he plied me with.

‘I was so sure about that chicken house,’ I explained. ‘I … Shit, shit, shit!’