was more than an hour ago and since then no one had seen anything of her. Concerned after thirty minutes or so that she was keeping their guests waiting unduly, he’d gone up to her rooms to ask what was causing the delay. He had found only her maid, Alice.
‘Where is your mistress?’ he asked. ‘We must not keep the guests waiting any longer.’
‘I have not seen Lady Avonlea since you left the church, your Grace.’
‘But she came directly up to have the flounce mended on her wedding gown. How can you not have seen her?’
‘I have been waiting for her,’ the maid said and looked nervous. ‘Truly, she has not been here, sir.’
‘Lucinda told me her gown was torn…’ He looked around the room, which had been recently refurbished in the colours his young wife loved: creams, various shades of rose and gold, blending perfectly. No expense had been spared and he had imagined her being happy in the luxury he had provided. ‘Is there no sign of her gown? Did she change into something else?’
The maid could not meet his eyes as she shook her head. ‘Forgive me, sir. I was gone but a few moments and only to make sure that my lady’s bags were safely stowed ready for your journey. When I returned I thought a few small things might have disappeared, but I was not certain.’
Avonlea strode over to the armoire and opened it, but the shelves were full of the gowns and beautiful silks he had purchased for his bride’s pleasure.
‘I cannot see that anything has been taken.’ He frowned at the maid, feeling stunned. How could his bride have disappeared from her home on her wedding day, and more importantly, why? ‘Make up your mind, girl—this is important. Surely your mistress would not leave without taking anything—or leaving a message?’
‘There was an old gown—and some trinkets that my lady valued, which have gone from the dressing chest, but all her good jewels are here, your Grace.’
‘Your mistress must be in the house or gardens,’ Justin said, refusing to believe that what the maid was implying could be right. Why on earth would Lucinda leave him? He could think of no possible reason for they had been on good terms; there had been no quarrel, no dispute between them. The marriage might not have been a love match, but there was respect and affection on both sides—at least he had believed so when Lucinda accepted his suit. What could have changed her? What had he done that she must flee from him without a word?
He took a turn about the room, trying to find an answer to his questions; discovering no clue, he turned back to the anxious maid.
‘Search your mistress’s room thoroughly and make certain whether there is a letter left somewhere. Also, please make a list of what has been taken. I need to know whether this was planned or an impulse. In the meantime, I shall have a search made for her.’
The search had begun, but as yet no sign of the new duchess had been found and no one seemed to have seen her.
The guests were getting restless, beginning to gossip amongst themselves. Justin could see concern, intrigue and some exchanged knowing looks; his true friends would be anxious, but some of his slight acquaintances might be amused if they learned that his bride had left him—not at the altar, it was true—but before the wedding reception had been held. It was a lowering thought and one that hurt his pride. Accustomed to homage, and with his good looks and vast wealth, sought after by every matchmaking mama in England, he had thought long and hard before asking a lady to be his wife. Lucinda might be a virtual nobody from the country, but her modesty and shy smile had convinced him that she would be the perfect wife for a man in his position.
Since childhood Justin had been taught his duty. He was born to a family of impeccable lineage and respectability. There were no skeletons to hide in his family closet, no scandals or acts of dishonour.
‘Always remember your honour,’ his father had told him as a young lad. ‘No matter how much it hurts, no matter how hard, you must always do your duty, Justin. A gentleman’s honour and his family name come first. Promise me you will never forget, my son.’
Justin promised. His first offer of marriage to a lady of whom he knew his father to approve had been refused; slighted, it had taken Justin a long time to select another lady. He had believed Lucinda perfect in every way—and now she had run away, making a fool of him before his friends on his wedding day, hurting him in a way he would not have imagined possible until this moment. Looking round the room, he drew a deep breath, squashing the anger and disappointment that raged inside him.
‘Forgive me,’ he announced and the voices were silenced, faces inquisitive, eager for news. ‘I am distressed to tell you that my wife has been taken ill. She will not be able to attend the reception. Please, enjoy the food and wine provided. I want to thank you all for coming and beg you to excuse me.’
He saw from their faces that they guessed he was lying. They had sensed something was wrong. He cared not to speculate on what they imagined was going on, but nothing could be stranger than the truth.
‘You have no idea where Lucinda went or why?’ His good friend and neighbour Andrew, Lord Lanchester, looked at him thoughtfully.
‘I’ve had no word from her in almost two months,’ Justin replied morosely.
Andrew had just returned from a tour of duty as the Duke of Wellington’s aide in Spain. Wounded at Salamanca, he was now recovered, with only a slight limp to show for his suffering.
‘I’ve searched everywhere. I’ve spent weeks looking for her, but although one or two of the tenants think they may have seen her walking near the estate on the day of her disappearance no one knows where she has gone.’
‘What else have you done?’ Andrew frowned. ‘Have you employed an agent to trace her? Offered a reward for any information regarding her whereabouts?’
‘I have thought about employing an agent secretly. I did not wish to offer a reward, because it would cause such a scandal. If—when—Lucinda returns, I do not want vicious tongues to destroy her.’
‘You cannot hope to keep this brushed under the carpet?’ Andrew raised his eyebrows. ‘My sister Jane was here for the wedding and she told me as soon as I returned home from Spain that she felt something was amiss. She is not a gossip, but she was fond of Lucinda and is naturally worried about her, especially since she’s heard no word since that day. The tale of Lucinda’s disappearance has got about and people will talk, however discreet you are.’
‘Your sister has been both considerate and kind,’ Justin said, turning to look at his long-time friend and close neighbour. ‘I know that she is Lucinda’s good friend and I have been able to voice some of my concerns to her. However, she has no idea of what might have caused Lucinda to run away.’
‘Are you certain she has run away?’ Andrew asked gently. ‘Couldn’t there be another reason for her disappearance?’
Justin ran his fingers through his thick hair. There were dark circles beneath his eyes, proof of his sleepless nights, and a new harshness about his mouth. He seemed not to hear his friend. ‘What made her do it? I have racked my brains to try to think if I did or said something that distressed or frightened her. If she did not wish to be my wife, she could have sent me a note before the wedding to break it off. Why marry me and then leave without a word? Surely I am not such a monster that she feared me?’
‘I have no answers for you,’ Andrew said. ‘Had I been at home I should have advised employing an agent immediately, as it all sounds very suspicious to me. You are certain there was no letter? She left no word for you?’
‘Her maid had not seen her and there was nothing that either of us could find anywhere.’
‘Why not search her room again? Something may have been missed. I