Grumbling to himself, George shrugged his coat off the moment he entered the foyer of Leverton Manor. The dukedom’s board meeting was one he’d rather forget, as the loud members had evoked a headache of massive proportions.

Dusk didn’t fall early at the beginning of summer as true night didn’t start until eight-thirty. The Duke knew his sister felt swallowed up by the enormity of the mansion, the absence of her best friend, and her misbegotten love for the thrice-damned Newberry. George wanted to cheer her up but still hadn’t found a way to address her.

He knew it was a late hour but recently, Emmeline had developed a habit of staying up and reading or composing prose. With a mind like hers, George was sure she would make a wonderful author.

He knew his attitude towards her was despicable but what was he supposed to do? Was he to accept that she had “fallen in love” with his mortal enemy? Moreover, she had embarrassed him and had put his reputation in jeopardy. Thank God he had acted on his feelings towards Miss Benwick as soon as he had, to salvage her social standing.

George climbed the stairs and went to Emmeline’s rooms. At the door, he paused and frowned. There was no lamplight coming from under it. That was unusual.

Has she gone to bed already?

Not wanting to chance waking her, George spun around and went to his quarters, deciding that he’d apologize to her the next day.

The morning was calm—too calm—which in retrospect should have warned the Duke that something was wrong. George rose with the determination to apologize to Emmeline, and wondered how to word it, deciding to just directly tell her the reasons for his anger and unkindness, and then ask for her forgiveness.

His valet assisted him with his bath and dressing into his informal morning clothes. He went directly to Emmeline’s door and knocked. The words of his apology were running through his head as he waited…and waited, and waited some more.

When too much time had passed, George’s brows knitted, and he pushed the door in, surprised that the door was unlocked. Instantly, he knew that something was amiss and stepped inside. His astute eyes noted that everything was in there—except Emmeline.

Where is she?

Spinning on his heel, George strode to his mother’s suite and knocked on the door. He had no time for formality, to request an audience with his mother through her servants.

“Enter,” the Duchess called out and George obeyed.

“George,” his mother exclaimed happily from her bed, “What a delight to see you.”

“As I am to see you,” George replied stately. “Mother, have you seen Emmeline?”

The Duchess frowned, her eyes narrowing before widening in horror, “You mean she hasn’t returned?”

Now George was getting alarmed, “Returned from where, Mother?”

“The Benwicks,” his mother replied while sitting up further, “She received a letter from Ann about your courtship and went to see her.”

“Who was her chaperone, Mother?” George snapped, “How could you allow her to go?”

The Duchess flinched initially at George’s tone but then looked directly at him, “George, Emmeline is a strong lady, not the little girl you still see her as. She is not some waif, and you need to realize that before she turns from you completely.”

Shame compounded the heavy discomfiture already loaded on the Duke’s chest. “Still, Mother, it was an unwise move.”

“Oh, pish,” Patricia snorted and dismissed with a wave of her hand. “Even if she stayed the night, she’s with Ann. She is safe, George.”

The Duke had his reservations as he knew how crafty Emmeline could be when pushed, but didn’t give his mother any hint of his doubts. “If you say so, Mother. I will be out of the house this day, but I will be back this evening.”

“How are you and the trading venture with Newberry?” The Duchess asked pointedly, “I know about your animosity towards the poor boy.”

George felt trapped, “Newberry is not a poor boy, Mother, no matter what sympathies Emmeline has sown into you. You must remember that he is of our enemies and will remain so.”

“George, it is time to let this enmity go,” the Duchess pressed. “Your grandfather marred your mind. Will you ever try to look beyond the suppositions and accusations and make peace?”

“I cannot consider this now,” George deflected with calm words instead of the disrespectful terms he wanted to say about Newberry, “I have to see to other matters.”

The Duchess was quiet before she audibly sighed, “My best wishes on your courtship, Son.”

“Thank you, Mother,” George replied, before striding to his room and changing into riding gear. He was personally going to get Emmeline back from the Benwicks.

Noah felt uneasy. He was flipping through the additional trade proposal sent in by the other Dukes but his mind was set on Emmeline. Half the morning had passed and he hadn’t received any word from her about her forfeited visit.

He was sure that she had stayed with the Benwicks last night— she had to have done so. Even though the Duke was trying to persuade himself to believe it, Noah knew how adventurous Emmeline was. Had she tried to brave the night to come to him, in a reverse of his nighttime visit to her home?

He prayed not. Every day there were increasing reports of robbers on the highways, ruthless men who would not only rob defenseless women like Emmeline but violate them, too. Noah felt the pen in his hand snap in half as the reprehensible thought crashed through his mind.

