A Wager Of The Heart

45. Seeking an angel

:::Kent:::

I slammed my fists down on the desk as I stared across the piece of furniture at my mother and father. They had to be losing their minds, there was no other explanation. "No." I stated flatly. "If you can't see reason that is your problem, don't drag others with you."

"Kent!" Edith admonished. "We are forcing nothing. Geraldine will go because she wishes it. Amelia will go because we are going. I'm confident that Charity will go."

I scoffed and pushed myself to my feet. "That I doubt." They didn't see her face last night. She seemed nothing but a shell when I looked into her eyes. 

"Give the girl more credit." Preston said quietly. "From what Amelia told me, she's got spirit."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "I will not go." I stated again, determined. Preston turned to my mother, exasperated. "I'll not go no matter the sweet words of good character and conviction about to spill from your mouth, mother." I said more certain of myself.

"Perhaps, dear. But you staying will not prevent the others from going." She looked at me sadly. "We must go."

"No, we mustn't." I said, disagreeing vehemently. "We owe that horrid woman nothing. She intruded on our house and caused havoc at every turn with her only aim at separating the union you so laboriously designed. I say not going will prove nothing but that she's got what she deserves."

"Wrong," Preston said expressively. "We go and if you fail to see the reasoning you'll be free to stay. But let me explain myself one more time. Ursula is a vile serpent of a woman, true, but she is also Geraldine's grandmother and your future relation. She came to our home and caused havoc, as you said, and if we do not put our food down and make an example of our collective strength she will be a constant companion in your life. She'll show up as she pleases and dictate your every action. And looking at you now, you'd cower in the corner crying and begging her to leave. The Earl of Preston is not a coward, boy." He puffed his chest in indignation. 

"Besides," Edith said quietly, giving me a pointed look. "You cannot protect them from the snake, or its children, if you are not there."

"Nonetheless." I breathed. 

The door opened abruptly and I turned to see Bastion looked frantically around. "Something the matter?" Preston asked, his voice a mixture of concern and annoyance. 

Bastion nodded breathlessly. "Charity is missing. She disappeared sometime in the early afternoon, after we left for our picnic." Without another word he turned and left the room. My mother and I followed him quickly through the halls and to the library. Geraldine sat next to Amelia on the sofa. Her eyes were bright with concern and unshed tears, her hands gripped the fabric of her dress convulsively, almost without thought.

Amelia sat on one side of Geraldine, rubbing her back. Bastion sat next to her as soon as he was in the room. He reached down and peeled Geraldine's hands from her lap. Seeing this display of affection I felt guilty for assuming he was Charity's lover. 

"Brandan is searching the garden." Amelia said to the silent question in my mother's face. 

"Has the house been searched?" Edith asked, to which Amelia shook her head. "I'll go wake the servants and get them to look." She said briskly and left the room. 

I stood awkwardly, anxiously, waiting. She would not be found in the house, that I knew for certain. Brandan would find her in the garden. "How long has Brandan been searching?"

"Nearly an hour." Geraldine whispered. I could hear grief and strangely guilt in her voice. "I knew something was wrong this morning. I should never have left. I should have stayed and demanded an answer and then made her laugh like she always does for me." 

Bastion pulled Geraldine into his embrace as her tears finally spilled out. "It isn't your fault, Cricket. You know how she is about such things. Always so strong."

I felt like I was intruding on a private family moment but try as I might, I couldn't force myself to stop listening or turn away. "She never lets me be strong." Geraldine sobbed quietly and I found myself smiling despite the whirlpool of emotion in the room. She even cried beautifully. "What kind of sister am I?"

Bastion laughed quietly and kissed the top of her head. "Charity loves you just as you are, and we love our little Chicken just the way she is. Stubborn as ever and just as guarded." Geraldine nodded into his chest. "Besides, she's more than likely lying under the stars and watching the night tick by. We'll find her and she won't even know that any time will have passed."

Geraldine laughed and sat up straighter, wiping her eyes. "You're right, of course."

Brandan and Edith entered the room at the same time, both of their looks grim. The small peace melted away in those slow seconds. Bastion regained himself first. "Well?" He asked carefully.

"She was not in the garden." Brandan answered softly.

All eyes turned to my mother and I stamped down my own anxiety to hear her answer the question. "I have the men searching every room. However," she spoke cautiously, "one of the men saw her fleeing into the woods shortly after our departure."

My eyes shot to Brandan and then we both looked at Geraldine, remembering her tumble a little more than a week earlier. "I'll find her." I volunteered before someone else could. I turned to my mother and saw the doubt in her eyes. I grabbed her hands and spoke directly to her. "No one knows the woods like I do, I'll be back before you know it. My Lady's sister in tow."

"Nonsense," she exclaimed, trying to hide her fear. "It is a warm night and there is no predators in this part of the world."

"What about a search party?" Brandan asked helpfully.

"We won't be able to properly organize one until morning." Preston said from the doorway. I turned to look at him curiously. He ignored my questioning glance and stepped further into the room. 

"Hounds?" I turned to Bastion who looked eagerly at my father. 

"We've none." Preston said calmly.

"Let me go." I entreated again.

My mother was outraged. "But the woods are dangerous, you could fall down just as Geraldine did and not be as lucky!"

I closed my eyes wishing she'd have kept her thoughts to herself. "What?" Geraldine asked, close to hysterics.

Noticing her blunder, my mother looked frantically around. Her eyes met my fathers and he nodded once. "Edith, let the boy go, he knows what he's doing."

I do? I thought, noticing that mysterious hint of pride in his voice. I smiled reassuringly at my mother before turning to Geraldine. "No fear, my Lady," I said confidently, "I'll bring her back to you."

Geraldine nodded and I left the library, Brandan right on my heels. I listened intently as he recounted his path through the woods to me. It might not be probable that she would return there but at least it was some place to start.