Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

S ophia turned her head without stopping and saw a man on a horse several meters behind her. He was raising an arm, signaling her to slow down. To her relief, she recognized him. It was her uncle.

With a light tug, Violetta slowed down and huffed through her nostrils. Sophia turned in the saddle, waiting for her uncle to catch up.

“Sophia, girl… Finally, I caught up with you. You’re swift and no mistake,” Frederick said, drawing alongside his niece.

“Is something the matter? Did I forget something back at the house?”

“No, my dear. I just wanted to talk to you,” he said, catching his breath. “Forgive my wheezing, I haven’t ridden a horse in quite a while.”

She chuckled. “Then I’m glad to be the cause of you getting back in the saddle.” She paused. “What did you want to talk to me about? I don’t mean to rush you, of course, but I am eager to return home.”

He flinched at that, and she realized it was the first time she had referred to Heathcote Manor in such a way.

“I considered everything you said back at the house, Sophia, and… I have decided.”

She sighed softly. “Uncle, there’s no need for you to hurry your own peace of mind. We all know it’s a rough subject for you. No one is expecting you to change your opinion from one day to the next.”

“That is the problem, my dear.” He shook his head. “You are going to have to forgive me. I have never done something like this before.”

“That is quite understandable. You can take all the time you need, Uncle. There’s nothing to forgive,” she said with a smile.

“No, my dear girl. There will be plenty to forgive,” he replied and then paused, reaching for something behind his back.

Frederick pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Sophia, who didn’t react for a full two seconds, too shocked by the weapon to realize what was happening. A lump formed in her throat as she gulped.

“Uncle?”

“Get off that horse, Sophia. Now.”

“What are you doing?—”

“I am not used to repeating myself, girl.”

Sophia stared right down the barrel, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Her mind urged her body to respond, to react, to do something , as white-hot terror surged through her veins.

Maybe if I flick the reins, he won’t have time to react…

As if reading her mind, Frederick pulled back the hammer of the flintlock pistol, and the slight click made her flinch.

“If you run, I won’t hesitate to shoot your horse, my dear. Trust me, it won’t be the first time.”

Sophia looked down at Violetta, who most likely had no idea what was transpiring and had leaned down to chew on some grass. She couldn’t do this to the beautiful mare.

No… I can’t risk hurting her.

She set down the reins and dismounted, feeling the gaze of the barrel burning a hole in her back.

“Why—Why are you doing this, Uncle? I thought?—”

“Thought what? That I would let all of this slide without the Pratts paying for what they did to us? That I would forgive them? Absolutely not!” Frederick dismounted and made her turn around. “Hands behind your back, girl.”

When she resisted, Sophia yelped as her hands were forcefully pulled and tied behind her back.

“Uncle, no?—”

Before she could utter another word, a lump of fabric was being pushed into her mouth, gagging her. What felt even more disturbing was how fast and efficient Frederick’s movements were. They betrayed a familiarity with the act.

She managed to turn and look at him one more time with pleading, tearful eyes and muffled cries, but before long, a sack was being placed over her head, blinding her.

She screamed against the fabric, but it was pointless.

“Take my advice, girl. Stop resisting. You will only get tired.”

She felt her body being lifted and hauled atop another horse, the force of the impact making her feel sick. She could now only move her feet, and she tried, but they were immediately tied as well.

Quiet followed, then the thud of Frederick walking around the horse. She felt the weight shift as he mounted. They started moving, the jostling trot akin to being pummeled a thousand times in the stomach, but if she kicked and made a fuss, she would likely fall head first.

And then what? I’m still bound and gagged… It’s not like I can run blindly…

The rush of fear-driven strength was ebbing. She wasn’t able to resist; she recognized that now. She wouldn’t have a fighting chance. For now, she’d have to go along with his plan, whatever it was.

Thomas watched the sun disappear under the horizon, his knee jigging restlessly under his desk.

She should have been home by now. What did she even go there for?

He held his face in his hands, but it failed to calm him down. He raised his hands and ruffled his hair. If he had looked at himself in the mirror, he would know how uncharacteristically disheveled he looked.

