The Duchess Hunt Read Online Free PDF

of
outlandishness. In any case, he possessed more resources to use to find his
mother than any constable would.
    Sam pushed off from the window casing and
took a step forward, his cool gaze focused on Esme. “What was the state of the
interior of the dower house? Was it clean? Ransacked? Were any of Mama’s things
missing?”
    “It was clean,” Esme whispered.
    “As far as we could tell, most of her
possessions were untouched,” Sarah added. “But her safe was open and empty. All
her money was gone, as well as her jewels.”
    Hell. His mother had enough jewels to keep
a small village living in luxury for years.
    Mark’s frown deepened. “A robbery?”
    If someone wished to rob Ironwood Park,
the dower house would be the best place to start, considering that not only was
it secluded – hidden in a copse of trees on the northern edge of the property –
but it wasn’t well guarded, and everyone acquainted with his mother knew she
wasn’t one to pay much heed to such frivolous things as locks.
    But if someone had entered the dower house
with the intention of stealing jewels, what had the thief done with his mother
and her servants? The thought brought bile into Simon’s mouth.
    “Possibly,” he told Mark, but his voice
held doubt.
    “Who originally searched the dower house?”
Sam asked Sarah.
    “Mrs. Hope, Lady Esme, and me, sir. We
were out there this morning again while we awaited your arrival.”
    Sam met Simon’s gaze. “We’ll do a thorough
search. Leave no stone unturned.”
    “And not only of the house,” Simon added,
“but also the woods and the surrounding areas. And” – he took a fortifying
breath – “we’ll need to drag the lake.”
    Esme sniffed. The stream running through
the property fed the small lake near the dower house… dragging the lake was
akin to admitting their mother might have been drowned. Turning toward his
sister, Simon saw her shoulders slump as a tear carved a trail down her cheek.
    Hell, he’d been raised with brothers. Esme
hadn’t been born until he was ten years old and already at Eton. His mother had
always been the epitome of strength – she’d never shed a tear in his presence.
He’d never learned how to comfort a weeping female.
    He glanced up and realized he wasn’t the
only one at a loss as to what to do about this. His brothers appeared frozen in
place. Even their expressions didn’t change as they stared at their whimpering
sister.
    Sarah broke the stillness. She hurried
over to Esme, knelt beside her, offered her a handkerchief and put an arm
around Esme while the girl sobbed into Sarah’s shoulder. Sarah looked up at
Simon over Esme’s head, stroking Esme’s dark hair. Her blue eyes, usually
sparkling with vivacious warmth, had darkened with sympathy… and with her own
worry. Sarah loved their mother as much as any of her children did.
    “Hush.” She looked back down at Esme and
rubbed her back in gentle circles. “If anyone can find her, His Grace can.”
    Esme’s shoulders shuddered. When Sarah
looked up at him again, the knowledge of what he must say flooded into him.
“We’ll find her, Esme. That is a promise.”
    He glanced at his brothers, all of whom
nodded their agreement.
    Esme took a great gulping breath, her
voice muffled in Sarah’s shoulder. “But what if she… if she isn’t… what if she
is…”
    “There’s no evidence whatsoever that
points to the conclusion that Her Grace has come to any harm,” Sarah soothed.
    “That is correct,” Sam said, his voice a
notch lower than his usual cold detachment. “And that is how we must approach
finding her.”
    “Mama wouldn’t —” Theo broke off,
frowning.
    “She wouldn’t what?” Simon asked him.
    Theo gazed at him with bleak eyes. “She
wouldn’t run off, would she?”
    Everyone stared at Theo. Even Sarah looked
at him with parted lips. Finally, Mark asked, “Why would she run off?”
    Theo shook his head. “Couldn’t say.” He
shrugged. “It was just a