Chapter 18

The mood changed immediately.

Phillip immediately picked up on Christopher's worry. "You're right," he said, scanning the area. "Where did they go?"

Frances' heart skipped a beat, and she quickly stood up, her eyes darting around the park. The spot where Theodosia had been playing with the twins was now conspicuously empty.

"Ernest? Edwin?" she called out, trying to keep her rising panic from her voice.

Christopher's gaze swept the park, and he motioned for Phillip to follow him. "Stay here with the ladies," he instructed softly. "We'll find them."

"I am sure it is nothing," Esther squeezed her sister's hand, who was beginning to look more worried by the moment.

"We'll split up and cover more ground," Phillip suggested, his voice steady but urgent.

Frances watched the men disappear into the distance, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. "Oh God, Esther. Where do you think the children could have gone?"

"I am sure it is not a cause of concern. Theodosia is very responsible, and I do not believe for a moment that she would have let them out of her sight for long," Esther reassured her.

But it was not working much. Frances grew more and more worried with each passing second.

"I should go help," she said, trying to get up.

"Leave it to them, Frances. I am sure that nothing wrong has happened, and they will return with the children soon."

Frances tried to keep calm, her eyes scanning the park for any sign of the children. After all, Esther was calm. It involved her child, too.

Perhaps Frances needed to learn from her.

The distant chatter of other families and the occasional barks of a dog filled the air, but there was no sign of the twins or Theodosia.

* * *

Christopher and Philliped scanned everywhere they could.

Minutes turned into what felt like hours as they scoured the area. With every passing second, Christopher grew more and more worried.

Where were they? How could he have let this happen?

"Do not worry." Phillip patted him gently on the shoulder. "I am sure that they are around here somewhere."

"How is it that you are so composed? I believe I am going to have a breakdown if we do not find them soon."

Phillip pressed his lips together. "Well, worrying is only going to make the search inefficient, and I do not wish for that. But rest assured, we are going to scan every inch of this park."

Christopher tried to placate himself with his friend's words, but it was not proving to be so effective.

Surely, he should take a page out of his book, right? Phillip had years of parenting on him, so his word should hold some weight.

"Edwin, Ernest, Theodosia! Where are you?" Christopher's voice gave away the desperation he felt.

Then, just as he was about to call out again, he spotted something a few yards away, partially hidden by a cluster of bushes.

"Theodosia!" he shouted, breaking into a run.

Phillip, close on his heels, reached her first.

The sight was something that Christopher had never wished to see. Nor did it do anything to soothe his anxiety on the matter.

Nestled into the shrubbery, Theodosia was lying on the ground, her face pale and her eyes closed.

Phillip dropped to his knees beside her, gently shaking her shoulder. "Theodosia, sweetheart, can you hear me?"

The commotion was enough that even the women caught onto it, and they hurried over.

Esther's face turned ashen at the sight of her daughter lying so still. "Theodosia!" she cried, her voice cracking with fear.

Slowly, Theodosia's eyes fluttered open, and she groaned softly. "Papa…"

Phillip's face broke into a relieved smile, though his voice remained calm. "I'm here, my darling. What happened? Where are Ernest and Edwin?"

Theodosia blinked a few times, looking around as if trying to remember. "A man," she said weakly, pointing towards the park's edge. "He took them…"

Christopher's blood ran cold, and he stood up, his jaw clenched. "Which way?" he demanded.

Theodosia lifted a trembling hand, pointing towards a narrow path that led into a dense grove of trees. "That way," she whispered.

Christopher felt his heart drop, cold fear gripping his chest.

The worst of what he had feared had happened. The twins were not with Theodosia, and they had no leads on them whatsoever.

"We have to find them," Frances said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Christopher, please. You have to do something."

"Stay here and take care of Theodosia," Christopher instructed. When noticed how pale Esther seemed, he added, "And take care of your sister. She needs you right now, more than ever. And, Phillip, you stay here too."

Frances nodded, and Christopher could tell that she was trying to be strong for him.

"What should we?—"

Christopher interrupted her. "In fact, it is best that you take the carriage and head back to the estate. It is not good for Esther to be here in this condition, and Theodosia requires rest."

Frances shook her head. "I cannot leave without knowing that the twins are safe."

"But…"

"Christopher will find them," Esther said firmly, her eyes filled with a fierce determination. "He won't stop until they're safe."

Frances nodded, though tears streamed down her cheeks now. "I know," she whispered, her voice trembling. "But what if?—"

"No what ifs," Esther interrupted gently but firmly. "We have to believe in him. He'll bring them back."

Phillip carefully lifted Theodosia into his arms, holding her close. "We should get her back to the estate," he urged softly, his eyes filled with worry. "It's safer there."

