Page 62 of His Godsent Duchess
Rising from the chair, Christina stepped out of the drawing room and found Smith waiting in the hallway. "Smith, please inform Addison that I'm going for a walk with the children. I'll need my spencer and bonnet."
A moment later, Addison appeared with the requested items, her eyes lingering on Christina with a subtle, concerned glance as she helped her into the spencer and fastened her bonnet.
"Is everything all right, Your Grace?" Addison asked quietly.
Christina offered a faint smile, nodding. "It will be."
The children soon came bustling down the staircase, full of energy. Agnes ran up to Christina and grabbed her hand. "I'm so happy you're coming with us!" she exclaimed, her grip tightening around Christina's fingers.
Christina squeezed her hand gently. "I've missed our walks too, Agnes."
As they made their way into the garden, Christina felt a brief sense of lightness return. The sunlight warmed her face, the fresh air filled her lungs, and the children's laughter floated around her. For a moment, it almost felt normal again. Almost.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Miss Peversly trailing behind them, silent and observant as ever. Christina ignored her. The governess had insisted on keeping her position, and now she was merely doing her duty by accompanying them. But Christina had no intention of letting Miss Peversly ruin the day.
Agnes tugged at her hand. "I'm happy to see you smiling, Mama. You haven't smiled in so many days."
Cassidy chimed in, her voice matter-of-fact. "It's only been three days, Agnes."
Amelia, always quick to correct her sister, shook her head. "No, it's been four days."
Christina couldn't help but laugh softly, the sound surprising even herself. "Regardless of how many days it's been, I've missed your banter."
Kitty smiled, glancing at her sisters. "What matters is that you're with us now, Mama, and that makes everything better."
They ventured into the woods, the familiar path winding beneath the towering trees. "There's a witch who lives in these woods," Cassidy began, her voice full of mystery. "She hides in the shadows, only coming out when the moon is full. They say she can change her shape—into a fox, or a raven, or even the wind."
Agnes gasped, her eyes wide with excitement. "The wind? How does she do that?"
Cassidy grinned, clearly enjoying the attention. "It's her magic, of course. But she only uses it to sneak up on children who wander too far into the woods."
Amelia rolled her eyes but played along. "And what does she do with them when she finds them?"
"Oh, she doesn't eat them, if that's what you're thinking," Cassidy replied. "No, she's much cleverer than that. She bewitches them, so they forget who they are and follow her into the shadows, never to return."
The children exchanged glances, their faces a mixture of awe and playfulness.
"Cassidy, you make it sound like we're in danger just walking here!" Kitty exclaimed.
"Well," Cassidy said, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "you never know. We could be closer to the witch's lair than we think."
Christina smiled at their chatter, grateful for the distraction they offered. But when they reached the grand oak tree and decided to rest beneath its sprawling branches, Christina realized something was amiss.
"Where's Amelia?" she asked, glancing around.
The children looked at one another in confusion, and Christina's heart began to race. "Where is she?" she asked again, more urgently this time.
Miss Peversly, standing nearby, crossed her arms, her face stern. "How could you let her out of your sight? You should have been paying attention!"
Christina's eyes flashed with anger as she turned to face the governess. "You've been following us from behind this entire time. You should have had your eyes on Amelia too."
Miss Peversly opened her mouth to argue, but Christina cut her off. "Enough. We need to find her."
They retraced their steps, calling Amelia's name every few paces. Christina's heart pounded in her chest, fear creeping in with every passing moment. The clouds had begun to darken, and the wind picked up, carrying with it the scent of approaching rain.
Christina made a quick decision. "We need to return to the castle," she said firmly. "I can't risk the others getting lost while we search for Amelia. We'll gather help."
The children, now subdued, followed Christina's lead as they hurried back to the castle. The first drops of rain began to fall as they reached the entrance.
