Page 60 of Dare to be Wicked

“Cass?”

Lottie squealed as someone knocked on the summerhouse door, calling his name. Cassius grabbed hold of her again as she moved so quickly she nearly went over backwards.

“H-Hold on,” Cassius called, hastily setting Lottie to rights again and returning to his position at the easel with as much speed as possible. Though he had not yet begun painting, he grabbed hold of his palette and held it discreetly to cover his modesty as his body had not yet caught up with the fact it was to suffer a grave disappointment. “Who is it?”

“Ashton.”

“Bloody hell, Ash, come in.”

Ash stuck his head around the door, looking sheepish. “Sorry.”

“You will be,” Cassius grumbled. “What the devil do you want?”

“Well, I’m probably worrying over nothing, but Eliza was supposed to meet with us by the lake. We were going to take a boat out, but she’s not come back from her ride.”

Lottie sat up straighter, frowning. “But she left ages before me. She said she’d only be an hour.”

Ashton nodded. “She ought to have been with us almost an hour ago, and I know she might have lost track of time, but Eliza—”

“Is never late,” Lottie replied, getting to her feet. “Cassius.”

Cassius went to her, knowing all too well that Eliza was a stickler for punctuality. It was dreadfully bad manners to be late, after all, and Eliza was never rude. Whilst she might have tested that truth a little in the past weeks, he could not believe she would keep her friends waiting.

“I’ll look for her,” he said. “I’m sure it’s nothing. Perhaps her horse threw a shoe and she’s walking it back.”

“Yes,” Lottie said, nodding, though her face betrayed her worry. “Yes, I’m sure that’s it.”

An hour later, Cassius was not feeling so confident. He returned to the house to see if anyone else had seen her, if perhaps she’d returned in the meantime, only to discover Lottie preparing to ride out too. Ash had also returned and gone out again with his sister. Eliza’s father, as well as his own, and the marquess of Montagu, had all ridden off in different directions with many of the groomsmen accompanying them.

“Oh, Lottie,” her mama said, standing with her other children gathered close about her. “Where can she be?”

“Try not to worry, Mama,” Lottie said, though she too was pale and anxious. “Eliza is a terrific horsewoman. I’m sure she’s fine.”

Her mother nodded as she held her two youngest daughters close to her.

“Find her,” she implored them, and Cassius nodded.

“We won’t come back without her,” he promised, feeling anxiety coil about his heart.

They set off and found that they were instinctively heading in the same direction, away from where the grooms had said she’d ridden out.

“Bayham Abbey?” he called to Lottie, who nodded.

“You know she’s always loved it there, and she’s been visiting often of late. It’s romantic and peaceful there. She says it helps her to think.”

It was less than twenty-five minutes ride to the abbey, but the hour was growing late, and they would not have much more daylight to search in. There was no question now that something had befallen Eliza, and everyone was sick with dread. He could only admire Lottie’s quiet determination to find her sister, despite the terror she must be feeling.

They rode up to the abbey’s ruins, which were indeed romantic, especially now with the sun sinking lower in the sky as dark clouds tumbled over one another, promising more rain. The abbey’s lonely Gothic arches were overgrown with tumbling ivy and dog roses. Birds chattered among the thickly green clad walls and bees hummed about their work, but other than that there was no sign of life.

“Eliza!” Lottie called, a desperate note to her cry that pierced Cassius to the heart.

“Eliza!” he shouted, steadying his horse when it shied in agitation, disturbed by their raised voices. He prayed Eliza would hear them and reply. “Let’s ride the perimeter.”

Though the ruins were not vast, they were so thickly overgrown with ivy and trees that it was impossible to see through to every nook and cranny. Cassius hoped to discover some sign she had been here before they took the time to search the ruins. A shriek from Lottie gave him the answer.

“Cassius!” she cried, pointing to Eliza’s horse, peacefully cropping grass close by the ruins.

Cassius leapt down and secured his mount before running to Lottie and helping her dismount. She was trembling, and tears glittered in her eyes but the moment her feet touched the ground she picked up her skirts and ran into the ruins.