After they said their goodbyes, Leo hustled her to the carriage.
Jocelyn’s mind danced over the possibilities, each one worse than the next. Terror made her shake, the punch she’d drunk earlier sloshing uneasily inside her. When Leo settled beside her in the carriage, she clutched his arm. “Is it Mother?”
“She’s missing,” Leo said. “Woodley has organized a search party, but they thought we should know.”
Fear tightened her chest, and she had to force herself to breathe. “It’s unlike Mother to leave the house at night. She doesn’t like the dark.” Another thought occurred. “Do you think someone has kidnapped her? Like Ella?”
“I’m afraid the note didn’t say much.” Leo threaded his fingers through hers and placed her hand in his lap. “They’ll find your mother before we reach the manor.”
“I hope so.” She didn’t have a good feeling about this.
“You disappeared for a while,” Leo said.
“Ah, yes.” A frisson swept her as she recalled the woman’s words. She feared for Jocelyn’s safety. Oh dear. What should she tell Leo? Her eavesdropping didn’t show her in a good light. “I went for a walk in the garden,” she said finally.
“Alone?” His question fired at her like a pistol, and her anxiety ramped up another notch. Surely he didn’t suspect her of meeting with another man? Her shoulders slumped. Of course he did. He was judging her by his first wife’s standards. He probably didn’t even realize, but this early in their marriage she’d make allowances and give him time to understand she’d never betray him—as long as he was innocent of murder.
“I needed a break from the intense scrutiny. Everyone kept staring at me.” Now she was starting to babble when she needed to remain matter-of-fact. She needed to placate him. Reassure him she was nothing like his first wife.
“And?” There was a clear edge to his voice.
“I heard a couple talking out in the garden.”
“You eavesdropped?” Now he sounded disbelieving, definitely disapproving.
“Um…yes.” Not her finest moment. She wished she could scrub her mind clean, but now that she’d overheard accusations of murder…
“Yes, what?” His tone hovered close to snappish, and she tugged her hand free.
“Yes, I’m guilty of eavesdropping on a private conversation.” Her words echoed in the silence of the carriage, crisp and tinged with anger. She took another breath, willing herself to relax. She was acting exactly like him, jumping to conclusions. The parish constable hadn’t arrested Leo for murder, and trust needed to go both ways.
“You might as well tell me, Jocelyn.”
She hesitated, wishing she could see his expression. “The couple intimated that you murdered your first wife.”
Silence fell—an uneasy one.
“Do you think they’ll have found my mother by the time we arrive at the manor?” She repeated her earlier question, desperate to change the subject. She didn’t need to give him ideas about murder.
“Do you believe them?” Leo asked finally, his voice devoid of nuance.
“I didn’t mean to snoop. It happened by accident because I was too embarrassed to show myself. It wasn’t well done.” And she hadn’t answered his question. Disquiet rippled through her as she waited for more questions. Relief when they didn’t come allowed the tension to ease from her muscles.
“What else did they say?”
He’d noticed the way she’d prevaricated. It was clear from his clipped words. “They…implied you murdered your wife and paid off officials to avoid imprisonment.”
“Is that all?”
Again Jocelyn wished she could see Leo’s expression. “They talked about Hannah and how she thought she’d marry you once the mourning period ended.”
“I see.”
Jocelyn wished she could see. She didn’t understand a thing. While she didn’t know Leo well, the things she’d learned showed a good man. He was generous with her mother and a kind and lusty lover to her. While he was distant with Cassie, he didn’t neglect his daughter. He might have remarried a short time after the death of his first wife, but that didn’t make him a bad man. He’d wanted a mother for his daughter.
But some people were adept at covering their true characters, and that was the confusing part.
The springs creaked as he shifted his weight, and her pulse suddenly raced. As the silence grew, more questions formed in Jocelyn’s mind. She kept returning to the same one. What had really happened to Ursula?
