Chapter 7

THE NEXT MORNING IT was decided that everyone would visit the local village for some Christmas shopping. There were only two days until Christmas, and the euphoria should be growing. Hope could only feel somewhat deflated as she noticed the lack of snow and family members around her, but this was not the time to feel downtrodden. She needed to pick herself up, slap a smile on her face, and get excited for Christmas.

There was nothing like perusing the Christmas wares to build that thrill. The holly, the poinsettias, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg in the air, they were enough to entice her lips into a smile. Today would be a good day. She would make it the best day. So it was with genuine glee that she eventually led all the guests into the village.

Upon arriving, she pointed out a few shops that each guest might find interesting. The candle shop for Astrid. The bookstore for Michael. The barber to Isaac. That had brought an easy laugh out of him, though he didn't go in. After orientating everyone to the village, Hope took a moment to herself.

As she wandered down the main street, the larger group had mostly paired off. Hope stood in front of one of the shop windows admiring a flower patterned tea set, when Astrid's laugh caught her attention.

She glanced over and saw Astrid with her hand on Isaac's forearm. Her head was thrown back in laughter and her other hand was crossing over her chest. Marking it as a promise, as if she were solemnly swearing something to him. It was admirable to witness such a close bond between siblings. A bittersweet twinge reverberated in her heart.

Hope continued walking down the straight road. Further down the way, there was the apothecary that Astrid had mentioned she liked. But mostly, Hope strolled unaware of her surroundings. Shop windows passed without acknowledgement, for she couldn't shake an image of Astrid. The innocent gesture wormed its way into Hope's mind and settled there. But…it wasn't really settled at all. The finger movements were replaying over and over.

Astrid's middle name was Alexandra.

Astrid had been in love with Evan and felt jilted by him.

And now Astrid had just marked herself with an X.

Hope's feet stilled. It was as if an apple had just fallen on her head to enlighten her. Could it be? Could it really have just been made clear to Hope? Was Astrid Lady X?

Hope put her head back down in thought and made her feet shuffle down the road. Eyes unseeing that the row of shops had ended, she was out of sight from the group. But she didn't mind being alone. She needed this time to think.

How could she have been such a poor judge of Astrid's character? Hope, the one who could read people as easily as people read books. Hope, who had helped make matches for her brothers. All in one summer. Hope, who knew people. She knew them. She could sense their motivations and deepest desires. She could easily see to their needs. One of those needs being to find love. How had she missed Astrid's love for Evan? Or was it even love? Perhaps it was lust. Or perhaps Hope had been blinded by her own biases.

She mentally shook that thought out of her head. Evan was with Felicity. They were meant to be together. And everyone could see it. Now. Astrid…well, sometimes love (or lust) went unrequited. Still, Hope chided herself, she should have noticed it. She could have done damage control. She could have prevented those rumors…but then…maybe Felicity and Evan wouldn't have made such a lovable pair.

The complexity of love had never weighed on Hope so much as the last few days. It was as though she didn't know how to trust her own judgment.

It was beyond the pale to contemplate that a close acquaintance could be so vindictive. How could she forgive her? The instigator of all the rumors. Then again, hadn't Felicity been the one writing and submitting those rumors to the scandal sheets? And Hope had been able to forgive her.

And hadn't her mother told her before that only some people will admire you, most will be indifferent, and the last few will resent you?

Lady X resented Evan and had done everything she could to mar his name. How could Hope forgive her? How could Hope learn to trust her judgment again? It would take—

But there were no further thoughts on that.

An arm grabbed her around her chest. A hand covered her mouth. Fabric stole over her head.

"Don't make a sound, and you'll make it out alive."

The gruffness in his voice grated on her skin. His hot breath had a stench worse than if he had just cast up his accounts. And his shirt was sticky with sweat against the back of her head, despite the chill in the air.

It wasn't her nature to go quietly, but she had no weapon to use to defend herself. She kicked him, but all he did was snicker at her futile attempts. If only she had…something. Could do…something. Her thoughts were mashing into each other. It didn't make sense. Fuzzy thoughts scattered through her mind. Where was she? What was Astrid doing bearing an X? Where was Isaac when she needed him? Why didn't she have a weapon? And why weren't her arms working? She couldn't lift them. After a few inhales she slumped against the rough body behind her.

"WELL, THANK GOD FOR that.' Isaac sighed in relief. Astrid had crossed herself reassuring him that she hadn't planned a tryst with the footman. Speaking of which, why were all the burly footmen that were supposed to be around Hope discreetly eyeing his sister? God, it would never end until she was married. He needed to marry Astrid off so she could be someone else's responsibility. He didn't mind the responsibility…no, actually he did. He loved his sister, but it was clear that her passions were running wild and needed some release. In a safe place.

Vexed that the footmen were not attending to their duty, Isaac looked up to track down Hope's whereabouts, only to see that she was no longer with the group.

This was not good.

"I told her not to wander off alone," he muttered under his breath.

"Who?" Astrid asked.

"Hope."

"Oh, she must have gone off to the apothecary I mentioned to her."

"Where is it?"

"It's at the end of the road." Astrid pointed in a direction where visibility severely diminished.

"Why did you tell her to go there?"

"One of the gentlemen I met earlier mentioned that it had some nice products." She winked at him. God, he really didn't want to know what kind of products were in the store. Furthermore, he really did not want to know when Astrid had met and flirted with the nice man. Where did she find all these men?

"Which gentleman?" Isaac was growing frantic. All he could think about was the note. He knew Hope had been threatened. She had tried to tell him it was nothing, but something in his gut told him that there was more to it this time. Berating himself, he clenched his fists and then grabbed at his hair, tugging on his scalp until the pain pricked him. He had vowed to keep her safe. He was their family's closest friend. Her brothers trusted him. Isaac had never felt like more of a lowly worm than now. He had known, yet he had let down his guard. He had been thinking too much of how to prevent a future note from coming than to pay attention to the present note. What a fool!

Adrenaline surged through him. He recalled her precious body pressed up against his. Plied to him. She was made for him. He wasn't sure what that meant, but suddenly he was desperate to find out.

He grabbed Astrid's upper arms and shook her once. "Which man, Astrid?"

"Isaac, you're scaring me." Her eyes darted around. "He was…umm…I can't see him anymore. He seemed nice enough."

"Nice enough? That's not good enough. They might have taken her."

"Who?"

"Never mind." Isaac plunked his sister down. Without any instructions or explanations, he took off toward the apothecary. In his panic, he hadn't summoned anyone to join him. Not even one single burly footman.