“Baker?”
“Bertha’s brother. The man I banned from the estate after he was rude to you and hurt Miss Baker.” He squeezed her hand. “I’m so sorry, darling. I didn’t think that the man might blame you.”
She frowned and shook her head. “It wasn’t Mr. Baker, Colin.”
Colin searched his brain for one other person who might hold some resentment toward her. Maybe someone had found out about them and thought it wrong. “Who was it, Selina?”
“Before I tell you, I need you to promise me something,” she said softly.
“What do you want me to promise?”
“That you will do nothing to hurt this man or his family. The man is still hurting and I am positive he wasn’t in his right mind last night.”
How the hell could he promise her that? Right now, he wanted to throttle the man who did this to them both. “Very well, I promise. Now tell me who tried to hurt you.”
“I tried to see her again a few days ago. I just had to make sure she was feeling better. I was hoping she would tell me that she and her husband would try to have children again soon.” Selina blinked back tears.
“What happened?”
“He was there again. He told me to leave his property and never attempt to see her again.” Selina sniffled. “I just wanted to help her.”
Colin closed his eyes in thought. “It was Mr. Wells, wasn’t it?”
“Yes,” Selina wiped away a tear.
He clenched his fists and bit his tongue to keep from forbidding her from her healing. He knew that she would never give up her passion. But it took every bit of willpower he had to not speak up. He only wanted to protect her.
“Colin, I know he might have killed you.”
“Killed me! He might have killed you.”
“He is not himself. They haven’t given each other time to heal from the death of their child. You should understand that more than any man.”
He gritted his teeth. “I do understand that better than anyone. And as much as I wanted your mother dead, I never attempted to kill her.”
Selina’s face went pallid. Her green eyes gleamed with tears.
“Oh, hell, I’m sorry,” he whispered as guilt rushed through him for hurting her. God, he was an imbecile.
“I have to leave now.” She rushed out of the room before he could even attempt to sit up.
“Dammit, Selina. Come back.”
Colin struggled against the nausea as he stood. Damn those women for stripping him down to his undergarments. Now he had to find his clothing. The room was too dimly lit to see much of anything away from the candle on the nightstand. He lifted the candle and searched for his trousers.
“What the devil are you doing out of bed?” Kate said sharply as she sat up. “You should be lying down and resting.”
“I need to find Selina.”
“She was in the chair watching you. She probably just needed to relieve herself.” Slowly Kate rose and stretched.
“She was here talking to me. I said something completely inane and hurt her feelings.”
“Oh damn you stupid men. You always speak without thinking.” She walked over to him.
Colin grabbed the chair as a wave of dizziness swept over him. Kate clasped his arm and led him back to the bed. “I need to find her, Kate.”
“It’s four thirty in the morning. How far could she have gone?”
He inhaled deeply, realizing his sister was right. He doubted Selina would even know the way home from here. She rarely left the estate.
“You’re right,” he admitted sheepishly. “Besides, she wouldn’t have left her patient. Did you watch as she stitched me up?”
Kate frowned. “She didn’t care for you. That was Mrs. Featherstone’s work. Hart rode back to his home and picked them up. He didn’t want anyone else to care for you.”
Selina didn’t tend him. “I don’t understand. Was Selina too upset by the shooting?”
Kate sat in the chair next to him. “Didn’t she tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“The bullet went through you completely and grazed her shoulder. Miss Featherstone cared for Selina while Mrs. Featherstone tended you.”
She’d been shot. He closed his eyes and remembered the small bandage on her shoulder. And he had let her walk out of the room. “I have to find her.”
He attempted to sit up only to have his sister force him back down. Damn he was weak.
“You will go nowhere. She most likely went to our room. I will go find her and bring her back.”
“Thank you, Kate.”
She smiled down at him in a teasing way. “Just don’t get shot again. You about killed me.”
“As you wish. Now go find my betrothed.”
Kate searched her room and a few of the empty rooms on the floor but Selina was nowhere to be found. She couldn’t have left the house. Kate walked down the steps and searched in the salon, library, and study. Finally, she heard movement toward the back of the house and was certain she’d found her missing friend.
Entering the kitchen, she said, “Excuse me, have you seen Miss White?”