For peace of mind, she needed to learn more about her without providing fodder for gossip or upsetting Leo. Whether the answers she found would help—
What if she discovered Leo was responsible? No, she shouldn’t pursue this matter. “Do you think they’ll have found Mother by now?”
“I hope so,” Leo said.
She swallowed at his harshness and wanted to say something to placate him yet her uncertainties wouldn’t let her offer the support.
Finally the carriage pulled up in front of the manor. Leo pushed the door open and leapt out before turning to aid her descent.
The manor was ablaze with light, and Jocelyn’s heart sank. Obviously, they hadn’t located her mother. Shouts rang out, some close and others more distant. Lights bobbed in the garden, indicating the progress of searchers.
“You’re back,” Tilly said in clear relief. “I’m sorry, Jocelyn. Your mother retired with a headache. I gave her a powder and looked in on her several times. She was asleep when I made a final check before I retired for the evening. The maids, Mrs. Green and I have searched the manor from top to bottom.” She wrung her hands in clear agitation.
“When did you become aware she was missing?” Leo asked. “What made you check on her?”
“Mrs. Green heard a noise and thought it was a footman sneaking around with one of her maids. When she went downstairs, she discovered the front door wide open. She notified Woodley. When we discovered Elizabeth missing, we commenced a search.”
“When was that?” Leo asked.
“Almost three hours ago.”
“Three hours!” Jocelyn exclaimed.
Tilly shot her a look of apology. “We thought we’d find her without difficulty. You know how she wanders off. We’ve always found her in short order.” Tilly clutched a handful of her skirts, twisting and tugging the fabric. “No one has seen Elizabeth. It’s as if someone has spirited her away.” Unspoken was the fear that this was a repeat of Ella’s disappearance.
“Where is Susan? Is she all right?” Jocelyn asked.
“She’s in your chamber, awaiting your arrival,” Tilly said.
Jocelyn nodded. “I’ll get Mrs. Green to check on her.”
“Jocelyn, I want you to search the house again,” Leo said, after returning from speaking to several of the servants. “I’ll help the men outdoors.”
“But I can help—”
“Please, Jocelyn. I don’t want to worry about you too. I’ll send word as soon as we find her.”
Jocelyn watched Leo stride away and told herself her mother had wandered off. She’d keep telling herself that because the alternative was unspeakable. Yes, if her mother had strolled out of the gardens to the moor she’d be frightened. Cold. The thought galvanized her to action. “Blankets. Warm bricks. Come, Tilly. We’ll prepare for my mother’s return and do another search of the house.”
Leo grabbed a lamp and located Woodley. Wisely, Woodley had sent footmen in various directions and stayed near the stables to coordinate.
“Any luck?” Leo asked.
“No. We’ve combed the house, the stable area and most of the gardens. One of the footmen found a scrap of white cloth snared on a branch. We’re not sure if it belongs to Mrs. Townsend or not.”
“Where was it found?”
“Near the walled garden.”
Frighteningly close to the gate leading into the moor. “It’s time to hunt farther afield.”
Woodley nodded. “Which areas should I send the footmen to search? Some of the locals have arrived to help too.”
Foreboding swept Leo, memories of Ursula swamping him, the sense of helplessness, the knowledge everyone suspected him. “I’ll scan along the riverbank to the west. Tell the next group of men who report back to you to check the shore from the east. If we don’t find her near the river we’ll spread out and start to scour the moor.”
Leo held his lamp high, his gaze sweeping the area as he strode through the garden to the river. “Elizabeth!”
God, he hoped they located her soon. If she’d wandered onto the moors they might never find her. As it was, they’d need to wait for first light to search the open ground. There were dangerous bogs nearby that were nigh impossible to navigate during the day. They’d likely lose men if they attempted to comb the area now.
He thought of the missing maid and rolled his shoulders to loosen the tension flooding his mind and body. Although Elizabeth’s moods were unpredictable he couldn’t think why she’d leave the manor in the middle of the night.
