She woke with a start. Her palms were damp and her heart was pounding. She felt as though she were being buried alive under the bedding.
Fighting panic, she shoved the covers aside and leaped out of the bed. Then she stood breathing quickly, trying to calm the strange fear that still held her in its grip. When she could tolerate it no longer, she gave in to it.
Snatching up her wrapper, she hurried out of the bedchamber and rushed down the hall to Meredith's room. Augusta told herself she would be able to calm down after she had seen that Meredith was safe.
But Meredith was not tucked up safely in her bed. Once again she was gone and this time the window stood wide. The night breeze stirred the curtains and chilled the bedchamber.
There was just enough moonlight to see the stout rope that had been secured to the windowsill. It hung all the way to the ground.
Meredith had been kidnapped.
20
Augusta had the entire household assembled before her in the front hall within ten minutes. She paced up and down in front of them as the last straggling chambermaid stumbled from a warm bed and took up her position at the end of the line. Even the dogs were in attendance. Aroused by the commotion, they had padded out of the kitchens to see what was happening. No one had thought to lock them up or put them outside.
Claudia stood tensely nearby, her gaze riveted on Augusta. Steeples, the butler, and Mrs. Gibbons, the housekeeper, waited anxiously for instructions. The servants were still in shock, as was Clarissa Fleming. Everyone had instinctively turned to Augusta for leadership in the crisis.
Foremost in Augusta's mind was the crushing knowledge that she had failed to keep Meredith safe. I will guard her with my life, Harry.
She had failed to keep her vow. She must not fail to get Meredith safely back. For once in her life she must be cool and logical and she must act swiftly. She told herself firmly she must put aside emotion and think as clearly as Hairy would think if he were here.
"If I may have your attention, please," she said to the assembled crowd. An instant silence descended. "You all know what has happened. Lady Meredith has been stolen from her bed."
Some of the maids started to weep.
"Quiet, please," Augusta snapped. "There is no time for emotion. Now, I have been thinking about what has happened. The window was not forced. It was obviously opened from the inside. The dogs were not alerted. Steeples and I and Mrs. Gibbons have been through the house and there is absolutely no sign of forced entry. There is, I believe, only one conclusion."
Everyone drew in a breath and stared at Augusta.
Augusta searched the faces of the staff. "My daughter has been kidnapped by someone from inside Graystone. You are a large group. Who is missing among you?"
A collective gasp greeted this observation. Instantly everyone was looking at everyone else. And then a shriek went up from the back row.
"Robbie's gone," the cook yelled loudly. "Robbie, the new footman."
At this news, the young chambermaid at the end of the row burst into fresh tears.
Augusta eyed the girl while she spoke quietly to Steeples. "When was this Robbie taken on?"
"I believe it was a couple of weeks after his lordship's marriage, madam. About the time we were taking on extra staff for the house party. Decided to keep Robbie on after the affair. Said he had relatives in the village. Said he'd been working until recently at an important house in London and now wanted to find a permanent post in the country." Steeples looked distraught. "He had an excellent reference, madam."
Augusta met Claudia's eyes. "An excellent reference from the Spider, no doubt."
Clarissa's mouth tightened. "Do you think it possible?"
"The timing of it seems to fit." Augusta broke off as the chambermaid on the end fell to her knees sobbing. "What is it, Lily?"
Lily looked up at her with streaming eyes. "I was afeared he had some wicked intentions in mind, ma'am. But I thought he only meant to pinch some silver. I never thought he'd do anythin' like this, I swear I didn't."
Augusta beckoned to her. "Come into the library. I wish to speak with you in private." She glanced at the butler. "Start the search immediately. So far as we know, Robbie must have been on foot. Is that correct?"
"There be no horse missin' from the stables," a groom volunteered. "But he may 'ave 'ad one o' 'is own waitin' on the grounds."
Augusta nodded. "True. Very well. Here is how you will proceed, Steeples. Have all the available horses saddled at once, including my mare. Mount those who can ride. Send everyone else out on foot with torches and the dogs. Send someone into the village to rouse the people there and dispatch a messenger to London to inform his lordship of what has happened. We must move quickly."
"Yes, madam."
"Miss Fleming will help you organize the search, won't you, Miss Fleming?"
Clarissa took on a militant expression. "Indeed I will, madam."
"Very well. We shall begin." Steeples turned to take command of the troops.
Claudia followed Augusta into the library and stood listening intently as Lily spilled her tale.
"I thought he liked me, ma'am. He was always bringing me a flower or a little present. I thought he was courtin' me, I did. But I wondered at some o' the things he done."
"What made you think he was up to something wicked?" Augusta pressed.
Lily sniffed. "Robbie said he would be comin' into a lot of the ready soon. Said it would be enough to set him up for life and he would buy a little house and live like a lord. I laughed at him, but he seemed so serious that I almost believed him at times."
"Was there anything else he said that alarmed you?" Augusta asked quickly. "Think, girl. My daughter's life is at stake."
Lily looked at her and then dropped her forlorn gaze to the floor. "Not exactly somethin' he said, ma'am. More like things he did when he didn't think anyone was watchin'. I used to see him lookin' the house over real careful like. That's when I wondered if he might be thinkin' of helpin' himself to some silver. I was going to tell Mrs. Gibbons, honest I was, but I wasn't sure like, if you know what I mean. And I didn't want to see Robbie dismissed if he wasn't plannin' anything wrong."
Augusta went to the window and stood gazing out into the darkness. It would be dawn soon. Steeples had moved quickly to follow her orders. She could see horses being led around to the front of the house. The dogs were barking excitedly. Even as she watched, several people carrying torches started off into the woods. Oh, Meredith, my dear little Meredith. Do not fear, I shall find you.
Augusta pushed aside the frantic desperation that threatened to well up inside her. She forced herself to think logically once more. "He cannot get far before morning, even on horseback. He has Meredith with him and that means he cannot make good time. Her weight will slow him down. In daylight he will be easily noticed by people who will ask questions and wonder what is going on. Therefore we will assume he intends to hide Meredith by day and travel at night."
"He can hardly stop at an inn carrying Graystone's daughter," Claudia said. "It will be questioned. And Meredith is not likely to stay silent."
"Precisely. Very well, we shall assume he has set out for a place where he can conceal Meredith until he makes contact with the Spider. There cannot be too many places around here where Robbie could hide with Meredith for any length of time."
Lily's head came up abruptly, her eyes clearing. "The old Dodwell cottage, ma'am. 'Tis vacant now on account of needin' repairs. Robbie took me there a while back." She started crying again. "I thought he was goin' to propose to me, fool that I was. But he said he just fancied the stroll."