Page 92 of The Moonstone Hero
“Because we promised our father we would not enter the Seaton home,” Imogen added, as though traipsing around London from one gentlemen’s club to another and barging in on dukes was not just as bad.
“Ye’ve had a busy morning. But I’m glad ye came to me.” He sighed. “By chance, Lord Mersey is to meet me here at noon.”
“He is? How wonderful.” Ella glanced at the large clock standing in a corner of his study. “It is coming upon the hour now.”
Solway nodded. “He and the Duke of Mar are meeting me here for a working lunch.”
He did not invite them to stay for this meeting, nor did Ella expect he would, since it was not meant to be a social occasion. “We will leave when he shows up. I just want to know that he is all right. After the state his grandfather was in last night, I’m afraid he might have done something to harm his grandson.”
“Harm his heir?” Solway frowned. “The man would have to be deranged.”
“And you call his behavior normal last night?”
Solway raked a beefy hand through his bright shock of hair. “No, but…the lad knows how to defend himself.”
“Not when it comes to his grandfather,” Ella said, her unease growing by the moment. “He will never strike him. This is what I fear most, that he will not properly protect himself because he loves that old man.”
“Aye, I noticed how gentle he was with him last night. We’ll know soon enough if there is something of concern going on. Would ye lassies care for tea while we wait?”
“No, thank you,” Imogen said. “Our stomachs are too unsettled.”
They all leaped to their feet when a carriage drew up in front of Solway’s residence, but hopes were dashed when the Duke of Mar strode in.
Ella groaned in disappointment. “Oh.”
Mar chuckled as he bowed over her hand. “A pleasure to see ye, Lady Ella. Although I am not too sure the sentiment is returned.”
“Do forgive me.” Ella quickly explained the situation.
“Och, I’m sorry. Well, I am confident he will arrive at any moment and resolve this for ye.”
But the minutes ticked by.
When the clock chimed the half-hour, tears began to fill Ella’s eyes. “I knew something was wrong. And now all these hours have been wasted. Is it possible he went to see his grandfather after he left our house last night? It would have been quite late, after two o’clock in the morning. Anything might have happened to him. Footpads. Cutpurses. Even his grandfather’s own villainy.”
Solway was insistent. “No, lass. No matter how outraged Seaton is right now, he would not purposely harm his heir.”
“Perhaps one of his business associates, then,” Ella added. “There is nothing to keep one of them from hurting Lord Mersey to protect his own interests. Last night’s outburst between the Duke of Seaton and Caden might have been taken as a sign he would permit Caden to be harmed.”
“Aye, that’s a possibility,” Solway admitted. “Ye lassies had better wait here while Mar and I pay a call on old Seaton.”
Ella would go mad if she were left behind. “We’re coming with you. You may as well bring us along, because we will get there even if we have hire another hack.”
Mar stared at her. “All right. But ye are to remain in my carriage and not follow us in. I want your promise on this, Lady Ella.”
“You have it.”
He turned to her sister. “Lady Imogen?”
“Yes, you have my promise. Please, let’s hurry.”
Ella knew her father would be livid, but he was a reasonable man and would understand the necessity of their actions. Would he not move heaven and earth to save their mother?
To Ella’s surprise, Mr. Stafford was standing outside the Seaton townhouse when they drew up. She leaped out and ran to him. “Mr. Stafford, where is Lord Mersey?”
“I was hoping you might tell me. I was supposed to meet him at his club this morning at ten o’clock, but he never showed up. He had arranged to have breakfast with you and your family first.”
“He never showed up for that, either.” Ella dragged him over to the Duke of Mar’s carriage and quickly introduced him to Solway and Mar, although she expected they all knew each other. A quick exchange of information revealed Caden had not shown up anywhere today.