“Miss Wright!” he shouted.

He heard steps down the hallway, and within seconds, Penny was in his study, holding a broom, her face full of worry.

“Something w?—”

“You said she was going to her family’s house, correct?” Thomas asked right away.

“Y-Yes, Your Grace.”

“Then where on earth is she?” He gestured sharply to the window. “It’s already twilight, and she hasn’t returned. Did she mention that she might stay awhile?”

“No, but perhaps she had to?”

“Are any of her clothes missing?”

“N-No.”

“Did she pack anything?”

“I don’t think so.”

“You are her lady’s maid! You should know those things!” His shout made the poor woman flinch, and he immediately regretted it, gesturing an apology. “I am sorry Miss Wright. I am simply agitated and very worried. Are you sure none of her valises are missing?”

“I am almost certain she didn’t pack anything other than a book, Your Grace, but I can double-check.”

He crossed his fingers and stared at the wall, a ball of anxiety.

A book? Why would she take a book if she was planning to return today?

“Maybe she got lost on the way back?” Penny suggested.

“Unlikely. She knows the roads by heart at this point, and she’s an excellent rider. Something is afoot… I can feel it.”

Penny chewed on her lower lip, rocking the stick of the broom back and forth. “You could visit her family residence, Your Grace, if you believe there’s something to be concerned about.”

Was it my confession? Was it so unwelcome that she had to run?

It didn’t make sense to him, but it was the only explanation he had. Perhaps she had felt the same overwhelming sensation he had experienced after they lay together. Perhaps, like him, she just needed some time to let the guilt and fear ebb.

“I… I don’t know about that, Miss Wright,” he eventually said. “She asked me to trust her. I feel like riding there to check on her might be some sort of betrayal of that trust.”

Penny stared at him with squinting eyes. “Your Grace, I’d like to ask for permission to speak freely.”

Thomas looked at her in confusion. “Everyone here has the permission to speak freely, Miss Wright.”

“In that case… with all due respect, this behavior is most uncharacteristic of you.”

Thomas was shocked awake by that statement. “Care to elaborate, Miss Wright?”

“Doesn’t the Duke of Heathcote always put his duty above everyone and everything, even himself?”

“He does.”

“So? What are you still doing here?”

“Are you implying that Sophia is my duty?”

“Is she or is she not your wife, Your Grace?” she asked in a dry, matter-of-fact tone.

“That…” Thomas struggled to find his words. “… is true, Miss Wright.”

“Is she not part of this family? And therefore, of this house?”

“That is… also correct.”

“Then doesn’t Your Grace have a duty to her?”

Thomas sighed and rubbed his eyes, but Penny didn’t relent.

“You said you were worried about her, did you not?”

“I did, and I am.”

“And in matters of worry, it’s prudent to be certain of someone’s welfare, isn’t it?” Penny prompted, her voice thick with worry. “Even if she’s displeased, at least we’ll all know she is well and safe. I know I won’t sleep if I don’t know for certain that she’s not hurt or dead or… oh goodness.”

“It would be the most logical course of action to check, yes…”

“Then why aren’t you saddling your horse?” she all but yelped.

Thomas witnessed firsthand the usually timid and soft-spoken maid breathing frantically in front of him. She looked like she had just endured a grueling race, trembling and sweaty.

As he observed her, a memory flashed through his mind—the story Gregory had told him about his father thinking that his beloved wife had been kidnapped by the Kendalls. That had been a misunderstanding, and his mother had come to no harm, but what if something similar had happened to Sophia? Something that was not a misunderstanding. After all, there had been countless reports of highwaymen on the roads.

Your father said you could outpace them, but what if you didn’t?

He wished he had forbidden Sophia from going alone, even if she had protested.

And if not highwaymen, perhaps your own family.

Thomas got up from his desk, casting a shadow into the room. “You are perfectly right, just like your namesake.” He bowed his head to Penny. “Inform the stablehands. I am going to need our fastest horse.”