Page 12 of Evie and Louis: The Story so Far

“Chérie!” Louis exclaimed, his heart aching for her. Silently, he guided her back into the parlour before anyone saw her break down.

“Oh, Louis, I’m so frightened.” She flung herself at him, burying her face in his chest and sobbing.

“Er…” For a moment Louis froze, uncertain what to do. He could not be caught alone with her in such a compromising position but… but damn it, the poor child was distraught. Louis put his arms about her, rubbing slow circles on her back. “Voyons, Voyons, ma chérie. Calm yourself. Tell me what has happened?”

Slowly Evie recovered her composure and Louis handed her his handkerchief.

“I’m s-sorry I cried all over your waistcoat,” she said, diffident now, her cheeks pink with embarrassment and her nose red from blowing it with such vigour.

Louis smiled at her. “It’s of no matter, I assure you.” Still, he moved back to the door, opened it so no one could accuse them of impropriety, and gestured for Evie to sit down.

“Tell me,” he said.

Haltingly at first, Evie told him of everything she had learned this morning.

Louis swallowed a curse, wishing he’d known this earlier. “What did the maid look like? Susan, was it?”

“Quite pretty, slender and blonde.”

He nodded. “I believe I saw her.”

Evie sat up straighter, her eyes growing wide. “Where?”

He hesitated, unwilling to tell the truth. “I could not sleep last night so I came down to… find a book,” he improvised, deciding he’d rather not explain that he’d come down to find the brandy. “I must have fallen asleep—it was a dull book—and woke with a headache so I went for a walk to get some air. She was running. I thought at the time she looked rather upset, but she was too far ahead of me to call out to her, and it was none of my affair in any case.”

She stared at him for a moment and then leapt to her feet and grasped hold of his hand.

“Show me,” she demanded.

Louis frowned, uncertain if this was a good idea or not but… Oh, he could not deny her when she was so obviously frantic. “Very well,” he said with a sigh, and led her out of the house.

“You’re certain she went this way?” Evie demanded for the fifth time.

Louis gave her a look which suggested she did not ask him again.

“Sorry,” she muttered. “I’m just so afraid something has happened to her.”

Silently he reached out and took her hand, curling his long, strong fingers about hers. Though she knew it was dreadfully inappropriate, she took it for the kind gesture it was. His touch gave her courage and they trudged on, following the path which was becoming muddy and overgrown.

“Look.”

Louis’ voice was pitched low, and she followed where he pointed to see footprints in the damp earth. They were indistinct, but it looked like two people had come this way. Going on the small size, they surely must be women or boys. Louis pressed a finger to his lips and Evie nodded.

“I ought not have brought you,” he whispered as they moved forward. He turned back to her, and Evie knew he was going to send her back to the house. She gave a vigorous shake of her head, glaring at him.

“Evie,” he began.

“She is my sister.”

Louis stared at her, frowning, and then sighed. “You do as I say, and if I say run, you run.”

She nodded, anything to keep going if there was a chance of finding Florence.

“Swear it,” he demanded.

Evie rolled her eyes but made the sign of a cross over her heart. Louis’ lips twitched but he seemed to accept that, and they carried on.

“The footsteps go that way now,” he said, pointing into a thicket of scrubby trees after another ten minutes of stepping around muddy puddles and untangling Evie’s skirts from brambles. Though the path carried on, there were no more footprints following it. Louis hesitated.