Page 36 of What the Heart Knows

“Cousin,” Reid gripped Kit’s shoulders. “Pull yourself together. Brookbank doesn’t have her, not yet.”

“H…how can you say that.”

“Because if he’d come for her, she would have fought, there’s no sign of any fight, and the door wouldn’t be locked.”

Kit scanned the room. “You’re right. How did you know she would fight?”

“George told me a great deal about Miss Fenneman while we traveled?”

“Hmm. I’ll have to have a word with my valet.”

“Do not blame him, cousin. I asked, and you know how compelling my questions can be.”

“Indeed. However, if Meg’s not here, and Brookbank doesn’t have her, where is she?”

“Check her armoire. I suspect you will find her cloak’s gone.”

Kit opened the wardrobe. “I see several cloaks.”

“Any empty shelves?”

“One, and there’s no dust so it’s not been empty long.”

“Do you recall seeing Miss Fenneman in a gray cloak, ever? She’d want to blend into the fog.”

Kit thought back. “The first time we met.” He joined Reid in the parlor. What he saw surprised him. Reid stood beside an open window, that smothering white fog filling the air around him.

“Why did you open a window?” Kit asked.

“I didn’t. It was open when we arrived. You were in such a hurry to begin searching you failed to notice.”

“Why would anyone open a window on a night like this?”

“If you’ll look out the window, I believe you may figure that out.”

“I hate it when you speak in riddles,” Kit groused. Nonetheless he went to the window and looked out. “The ivy’s been torn away from a large portion of the sill.”

“I suspect Miss Fenneman attempted to climb down in an effort to escape.”

Kit ran from the room.

Reid caught up with him outside, below that open window.

“There’s ivy all over the place, but no sign of Meg.”

“Then I feel safe in surmising she is unhurt, and most likely making her way to The Queen’s Barque.”

“Brookbank’s still at large. What if he…?”

“Let us not borrow trouble, Kit. If Brookbank had Miss Fenneman, the window escape would have been unnecessary. I’ll order the dragoons to search the countryside for him or word of him. However, I suspect he may have successfully escaped, for now.”

Once outside Sea Grange, the fog thinned enough for them to see the ground.

George stood ready with four mounts. His face fell when only Kit and Reid exited the house. “You didn’t find her?”

Kit shook his head and mounted.

“Do not despair young George,” Reid spoke heartily. “We saw no sign Brookbank took her.”