In Good Company (39 page)

“The carriage is right out front,” Abigail said before she nodded to Everett. “I expect you to find those precious children, Everett, and”—she nodded to Lucetta—“I’m expecting you to take over my role as Millie’s chaperone, since I’m old and will only slow everyone down.”

“You’re worried about Millie having a proper chaperone right now?” Lucetta asked, even as she bent over and pulled her shoes off her feet. “In case you’ve neglected to notice, we’re in the midst of an emergency.”

Abigail waved them to the door. “Emergencies are no excuse for abandoning proper protocol, dear. Now go.”

With Everett’s hand once again in hers, Millie ran beside
him out of the parlor, Lucetta keeping pace by Millie’s side. Hurrying down the front steps, they reached Abigail’s carriage, and while Everett gave the driver directions, Millie and Lucetta climbed into the carriage, Millie scooting over on the seat when Everett joined them a moment later.

“‘Emergencies are no excuse for abandoning proper protocol’? Honestly, if we weren’t facing such a dastardly situation, I’d find myself amused.” Lucetta drew in a deep breath and slowly released it. “But enough about that. You probably want to know what happened.”

Everett took hold of Millie’s hand and leaned forward. “That might be helpful. How do you know Caroline gave the children to Mr. Victor?”

“After Millie left Seaview, I went in search of Abigail, intent on telling her about what had transpired between Millie and Caroline on the terrace. However, when I saw that Abigail was in the midst of a crowd of guests, I didn’t want to draw undue curiosity by pulling her aside. Instead, I decided to go get the children. But when I reached the top of the stairs and started down the hallway, I ran into a little difficulty, that difficulty being two ladies—Miss Gertrude Rathbone and some woman named Bird something or other.”

“Birdie?” Everett asked.

“Indeed.” Lucetta’s eyes narrowed. “They were standing in front of Elizabeth’s door, looking almost as if they were guarding it, and when I tried to pass them, that Birdie lady stuck out a crutch and brought me to the ground. At first I thought it had to be an accident, but when she proceeded to hit me with that crutch and Gertrude stuffed a handkerchief in my mouth to muffle my yells, I realized something was horribly wrong.”

“Birdie hit you with her crutches?” Everett asked in a deadly voice.

“Numerous times. I know this isn’t exactly the moment to point this out, but . . . you have dreadful friends, Everett.”

“They’re not my friends.”

“Wonderful, but to proceed with my story . . .” Lucetta absently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ears. “Before I knew it, I’d been trussed up like a holiday turkey, with what I think were someone’s stockings, and dragged into a closet, where I was stunned to find Miss Nora Niesen trussed up in exactly the same way.”

She gave a sad shake of her head. “I’ve since learned that she tried to step in and stop Caroline, but that pesky business only resulted in her being accosted. Because our hands were tied, as well as our feet, we were in a rather precarious state. We tried to draw attention to our plight, hoping some passing servant would hear us as we mumbled through our handkerchiefs, but I think Caroline had made certain to let the staff know she was not to be disturbed as she spoke to the children.”

“Do you know what she said to the children?” Millie asked.

Lucetta nodded. “I do, and you’re not going to like it. The closet Miss Niesen and I had been thrown into abutted Elizabeth’s room, and when I stopped mumbling, I heard Caroline speaking. She told the children that she and you, Everett, were announcing your plans to wed that very night, and then . . .” Lucetta blew out a breath. “She told them that you found the children to be a burden and did not want to take care of them anymore. Because of that, Caroline said that she’d arranged for them to go off with Mr. Victor, a man she claimed adored the children and would take them home to Boston.”

Everett’s hold on Millie’s hand tightened. “And the children believed her?”

Biting her lip, Lucetta frowned. “I don’t think they did. Elizabeth started arguing, but Caroline cut off the arguments—
slapping her, I think—and then . . . Rose started crying. And that’s when Caroline really turned nasty.”