Christopher's eyes blazed with determination. "I need to move now," he said sharply, turning to him. "Stay with them. Keep them safe."

Without hesitation, he sprinted towards the path Theodosia had indicated, his long strides eating up the distance.

* * *

All Frances could think about was the children. She paced the length of the hallway, biting her nails down to the quick in frustration.

Where is he? Did he find anything? Are the twins alright?

Nothing was could make her feel better at this moment.

Theodosia was in one of the guest rooms with her parents by her side. Her condition seemed to have improved greatly.

Frances wanted to be there for her too, but she could not bring herself to rest even for a moment until the twins were here.

After an hour of waiting, Christopher returned.

"Christopher!" Frances ran to him, barely able to hold back her tears.

"I have come to change into my riding gear," he told her, his face set in a mask of determination. But his words did nothing to soothe her.

"Oh, but did you not find anything?"

"It would be better and more efficient if I involve the staff into the search. I've alerted them," he stated quickly. "They're searching the grounds and surrounding areas."

Frances clung to his arm, her voice choked with emotion. "Christopher, please… find them. Bring them back safely."

Christopher cupped her face in his hands, his gaze steady and filled with a fierce promise. "I will find them, Frances. I won't rest until they're home." He leaned down, pressing a quick, reassuring kiss to her forehead. "Trust me."

Frances blinked in surprise. "I'm coming too," she declared, her voice firm. "I need to be with you. I need to help."

Christopher looked at her, his eyes softening for a moment. "I understand that you're worried about the boys, but it will be dangerous. You must stay home."

Frances shook her head stubbornly. "Be that as it may, those boys are my family. I won't sit here and wait."

"Frances, be reasonable please," Christopher pleaded.

She could tell that he was feeling guilty about refusing her, but she could not see reason right now.

"Shall I prepare another horse, Your Grace?" the butler asked.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Frances and Christopher replied at the same time.

Christopher took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Frances, you must see reason. I can see that you are driven by your concern for the children, but this is not the way to go. If you join the rescue mission, then it will only hinder my progress, as I will continue to worry about you instead of focusing my whole attention on the issue."

Frances pouted. She knew that he was right. "But I feel so helpless here, sitting at home…"

"You must trust me," he said firmly. "Please, I shall be back before you know it."

With that, they finally departed.

Frances stayed glued to the window, tracking his every move and watching his horse disappear into the distance.

"Please come back soon," she whispered.

She had never felt so helpless in her entire life.

Outside, Phillip awaited him and together they took off to find the twins.

* * *

Christopher's mind was riddled with all manners of unwanted thoughts as he rode back to the park. The usually lively space now felt like a ghost town, or the scene of a crime.

He dismounted his horse near the entrance and began searching on foot, his eyes scanning the corners and hidden nooks of the park. Anything that he might have missed before.

His mind was racing, filled with a thousand thoughts and fears.

What if they were hurt? What if they were cold and scared, crying for someone to save them?

"Peter, I'm sorry," he whispered to himself, his voice breaking. "I was supposed to look after the twins."

His thoughts were a tangled mess of regret.

How could he have let this happen? How could he have been so careless? The faces of Ernest and Edwin haunted him. They were too young to know anything, and it was his job to make sure that nothing happened to them.

"I should have been more vigilant," he muttered, his fists clenching in frustration. "I should have protected them."

He couldn't shake Peter's image out of his mind. Peter had trusted him to keep his children safe.

As he wandered deeper into the park, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps. He turned to see Phillip catching up behind him.

"Christopher," Phillip called out softly, standing beside him.

Christopher shook his head, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "Nothing. They're gone. I've searched everywhere, but there's no sign of them."

Phillip placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "We'll find them," he reassured him. "But you need to stay calm. Panicking won't help anyone, least of all the boys."

Christopher clenched his jaw. "I should have protected them," he said bitterly. "I should have known something like this could happen."

"You couldn't have predicted this," Phillip pointed out gently. "You've done everything you can. And we're not giving up. We'll search the entire town if we have to."

"I know it is easy for you to say, considering that you do not have a stake in this."

Phillip was taken aback by his words. As he should be.

It took a moment for Christopher to realize that he was being unneededly harsh.

"I apologize. That was?—"

"No need. I know that this is not you talking right now, but your worries. You are correct that I would have been in a similar state of distress if it was one of my children missing."

Christopher knelt by the fountain where the children had played earlier, his fingers brushing over the wet stone surface. "I just do not know how this could have happened. Did Theodosia say anything else? What else did she see?"

Phillip's face tightened with concern. "She is only a child herself, so one cannot expect her to report like a detective."

"I am not suggesting?—"

"But still, she maintains that she saw a man take them away. Now, our task is to locate the man."