Hollers drifted on the air, voices increasingly urgent. Once the path ended, Leo examined the riverbank as best he could. Gravel and stones crunched beneath his shoes. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Leaving the small open area, he pushed through the undergrowth, grimacing when mud squelched into his evening shoes and seeped through his stockings. He should’ve taken time to change, but the idea of finding Jocelyn’s mother in similar circumstances to Ursula had urged him to haste.
“Elizabeth! Elizabeth!” He paused and heard nothing but the scolding of a night bird. It burst off the branch of a nearby tree, the frantic flap of its wings giving him a start.
He checked the ground for footprints to no avail. It looked as if the sheep had escaped the care of their shepherd during the afternoon since animal prints studded the ground. His progress was slow, the limbs of a willow impeding his advance.
“Elizabeth!”
Leo scrutinized his surroundings, holding his lamp aloft to gain maximum illumination. He ducked his head to avoid an overhanging branch and tripped on something in his path. Cursing, he flailed his arms but he went sprawling headfirst anyway. The lamp flew from his grasp, struck a tree trunk and flickered out.
“God’s blood.” Leo pushed to his feet. His evening clothes would never be the same.
A soft noise caught his attention. Foreign, it took him a few seconds to place the sound.
“Elizabeth?”
A pained cry. A whimper.
Cautiously, Leo moved through the dark, using his hands to feel for protruding branches while waiting for his eyes to grow used to the inky black beneath the tree.
The third time the cry sounded, he recognized it as human. “Elizabeth?” His fingers came into contact with a muddy hand and relief filled him. He didn’t need to tell Jocelyn the search had failed. “Elizabeth, I’m here. You’re safe now.”
When she didn’t reply, alarm rose within him. He felt her wrist for a pulse and found a weak one. Thank God, she was still alive.
Leo crawled from beneath the tree and let out a holler. “I’ve found her. Over here by the river!”
“She’s found,” someone shouted from over to his left. The cry was picked up, the message passed on to Woodley.
Leo returned to Elizabeth, worried when she didn’t stir. He rapidly checked her limbs for sign of injury and didn’t find anything amiss until he ran his hands over her head. Wetness met his touch. Blood? Damn, he needed a light. Blankets. Her skin felt like ice against his palms.
He glanced up, relieved to see lights heading in his direction. “Over here,” he shouted. Aware of the cold wind, he removed his jacket and covered her. “We’re here,” he said, giving the search party a direction.
“Is she all right?” Woodley asked.
“She’s not responsive—nothing apart from the odd whimper. I think she’s hit her head.”
Woodley squatted beside him, the glow from Woodley’s lamp showing blood on Elizabeth’s face and hair.
“We need to get her back to the house. I’ll carry her,” Leo said. “You light the way.”
Several other searchers arrived, the extra illumination from their lanterns making Leo’s progress easier. They arrived at the house after a brisk fifteen-minute walk.
“Mother? Is she all right?” Jocelyn reached out to touch her mother’s arm, anxiety shading her breathless queries.
His wife’s pale face made his heart twist. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, but instead he kept walking. “She’s hit her head, probably on a branch because I found her underneath a tree with low-lying branches. Where do you want her? In her room?”
“Should I summon the doctor?”
Leo frowned. “I doubt he’d get here for a couple of days. There was a mine accident in the south. He’s been called to treat the injured.”
“Never mind. We’ll manage. Her room is fine,” Jocelyn said with a hint of steel. “Tilly and I will take care of her.”
In the chamber, Leo set Elizabeth on her bed and, once he was sure the women didn’t require his assistance, he left to join the men who’d helped with the search. “A bottle of rum is in order, I think, Woodley.”
“Yes, Mr. Sherbourne.”
Leo ushered the men into the servants’ dining room because he knew they’d feel more comfortable there. He busied himself with stoking the fire while Woodley passed around tots of rum.
“Thank you for your help,” Leo said, lifting his glass.
