Ian stopped before her.
“Where is Lady Arianna?” he asked.
Melissa blinked in surprise. “I daenae ken, me Laird,” she replied slowly. “I havenae seen her this morn. I think she's still abed.”
Ian’s brow furrowed. He held up the parchment. “Then why did she leave ye a note?”
Melissa frowned. “A note?”
“Aye,” Ian said sharply.
She leaned closer, confusion plain across her face. “I havenae been to her chamber yet this morn, me Laird,” she said softly.
Ian’s stomach dropped. “She left a message asking ye to feed the rabbit,” he said quietly.
Melissa’s eyes widened slightly. “Why?”
A cold dread spread through him.
“Go find Flynn,” Ian ordered suddenly, his voice tight. “Tell him we must find Lady Arianna. Now.”
Melissa gasped softly. “Find her?” she repeated.
“Now,” Ian snapped.
Melissa dropped into a hurried curtsy before rushing down the corridor, her skirts swishing as she ran to find her husband.
Ian stood frozen for a moment, the parchment still clutched in his hand. His heart had begun to pound heavily in his chest, each beat growing louder than the last.
Where has she gone?
He turned sharply and strode down the hall, his pace quickening with every step. Servants flattened themselves against the walls as he passed, startled by the urgency in his movements.
Ian reached the kitchens moments later. The great room buzzed with morning activity as cooks and scullery maids prepared the day’s meals. The scent of bread and broth filled the air as Ian burst through the doorway.
“Has anyone seen Lady Arianna this morn?” he demanded.
The room fell quiet. Several of the maids exchanged uncertain glances.
“Nay, me Laird,” one of them said cautiously.
The cook stepped forward, wiping his hands on a cloth. “I havenae seen her since she came with a request,” the man said thoughtfully.
“What request?” he asked.
The cook nodded slowly. “She came through askin’ if there was a spare sack she might take.”
Ian frowned sharply. “A sack?”
“Aye,” the cook replied. “She said it was for her wee rabbit.”
The words struck Ian like lightning. A sack. His mind began racing.
A sack to put supplies in. He had found her looking at maps in the library. Now, a note left behind. The pieces fell together with terrifying clarity.
Ian turned and rushed from the kitchen without another word.
Cold morning air struck his face as he burst into the courtyard. Several warriors looked up in surprise as he strode across the grounds, scanning the open space as though expecting Arianna to appear at any moment.
