Page 45 of Alessandra (Chisholm Manor #1)
Edward jumped down from Beauty as Old John came out of his house to greet him and his father.
He wasn't a man who ever smiled, but as a tenant, he was hard working and reliable.
He'd always been a distant figure in Edward's life since he was very young, and had watched the 'Young Master' grow into the man he was now.
"Old John," Edward heard his father say in greeting as he shook his hand respectfully.
"We might have a problem on the estate.
There is a man who could be headed here to cause distress.
Have you seen anyone lately who you had not seen before?"
"No, Master," Old John replied.
"It has been a long while since I seen anyone new around these paddocks, but tell me what this person looks like.
I'll keep watch for him and pass the word to others."
Edward came forward and gave a physical description of Tom, all the while shuddering inwardly at the thought of the man who had so openly declared he would 'have' Alessandra.
Old John nodded when Edward had given his description.
"What shall I do if I see him? Report it to the manor?"
"Yes, but we do not wish for the Mistress or Edward's wife, Alessandra, to know about this.
Edward is soon to be a father..." Charles said, cut off by the older man coming forward to Edward and shaking his hand.
"Oh, Young Master! Congratulations," he said, smiling for the very first time Edward had seen him do so.
Edward thanked him and accepted the handshake.
"We do not want Alessandra to be distressed in any way, so if you do see this man - or anyone you have not seen before - can you please let me know directly, Old John? If you come to the manor, tell my man that you wish for him to tell me, and only me, that you are there."
Old John nodded.
"Very good, Master."
Edward and his father mounted their horses and prepared to leave.
"And please be careful yourself.
We do not know if this man is dangerous, but it would be best that we expect that he is, until he is found."
Edward saw Old John nod again and wave before Edward's father started to ride away with Edward behind.
As they pulled up to the tiny cottage of Mrs Howard, something immediately looked amiss.
Although she was a woman of the land, leaving the front door as wide open as it was, was something that neither man had known her to do.
Edward saw his father jump down with impressive speed to get inside as quickly as possible.
At his father's instruction, Edward walked around the outside of the house to see if he could see her.
On entering the house, Edward's father let out a cry of distress.
Edward ran to see what his father had found.
It was quite a scene to observe.
The woman was lying on the floor, secured to a chair with her feet bound, her mouth gagged, and her hands tied behind her.
"Oh, Master!" said the elderly woman inside, expressing utter relief at seeing a face she knew, as Edward untied the ties covering her mouth.
"A man was here and he did this to me," she continued, starting to shed tears.
"Who did this, Mrs Howard?" Edward asked as he continued to untie her hands and feet, then helped her to stand up.
The woman struggled to find her balance and her voice, but then mustered the determination to speak.
"I did not know him.
He was a young man, about the Young Master's age.
He came here and tied me up, and then he was sleeping there," she said, starting to cry desperately as she nodded to the bed in the corner of the room.
"Last night?" Edward's father asked, uneasy at developments unfolding.
"No! He came here nights ago."
"You have been tied up here all this time?" Edward asked.
He was horrified at the thought that an elderly woman had been left alone without anyone to check on her.
He made a mental note that he must start visiting tenants more often, given how isolated some of them lived.
As she began to sob, she nodded.
"He came here to sleep every night for a week, but then did not come back again.
He has not been here for, I think, three nights now, but I do not feel quite right at the moment, Master, so my reckoning could be wrong."
"Of course you feel unwell, Mrs Howard.
When did you last eat?"
She looked timid and weak as the tears began once more.
"I know not," she replied.
"He did give me a little food and water when he was here, but I do not know when that was."
"Right.
Water and food first then," Edward said as he looked around the tiny cottage, desperate to find something he could give to her.
"Thank you, Young Master, but he took everything with him."
Edward found himself perplexed at the horror of the situation.
"Father, I must ride up to the manor..."
"No, Edward.
Mrs Howard has had a terrible ordeal.
I do not want to leave her here alone," Edward's father started to say before the elderly woman started to object.
"Mrs Howard, I understand you prefer to live alone, but for this night at least, you will come with us and stay at the manor.
Do not refuse, I beg you, as you desperately need sustenance, and I will not sleep if I think of you alone here, with a madman on the loose.
When you are at the manor, I can also summon the doctor to come and check your health."
Edward looked on, admiring his father for his generosity, although also seeing in his eyes a real fear, which flowed on to him also.
"Yes, Master," the elderly woman said, her head hung low in shame of having found herself in the situation.
"Come, Mrs Howard, you can ride on Beauty.
I will walk alongside you, so you have nothing to fear from him.
He is large, but he is gentle and good-natured," Edward said with a soothing voice.
After securing the little house, they made their way slowly to the manor, where Margaret came out to meet them.
Edward pulled her aside.
"Margaret, Mrs Howard here has suffered a horrible ordeal and will stay here for the night.
Can you please set her up in a guest room, and ensure she gets some food? She has not eaten for at least a few days, as far as I can tell, so tell Cook to prepare only small amounts of food suitable, and make sure she also has plenty to drink," Edward said to Margaret and saw her nod.
Before Margaret turned to the elderly woman, he added, "Please do not tell my wife or my mother about this.
I do not want either to be worried or stressed."
Margaret looked at the young master and could see the level of seriousness on his face.
She nodded, appreciating the love for his wife that he so easily displayed to everyone he talked to.
Quietly she guided the elderly woman away and toward the guest wing of the manor to set Mrs Howard up with food and a warm fire.
"Now Edward," his father said with an intense depth of concern in his voice.
"As it is starting to get dark, we will not go any further tonight, but early tomorrow you and I shall set out and visit the remaining tenants."
Edward nodded, remaining close to his father, but feeling particularly desperate to get to his wife.
"Go and get ready for dinner, and then we shall dine," Charles said.
"And not one word of any of this to Alessandra or your mother."
Edward bounded into the drawing room to check if Alessandra was there.
Seeing no-one in the room, he ran up the regal staircase and to their bedchamber.
As he made his way to her, he considered the timeframe that Mrs Howard had said.
Her calculations may have been completely wrong, but she'd indicated that over the past few nights the man had not been back.
Edward calculated that the last time Tim Missinger was there, was the day Edward had walked with Alessandra to the waterfall.
Fear descended upon him as he remembered the moment they had thought they'd heard something in the forest behind them.
Before opening the bedchamber door, Edward stopped and took deep breaths until he was sure he looked calm and could put a smile on his face once more.
Alessandra heard the door open and turned to see Edward enter, making her smile.
It had been two weeks since they had been intimate.
It was the longest they had ever been withdrawn from each other.
When she looked at him, she was reminded of how much she had come to love her husband and the way that he looked.
She watched as he walked in calmly but with a smile on his face that said exactly how he felt about her.
She walked toward him to receive an embrace, which they both indulged in for a long time before pulling apart.
As Edward started to wash and change for dinner, Alessandra watched him.
"Is all well, Husband?" she asked.
Edward smiled at her.
He loathed having to lie, but wouldn't risk the shock she might feel if she knew the truth.
"Yes, my lovely wife.
It has been a long day, but I am well," he said, dressed and moving toward her for another embrace.
"Come, let us go eat, and you can tell me all about your day."