Oh God no, Noah shuddered. Please, not when I have just found her.

Shooting up from his desk, Noah went to his room to change into riding clothing. He needed to find Emmeline, to see her with his two eyes, which would assure him that she was safe. With his riding breeches on and a riding coat, Noah was determined to leave when his mother stopped him.

“Yes, Mother?” Noah asked tersely.

“Your steward is in the foyer,” the Duchess of Newberry said while handing him a card, “He is insisting that an urgent matter had developed in the village and only you can sort it out.”

Noah felt annoyed with this unwanted disturbance and was burdened with a hard-pressed need to find Emmeline. However, he could not in any good conscience ignore his tenants, so he relented. Swearing to himself to prioritize Emmeline after sorting out this matter he swallowed his impatience and spoke, “Very well.”

Taking the card, Noah scanned the name and strode to the foyer. “Mr. Dunsworth, how may I help you?”

The Duke of Leverton cantered up to the Benwick house and scanned the sprawling country residence with a fleeting eye. He alighted from his horse at the bottom of the entrance stairs and patted the horse’s nose. “Stay.”

Straightening his clothes, George climbed the stairs and knocked on the dark wooden door. He stood there, with his arms clasped behind his back, and waited to be admitted. The door was opened and the butler bowed, “Your Grace, welcome. Please come in.”

“Thank you, Donovan.” George replied, “I’m here to see Lady Emmeline.”

The man frowned, “I’m sorry Your Grace, Lady Emmeline left the residence last eve. Mr. Allen collected her and they left, to return home, as far as I am aware.”

George felt ice run through his veins, “She left yesterday?”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Donovan replied, as his countenance started to shift to concern. “Miss Benwick saw her off, may I call her for y—”

“Your Grace!” Ann called, as she came around the corner. George briefly admired her elegant lilac gown and coiffed hair. “What a lovely surprise.”

“Miss Benwick,” George bowed, “Emmeline did not arrive home last night, and I was told she left last eve. Do you have any notion where she might have gone?”

A pallor washed over Ann’s face. “How could that be? She left to go home in broad daylight.”

“She didn’t arrive, Miss Benwick–”

The door was knocked on and Donovan turned to answer it. “His Grace, the Duke of Newberry.”

“You!” George spat as he turned to his enemy, “Did she come to you?”

Newberry’s face was hard set. The question wasn’t specific but there was only one ‘she’ George could be this enraged about. “No.”

“Then what are you doing here?” George roared. “She is missing, you cur, and you are standing here like you are innocent of all this! How dare you!”

“What is all this shouting?” Mrs. Benwick cried, as she ran into the foyer and caught sight the two Dukes and her pale daughter. “Your Graces, what is the cause of this uproar?”

“My sister is gone,” George said stonily, “And I can bet my left arm this mongrel has something to do with it.”

Newberry’s eyes flashed, “I didn’t do anything to her, Leverton–I love her!”

“You don’t know the meaning of love,” George snapped

“She left!” Ann spoke with a wavering voice, “She left here in peace…but…”

“But what, Miss Benwick?” George asked.

Ann’s face was loaded with fear and regret. She turned towards the Duke of Newberry, “She sent a note you, Your Grace. I don’t know what it said.”

Fierce anger consumed George. Ann’s words compounded his rage and he was inconsolable. Knowing that Emmeline had still defied his orders to forget Newberry, and had planned some rendezvous with the man, he felt justified in his anger. “I knew it was you!”

Newberry’s left leg slid back and the Duke instantly fell in a fighting stance. “I did nothing!”

“Your Graces!” Mrs. Benwick cried. “Please, not here!”

Again, the door was knocked on, and the butler, whose face still showed his shock over Emmeline’s disappearance, went to answer it.

Standing there were two constables of the law. Both men were dressed in blue swallow-tail coats with high collars, white trousers, and a top hat.

“Good day, Your Graces, Mrs. and Miss Benwick,” one said clearly, “May we have your attention please!”

The five people were instantly quieted and George, seeing the uniformed men, felt a cold sensation wash through his system. A similar pallor was on Newberry’s face as the two Dukes faced the authorities.

“Officers,” Mrs. Benwick said nervously. “Welcome, may I help you?”

“Thank you, Madam, I am Constable Greer,” the first officer replied, “But we are here to see His Grace, the Duke of Leverton. We had inquired at his home, but were told to come here post haste…Your Grace—” the man said while producing a box from behind him.

The box was smashed in one corner and streaked black all over. It was the same box of chocolate George had given Emmeline. “Does this box look familiar to you?”