Page 18 of Her Duke's Second Chance

“The seamstress said she got a good look at you while we were in the tavern, and it was enough for her to know your measurements and alter what she already had.”

“That is quite the feat.”

“Yes, I thought the same. Quite fast indeed.” He looked her up and down. “But it seems she was right.”

Georgiana nodded in agreement. The bit of awkward conversation between them died and they rode on in silence.

“It is likely that they were also stranded by the storm, do you not think? Surely, they must have also made a stop along the way?” Georgiana blurted after the silence got a bit too heavy for her.

Robert nodded. “Indeed. We will find them, do not worry.”

Georgiana swallowed. She wanted to agree with Robert just to be amiable, but she was too worried about Daisy. She would only feel better once she laid eyes on her sister and knew for certain that she was all right.

She was even willing to overlook it if Daisy had compromised her purity. There were always ways around that. She just wanted Daisy to be safe.

For she could not bear any other possibility.

They rode into the village on the outskirts of Gretna Green, stopping at the square to look around and devise a search plan.

“I think that if you go east and I go west we can cover the entire village by the end of the day and quickly determine if Daisy and Newston are here,” Robert said.

Georgiana hastily agreed. She wanted to find Daisy on her own to afford them a few minutes to speak privately. Whatever had happened, she knew that Daisy would be honest with her, but she worried that the duke’s presence would impede her from speaking freely.

“I will talk to the shopkeeper,” she said.

“And I will visit the tavern,” Robert replied.

They gave each other a nod and went their separate ways.

Georgiana walked around for a bit, searching for the kind of woman who made it her business to know everything that went on in the town.

At midmorning, everyone was busy with their shops, and the market’s vendors shouted out their wares amidst the throng of shoppers. The town also boasted a church, a blacksmith’s, a tannery, and a tavern.

It was a small place, and Georgiana could see Robert at the tavern’s entrance, in discussion with a man who appeared to be the tavern keeper.

She turned away quickly, heading towards a shop with a tentative smile on her face.

The shopkeeper was a taciturn man who spoke in grunts and hums. He barely looked Georgiana in the eye.

“Pardon me, sir. Have you seen a lady and a gentleman—” she began to say before he cut her off.

“Plenty of those around. Eloping, eh?”

“Yes, yes,” she answered impatiently, with a wave of her hand, “the couple I am looking for would be quite well dressed. The girl has strawberry blonde hair?—”

The man cut her off again, “I havena’ seen them.”

Georgiana sighed in defeat. It was clear that the man was not interested in helping her in any way. She walked out of his shop, dragging her feet.

“Excuse me, miss?” She heard running footsteps from behind her and wheeled around in the direction of the voice.

A young girl in pigtails and an apron that marked her as a milkmaid was running towards Georgiana, her face eager.

“Ye were asking for th’ girl with the beautiful hair, were ye no?” she asked breathlessly.

Georgiana nodded eagerly, hoping they were talking about the same person. “Yes. Did you see her?”

The girl nodded. “She was wi’ a dandy young fellow. Loud.” She wrinkled her nose.

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