Chasing Cecilia

CHAPTER 22

Rory:

The sun had long since gone down and large droplets of rain had pelleted down from the sky as I made the short ride back from the fields to the house, I urged my horse on not wanting to remain in the downpour any longer than I needed to.

The lack of workers in the fields had forced me to stay later than usual and my stomach had begun to grumble loudly. When I arrived back at the manor I handed my horse to one of the stable hands and hastened up the steps of the manor.

I looked down at my attire, my clothes were muddied and damp with sweat, I wrinkled my nose in disgust as the smell wafted up to my nose. I would definitely need a change of clothes. I made my way to my room knocking on Cecilia's door.

There was no reply so I assumed she was probably still trying to avoid me. "Dinner will be served shortly," I called through the wooden door before entering my own chamber and changing out of my cloths into fresh ones.

I waited at the foot of the stairs every so often checking my pocket watch, where was the damn girl? Just because she was avoiding me didn't mean she couldn't turn up to a meal?

Hell, I hadn't even seen her today except for briefly in the fields this morning. What had I done now to make her hate me even more? I sighed in frustration, my stomach let out another growl, where was the wretched woman?

I noticed one of the maids pass by and called out to her, as she came closer I recognised her as Edna, Cecilia's lady's maid, what good fortune, she could go and drag Cecilia down here herself. "Your grace," she bobbed a curtsey and looked up at me expectantly.

"Could you fetch Cecilia for me, she has not yet come down for dinner." He nodded his head at the girl expecting her to run off to fetch her mistress but instead she just threw me a baffled look.

"Her grace went out riding earlier your grace," she said. I ran my hands frustratedly through my hair, where had the girl gone to?

"What time did she leave for her ride?" I questioned the girl.

"Around two o'clock this afternoon your grace."

"Two o'clock? But it is nearing ten now, she surely hasn't been out riding for eight hours?" I felt a nasty knot twist in my stomach, something wasn't right. "Have you informed anyone of her departure?"

"No your grace," she replied, her voice quavering.

"Well why ever not?" I growled at the girl who cowered back instantly.

"I am sorry your grace, I did not think, her grace, she often comes and goes, it won't happen again your grace." the girl was visibly shaking now. I was about to tell the girl off once more for her lack of thinking when the front door burst open and a stable hand ran into the hall panting heavily.

"Yer grace," he stooped over to catch his breath. "Its 'er grace's 'orse, it's just come galloping back to the 'ouse your grace, I've ne'er seen a 'orse move so fast." I felt the blood drain from my face and could hardly focus on the boy's next words, my earlier hunger vanishing as fear consumed me.

"It's reins were broken too and all, and the 'orse looks 'alf scared to death it does, won't let no one come near it." Oh god, oh god, oh god. What could've possibly happened to warrant her horse running home scared out of its wits.

Maybe she'd fallen from it, or been attacked. Various scenarios swam through my head, what if she was dead? God no, please, please, she couldn't be dead.

I stood frozen for a second longer before rushing from the house, "My horse boy! Now!" I shouted at the stable boy.

"Right away your grace," the boy scampered ahead of me to the stables as I turned back to the distraught looking maid.