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“Do you have any idea where she went?”
Mrs. Foster shook her head. “We searched the entire orphanage before we called for the constable,” she said. “Then, we searched it again and again.”
“Are there any other buildings that she could have visited?”
“There is an outbuilding, but Miss Gaillard was kind enough to search it for us,” Mrs. Foster said.
Corbyn spoke up. “Who is Miss Gaillard?”
“The French teacher at the orphanage,” Mrs. Foster explained. “She was temporarily appointed as headmistress after Miss Hardy went missing.”
“I see,” Corbyn replied. “So, she must be a trustworthy individual.”
Mrs. Foster bobbed her head. “Oh, yes. The girls love her.”
“Can you think of any reason why Miss Dowding might have left the safety of the orphanage?” Baldwin asked.
“Not one,” Mrs. Foster answered. “She is smart enough to know that it is not safe to wander in that part of Town.”
“Was she carrying her pistol?”
Mrs. Foster gave him a blank look. “I didn’t even know that she owned a pistol.”
“Did no one witness Miss Dowding leave the building, whether by the front or the back?” Oliver asked.
“We questioned all the girls, but no one saw her leave the building,” Mrs. Foster replied. “The constable even spoke to our driver and footman, but they didn’t see anything, either.”
Baldwin ran a hand through his hair, attempting to squash his growing irritation. “How can someone just disappear without leaving a trace?”
“Have you considered that Miss Dowding didn’t want to be seen leaving the building?” Corbyn asked.
Baldwin turned to face Corbyn. “Meaning?”
“Perhaps she had an errand she needed to run,” Corbyn proposed.
“No, that is impossible,” Mrs. Foster said firmly. “Besides, we don’t frequent any businesses in that part of Town.”
Corbyn gave him a knowing look. “What if she found a clue to Miss Hardy’s disappearance and left to investigate it?” he asked. “After all, it wouldn’t be the first time Miss Dowding has visited disreputable establishments.”
“You have a point,” Baldwin admitted reluctantly. “But what could she have found that would have caused her to leave the orphanage, unescorted and without any word?”
“I don’t know,” Corbyn replied with a shake of his head.
Mrs. Foster interjected, “The constable searched Miss Hardy’s room, but didn’t find anything that would give a reason as to why Madalene disappeared.”
“What of the people that work at the orphanage?” Oliver asked.
“There are three teachers, a housekeeper, and a cook,” Mrs. Foster shared. “They did recently hire a man to do odd jobs around the orphanage, but he wasn’t assigned to work today.”
“Was Miss Dowding in a disagreement with anyone?” Corbyn questioned.
“No, everybody loves Miss Dowding,” Mrs. Foster asserted.
Baldwin abruptly rose from his chair and walked over to the darkened window. They were missing something. He could feel it. And time was of the essence.
Rising, Mrs. Foster said, “I am sorry for burdening you with this, my lord, but Miss Dowding seemed to believe that you have a knack for finding missing persons.”
Baldwin turned back to face her. “You did the right thing coming to me. I will begin making inquiries immediately, and we will bring Miss Dowding back home.”