“We’re glad to be of service,” one of the men said.
“’Tis a pity we didn’t find the young maid wot went missing,” another of the men said.
“Aye,” someone agreed. “’Tis a bad business.”
“Someone said she ran away with a lover.”
“No, not Ella. She be a good girl,” the first man said.
“I don’t believe that of ’er,” one of the men agreed. “I’ve known Ella and Susan since they were nippers. Good girls, both of ’em.”
Leo frowned, remaining silent. This wasn’t a topic he wished to become embroiled in tonight.
Woodley arrived with a platter of cheese, pickles and bread and passed this around. Conversation shifted to farming and the mining accident down south.
Leo remained near the fire, intermittently joining the conversation. His thoughts went to Jocelyn and her distress when he’d strode in with her mother. He stalked over to the table to set down his glass.
“I’m going to check on Elizabeth,” he said to Woodley. “Thank you,” he said to the men who’d left their beds to aid in the search.
He hurried down the passage and took the servants’ staircase to the second floor at a run. He knocked, pausing until he heard Jocelyn bid him to enter. “How is she?”
“Apart from the wound on her head and a few scratches, she appears unharmed,” Jocelyn said. “I’d feel happier if she regained consciousness.”
“Can I do anything?” Leo asked gruffly.
“No,” Jocelyn said, her gaze remaining on her mother. “I’m going to sit with her for the rest of the night.”
“No, Jocelyn,” Tilly objected. “You go to bed.”
“Tilly, you can watch her tomorrow morning. She’ll likely wake soon, and you’ll have your hands full. You know what a difficult invalid she is. She’ll run us both ragged.”
Leo wanted to object. He hadn’t handled things well during the conversation in the carriage. He’d known Jocelyn would hear gossip, but it still hurt to imagine the questions she must have after the conversation she’d overheard. In hindsight, the carriage had been a bloody stupid place to force the conversation. “I’ll see you in the morning. Summon me if you need help in any way.”
Jocelyn nodded, but her manner remained distant. He didn’t know her well enough to tell if it was merely worry for her mother or if she felt disdain for him after their exchange.
“Good night.” With a stiff bow, he withdrew. Damn, her words had struck like a rejection, even if she hadn’t meant them that way. He stomped down the passage, part of him aware he was behaving like Cassie, sulking because Jocelyn’s attention was on her mother. As it should be, he reminded himself.
He and Jocelyn had time. He’d have to woo her and make her understand he viewed their marriage as a good thing. Hell, he was already half in love with his new wife. How could he not admire her sunny disposition and loving manner to her mother and Cassie? The servants liked her too. Even Mrs. Green had thawed quickly under Jocelyn’s deft management.
Leo entered his room and prepared for bed. He yawned and dropped onto the corner of the bed, exhaustion arriving now that the excitement had ended. Cold made him fumble in removing his filthy shoes. Maybe one of the footmen could do something with them. He struggled with the buttons of his vest and shirt, fingers clumsy. When he stood, he noticed splotches of mud clinging to the bedcovers. Guilt struck, and he grimaced at the mess he’d made.
After a quick wash with cold water, he doused the candles and crawled between the sheets. Despite his fatigue, his mind chased in circles, refusing him the rest he sought. He missed Jocelyn, the warmth of her curvy body and the tiny sighs she made in her sleep, the spill of fiery hair across his pillows.
But she didn’t trust him, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Then there was Hannah. He’d known she’d expected him to offer for her once the period of mourning ended. He hadn’t heard much gossip though—perhaps because the locals didn’t like to air rumors to his face. He wished the treatment had extended to Jocelyn.
Eavesdropping.
His lips tightened in distaste, although he could hardly blame her for remaining concealed. Some of Hannah and Peregrine’s friends bore wicked tongues.
A loud scream rippled into his musings. He jerked upright, startled for an instant. The terrified scream repeated, and his tension eased. This sound was a familiar one and good news. Elizabeth was awake and in full voice.