she tried to recall its exact
location. If she remembered correctly,
it wasn’t all that far from where she was now. If she hurried, she might be able to escape the worst of the storm. It was certainly worth a try, she
reasoned. Urging her mount forward, she
went in search of the small dwelling.
Back at the picnic site, most of those present had already
mounted their horses or hastened into the waiting carriages, eager to make it
back to Sethe Manor ahead of the oncoming rainstorm. In the mad scramble, only Ashleigh seemed
aware that Tiffany wasn’t among those heading back to the estate.
As Nicholas and Brendon assisted the last of the guests into
the carriages, Ashleigh mounted her horse, spying Alex upon his own mount not
far away. She called out to him and he
rode quickly to her side.
“You haven’t seen Tiffany, have you?” she asked as he pulled
up beside her.
Alex frowned. He’d
been about to ask her the same question, for he hadn’t noticed Tiffany amongst
the riders who’d already departed. “No,
as a matter of fact I haven’t.”
“Oh dear,” Ashleigh breathed.
Alex regarded her intently. “What is it?”
“She went for a ride around the lake a short while ago, and
it seems that she hasn’t yet returned.”
Alex glanced upward at the darkening sky. “How long ago, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” Ashleigh responded anxiously. “Twenty, maybe thirty minutes ago.”
His frown grew more pronounced. “Which direction did she take?”
Ashleigh pointed in the direction of the dark-colored
clouds. “There’s a path that winds
around the lake.”
“Yes, I know it.” He’d accompanied Nicholas across the Sethe private lands many times
before. “Return to the house with the
others,” he told her. “I’ll find her.”
Ashleigh nodded. “What should I…” she trailed off, eyeing him expectantly.
Alex understood what she was asking. “With all of the commotion, I doubt that
anyone has noticed her absence,” he began. “And most likely, if anyone does wonder as to her whereabouts, or mine,
they will assume that we are already on our way back to the house with the
others.”
“Yes, alright. And
when you do return, tell her to enter the house through the servant’s entrance
and to use the back stairs. Her chamber
is at the end of the hall, so she should be able to slip in without being
seen. In the meantime, I will do my best
to keep her father occupied.”
Alex nodded in agreement and then turned toward the woods.
Much to Tiffany’s dismay, by the time she reached the branch
in the path that led to the overseer’s cottage, the rain had gone from a steady
drizzle to a continuous downpour. She
was completely drenched from head to toe, and with the wind having picked up,
she was starting to shiver with cold. Clamping her jaw closed to keep her teeth from chattering, she pressed
on. Fortunately, she had only to travel
a short distance more before she was able to make out the shape of the small
house through the heavy sheet of rain partially obscuring her vision. Heaving an audible sigh of relief, she urged
her mount forward.
Blinking her eyes several times to rid them of the droplets
that clung tenaciously to her thick eyelashes, she steered the mare to the side
of the cottage and then dismounted in front of the small wooden stable. Careful not to slip on the muddy ground, she
pulled open the heavy wooden door and quickly led the horse into the shelter. Guiding her into one of the two empty stalls,
she then covered the mare with one of the old blankets she’d spotted lying in
the far corner of the room.
Satisfied that the horse was taken care of to the best of
her ability, she left the stable a few minutes later and made a mad dash to the
front of the cottage. Skidding to a stop
just outside the front door, she grasped the metal latch with her wet
fingers. As
location. If she remembered correctly,
it wasn’t all that far from where she was now. If she hurried, she might be able to escape the worst of the storm. It was certainly worth a try, she
reasoned. Urging her mount forward, she
went in search of the small dwelling.
Back at the picnic site, most of those present had already
mounted their horses or hastened into the waiting carriages, eager to make it
back to Sethe Manor ahead of the oncoming rainstorm. In the mad scramble, only Ashleigh seemed
aware that Tiffany wasn’t among those heading back to the estate.
As Nicholas and Brendon assisted the last of the guests into
the carriages, Ashleigh mounted her horse, spying Alex upon his own mount not
far away. She called out to him and he
rode quickly to her side.
“You haven’t seen Tiffany, have you?” she asked as he pulled
up beside her.
Alex frowned. He’d
been about to ask her the same question, for he hadn’t noticed Tiffany amongst
the riders who’d already departed. “No,
as a matter of fact I haven’t.”
“Oh dear,” Ashleigh breathed.
Alex regarded her intently. “What is it?”
“She went for a ride around the lake a short while ago, and
it seems that she hasn’t yet returned.”
Alex glanced upward at the darkening sky. “How long ago, exactly?”
“I’m not sure,” Ashleigh responded anxiously. “Twenty, maybe thirty minutes ago.”
His frown grew more pronounced. “Which direction did she take?”
Ashleigh pointed in the direction of the dark-colored
clouds. “There’s a path that winds
around the lake.”
“Yes, I know it.” He’d accompanied Nicholas across the Sethe private lands many times
before. “Return to the house with the
others,” he told her. “I’ll find her.”
Ashleigh nodded. “What should I…” she trailed off, eyeing him expectantly.
Alex understood what she was asking. “With all of the commotion, I doubt that
anyone has noticed her absence,” he began. “And most likely, if anyone does wonder as to her whereabouts, or mine,
they will assume that we are already on our way back to the house with the
others.”
“Yes, alright. And
when you do return, tell her to enter the house through the servant’s entrance
and to use the back stairs. Her chamber
is at the end of the hall, so she should be able to slip in without being
seen. In the meantime, I will do my best
to keep her father occupied.”
Alex nodded in agreement and then turned toward the woods.
Much to Tiffany’s dismay, by the time she reached the branch
in the path that led to the overseer’s cottage, the rain had gone from a steady
drizzle to a continuous downpour. She
was completely drenched from head to toe, and with the wind having picked up,
she was starting to shiver with cold. Clamping her jaw closed to keep her teeth from chattering, she pressed
on. Fortunately, she had only to travel
a short distance more before she was able to make out the shape of the small
house through the heavy sheet of rain partially obscuring her vision. Heaving an audible sigh of relief, she urged
her mount forward.
Blinking her eyes several times to rid them of the droplets
that clung tenaciously to her thick eyelashes, she steered the mare to the side
of the cottage and then dismounted in front of the small wooden stable. Careful not to slip on the muddy ground, she
pulled open the heavy wooden door and quickly led the horse into the shelter. Guiding her into one of the two empty stalls,
she then covered the mare with one of the old blankets she’d spotted lying in
the far corner of the room.
Satisfied that the horse was taken care of to the best of
her ability, she left the stable a few minutes later and made a mad dash to the
front of the cottage. Skidding to a stop
just outside the front door, she grasped the metal latch with her wet
fingers. As
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