Millie leaned forward. “What did she do?”

“It was dreadful. After Rose started crying, there was the sound of another slap before Caroline told the children that if they didn’t cooperate, she would not give them to Mr. Victor, a kind and loving man, but would see them sent off on the first orphan train she could find.”

Temper bubbled up and out of Millie. “She’s a monster, and I swear to you, when I get my hands on her . . . Well, what I did to Mr. Victor’s nose will look like child’s play.”

“And I’ll be there with you, darling,” Lucetta said. “But first we have to find the children. I’m afraid they might have left the harbor, given that it was quite some time after I heard Caroline leading the children away that I managed to get free. That Birdie lady came back into the closet not long after Caroline left and stood over us, brandishing her crutch in a very threatening way, that brandishing making it unwise for me or Miss Niesen to make so much as a squeak when we heard you, Everett, come up to look for the children.

“After you left, Birdie left, and that’s when Miss Niesen and I finally took to banging our tied legs against the door, but it was quite some time before Mr. Macon found us.” A ghost of a smile flitted over Lucetta’s face. “The poor man was completely appalled to find us in such a state, but he rose to the situation magnificently, fetched Abigail straightaway, then her carriage, and . . . if I’m not much mistaken, he was going after Caroline once we got on our way.”

Leaning back against the seat, Everett sighed. “I just cannot believe Caroline would go to these lengths to hurt me. I thought I knew her well, but it seems as if I didn’t know her at all.”

Millie caught his eye. “She’s a spoiled woman, Everett, used
to getting her way, and she must have been simply beside herself when you weren’t cooperating.”

“And when you were forming a very charming attachment to our dear Millie,” Lucetta added. “We mustn’t forget about that.” She sent a pointed look to Millie and Everett’s clasped hands. “I have not heard the full story yet, but I’m assuming the two of you have straightened matters out?”

Millie felt her face heat, but before she could respond, Everett responded for her.

“After I left the ball, I found Millie in the process of burning her beloved books, so I did the only thing I could think of . . . I kissed her. Mr. Kenton then threatened me with a bat, but we can’t discuss anything further with you until after we find the children.” He smiled. “We want them to be included in any and all of our future decisions.”

As Lucetta stared back at them in clear delight, the carriage turned off the main road and began jostling over ruts, coming to a stop a few moments later. Everett was out the door in a split second, helping Millie and then Lucetta to the ground before he took them by the hand and headed for the docks.

They checked every boat in the harbor, but the
Adoring Violet
was nowhere to be found.

Pulling her and Lucetta beside him, Everett headed for his own yacht, bellowing loudly that he needed to board. A plank was lowered almost immediately, and as Everett talked to the captain, a man who looked as if he’d just been woken from a sound sleep, preparations to pull anchor began immediately.

Sinking into a chair on the deck, Millie waited until Everett and Lucetta joined her and then lifted her chin. “What are we going to do if we don’t find Mr. Victor in Boston?”

“Where else would he go?” Lucetta asked slowly.

“Well, I’m not sure, but considering he is an attorney and
must know that kidnapping is a grave offense, don’t you think he might expect us to follow him to Boston and decide to head somewhere else?”

Everett rubbed a hand over his face. “You’re exactly right, Millie, but since we don’t know where else to begin looking for the children, we’ll start in Boston. I had the captain send a boy off with a message for Abigail, telling her we didn’t find the children at the docks. I’m sure that won’t relieve any of the anxiety she’s feeling, but at least she’ll know what city we’re heading for.” He blew out a breath. “If we don’t find them in Boston . . . Well, we’ll worry about that when the time comes.”

Settling back in the chair, Millie shivered as the sea breeze picked up, but before she could even comment on the chilly wind, Mr. Andrews, the steward she’d met when she’d first traveled to Newport, was suddenly standing in front of her, handing her a blanket. Before she could do more than smile her thanks at the man, Everett was pulling his chair closer to her, even as he sent Mr. Andrews a rather knowing smile.

