He stretched out his hand to help his sister out of the carriage. ‘Miss Perkins, may I introduce you to my sister, the Duchess of Glastonbury?’
Miss Perkins curtsied, but didn’t appear overly awed by his sister’s title. ‘It appears that Lady Louisa has gone into the woods. I think it would be best if we were to go in pairs, taking the lanterns from the carriage, and spread out about twenty feet so that we may cover the largest amount of ground. Each group can take a pistol, and if one group locates her they can fire a shot in the air to let us all know to come back to the carriage.’
‘Excellent,’ Mantheria said. ‘Miss Perkins, would you like to go with my brother or my driver?’
The young woman took a deep breath. ‘Your coachman, Your Grace.’
Mantheria instructed her coachman to take down the lanterns and bring his pistol. Miss Perkins sent him and Mantheria in a north-western direction, whilst she and the driver went off in south-east. It was efficient and effective. Wick couldn’t help but be impressed with her skills in managing a duchess and an irritable marquess.
Mantheria held the lantern in one hand and Wick’s hand in the other. She squeezed it tightly as they stepped into the unfamiliar woods.
Wick cleared his throat. ‘Louisa! Louisa!’
His sister’s voice echoed his and she held up the lantern like a beacon. The forest was thick with trees, and Wick hoped that Louisa would see their light through them.
He called her name again, and then waited for a response.
Nothing.
Goosebumps formed on Wick’s arms as he worried that she might have fallen and been hurt. That she wouldn’t be able to see their light or hear their words. But then he remembered the saucy woman’s words. Louisa had escaped the cellarandthe cottage. She was strong.
‘Louisa!’ Mantheria yelled.
After a short pause, Wick heard a voice in the distance.
‘I’m here.’
He dropped Mantheria’s hand and cupped his fingers around his mouth. ‘Keep talking so that we can find you,’ he shouted.
Taking his sister’s hand again, he followed Louisa’s voice until he saw her sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree. The lantern’s light shone on her face, which was dirty with soot and dust.
Louisa’s hand was on her side and she was breathing heavily. ‘I’m so thirsty. I haven’t had anything to drink since before we went to the park.’
Wick stooped down beside her, desperate to touch her. Hold her. ‘We will get you some water as soon as possible. Would you like me to carry you?’
Before Louisa could answer, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Glancing over, he saw Mantheria.
‘Miss Perkins said we had to fire a shot when we found Louisa, so that the other search parties would know to return to the carriage.’
Again, he was amazed by how well thought-out Miss Perkins’s plans were. Wick took the pistol out of his pocket and handed it to her. ‘Care to do the honours?’
Mantheria nodded eagerly, setting down her lantern and taking the weapon from him. Like all his sisters, Mantheria knew how to handle a shooting piece. She cocked the hammer back and fired a shot in the air. The sound echoed in the night.
Louisa took a deep breath and then released it. ‘Did Belinda tell you where I was?’
‘Who is Belinda?’ Mantheria asked.
Louisa took another breath before she answered. ‘My cousin’s mistress. Although I doubt she will be for much longer. He is in debt for over one hundred thousand pounds to a moneylender, and without coin Barnabas is of no interest to her.’
Wick let out a low whistle. He had known that Lord Barnabas played high; but he’d never have guessed his debts would amount to that.
‘Shall I carry you?’ he asked, for the second time.
She shook her head. ‘I can walk, but I won’t say no to leaning on your arm.’
Wick helped Louisa to her feet and she leaned heavily against him. Mantheria picked up the lantern and walked in front of them, back towards the cottage. He wrapped his arm around her waist, half carrying her. When they arrived at the carriage Miss Perkins and the driver had already returned.
Miss Perkins climbed up into the carriage seat. ‘Hand her up to me.’