Caleb pushed his horse to the limit as he left London, there was no going back now. He had left his carriage at home and only stopped to grab some money and a change of clothes before he had raced off into the night on horseback. There was no chance of him sleeping, he couldn't stay seated in a carriage either. He needed to be active, he needed to think.
All he could think of was the young woman he had left behind, standing in the ballroom stunned by her friend's accusations. He had her face of horror imprinted in his mind and no matter how fast he travelled, it did not go away. He knew he loved her, that much was certain. He had known from the beginning but had been far too scared to admit it. However, last night had confirmed it. Their dance and conversation, their easy and light humour was what Caleb wanted for the rest of his life and he knew he would only get that with Lavinia.
It hurt him to leave her there, but he had no other option. Judith had been mad because he liked her and so Lavinia was much safer without him. He loved her, and that was why he had to leave.
***
The next morning Lavinia awoke with red, puffy eyes and a wet pillow. Edward had left sometime after she had dozed off and she was still in her ball gown, her hair like a nest atop her head. Anne came in soon after, concern etched across her face.
"How are you feeling, m'lady?" she asked timidly. Lavinia turned round to see her and Anne wrapped her arms around her when she saw her mistress' tear stained face.
"It will all be alright, Lord Alder isn't here anymore and Lady Wetherton won't get past your brothers," she reassured.
"Caleb's gone?" Lavinia looked up in astonishment. How could he have left so quickly? Why?
"Indeed, my brother said he left immediately after the ball," Anne explained. "Apparently he's going to visit an Aunt in Shropshire."
Lavinia's heart hurt at the idea of Caleb gone. It was like a part of her was missing. An Aunt in Shropshire was more important to Caleb than her? She needed him now, more than ever. She realised now that she had never really appreciated the security and comfort she felt around him. Lavinia broke into tears again and asked Anne to give her excuses to her brothers. She did not want to see anyone today.
***
Judith awoke the next morning even angrier than she had been last night. She had a headache and she blamed Lavinia for that too. What enraged her even more was the news that came to her almost instantly that Caleb had left. What was he thinking? That he could keep Lavinia safe from her by running away? Lavinia was guilty and she would deal with the consequences of angering Judith.
Caleb on the other hand would come back to her. Once he realised that Lavinia was no longer an option, he would notice Judith as his perfect match.
***
Lavinia was glad of the miserable weather that was overshadowing London. It matched her mood all too well. She sat in the library for most of the day reading books and watching the raindrops race each other down the window pane. She spoke to her brothers sparingly, sometimes opting to eat dinner in her room rather than sit in between their concerned glances. She knew it wasn't fair to them, but her heart was broken. Caleb had left her. Left her to endure the ridicule of the ton alone.
Charles and Edward didn't know what to do around Lavinia. She wasn't her usual bubbly self. She sat solitary for hours and many times they saw her, her eyes were red. They knew she was upset and embarrassed by Judith, but Charles thought it could be something more.
"What if she likes Caleb?" he asked Edward one night when they were dining alone. Edward almost choked on his drink as he contemplated this idea.
"Caleb and Lavinia? Surely not," he said incredulously.
"He likes her, that's why he left," Charles admitted. Edward thought for a moment. He had noticed that Lavinia had not spoken to Mr Black since he had arrived which suggested to him that she wasn't interested in him, and yet he also knew that Caleb had been interested in her since Charles had told him of their conversation after the game of rounders.
"It's possible, but what can we do? Judith doesn't seem like the innocent debutante anymore and now that Caleb's gone Lavinia is miserable," Edward said.
"I suppose we must just give her some space from now on. She needs time to move on," Charles noticed that it was his sister's heart that hurt. He knew that Caleb hated being so far away from her, he had said so in several letters he had sent since his absence less than a week ago, but he also knew that it was for the best.
Lavinia couldn't stand being cooped up in the house anymore. She had been in denial the past few days that Caleb had even left, but now she knew she must accept it. He wasn't coming back and he certainly didn't care for her. There was no point moping around inside, she needed out of the stuffy townhouse, she needed some air.
Lavinia woke up early about a week after Caleb had left, determined to leave the house. She was glad to see that it wasn't raining at least so she donned a plain blue calico day dress and left the house. She knew her way around a lot better now, she had watched where they were going ever since she had been left to walk from Judith's house alone. She headed towards Hyde Park, it was unusual for a young woman to be out alone, but Lavinia's reputation was in tatters anyway, it wasn't like it could get any worse.