An older woman with a large apron walked toward her. “Out of my kitchen, my lady. This is no place for you.”
“Yes, but have you seen Miss White?” Kate quickly described her.
“All the fancy ladies are abed, which is where you should be, my lady. Now off with you.”
Kate stomped her foot but then turned on her heels and continued her search. After two hours, the sun had come up and there was no sign of Selina. Feeling completely inadequate, she returned to her brother’s room. He was going to be so angry.
As soon as she opened the door, he sat up in bed. “Did you find her?”
Kate closed the door and leaned against it. “I searched everywhere for her, Colin. No one has seen her.”
“Why would she have left?”
“I can’t imagine. She hadn’t left your side from the moment she awoke from the laudanum.”
He understood why she would have been upset with him. After all, he’d said he wanted to kill her mother. But that was in the past. “I want my carriage readied. She went back to her cottage.”
Where she feels safe. He should have known if she was upset that would be the first place she’d go. Nothing, not even a gunshot wound, would stop him from finding her and apologizing. He had to make her understand that while he had loved Mary, he was over her now. Mary would have been furious with him for grieving this long.
And she would have liked Selina.
“Colin, you are not ready to leave yet.”
“Either you help me or get out of my way. But I will find her today.”
“Your Grace, you are going nowhere.”
Colin looked toward the door where Mrs. Featherstone stood in the threshold with Miss Featherstone behind her. “Good morning, Mrs. Featherstone. While I appreciate you tending to me last night, I am perfectly well.”
She walked into the room and pursed her lips. “Indeed. Since I am quite certain you have no book or practical knowledge in healing, I will be the judge of your health. Now sit down.”
Something about the tone of her voice made Colin falter. She reminded him of his own late mother.
“Where is Selina?” Mia asked in bewilderment. “While her wound was superficial, she still shouldn’t be doing too much today.”
“That is why I am leaving. I need to find her.” Colin reached for his shirt and suppressed a groan. Just that little movement had sent shooting pain from his shoulder down his back.
“Your Grace, I will ask you once more to sit down,” Mrs. Featherstone demanded. “Mia, go find Selina and make sure she is all right. Once you find her, send word to His Grace. In the meantime, I will keep the duke in bed where he belongs.” She gave him a hard stare until he sat down.
He only obeyed her command because he knew her advice was sound. He really was in no condition to go riding across the countryside trying to find Selina. But he needed someone to go after Mr. Wells. “Miss Featherstone, while you are looking for Miss White, can you ride to Lord Hartsfield’s home and tell him I must speak with him immediately?”
She tilted her head and smiled at him. “That shouldn’t be a problem.” She opened the door and motioned to someone in the hall. “His Grace needs to speak with you.”
“Thank you,” Hart said as he walked past her. “I didn’t think a little thing like a pistol wound would keep you down.”
Colin knew his friend only teased to rile him. “I’d like to see you try it sometime. Then you’ll have this bossy termagant commanding your every move.”
“Now, now, Your Grace,” Mrs. Featherstone said with a smile. “You just do as I say and I won’t be so harsh.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Hart sank into a chair by the window. “So how bad is it?”
“The wound? I will survive—”
“I meant the reason you need to see me at eight in the morning.” Hart crossed his arms over his chest. “You know who shot you, don’t you?”
“Yes, but they were aiming at Miss White, not me.”
Mrs. Featherstone gasped as she lifted the linen off the wound.
“Am I all right?” Colin asked, suddenly concerned.
“I apologize, Your Grace. I heard what you said just as I lifted the bandage. Why would anyone try to hurt Selina? The tenants love her.”
Colin told them both about Mrs. Wells. “Selina said she did notice him just before he shot us.”
“You have to find her, my lord,” Mrs. Featherstone said to Hart.
“No,” Hart said, staring at Colin. “I have to find Mr. Wells.”
Colin nodded. “Exactly.”
Selina finally reached her cottage and wiped away the vestiges of her tears. Her feet ached from walking in her dancing slippers. She wanted nothing more than to soak in a tub of hot water for an hour. But she couldn’t.
She could not remain here. As much as her heart ached, she had to leave him . . . and the tenants and the servants. The long walk had cleared her mind. He would never understand what happened that night. Nor would he ever forgive her either.
