Ada & The French (The Woodhouse Series #2)

Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

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*Paris, France*

"Oh, mon dieu!" Philippe's voice rang in the hallways of the Delacroix home as Juliette watched from the windows of her bedroom, a man carrying Louis.

"Louis!" She cried, running down the stairs, Colin right at her tail as her unconscious cousin was taken into the parlour and laid on the settee. "Smelling salts, Marie!" She ordered one of the maids to get something as she inspected the damage to her cousin.

"Head injury..." Colin said, noticing bleeding from the back of his head.

"What happened?" Juliette cried, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked at the humble man grasping his hat with her father.

"Mademoiselle, I found him not far from here. He was in Jardin de l'Avenue Foch. No one was around and it seemed he had been there a while..."

Philippe thanked the man and gave him some money as he left. Marie returned with smelling salts and Colin held them under Louis's nose whose eyes flew open and he winced, the pain in his head throbbing through him.

"Oh...Louis..." Juliette hugged him, Colin patting his shoulder as Philippe came over.

"What happened?" Colin asked as Louis slowly sat up, shaking his head as soon as bearings came into order.

"Adelaide! They took Adelaide!"

***

After the doctor checked him over, it wasn't till the following morning when Dupont arrived to take Louis's statement, everyone was in disbelief. Colin had contacted the Viscount Malpas's valet last night using the number left by Florence - they would have a lot of explaining to do.

Juliette sat by the window, listening to the conversations.

"Look...these questions do not matter! We need to find Adelaide! We've already wasted enough time by you all taking so long to get here!" Louis stood as did Dupont, who raised his hands to calm him down.

"I understand you are distressed but without this statement, we won't know where she is or where to find her..."

"Les Gens have her!" Louis cried. "We have to go after them! We have to go to Quatre Pigalle!"

Dupont sighed. "We have officers there, scouring the area. We will find them."

There was banging on the door and the footman answered it, voices in the hallway.

"Where is he?" A familiar voice was raging as Theodore Woodhouse appeared in the doorway, stepping into the room as he noticed Louis.

"You..." He grabbed him from the lapels, Dupont intervening as Florence arrived, begging Theodore to let him go. "Where is my sister?" Theodore shouted over the cacophony of voices, telling him to calm down and to let him go.

"I'm sorry!" Louis protested. "I don't know..."

"You wanted her here and you couldn't even protect her!"

Louis frowned. "At least I was here! Where exactly were you?"

Theodore raised his hand but Florence intervened. "No Theodore!" She warned, forcing herself between the Earl and Theodore. "You are angry and that is understandable but violence against the Earl is not the answer."