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Chapter Sixteen
Sometime during the night, Roman had thrown open the curtains and doors, allowing cool air to blow into the room. Shelene snuggled against him, feeling his warmth to her bones.
Tono would wake soon. She wouldn’t leave the comfort of Roman’s side until she had to.Sleep late, mijo!
Finally, Roman rolled away from her just as she was about to burst into flame. The sun was blazing in through the window and struck the bed with both light and heat. Antonio was usually awake with the sun. Durra must have taken him downstairs for some light food while she slept.
Oh, Lord! The entire household was probably aware that Roman had spent the night in her room. She’d wager the men were winking at each other in approval. And the women? Whispering in the kitchen about how fine and handsome Roman was and wasn’t Shelene the luckiest woman to have him in her bed.
After she climbed from the bed, she glanced back at Roman sprawled on the bed with a sheet barely covering him. She was pleased that he was as exhausted as she was.
She changed into a day dress and performed quick ablutions. She needed to find her son and obtain a little relief. Her breasts were heavy and even Roman could do little to assist. Her face heated thinking about him and how they had spent the last evening.
Tiptoeing to the window, she gently pulled the curtains closed to darken the room, then walked to Antonio’s room. As she suspected, they were gone, so she went down to the breakfast room to find the buffet still in the warmers. She didn’t sit down, instead going to the kitchen.
“Sakina, have you seen Durra and Antonio? They weren’t in their room.” Mrs. Johns wasn’t in the room either. There was usually an hour when they were both there, preparing Tono’s bath, readying his clothes for the day, cleaning and washing up any messes he made overnight, preparing the bed with clean and dry sheets.
Sakina knowingly smiled, just as Shelene expected. “Oh, yes,sayidati. Almost two hours ago now. They were having breakfast when Father Etienne arrived. After they finished, they went for a walk in the garden. I am surprised they aren’t back yet.”
Shelene’s smile froze on her face. A shiver ran from her head to her toes. Why should she suddenly be fearful? “Father Etienne? Did he say why he was here?”
“He wanted to see you and Señor Forrester, I believe. I’m not sure, though. I’ll send one of the girls to find them, if you like.”
“As you said, they are probably enjoying the morning air. If you see them, I’ll be at the breakfast table.”
Roman’s words had her spooked. Durra and Mrs. Johns took Antonio everywhere on the estate. He wasn’t walking yet, but he was very active. If they threw a blanket down in the grass, they could count on him crawling away at some point.
She filled a plate but left it uneaten, instead sipping at a dark roasted coffee with beans they ground every morning. She didn’t enjoy the usual comfort of the cup, but her stomach churned and burned. She waited for the length of her drink to hear the sounds of their return to the house, but all she heard was unusual silence. Even the finches weren’t chirping their usual song.
Shelene pushed from the table and hurried to the back of the house and into the large gardens, full of vegetables, flowers, shrubs, fountains and benches. There were also stairs that led downward to different levels. Standing at the top, she should have been able to see them. Anyone. A movement caught her gaze, but it was just some of Sakina’s grandchildren weeding the garden.
Tears flooded her eyes. Something was wrong. She couldn’t say what it was, but she felt it in her bones. She hurried back to the house, standing near the tinkling fountain. Where could they be?
She heard shouting in the outer court and glanced up to see Roman coming out of her room, dressed in trousers and shirt only.
He smiled down but stopped abruptly, hands braced against the iron rail. “What is it?” he asked.
“Tono. I can’t find him. Or Durra or Mrs. Johns.”
He turned away and walked into Antonio’s room. Shelene turned a circle before Roman came out of the room and hurried toward the stairs. The double doors crashed open. Brahim hurried in. “Señora Forrester. Where’s Señor Forrester?”
“What’s wrong?” she asked. Roman was at her side, his hand slid to her waist. Brahim twisted his hands, his lips were pressed into a hard line.
“Speak, man,” Roman said.
“Mrs. Johns. I found her in one of the stables.”
Shelene escaped from Roman’s light grip, grabbed her skirt and ran out the door. The bright light blinded her for a moment before she headed to the large open washing yard and into the coach house beside the paddock.
Roman and Brahim were behind her. A group of stable hands were in the first stall. Mrs. Johns lay in the straw. One of the stable hands held Mrs. Johns up, gripping her shoulders. She was sobbing lightly. There was a splotch of blood at her temple.
Shelene flew to Mrs. Johns side. “What’s happened, Mrs. Johns?”
“Oh,” she said. “Oh, Señora Forrester! Something terrible.”
“She can tell us in the house,” Roman said, pushing the stable hands out of the way and bending to scoop up Mrs. Johns. “Brahim, hurry, tell Sakina what has happened.”
“No, wait.” Mrs. Johns reached for Shelene and gripped her hand. “He took Antonio. You have to find him. I tried to—he is a wicked man!”
