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Prudence wrapped her arms around him briefly. “You’re our silly old fool.”

“Take us to where you found the note,” Anthony demanded. Was she in danger? Had someone taken her to seek revenge on him? The thought filled his veins with ice.

They all hurried back to the house.

“May I be of assistance?” the butler said when they entered.

“Have our horses saddled at once, please,” Anthony said. He didn’t know where they were going, but if Evie had been taken against her will, he had to find her.

“I’ll question the staff,” Toby said.

The rest of them ran up the stairs. Far smaller than his, the bed had been made and the room tidied.

“I found it there.” Prudence pointed to the pillows.

Anthony wasn’t sure what he thought he’d find, but he looked anyway. Dropping to a crouch, he searched beside and under the bed. He saw the chain as he rose. It was beside the nightstand.

“That’s Evie’s necklace,” Prudence said as Anthony held it out. “She never takes it off, even to sleep. It was our mother’s. She wouldn’t have left it behind.”

He would know that if they’d married, just as he would have learned all the sides to Miss Evangeline Spencer.

Anthony studied the necklace; the catch was broken. Someone had torn this off her. The thought of anyone touching her with anything but kindness or love made him burn with rage.

He’d pushed her away from fear of hurting her but ended up hurting her anyway. If he had remained in that conservatory with Evie, then whatever had befallen her would never have happened, he was sure of it.

“Find Calthorpe,” he said looking at Toby. His friend left at a run, and Anthony turned to face the Spencers. “Trust me to bring her back to you.”

“I want to help. E-Evie is everything to us.”

“I know that, Prudence, just as I know now, she would never have willingly left you—”

“You do?”

He nodded at her question. He’d been an idiot to believe otherwise.

“I need you both to stay here and keep up appearances. Tell anyone who asks as to her whereabouts that she has a headache and is resting in her room. Draw the curtains. I shall return as soon as I have her.”

“But what if you c-can’t find her?”

“I will, because I will not stop looking until I do.”

Prudence ran at Anthony, hugging him hard. “Please bring my sister home.”

“You have my word.” He hugged her back briefly, and then left the room in search of Jamie. He found him in the kitchens with the butler standing beside a young boy.

“What have you learned?” Anthony asked when he reached them.

“Tell him,” Jamie said to the boy, who looked terrified. “He won’t harm you. Just tell him what you told me.”

“I was hungry, and I came to the kitchens as Mrs. Broom always leaves me a slice of bread for if I need it. I saw a man coming in the door. He told me to mind my business and walked into the house. He took the servants’ stairs up. I got the bread and stayed here to eat it.

“What did he look like?”

“I didn’t see his face clearly because he was in the shadows, and the kitchen fire doesn’t throw out much light. He was shorter than you and wore a hat and coat.”

“How did he speak?” Anthony asked.

“Odd voice. Like a whisper but not. Hoarse,” the lad added. “Like Mr. Davis.”

“The stable master,” the butler added. “A horse kicked him in the neck, and he never spoke the same again.”

“Greville had a friend who talked like that,” Jamie said, clicking his fingers.

“Dutton,” Anthony whispered.

“I was sitting here, in front of the fire, and I heard footsteps,” the boy added. “So I blew out the candle and curled up small.”

“Did you see who left?” Anthony asked.

“There were two of them. I’m sure it was the man, but he had another in front of him, and he pushed her toward the door. I saw her hair. It was long. She turned, and looked right at me, but then they were gone.”

Evie.

“Your help has been invaluable. Thank you,” Jamie said, pressing a coin into the boy’s hand.

“Calthorpe left last night, according to Hampton. He had an appointment but said he would be back in a few days,” Toby said entering the kitchen.

Anthony handed out more money to the butler, and then they left by the kitchen door.

“It has to be Evie. I saw her last night, and her hair was loose. It had to be after she came back to the house. Someone was waiting in her room,” Anthony said.

“When did you see her?” Toby asked.

“Does it matter?” A slither of dread ran through him, but Anthony tamped it down. He would get her back, and someone would pay for what they’d done.

“So you believe now she did not leave with someone else?” Toby said.

“I do.”

“I say we ride to Greville’s estate. We’ll pass through Brawley on the way,” Anthony said.

“Yes, Cavendish has the main motive, and we know he and Greville are close, along with Calthorpe,” Jamie said.

“What if we’re wrong?” Anthony said, as desperation gripped him. “What if there is someone else involved—”

“Everything points to Cavendish,” Toby said with a calm he wasn’t sure he’d ever feel again. Would he get a chance to tell her she was right? That he had been a coward to push her away instead of telling her the truth about his feelings?

“Let’s go,” Toby said.

“I think Toby is right, Anthony,” Jamie said as they ran to the stables. “Cavendish is the only person with motive.”

“He is, but is he foolish enough to take this step? To remove Evangeline from a house party?” Jamie asked.

“He hates Anthony enough to lose what little sense he has,” Toby added. “Especially after that night you punched him.”

“She is missing because of her association with me,” Anthony said. “And when I catch Cavendish, I will kill him this time,” Anthony said mounting.

Minutes later they were galloping toward Brawley.

Stay safe, Evie. I will find you.