With a shake of his head, Mr. Andrews actually returned Everett’s smile, released a sigh of obvious disappointment, and looked to where Lucetta was sitting right as his mouth dropped open. Instead of handing Lucetta the blanket he was still holding in his hand, he thrust it Millie’s way and made a hasty retreat.

“I would love to say that doesn’t happen often, but . . .” Lucetta smiled a small smile, took the blanket Millie held out to her, and settled into her chair.

Silence descended over the deck as everyone seemed to get lost in their own thoughts. Leaning her head back, Millie gazed at a sky filled with stars, and reached out to God. He would guide them . . . and hopefully keep those precious children safe.

Closing her eyes, she lifted her heart in prayer.

By the time they reached Boston, docked Everett’s yacht, found a carriage to hire, and inquired at the Victors’ home, the morning was completely gone.

Millie had not been able to catch much sleep, and given the weariness on Everett’s face, as well as Lucetta’s, she assumed they hadn’t slept much either.

“At least we know that Mr. Victor came back to Boston,” Lucetta said as the rented carriage trundled down another Boston street. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited to see a boat before. The sight of the
Adoring Violet
anchored in the Boston harbor had goose bumps traveling down my arms.”

“But unless his entire household staff is lying, neither he nor Mrs. Victor have been home for almost a week,” Everett added, raking a hand through hair that was now completely standing on end.

“They’ve taken the children to their old home,” Millie said again. “I know they have.”

Everett lifted her hand to his lips and pressed a quick kiss on it. “I hope you’re right, but I have to admit, I have doubts about that. It’s too obvious. And as you said, Mr. Victor has to know he’s broken the law by stealing away the children.”

“It might be too obvious, but . . . I just have a feeling that’s where we’ll find them.”

Looking out the carriage window, Millie took in the tree-lined street and the dignified houses spread out along that street, each house with a large lawn, while a dense forest ran the length of the neighborhood. When the carriage began to slow, she turned back to Everett. “You told the driver to let us off a few houses away from Fred’s house?”

“I did.”

“Good. We don’t want to allow Mr. Victor an opportunity to flee if he does turn out to be here.”

When the carriage pulled to a stop a few moments later, everyone climbed out. Millie waited as Everett gave the driver further instructions, and then they began walking down the street—Millie hobbling just a bit because her sparkly shoes had begun pinching her toes.

“Don’t you think the neighbors are going to find three people strolling down the street in formal attire a little odd?” Lucetta asked.

Millie’s lips curved. “Probably, but it wasn’t as if we had time to change.”

Falling silent when Everett slowed his pace, Millie glanced to the handsome house sitting back from the street. It was three stories high and made of red brick, and even though the drapes were firmly drawn and the house had a slightly abandoned air to it, she could tell it was a home that had known much love. There were flower boxes attached to every window, and the porch held inviting chairs with cushions that were worn yet comfy looking.

“I hope the spare key is where I left it,” Everett whispered. He strode over to the side of the house, ducked around the corner, and reappeared a moment later holding up a key. As they stood by the front door, he blew out a breath and suddenly looked a little . . . determined.

“I want you and Lucetta to wait out here for me. I’ll come get you after I make sure it’s safe.”

Lucetta let out a snort. “Not likely. If you haven’t figured this out yet, Everett, Millie and I are not fainting flowers, willing to stay back while the brave, brawny hero scouts out the dangerous situations. Besides, you might need us—especially since it seems someone really is here.” She nodded to the door.
“The door’s cracked open, which makes that key in your hand unnecessary now.”

Millie’s nerves immediately began to jangle as Everett slowly pushed open the door and stepped into the house. Following him a second later, they moved down the hallway, splitting up to check different rooms. Feeling more and more unsettled with each empty, linen-draped room she looked into, Millie reached the end of the hall and stepped through another door, completely taken aback by the sight that met her eyes.