HELD CAPTIVE BY A ROGUE

Chapter Nine

Christopher woke with a start as images of Kathryn's blood-covered, unconscious body passed before his eyes. Sitting up, he realized it was only a bad dream and rubbed his eyes, trying to wake up. Glancing over at the adjoining door he climbed out of bed, donned his breeches and within ten minutes was fully dressed and presentable to go visit Kathryn.

Anxious now to speak with her, he sped through the adjoining door into her bed chamber. "Where is she," he wondered angrily. He didn't think she should be out of bed this soon after such an ordeal like she'd had yesterday. Cursing under his breath, he went downstairs to find her.

"Good morning, your lordship," Emma said, when she saw him enter the kitchen.

"Why is Kathryn out of bed," he demanded gruffly of the housekeeper.

"Out of bed?" Emma asked, a look of concern crossing her old wrinkled face.

"I went into her room to talk with her and she wasn't there," he retorted, thinking she had to be out with that damn dog of hers again.

"Lordy, I haven't the faintest idea where she could have gone off to." Emma replied softly.

Christopher spun on his heels and made his way down to the stables where he saw Erin yelling at the stable boy about something. "Has Kathryn been down here this morning?" He asked, impatiently.

Erin's head snapped up at his lordship's question. "Why, no sir. I haven't seen her since yesterday, but...."

"But what?" Christopher demanded, his anger very apparent now.

"Well Ginger, that old mare is missing again and one of the old saddles. I think it was the one that was on Ginger when you first brought her here," Erin replied hesitantly.

"What! Damn it to hell! Don't tell me she's done it again," he roared before storming back to the manor house surprising Emma when he entered the kitchen and slammed the door behind him.

Emma closed her eyes for she knew that Kathryn had to have decided to go home, to Grey Manor on her own. But how she could tell his lordship where she went without breaking her promise to Kathryn, she wondered dejectedly, not knowing what to do.

Christopher was venting his anger by stomping around the kitchen and cursing Kathryn out for running away again. He wanted to go after her but he had no idea where she would have gone. He knew nothing about her except that her first name was Kathryn.

"If I only knew who she was," he murmured while Emma just stood there and watched him, feeling deceitful for not telling him all that she knew.

"Maybe it's best that she's gone." Christopher stated after a while when he thought of his obsession for her. If she wasn't here then maybe he could get her out of his mind. "I'm going to ride into Dartmoor to see the constable, Emma, to find out how something like the incident yesterday could possibly happen right here on my property!" He said, angrily and stomped back down to the stables.

He gave Thor his head while he slowly galloped down the main road that led into town with images of Kathryn flooding back into his mind. Why she continues to haunt me at every turn, he thought annoyingly. Even now that she's gone, I still can't get her out of my head.

He pulled up to the constable's office where he tied Thor to the hitching post before he entered. Once inside, he took a double take when he glanced between the two identical cousins and cursed under his breath. "How two people can look exactly alike, he said aloud, shaking his head in disbelief.

The three men in the office looked up at his comment. "Your lordship," Constable Hawk said in surprise, wondering why the Marquis would come down to his office. "I understand you had quite a disturbance out at Crestwood Hall yesterday."