Sarah spoke before he could. “I had to help. Ihadto this time. I couldn’t wait any longer.”
He bowed his head. “Be careful.”
“I know this area better than anyone here.”
Mr. Phipps grunted. “That’s true enough. You and Master Ralph ran in and out of the forest like a couple of heathens when you were younger.”
Holding the reins, Sarah asked, “Why have the dogs stopped?”
Guy doffed his hat. “They’ve lost her scent, milady.”
Sarah pulled off Deborah’s scarf. She only hoped her own scent hadn’t covered her sister-in-law’s. She handed it to the man. “This is Miss Deborah’s.”
Guy accepted the article of clothing and stooped down so the dogs could smell it. The hounds howled and began to move. Sarah was the first to follow them on her horse, and she had to duck to miss the branch of a tree as they entered the forest. It was a dangerous time to be in unknown terrain. The dogs were leading their party deeper and deeper into the forest, until Sarah could barely see the moon or the stars.
The dogs barked loudly in a clearing, and Sarah saw a shadow. She recognized a horse from the stables. She cantered to meet it only to find it riderless. Deborah was nowhere to be seen. Sliding out of the saddle without assistance was difficult even whilst riding astride. Sarah landed unevenly on the ground and would have lost her balance if she had not been holding tightly to the pommel. She walked over to the other horse and touched its nose before taking its reins and checking the saddle. It was not in the center of the gray’s back but was tilted to the side. Perhaps Deborah hadn’t secured it tightly enough. Maybe she’d fallen off. The dogs continued to howl at the horse.
“Any sign of her?” Christopher asked, his own chestnut snorting and huffing from exertion.
“I believe she was on this horse.”
“You would be right, milady,” Mr. Phipps said.
Christopher cupped his hands together and yelled, “Deborah! Deborah! Deborah!”
Her name echoed in the wind, but they waited for several minutes without hearing a sound. Deborah was either too far away or too injured to answer them.
“What do we do?” Sarah asked.
Christopher slid off his horse and took her hand. “We keep looking.”
She nodded and was grateful for his assistance as he helped her mount her mare. She would not have been able to do so without him.
“The river is not far from here,” Sarah said, gripping the reins. “Let’s water the horses. The sun will be up in another hour, and we can keep looking.”
Guy tipped his hat to her. “A good plan.”
“Aye, milady,” Mr. Phipps said.
Sarah saw that her husband was the last man to mount his horse. Swallowing despair down her throat, she led the thirsty men and animals to the river.
Chapter 20
Christopher splashed cold water onhis face. He had never been so exhausted and yet so awake. Fear crept down his spine. He had believed they would have found Deborah by now. He didn’t think she’d left the estate, but he’d been wrong.
Wrong about so many things.
His sisters didn’t need a brother; they needed a guardian. A father figure. And since their own father had passed, it was his responsibility to protect and guide them. He had married Sarah hoping that she could curb Deb’s temper and improve her manners, but the responsibility had always been his. Christopher had been hesitant to criticize his sister or to take her to task for her mistakes. His father had seen only Christopher’s foibles and physical deformity, never his heart or hopes. But love required both caring and correction. He would do better.
Christopher watched Sarah pet her horse’s mane. Her dress was rumpled and her hair a mess. Besides swimming, he’d never seen her appear anything but pristine and perfect. She looked more approachable like this. Less like a lady and more like his wife. Her eyes looked puffy and tired, but she had not gone back to sleep. She had come to help find his sister. Christopher didn’t blame her one whit for Deb’s behavior. The two people who were culpable were himself and Deborah. He knew his wife cherished him and that this was one of the reasons she was here. She also cared for his headstrong and wayward sister. But the primary reason she’d come was because she hadn’t been able to find her mother; if she helped find Christopher’s sister, perhaps she could finally close that sad chapter of her life.
His stomach rumbled with hunger.
Sarah gave him a tired smile and then a little laugh. “I suppose we are both a little worse for wear this morning, Husband.”
Christopher felt a surge of warmth and happiness at that one word:husband. “I have drunk straight from a river, something, as a canal man, I would never recommend doing. But needs must.”
Letting go of the reins of her horse, Sarah came toward him and began unbuttoning his shirt, which was askew. She lined up the garment correctly and rebuttoned it for him. Her gloved hand patted his chest. “There.”