“Calm down, my man. I know it may seem a silly thing to say, but working yourself into a state is not going to help.”
Kolton blew out a frustrated gust of air. “The wedding is in a little less than a month, Victor. What would you expect I do when I have no idea where my betrothed has run off to?”
“You are right; this is a bunch of drivel,” Victor agreed, handing Pru’s letter back to Kolton who folded the paper and stuffed it into the pocket of his coat. “Is there anything you might have said or done that would have given her leave to doubt your feelings?”
Kolton stopped pacing and turned to his brother. “Pardon? Where would you have gotten such a ridiculous notion?”
Victor studied him in silence a moment or two. “Nowhere in particular.” He shrugged assuming an air of casual disinterest. “You know how women are: imagining slights when none were given.”
Kolton snorted in agreement. “Be that as it may, Pru isn’t like most women. If she is annoyed with me, she is not averse to letting me know why in no uncertain terms.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“Trust me, Victor; she has no problem ringing peal over my head when she is upset with me.” Kolton’s lips quirked in a small smile as he thought back to his time with Pru at his hunting cabin. “No, something must have triggered this, but I can’t imagine what it could be.”
Please, God, let simple wedding jitters be the reason, and let me be able fix whatever is wrong.
If he couldn’t make things right...
No. He wouldn’t think that way. She loved him, he had to find her, had to get her back. Life without Pru—the thought was unbearable. Kolton rubbed his chest where the empty void that had swallowed all his happiness and was now filled with a painful ache.
Victor stood and crossed the room to stand by Kolton and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “What do you need me to do? I am at your disposal for as long as you need me.”
“We need to check with her friends in town and see if they know anything. If that doesn’t help us find her, we should probably check and see if she has run off to one of the country estates.”
“There is the property left to her by her mother. Could she have headed there?”
Kolton shook his head. “I doubt it. She would undoubtedly figure it is one of the first places we would look. I will send someone out there, but it is unlikely they will find her there.”
“Have you checked with Amanda?”
Kolton blew out a gust of air and raked his fingers through his hair. “Not yet, that was next.”
“I can check with her friends in town, then,” Victor offered.
“Thank you. That would help enormously. I’ll write down some names for you.”
Kolton strode over to his desk and jotted down a list of people Pru would be most likely to contact. He handed the list to Victor, and walked his brother to the door before ordering a carriage to take him to Amanda’s.
***
More than a week had passed and Kolton was no closer to finding Pru. With each day that had gone by, he grew more despondent and irritable. He snapped at the servants and locked himself in his study at night, drinking himself insensible.
As he was dressing, Arbuckle knocked on the door and informed him he had a visitor.
“This time of morning? Who is it?” he snapped
“A Lady Hope Kingsley,” the butler replied.
Lady Hope. Yes, they had become close over the last month or so, but had they become close enough for her to be of any help? Victor had questioned her and, at the time, she knew nothing of Pru’s disappearance. Had something changed?
“Show her into my study and inform her I will be right down.”
“Do you think she has news of Lady Prudence?” Rupert asked as he quickly tied Kolton’s cravat.
“Let’s hope she does,” he replied as his anxious valet helped him into his jacket and he hurried from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Three
When Kolton entered the study, he found Lady Hope standing by the window looking out while absently twisting her handkerchief between her hands.
“Lady Hope, a pleasure to see you again. To what do I owe your visit this morning?” He crossed the room and took her outstretched hand, bowing over it politely in greeting and noting its trembling as he did so.
“I am so sorry to call on you at such an early hour, my lord, but I have just received word from Lady Prudence and assumed you would want to know right away.”
Kolton’s heart began to race. He sent up a silent prayer that this was the chance he had been looking for.
“Your assumption was completely correct. What news have you, my dear?”
Lady Hope hesitated, her brows drawing together slightly in apparent indecision, but her expression quickly cleared and determination took its place. “I don’t know if this will be of any help finding her, but I thought you had the right to know the reason she left.” She reached into her ridicule, pulled out a folded piece of stationery, and handed it to him.
He unfolded the single sheet of paper.
Hope,
I am sorry that I hadn’t the chance to see you one more time and explain why I had to leave London with such haste.
Hope, I am so sorry, but the letter and diaries have been stolen and the person responsible for their theft threatened to expose their contents unless I ended my engagement to Lord Ravensbrook. I’m sure you can see how I had no choice but to comply with the blackmailer’s demands. You are young and deserve the opportunity to make a good marriage, which would be impossible if I stayed and married Lord Ravensbrook.
You will never know how sick I feel over this. Though I have left London, I still fear for you, and wanted apprise you of the situation. I want you to know that the short time we had to spend together and known each other has meant the world to me and our parting will not be forever. Once the stir amongst the ton my leaving will surely cause has time to settle, I will contact you again.
Please, Hope, I beg you not to try and find me. I have made peace with my decision, and my mind will not be changed.
Ever your friend,
Prudence
Kolton shook his head, perplexed. “I don’t understand; what is all this about a letter and a diary, and what does it have to do with blackmail? Why would she be concerned for you?” He motioned the young woman to take a seat and sat himself next to her.
Lady Hope bowed her head, gazing sightlessly at the shredded bit of material that had once been a beautifully embroidered lace handkerchief. “I am not sure where to begin,” she replied tearfully. “This is all
my
fault. If I had never approached her in the first place . . .”
“Please, Lady Hope,” Kolton urged, checking his impatience, and laying his hand on her arm encouragingly. “What is this all about? It would appear to be of a sensitive nature. Let me promise you that anything you tell me will not go beyond this room.” To prove his point, he rose and closed the door to the study before rejoining her on the settee.
