very handsome, face.
“Yes,” Adam hissed, and then without further comment or worry of rudeness he started forward. He would try the kitchen.
“I’ll help you,” the man’s soothing voice sounded as he strode beside him.
“I’ve looked everywhere.” Adam lifted his hand and slashed it through the air with frustration. “She is searching for her friend and now I have lost her.”
“We will find them.” The man’s quiet confidence seemed to fill Adam’s desperation and soothe his rising panic.
“I’m, Lord Adam Winslow.” Adam glanced at his companion and nodded.
“Mr. Christian Blacknall. Good to meet you. I wish the circumstances were better.” Christian Blacknall’s hand reached across his chest and Adam’s met him halfway for a short, firm handshake.
Adam could tell Christian was a nobleman, as he was, even though Christian was dressed in casual traveling attire in the middle of an ongoing ball. If he found it strange … Adam didn’t let himself consider it, because he had worries that were more pressing.
“There.” Christian pointed and Adam turned with him toward the kitchen.
What gnawed at Adam was the fact Fanton was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you seen a lady with black hair and a green ball gown?” Adam fairly attacked the first kitchen worker he saw with hissed voice and glare. The lad was tall and lanky, and he could not be more than sixteen. Adam’s hand clasped the lad’s shoulder. “Have you?” he demanded. The lad seemed to stutter with no words, but wide eyes that a gentleman was accosting him.
Then an older man’s voice said, “The boy knows nothing, my lord. No lady would be back here in the kitchens.”
Adam’s gaze jumped toward the voice of an elderly worker as he held onto the boy.
Christian interceded, “Oh, good worker, we know a lady would not normally visit here. But, sir, we fear this is not normal and we pray you could tell us or anyone here if they have seen her.”
Adam blinked and the awareness of his agitation softened as his hand relaxed on the lad. He was amazed at the quality of Christian Blacknall’s voice … and his compelling demeanor. He felt the man’s warmth soothing him.
“Ah, my lord, I’ll ask around for sure.” The elder kitchen worker turned away.
At that moment, the lad looked up at Adam, and he whispered. “I did see a lady with long black hair running in the gardens while I was taking a wee break.”
Adam’s gaze jerked toward Christian’s dark blue eyes. Christian nodded and Adam felt like clasping him into an embrace. Suddenly afraid something might show on his face, he tugged his gaze away, letting his fingers release the lad and he moved to stride toward the back kitchen door.
The lad offered a bit more in a much stronger voice as he moved away. “I didn’t think much of it, sir, as I saw a blond lady earlier doing the same thing. We thought it was a new noble’s daft, err … I didn’t mean that! But a game or some foolishness.”
Adam barely heard the end of what the lad said before he was out the back door of the kitchens, striding into the night. The fact that Beth was running, and her hair was down, scared him. Something was very wrong.
“Beth!” he shouted, and then he began running toward the large, dark expanse that was the gardens. “Beth!”
Adam felt the aura of Christian sprinting beside him and once again he was glad for the man’s presence. Lights from the back of the mansion lighted the extensive gardens into ghostly, glowing shadows as Adam realized Beth could be anywhere in the large area. Suddenly, a darker shadow than the rest loomed in front of them and Adam nearly went into a fighting stance, but for Christian’s hand on his arm.
Christian’s voice halted him. “Lord Adam Winslow, it’s my brother, Baptiste Blacknall, Earl of Sterling.”
Adam huffed a labored breath from his desperate running as he looked at the man. He couldn’t make out the man’s features very well in the
“Yes,” Adam hissed, and then without further comment or worry of rudeness he started forward. He would try the kitchen.
“I’ll help you,” the man’s soothing voice sounded as he strode beside him.
“I’ve looked everywhere.” Adam lifted his hand and slashed it through the air with frustration. “She is searching for her friend and now I have lost her.”
“We will find them.” The man’s quiet confidence seemed to fill Adam’s desperation and soothe his rising panic.
“I’m, Lord Adam Winslow.” Adam glanced at his companion and nodded.
“Mr. Christian Blacknall. Good to meet you. I wish the circumstances were better.” Christian Blacknall’s hand reached across his chest and Adam’s met him halfway for a short, firm handshake.
Adam could tell Christian was a nobleman, as he was, even though Christian was dressed in casual traveling attire in the middle of an ongoing ball. If he found it strange … Adam didn’t let himself consider it, because he had worries that were more pressing.
“There.” Christian pointed and Adam turned with him toward the kitchen.
What gnawed at Adam was the fact Fanton was nowhere to be seen.
“Have you seen a lady with black hair and a green ball gown?” Adam fairly attacked the first kitchen worker he saw with hissed voice and glare. The lad was tall and lanky, and he could not be more than sixteen. Adam’s hand clasped the lad’s shoulder. “Have you?” he demanded. The lad seemed to stutter with no words, but wide eyes that a gentleman was accosting him.
Then an older man’s voice said, “The boy knows nothing, my lord. No lady would be back here in the kitchens.”
Adam’s gaze jumped toward the voice of an elderly worker as he held onto the boy.
Christian interceded, “Oh, good worker, we know a lady would not normally visit here. But, sir, we fear this is not normal and we pray you could tell us or anyone here if they have seen her.”
Adam blinked and the awareness of his agitation softened as his hand relaxed on the lad. He was amazed at the quality of Christian Blacknall’s voice … and his compelling demeanor. He felt the man’s warmth soothing him.
“Ah, my lord, I’ll ask around for sure.” The elder kitchen worker turned away.
At that moment, the lad looked up at Adam, and he whispered. “I did see a lady with long black hair running in the gardens while I was taking a wee break.”
Adam’s gaze jerked toward Christian’s dark blue eyes. Christian nodded and Adam felt like clasping him into an embrace. Suddenly afraid something might show on his face, he tugged his gaze away, letting his fingers release the lad and he moved to stride toward the back kitchen door.
The lad offered a bit more in a much stronger voice as he moved away. “I didn’t think much of it, sir, as I saw a blond lady earlier doing the same thing. We thought it was a new noble’s daft, err … I didn’t mean that! But a game or some foolishness.”
Adam barely heard the end of what the lad said before he was out the back door of the kitchens, striding into the night. The fact that Beth was running, and her hair was down, scared him. Something was very wrong.
“Beth!” he shouted, and then he began running toward the large, dark expanse that was the gardens. “Beth!”
Adam felt the aura of Christian sprinting beside him and once again he was glad for the man’s presence. Lights from the back of the mansion lighted the extensive gardens into ghostly, glowing shadows as Adam realized Beth could be anywhere in the large area. Suddenly, a darker shadow than the rest loomed in front of them and Adam nearly went into a fighting stance, but for Christian’s hand on his arm.
Christian’s voice halted him. “Lord Adam Winslow, it’s my brother, Baptiste Blacknall, Earl of Sterling.”
Adam huffed a labored breath from his desperate running as he looked at the man. He couldn’t make out the man’s features very well in the
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