He turned to look back into the carriage, just as their other visitor stepped down. Helena walked forward, clutching to a shawl around her shoulders.
Robert’s pace stalled. He clearly had hoped it would be Julia riding to his door. He breathed heavily, his hands on his hips. Christopher moved to his brother’s side and clapped his shoulder in comfort.
Christopher nearly walked toward Helena, for he could still see the marks upon her face from where she had cried. He longed to take her pain away, but then he remembered the vigor with which she had accused him and his family.
She always believes the lies told about us.
“Your Grace.” The Duke of Dunton strode forward. “We have news. Not pleasant news,” he added, looking back at his daughter who sadly nodded. “And an apology to make.”
Robert stepped forward again, speechless but with a plain eagerness in his body language. He fidgeted constantly, unable to stand still.
“We know who took my daughter,” the Duke explained.
“And it was no Moore.” Helena’s words captivated Christopher. He looked toward her, finding she was staring back at him.
“You can understand why the letter led us to believe it was the case.” The Duke sighed, clearly exasperated. “Yet it is one of our own we must blame. My sister-in-law has just confessed to us all that it is my own brother’s doing.”
“Lord Gibbs?” Robert and Christopher said at the same time.
“I don’t understand.” Christopher folded his arms. “Why would he do such a thing? To actually take his own niece away from her family on her wedding day?”
“Believe me, I am as baffled as you are,” the Duke of Dunton said, his voice grave. “Helena and I have not stopped talking about it on the way here. Though we have a reason from my sister-in-law, it doesn’t help us much.”
“Pray, what is the reason?” Robert asked, his voice low.
“She claimed Uncle Gibbs wished to give Julia more time to consider what she was doing,” Helena said slowly. “It does not make sense to my mind, but he is desperate to avoid the Moores.”
“He clings to the rivalry, I fear,” the Duke of Dunton added. “I have been thinking much of our discussions ever since the betrothal was announced. I know I have been no friend to the betrothal, and I have much to reproach myself for, but thinking over our conversations, I am now certain that my brother fueled my anger. He stoked the fire and told me things that made matters worse.”
The Duke cursed, his eyes landing on Christopher. “He told me much of your own scandals, Your Grace, and pushed scandal sheets under my nose that I frequently had no time for.”
“They belong in the fire,” Christopher said, speaking with sudden passion. “None of it is true, Your Grace. If I knew where such rumors came from, I’d gladly stop them, but I don’t know. So, I suffer those tales by ignoring them. Believe me, if I had known those tales would have fueled your hatred of my family and your distrust of my brother, I would have done anything to find out who spread such rumors in the first place.”
“I understand.” The Duke of Dunton nodded.
The more Christopher looked at him, the more certain he was that there was fear in the Duke’s eyes. He kept looking repeatedly at his daughter. Despite his confident tone and manner, there was something else lingering here.
“I come to ask for your help to search for my daughter,” the Duke said, looking between Christopher and Robert.
“I’ll come,” Robert said without hesitation.
“I will come too.” Christopher matched his brother’s resolute tone, his eyes flicking to Helena. He thought he saw the corner of her lips turn up into a smile, but he couldn’t be certain. That look gave him the briefest of hope, warmth spreading in his gut, then it was gone.
Our kiss seems like a long time ago now.
Despite how keenly he could remember it, the passion and fervor with which she had held onto him, he longed to turn back the hands of his pocket watch and relive that moment.
“Then let us depart, at once.” The Duke of Dunton gestured to the carriage behind him.
Christopher left a message with Percival, urging him to explain the matter to the rest of the family and keep them calm, in particular Isaac, then he left. By the time he returned to the carriage, he found there was only one place left to sit inside, and that was beside Helena.
She avoided his gaze as he stepped up to sit beside her with Robert and the Duke of Dunton sitting opposite them. As the carriage set off, Christopher was thrown closer toward her as they bounced over potholes. He had to hold himself back, not wanting their legs to brush together when her father was so close.
The Duke of Dunton never seemed to notice their proximity. After they had gone to Gibbs’ townhouse and searched the place with no luck, they returned to the carriage where Christopher had heard Helena crying soft tears, fearing for her sister. Silently, Christopher offered her his handkerchief. She took it, their fingers brushing together gently, then she mopped her tears. After which, she angled her body more toward his.
It was a movement that went unnoticed by the Duke of Dunton. No matter how tempted Christopher was to speak to her openly, he knew now was not the time. Instead, he listened to the Duke and Robert talk of where to search for Julia next.
After Gibbs’ townhouse, they searched through the gentleman’s club in town and even went to friends’ houses, known to be close to Gibbs. They never had any luck.