Lady Hope smiled faintly. “Thank you, my lord, your discretion is appreciated.” She straitened her spine and squared her shoulders as if drawing her courage around her like a cloak. She turned to him and placed her hand on his in a gesture of sympathy. “I want you to know first, how sorry I am to be the cause of the upset Lady Prudence’s leaving has undoubtedly caused you.”
Kolton nodded in acceptance of her apology.
“I will begin by telling you that I am not the Duke of Stoneville’s biological daughter.”
Kolton gave a start of surprise. Of all things the young woman could have come out with, this was the least expected. “I don’t know what to say, Lady Hope. Your news comes as a complete surprise. But what does this have to do with Lady Prudence?”
Lady Hope clasped her hands tightly in her lap and locked eyes with him. “Lady Prudence is my half-sister,” she stated boldly.
Kolton stared at the young woman, at a loss as to how to respond. Lady Hope didn’t give him time to formulate a reply. She told him of the discovery of her mother’s diary and all that had transpired since. Kolton listened intently, but other than explaining Pru’s decision to leave, it gave him no clue as to where she might have gone.
When her story came to an end, Kolton sat back and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “And your father? Does he know of your mother’s affair and your true paternity?”
Lady Hope lowered her eyes and shook her head. “I almost positive he does not. I had hoped to keep him ignorant of the fact I am not his real daughter, but now I see it is not possible. He must know of this threat to our family in the event that the truth becomes known.”
“It is probably for the best. Thank you for sharing such personal information with me. I know it must have taken a lot of courage to come to me with this.” Kolton took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze. “I am only sorry it doesn’t help us find Lady Prudence. Did the letter arrive by special messenger? Were you able to perhaps find out anything from him?”
“No,” she said, reaching into her ridicule again and pulling out an envelope. “It came by post. But—oh my—perhaps there is a postmark! I didn’t even consider the idea until now,” she exclaimed excitedly.
Kolton studied the envelope. The letter was sent from Brenshire, the village located near his hunting cabin. The hunting cabin! He hadn’t even considered she might go there. He had to give Pru credit. She must have known he wouldn’t have thought to check the cabin considering the nature of their time spent together there.
“I know where this is,” he said, “and I know where to find her now. If she hasn’t moved on, that is.”
Lady Hope sagged with relief. “I am so glad. Now you can go to her and bring her back.”
Yes, but there was still the problem of the blackmail. Pru would dig in her feet if she thought her sister was still in danger.
“I don’t know how to thank you, Lady Hope,” he said, taking her hands in his and kissing her knuckles.
Lady Hope blushed. “No need to thank me, my lord. Lady Prudence’s leaving was my fault. I am overjoyed that I am able to have the chance to make things right.”
***
Kolton had searched Pru’s room when she first left, but this time he did a more thorough job. He didn’t know what he was looking for exactly; he just sensed there was something he’d overlooked. If he couldn’t find some clue as to the identity of the blackmailer and stop them, there would be no way he could convince Pru to come back home.
He searched her bed, checking under the mattress and tearing off the sheets. Nothing. He went through her bedside table, pulling out the drawers and emptying their contents onto the bed. Still nothing. Her dressing room and jewelry case turned up nothing, so he turned his attention to her desk. He removed the top drawer, which he’d pried open the lock the first time he searched her room, and dumped its contents on the desk. Still, he found nothing of importance.
As he bent down to pull out the next drawer, he noticed something stuck in the back where the first drawer had been. He reached in and pulled out a wrinkled piece of paper. Clearing a place on the desk, he smoothed it out and read its contents.
He’d found the blackmailer’s letter.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kolton was surprised when both Lady Hope and her father were announced and entered his study. He’d sent a note to Lady Hope letting her know he had more information regarding Pru’s reason for leaving and asked to call on her before he left. He had not, however, expected her to show up at his residence, let alone bring the duke with her.
Kolton was seated behind his desk, but stood when the two entered. “Your Grace, Lady Hope,” he greeted them, coming around the desk and bowing to the duke before bending over Lady Hope’s hand.
“Ravensbrook,” the duke replied gruffly. Kolton could see by his stiff posture and strained expression that the Duke of Stoneville knew all there was to know about the situation with his daughter and Pru.
“Please have a seat. Shall I ring for tea, or perhaps something stronger, Your Grace?”
“No, no, Ravensbrook. I prefer to have a clear head while dealing with this situation. You wrote to my daughter of finding something new in this matter?”
Kolton’s gaze shifted to Lady Hope. He noted her red-rimmed eyes and slightly pink nose. She had obviously been crying recently. He hoped the duke’s reaction to discovering she was not his biological daughter had not been too difficult for her. She gave him a reassuring smile and nodded her head slightly in answer to his silent question.
“Yes,” he said turning his attention back to the duke. “I believe I know who the blackmailer is.”
Stoneville sprang to his feet. “Do you by God! Tell me the name of the bastard who thinks he can threaten my family! I’ll make sure the bloody little coward is silenced permanently.”
“Father,” Lady Hope said, the anxious look in her eyes contradicting the calm, reasoning tone of her voice as she laid her hand on her father’s arm. “Please be sensible. Killing a man is not the answer.”
Adam Kingsley, while not a young man, appeared to be in top form. Kolton knew for a fact the man was a regular at Gentleman Jacks and could easily take down a man half his age. He was a powerful man with connections in both very high and very low places. The Duke of Stoneville was a man few people dared to cross, and those who were fool enough to try received no mercy.
Stoneville turned to his daughter with a look of surprise. He patted her hand reassuringly. “I do not use such drastic measures to solve my problems, my dear. Although,” he added with a malevolent gleam in his eye as he turned his attention back to Kolton, “in this case, a certain amount of satisfaction arises at the thought.”