Page 63 of A Love to Remember
The door opened and a man blew in on a swirl of chilled air and snow.
“Oh!” Faith’s face lit up as she rushed toward him, hands outstretched. “Thank goodness you are home, love. We must send word to Flagstaff Castle. Lord Cumberland needs to know where to find Her Grace.”
Chapter 19
It had taken two days for Philip and the others to reach Devon. Now, less than half an hour after his arrival, Philip paced his study at Flagstaff Castle like a caged beast.
“Where the hell is Chatsworth Manor?” He swung around and started to pace in the opposite direction. “Damn it all. If we don’t find her soon it will be too late.”
“Calm down,” Sebastian said. “You’re not thinking. Francis can’t have arrived in Devon more than four to six hours ahead of us. We rode on horseback. He would have had to take Rose in a carriage. What do you know of Chatsworth Manor?”
“Nothing.” Philip shoved restless fingers through his hair. “That’s what worries me. This is my county”—he thumped the desk with his fist and dropped into a seat—“so how could I not have heard of the place?”
“Perhaps,” Arend said slowly, “it’s a recent sale, and was previously known by another name. Which houses in the area have been sold in the past six months?”
At Arend’s suggestion, something niggled at the back of his mind. Wasn’t there an old manor house on the far-flung east side of the Flagstaff estate that had been sitting empty for years? Yes. As he recalled, there had been a dispute over ownership. Robert had tried to buy it a few years ago, but ownership had still been in question then.
He had no idea whatever happened to the rundown house and land, but he was certain the house had not been called Chatsworth Manor.
Before he could say so, there was a knock on the study door. Almost immediately, it opened and Philip’s mother, Lady Cumberland, walked in.
All the men rose to greet her.
Smiling, she waved them back. “Oh, do sit down, gentlemen. I just heard that you were here, and that Her Grace is missing. Is there anything I can do to help?”
Nothing happened in this house without his mother knowing. There wasn’t much in the county that escaped her notice, either. “Actually, Mother, there might be. Please do sit down.”
Christian quickly stood and offered Lady Cumberland his chair. Once she was comfortable, Philip explained the situation and showed her Elaine’s note. “That old manor near the eastern corner. Could that be the place Elaine is referring to as Chatsworth Manor?”
Lady Cumberland’s brow furrowed. “I can’t tell you what the house is called now, dear boy. It used to be Dashington Hall, but I do know it was sold not long ago. Old Fred will be able to tell you more. He knows everything that goes on here.”
Fred was their head groom—or had been. He still pottered around the stables but was getting too old to work a full day. His son was now head groom. But Fred had extended family all over the estate and in various positions. In fact, his brother’s boy, David, had become smitten with the lass Philip had rescued for Maxwell and married her. A happy ending all around.
Please, God, let this be another happy ending.
Philip stood and moved to his mother’s chair, bending down to place a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Mother. If you will excuse us, we will be off to talk to Fred.”
She merely patted his cheek. “Of course, my dear. And make sure you bring Rose safely home.”
It was already dark when the men arrived at Fred’s cottage, a mile from the castle. The night was cold and snow was beginning to fall.
Fred was both surprised and pleased when Philip rode up with the six Libertine Scholars, Sebastian, Christian, Arend, Maitland, Grayson and Hadley. He’d also brought along many of his men. When Philip was asked about Dashington Hall he nodded sagely. Yes, her ladyship was right. Although he didn’t know who had bought it, he thought it might now be called Chatsworth Manor.
“Although it queers me what be wrong withDashingtonHall,” the old man grumbled. “It’s been Dashington Hall dunno how many years.”
Philip tried to keep the conversation away from the past. “What about strangers, Fred? Any strangers about recently?”
“No. No strangers.” Fred kicked at a flurry of snow. “Well, Lord Kirkwood, as is now. Still as cow-handed as he were as a lad. Still slumps like a sack in the saddle. But he’s too high in the instep to even nod to the likes of me, so I suppose I could call him a stranger.”
Philip’s spine stiffened. “Kirkwood? Where did you see him?”
Suddenly finding himself the center of everyone’s focused attention, Fred took a step back. “It were over by the property you be asking about. Dashington Hall as it was.”
That was all Philip needed to hear. “Thank you, Fred. I’m grateful,” he said and then strode down the path, and vaulted onto his mount’s back.
As the men rode for Chatsworth Manor, Philip fought to control his anger, to keep his fury and frustration from communicating to his mount. But he couldn’t control his imagination. If Francis or Kirkwood had harmed Rose, there was nothing he wouldn’t do to avenge her.
He refused to consider he could be too late. He finally understood Grayson’s words.When you find a love like no other you will fight to the death to keep hold of that love.
