Edmund frowned. “You saw what?”
Hortense was pointing to the bed. “In my panic, I threw the sheets back up.”
Edmund hurried to the bed. And when he pulled the sheets back, that was when he saw the blood. “God no,” he said as his entire countenance fell. He began looking around. Where could she be?!
And then his fear turned to rage. And he began running out of that bedroom.
“Edmund no!” Eloise was still yelling as she began running down that hall and down those stairs after him. Colin and Samuel were running after her.
“Edmund, don’t do it!” Eloise was yelling as she ran. “Don’t do it!”
“Don’t do what?” Samuel was asking. He was as in the dark as everybody else.
But Eloise knew exactly what Edmund was going to do. And Edmund didn’t hesitate. As soon as he ran into the dining hall and saw his sister still sitting at that table, he grabbed her by her blouse and lifted her off her feet.
“Edmund, no!” his mother cried as he slammed his sister’s back against the wall. “Where is she?” he was screaming at her. “Where is she?!”
“I don’t know,” Natasha was crying. “I don’t know!”
Colin ran up and grabbed his brother, trying with all he had to separate the two siblings. But it was no use. Edmund was not going to be denied his revenge.
“Tell me where she is, Tasha, or I swear I’ll break your body in two with my bare hands. Where is she?”
“I don’t know!” she cried again.
Edmund, enraged by her denials, threw her violently across the breakfast table.
“Edmund!”
By now practically every servant in that house was trying to help Colin and Samuel keep Edmund from killing Natasha. But he was too strong. He tossed them all aside like he was swatting away flies.
And then he grabbed Natasha from that table, jacked her up again, and was about to throw her again.
And that was when she broke.
“Okay!” she cried out. “I’ll take you to her.”
Everything stopped when Natasha admitted that Edmund’s accusations weren’t just noise. She was actually involved in Maude’s sudden disappearance! Her parents were aghast.
Edmund released her from his grasp. “Where is she?” he said, attempting to calm himself back down. He was breathing so heavily, and his heart was pounding so hard that they could see his chest rise and fall. Rise and fall.
“I’ll take you to her.”
“She’s here?” Samuel asked.
Natasha nodded.“Yes.”
Edmund dared not ask the next question. And neither did Samuel. It would have been a bloodbath in that breakfast room had she said what both of them were thinking.
And she led them out of the house, down the promenade, and to the last guesthouse on the property.
And Edmund, Colin, Samuel and Eloise all nervously followed Natasha inside.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
As soon as they walked in they saw Maude. When Edmund realized she was still alive, his heart soared again and he rushed to her side. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her mouth was double-taped.
Samuel looked at his daughter with nothing but disdain on his face. “What was the fucking point?” he angrily asked Natasha. “Your evil knows no bounds.”
