Page 82 of Her Bear of a Duke

"May I speak with Her Grace?"

"I believe they are busy. I can ask her for you."

"That would be brilliant. Thank you so much."

He waited with Catherine for a moment, wondering just what she would say. She had no reason to welcome him into her home after everything that he had done, but he hoped that she truly was as good as Dorothy had said she was.

The butler reappeared, his expression blank.

"She has refused. Good day."

The door was closed in an instant, and Morgan's mouth fell open. Nobody had ever treated him so harshly; even Thomas had at least spoken to him with a sort of brotherly goodness. He remained frozen there until at last Catherine turned to face him, shifting so that he placed her back on her feet.

"His guests are the other ladies, I assume?" she asked.

"I would say so."

"Very well. Let us find them, then."

"Catherine, the butler has said that we cannot enter."

"No, he said that you cannot enter. I, on the other hand, am more than capable."

Morgan wondered where on Earth she had gotten such an idea as espionage, but he had greater issues at hand in that moment.

"You will not enter a home without permission!"

"But it is an adventure, Uncle. I have spent my entire life in the same few rooms, and I cannot do it anymore. I want to do something daring."

"There is daring, and there is against the law. Come now, we must–"

But she had already run away, and around the side of the household. He gave chase, but when he turned the corner she was gone.

"Catherine?" he hissed. "Catherine, we have to go. We cannot stay here or else we will get into trouble."

Suddenly, he heard the faint bump of stone against glass. He turned to see his niece standing at a window, throwing small pebbles at it. He ran to her in an instant, covering her hand with his own and taking her in his arms again.

"Stop that this instant. What has gotten into you?"

"This is my mistake to mend," she protested, trying to pull herself free. "I did this to Aunt Dorothy, and now I have to fix it."

When he did not let her go, she did something that she had never done before, even when she arrived with him as a small child.

She screamed.

It was an awful, ear piercing sound, and he almost dropped her out of instinct. In an instant, the window that she had been throwing stones at flew open, and the girl stopped, her eyes wide at those looking back at her.

It was Lady Emma, along with Lady Beatrice and Lady Cecilia. They did not look pleased to see him at all, though nobody was as angry as Lady Cecilia.

"We have already said that we do not wish to talk to you," she thundered.

"Could you talk to me, then?" Catherine asked desperately. "Please, Lady Cecilia, my aunt is missing and it is all my fault."

The three ladies looked at one another, and part of Morgan felt the faintest slither of ease wash over him. They did not seem afraid that Dorothy was missing, which meant that they had to know something. She was safe; she had to be.

The window was closed, and Morgan watched as they all left the room. He panicked, thinking that they had simply gone to another room, but then he heard the front door open. He took Catherine to it, and they were all there, studying the two of them.

"Come in," Lady Emma said gently. "I would have refused, but I want to know what has happened."

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