She had picked up a book from the library on her way out and, as the day was clear, she decided to sit on a bench to read it. Delving into someone else's problems had always been a favourite pastime of Lavinia's when nothing was going right and so it was like this that she sat, blissfully unaware of the man that watched her from behind, waiting for the right moment to abduct her the way his mistress had instructed him.
***
Charles had noticed Lavinia's absence at breakfast, lately she had hardly left her room. He worried for her, but after his discussion with Edward, he knew it was probably best to leave her be. He continued with his day fully expecting to see her by lunchtime but again at lunch it was only himself and Edward that appeared in the dining room.
"Have you seen Lavinia today?" he asked Edward once they had eaten. He had hoped she had just been late.
"No, have you not?" Edward answered frowning at his brother's question. "She should be here."
"Have you seen her?" Charles addressed the butler, his anxiety rising.
"No, sir, sorry sir," he answered with a bow. Charles stood abruptly and Edward followed him, feeling the same feeling of dread. They searched the house, her chambers, the library, the drawing room, parlour but she was nowhere to be found.
"I want every servant of this household to look for her," Charles demanded, leaving the house and heading towards the bookshop he knew she enjoyed visiting. He would search the whole of London until she was found.
Around an hour later he reached Hyde Park having no success in any of her favourite shops. He walked around, searching frantically until his eyes fell on a book on the ground. He recognised it.
Lifting it up he wiped the dirt off the cover and opened the front cover to confirm his suspicions. On the title page there was a handwritten note.
To Julie,
On your sixteenth birthday.
Love Mama and Papa
Charles' heart sank to his stomach. Lavinia had always loved this book of their aunt's. She had no doubt been here but where was she now? And why would the book be lying in the dirt like that?
***
Caleb's Aunt was pleasantly surprised to see him and yet she knew instantly that something was wrong. He wouldn't keep still. He would sit down and then stand up to pace about the room and then sit and try and read only to jump up again. He also constantly asked if a creek of the house was someone at the door or if there was a possibility that any of the letters could have been mislaid.
"Caleb?" his Aunt spoke to him one evening, about a week after he had arrived. "What's worrying you? You've not been still since you got here."
Caleb stopped next to the fireplace and knelt down in front of his aunt. He took one of her wrinkled hands in his and looked in her eyes apologetically. "Aunt," he said sincerely. "I'm sorry I've not been the most attentive nephew. I simply couldn't stay in London." He then proceeded to tell her everything that had happened beginning from Lavinia's birthday ball to the week before. "You see, I love her, and that is why I had to leave," he concluded.
His Aunt sat very still and looked him in the eyes. She could see the sincerity there but also the distress and the hurt and fear in them. She knew he loved this Lady Lavinia and from his account of her she knew she must be a remarkably worthy young woman to capture his affection so.
Before his Aunt to could say anything, her butler entered the room with a letter on a platter addressed to Caleb. He didn't recognise the handwriting, it certainly wasn't Charles' or Edward's, but he tore it open anyway, desperate to see what news it brought him.
Lord Caleb Alder,
We have your precious Lavinia and are open to an exchange.
Meet us at Lafferty Cottage tomorrow evening at 20:00 and don't be late.
Tell her brothers and she is dead before you get here.
X
Caleb's heart leapt to his throat. What was this? What did it mean? This wasn't supposed to happen. He left so Lavinia could be safe and now her life was in grave danger never mind her reputation.
His Aunt looked at him curiously as he read it and once she saw his reaction she took the letter and read it herself. She feared for her nephew, but at the same time, she knew he would do anything for this girl. She knew she couldn't talk him out of it and so she would support him in any way he needed.
***
Lavinia awoke with a sore head on a cold, hard floor. She couldn't remember how she got there or where she was. She opened her eyes and was met with complete darkness and her eyelashes scraped across a coarse material. She was blindfolded? Why?
Lavinia tried to sit up to find her hands tied behind her and her feet tied together. She began to panic, wriggling and kicking out, desperate to get away. Who would do this to her? How would she get out of it?
Her brothers would be furious when they saw she was missing. They would look for her surely. Her heart twisted when she thought of how a week ago she would have thought Caleb would have looked for her too, but now he had gone and she couldn't rely on him forever.
The sound of footsteps advancing from another room caused Lavinia's heart to jump into her throat. She pushed herself awkwardly away from the sound until her back hit a wall. She sat up, rubbing her wrists together to try and pull them out of the tight rope.
The door opened and she could see a line of light underneath the blindfold.
"Well, what an accomplished lady you are," came the snarling voice. "Let's see how much Caleb really loves you then, shall we?" And Lavinia was carried outside to a waiting carriage and was shoved unceremoniously in the back seat.