Page 70 of Alone with the Beastly Duke
“I want all of you to search every nook and cranny of this house and beyond to find my daughter,” the Earl commanded. “I will also be paying a visit to the constabulary myself to inform them of her disappearance.”
Axel waited till the Lord of the house finished addressing the servants and dismissed them before he spoke.
“I take it that no one has found Lady Jasmine yet?” he asked.
“The last time any of them saw her was when she ran out of the house toward your residence,” William said accusatorially.
Axel sighed. “I know you do not want to trust me, but let me help you,” he offered.
“There is nothing you can do in finding my daughter that I cannot do myself,” Lord Thornhill interjected stubbornly.
It was then that one of Axel’s groundskeepers entered the drawing room, a single shoe in his hand.
“Your Grace,” he said, “I—” Axel’s groundskeeper started.
“That is the shoe Jasmine wore tonight!” Daphne cut in.
Lord Hudson charged toward Axel’s groundskeeper, holding him by the collar.
“Where did you find my daughter’s shoes?” he seethed.
“I…I…” the groundskeeper, who seemed terrified at being manhandled by the Earl, could not quite get a word out.
“Lord Thornhill, I have to demand that you let go of the poor man,” Axel said firmly. The Earl seemed to have realized what he had done and let go of the groundskeeper. He, however, rounded on Axel.
“Tell me, why does your groundskeeper have my daughter’s shoe?” he asked.
“Why don’t we let the man speak for himself?” Axel suggested.
“Fine!” the Earl exclaimed.
“Now, speak!” Axel commanded his groundskeeper.
The groundskeeper, who was glad to have gotten out of the Earl’s grip, took a deep breath.
“I was searching outside the estate just like the butler told us when I found this shoe on the pathway. There also seemed to be a sign of struggle on the pathway, and just where the pathway ends, I could still see prints of a carriage on the ground,” the groundskeeper explained.
“Jasmine may have been kidnapped,” Axel announced.
His heart hurt even as he said those words. He willed himself not to believe it to be true, but he knew that nothing he wished would change what had already happened.
“My poor girl!’ Lady Thornhill sobbed as she clamped a hand on her mouth, holding back her tears.
“What do we do?” William asked no one in particular, looking somewhat confused.
“I will be going to the constabulary now,” Lord Thornhill said.
“Before we do anything else,” Axel suggested quickly, “I have found that when people from noble families get kidnapped, it is usually for a debt or a ransom. Perhaps any of you might have some idea?”
William choked, and he suddenly looked white.
“If it is for a ransom, the kidnappers should reach out for the terms of the ransom. This leaves me to believe that someone in this household may have been dealing with scoundrels, and they kidnapped Jasmine to get money out of the person,” Axel concluded.
“How dare you suggest that anyone in my house has a dealing with criminals!” the Earl shouted, his face contorted into an ugly image.
He looked more furious than Axel had ever seen him.
“I simply want–”