There was only one option left to her.
Unable to reach the buttons on her silk gown, she grabbed a knife and sliced it down the front. She would not cry over a ruined gown. Even if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever worn.
She divested herself of her stays in the same manner. Who creates clothing that requires another person to help its wearer in and out? It was insane.
Once she returned to her worn cotton dress, she pulled out her valise and packed only a few dresses and the things most important to her. She would ask Mia to bring her other items once she was settled.
She closed the door behind her and as much as she didn’t want to, she headed on the long walk to Tia’s house. Her friend wanted to chase Middleton’s younger brother to London. Now was her chance. Selina doubted Middleton would concern himself with the wise women on his estate. He usually spent more time in London than out in the country, anyway.
As she walked away, she refused to turn back and look at the estate she loved so much.
“Where else could she be?” Kate asked as they slowly returned to the Littletons’ home.
Mia was never one to cry but she blinked back the tears as she jumped off the horse. They had searched everywhere. “I honestly don’t know. I can only hope Lord Hartsfield found her.”
“Or at least found Mr. Wells,” Kate added.
“That is still no guarantee that she is safe.” Fear gripped her. Mia had to be missing something.
“We have to tell Colin,” Kate said.
“I know.”
Mia followed Kate up the steps of the grand house. Where could Selina have gone? While she’d never been to London, Selina had told her she had no desire to go there.
Kate opened the door to the duke’s bedchamber only to find him pacing the room. “Why are you out of bed?”
“Did you find her?” he demanded as he halted his stride.
Kate shook her head. “We searched everywhere we could think of, Colin.”
Mia cleared her throat. “If I may, Your Grace?”
“There is no need for formalities. Say what is on your mind.”
“We searched her cottage and interviewed the tenants and servants. No one has seen her, but I did notice the remains of the gown she had been wearing and some of her things were gone. We then rode to my mother’s home and checked there. It didn’t appear that she had been there.”
“Then where the bloody hell is she?”
Mia excused the coarse language when she noticed the pained look in his eyes. This was not just about one of his tenants missing. He loved her. She pressed her lips together to keep from crying. “I don’t know, Your Grace. We then went to my sister’s house and she hadn’t seen her either.”
“Would she lie to protect her?”
Mia bit down on her lip. “I don’t believe she would, Your Grace. I told her that you were terribly worried about Selina’s safety.”
“Thank you both.”
“Colin,” Kate implored, “you really shouldn’t be out of bed.”
“I am fine. Mrs. Featherstone told me I could get up but to be careful not to pull my stitches.”
Kate gave Mia a beseeching glance. “Your Grace, even though my mother told you getting up was all right, you must have a care. You did lose a lot of blood last night. It can take a few days to fully recover from that alone.”
“I realize that, Miss Featherstone.” He must have heard how harsh he sounded. “I apologize.”
“I understand, Your Grace. You are worried.”
Her mother walked back into the room with a tray of soup. “Back in bed, Your Grace. I have a light supper for you. And do not think about telling me you can’t eat. You will eat or I will spoon it down your throat myself.”
Mia almost laughed aloud at her mother’s attitude and the duke’s reaction.
“Very well,” he conceded. “But I will not lie down. I will sit at the table.”
“As you wish,” her mother replied.
Kate glanced about the room. “Where is my mother?”
“She is resting.” Mrs. Featherstone placed the tray on the table. “She feels terribly guilty about what happened so I gave her a little something to help her sleep.”
“Why would she feel guilty?” Mia asked. It wasn’t as if she had paid Mr. Wells to shoot at them.
“Selina didn’t want to attend the ball. My mother and I insisted. I . . .” Kate’s gaze remained on the rug. “I coerced her into coming.”
“And how did you do that?” he asked.
“I might have told her that I would tell you about where she’d been living after she left her cottage.”
Heavy footsteps approached the room. The door hurled open and Hart pushed a man and a woman into the room. It was one of the first times Mia had ever seen him so forceful. Her heart increased its beat against her chest.
“Mr. and Mrs. Wells, Your Grace,” Hart said with a bow.
“Your Grace,” Mrs. Wells started, “I had no idea what my man was about last night. I never would have tried to hurt you.”