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“We’ll get to that. First we need to talk to my servants, in case any of them noticed something off. Then we organize search parties. Ring the bell, would you? I want to speak to the housekeeper.”
After Logan did that, he rejoined Alec, who’d gone back to inspecting the window alcove.
“What’s so bloody interesting?”
“Bad choice of words, I’m afraid.” Alec pointed to a small smear on the frame.
Logan peered at it, then had to close his eyes for a moment. “Fresh blood.”
“Not a lot, fortunately.”
Edie rushed into the room, followed by Nick and Victoria.
“What’s going on?” Nick asked.
“Donella’s gone,” Logan grimly replied. “The Murrays took her—through the window, it seems.”
Victoria pressed a hand to her mouth.
Edie came up and laid a hand on Logan’s arm. “My dear, I’m afraid no one has seen Joseph for almost an hour. Angus and the nursemaids are searching the house.”
Logan felt like a massive weight had slammed into the back of his head. He pressed a hand to the window frame as a wave of dizziness swept through him.
A steadying hand clamped onto his shoulder.
Logan opened his eyes to meet his brother’s concerned gaze.
“It’s all right, lad,” Nick said. “He’s likely hiding somewhere about the house, watching the festivities. No need to worry about him just yet.”
In his gut, Logan knew that wasn’t true. “I can’t lose him. I can’t lose either of them,” he choked out.
“If Murray has either of them, he has no cause to hurt them.”
“Och, Donella’s already been hurt,” Logan replied. “There’s blood on the windowsill.”
“Oh, no!” Victoria exclaimed.
“Not much,” Alec said. “But there must have been a struggle.”
“Of course there was,” Edie grimly said. “Donella’s a fighter.”
That’s exactly what Logan was afraid of. The idea of anything happening to the two people he loved most in the world—
Nick gave him a hard shake. “Logan, you’re the best man I know in a crisis. We’ll find them, but we need to use our brains.”
He managed a nod. “Alec wants to talk to the servants, and then we’ll send out search parties along all the major roads into and away from the city. The bastards would need one carriage at least, and probably a few riders. That might attract some notice.”
“Someone needs to go to the Murray house, just to be sure,” Victoria said.
“And someone should rustle up the twins and Braden,” Logan added. “If Donella has been injured, we’ll need Braden.”
Braden was one of Logan’s younger half brothers. He lived in Edinburgh, where he was studying to be a physician, but he’d come home for the Hogmanay party. A brilliant young man, he was already accomplished at his work. If Donella were injured, he would fix her.
If Joseph was hurt . . .
Don’t think about it.
“I’ll find them,” Victoria said, “and check in with Angus, too.” She hurried from the room.
