Page 59 of Impeccable
Walking to the closed door, Ash sat down and let out a soft whimper. Oh dear, it seemed hedidmiss Gregory.
Evie went to scoop him up, carrying him back to a chair near the hearth and setting him on her lap. “I know, my dear boy. I miss him too.” At least she could tell the dog the truth, if not herself. And certainly not Gregory.
She missed him. She wanted him. She would eagerly rekindle their affair.
But she could not. He wanted her for more than that—she could see it in his eyes. It reminded her of the way Alfred looked at Heloise. The first time Evie had met him, when he was still Heloise’s protector, she’d seen how he felt. She’d told Heloise that this man was different, that he’d formed an emotional connection. Heloise had rolled her eyes in response, but Evie had been right. Three months later, he’d proposed marriage.
Evie was not Heloise, however. A proposal of marriage wouldn’t make her happy. This life—her job, her own home, independence—made her happy.
Gregory could bring her temporary joy, and he had. And now it was over.
Chapter12
London was dark and cold as Gregory hurried to Evie’s. He hadn’t wanted to wait for his horse to be saddled or his gig to be hitched. Her note had been short but terrifying: Ash was gone.
Gregory hadn’t even bothered with a cravat or a waistcoat, and he’d run a good measure of the distance, heating his body so that he wasn’t chilled in the slightest. Except internally, where fear for Ash kept his veins the temperature of ice.
The door to her house was answered almost as quickly as he’d knocked. A young woman with a blonde braid from which many strands of hair had escaped greeted him. “They’re in the garden.”
Gregory followed her to the back of the terrace, where the door to the garden stood open. Lanterns illuminated the darkness, making it easy for Gregory to spot Evie. She rushed toward him, a dark cloak billowing about her legs.
“Someone left the gate open. Just the barest amount. I didn’t notice it.” She looked pale and frightened. “I brought Ash out so he could relieve himself.”
“He got out through the gate?”
She nodded as a shiver rolled through her. “I confess I closed my eyes briefly. He seemed to be taking a long time. When I went to see what he was doing, I couldn’t find him. We’ve searched the garden thoroughly. Thrice. Foster has gone out through the gate to look.”
Gregory gently clasped her upper arms and looked into her worried eyes. “We’ll find him.”
Clapping a hand over her mouth as tears pooled in her eyes, Evie nodded. Gregory resisted the urge to pull her into his arms—both because he doubted she wanted that, and because he needed to find Ash.
He looked to the young woman, certainly one of Evie’s household, who’d let him in and inclined his head toward Evie. The servant moved to stand with Evie, and Gregory asked if there was a spare lantern.
“Here, my lord,” another young woman said, coming toward him with her lantern.
Gregory thanked her and strode toward the gate, which opened into a narrow alley that ran behind the row of terrace houses. Glancing up and down the alley, he saw a light toward St. James’s. That must be Foster. With long strides, he walked quickly to catch up to the butler.
“Foster, what say you?”
The man turned, his hat pulled low on his brow. “I’ve been looking for open gates in case the dog ran into another garden, but so far, they’ve all been shut tight. I mean to keep going to the end.”
“What about the other direction?”
“Haven’t been that way yet.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do.” Gregory spun about and hurried back the way he’d come, passing Evie’s garden and her open gate. He paused and poked his head inside. “Will someone come stand here to keep an eye out in case Ash comes back this way?”
Evie rushed forward. “Of course.”
Glancing toward the house, he asked, “Is there nowhere else he can get into the house besides that door from the library?”
“There’s another door in the corner there, but it was closed and locked. Still, we checked the house thoroughly.”
Gregory didn’t doubt it. Ash had to have been missing close to an hour already. “Our search continues.” He moved along the alley, checking the gates as he went and calling Ash’s name as loudly as he dared. It wouldn’t do to wake the neighbors. But perhaps they should. If Ash had gone into someone’s garden through an open gate that had closed, he’d be trapped in a strange place. He’d be afraid.
He was likely afraid regardless. Poor boy.
Gregory shook such thoughts from his mind. They were not helpful in this moment. He moved slowly, careful to wait after calling Ash’s name to see if he could hear any response. Finally, there was a soft whimper.