Christopher ran a frustrated hand through his hair, his body stiff with exhaustion and frustration. "We need to widen the search," he said, his voice hoarse. "Check every road, every building near the park. Someone must have seen them."

Phillip nodded in agreement, but he could see the strain in his friend's eyes. "But first, you need to take a moment. You're running on fumes."

"I can't stop," Christopher protested. "Not until I find them."

"I know," Phillip said gently. "But you're no good to them if you collapse."

"What are you even suggesting?" Christopher asked, irritated. "That I abandon the search and simply go home? All because it is too hard?"

"You are surely doing a great job at misinterpreting what I say today," Phillip huffed. "All I am suggesting is that perhaps we need to devise a new strategy. You have your entire staff searching the park. I think something else must be done."

Christopher considered his words. "Well, go on then. What is your big idea?"

"I suggest we talk to the people. Someone must have seen something."

Christopher nodded immediately. This might be the best idea out of them all.

"We'll find them," Phillip repeated, his voice steady and reassuring. "We have to believe that."

Now with a different strategy, they instead began looking for people who might have seen the twins.

Christopher spotted a man by the bench. He looked quite uninterested in being there, but Christopher remembered him from earlier when they had first come to the park.

"That man." He pointed towards him. "I have an inkling that he might know something."

"Let us waste no time, then."

They approached him.

"Kind sir, did you see a pair of twins, very young with brown hair, at this park earlier? We have been searching for them since the evening and have not been able to find any trace of them yet," Christopher explained.

The man looked up at them. "That depends," he drawled, his voice low and rough. "Who's asking?"

"I am Christopher Grant, the Duke of Huntington," Christopher replied, his tone leaving no room for doubt or delay. "And this is Phillip Fernside, the Duke of Trowbridge. We're looking for my nephews, Ernest and Edwin. Do you know anything?"

"I might know something," the man said, his eyes scanning the park around them. "But it's going to cost you."

Phillip stepped forward, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "We're not here to play games," he growled. "If you have information, you'd better tell us now. We don't have time for negotiations."

The man shrugged, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Money talks, gentlemen. I'm risking a lot just talking to you. Make it worth my while."

Christopher's eyes blazed with frustration, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"Money is no issue," he said firmly, pulling a small pouch from his coat pocket and holding it up. "You'll get whatever you need. But first, you tell us everything you know."

* * *

The estate was eerily quiet as the night deepened.

Frances sat in her room, the dim light of a single candle casting flickering shadows on the walls. She hadn't eaten or slept, her heart aching with worry for Ernest and Edwin. Every creak of the floorboards startled her, her mind racing with thoughts of the twins.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.

It was Sally, one of the maids at the estate. She had worked there for a long time.

"Your Grace."

"What is it? Do you have any news?"

Sally shook her head, much to Frances's disappointment. And then she pointed to the tray of food that remained untouched on the small table by the window.

"Please, Your Grace," she implored gently, her voice soft but insistent. "You need to eat something or at least lie down for a bit. You're exhausted."

Frances shook her head, returning her attention to the window. "I can't rest until they're back. I need to know they're safe."

Sally sighed, wringing her apron. "But you won't be able to help them if you collapse from exhaustion. Please, just a few bites…"

Frances knew that the maid only meant well, but right now her concern was irritating her.

"How can I eat when they might be scared and alone somewhere? How can I sleep when I don't know if they're safe?"

"I understand, Your Grace. But please know that His Grace is doing everything he can to bring them home."

Frances felt the knot in her chest tighten further. She turned back to the window, her breath fogging the glass as she leaned closer, straining to see any sign of movement outside.

Christopher had left in the evening, and many hours had passed since then.

Just when she thought she couldn't bear the waiting any longer, she heard the distant sound of hoofbeats on the gravel driveway. Her heart leaped to her throat, and she bolted upright, pressing her face to the window.

"Sally, do you hear that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

Sally moved to the window, peering out into the darkness. "Yes, Your Grace. It sounds like a horse. Could it be?"

Frances didn't wait for confirmation. She hiked up her skirts and hurried towards the door. She flew down the grand staircase, her heart pounding as she reached the entrance hall.

And then she finally saw him.

Christopher was dismounting his horse, his face haggard and lined with fatigue. He turned towards her, his eyes meeting hers, and she searched his face for any sign, any clue of the news he brought.

"Christopher!" Frances called out and ran towards him, her emotions teetering on the edge of panic.

He caught her in his arms as she reached him. "Frances," he murmured, his voice rough and weary.

"Where are they? Please tell me that you know something. Anything."

Christopher's frown deepened. "We haven't found them yet, but we have a lead."

Frances pulled back slightly, her eyes wide and desperate. "A lead? Where are they? What did you find?"