"Your daughter isn’t here," Quinn said, stepping forward to end the tension. "The Hawthorne estate hasn’t had any guests for days. You should go to the town guards and request help."

Agatha was tired of hearing about the town guards. She had already gone to them three days ago. The guards were useless in tracking down Iris, so Agatha had to do it alone so far.

"My daughter ran away once before and came here. You should be ashamed of yourself for taking in a young woman who is not married. My daughter should not be around unmarried men, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving her around Lord Hawthorne," Agatha said.

Quinn caught on to what Agatha was trying to say about them, but more importantly, about Damien. "You should be careful with what you say. No man in this estate would ever harm a lady. You should think of what you did to have your daughter run away."

Agatha gritted her teeth.

Agatha knew well what had caused Iris to run away. Iris didn’t want to marry the man Agatha had selected for her to wed.

All Iris needed to do was meet with the suitor to bring security, knowing the debts could be paid off. Agatha’s son was close to returning to town to aid her in getting Iris to wed.

Agatha made the mistake of telling Iris there was a suitor.

Agatha looked back after hearing the hooves of horses. She smiled, pleased that the town guards had finally arrived.

"See, you should have gotten rid of her before the town guards got here. Damien isn’t going to be happy," Kyle said, watching as three guards rode towards them. "Why is she so adamant that her daughter is here? I don’t recall Eloise having guests."

"I don’t either. If her cousin were here, Eloise wouldn’t have left," Quinn said, starting to believe Agatha was searching for attention. "Eloise wouldn’t have left town if she knew her cousin was missing." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

"So, this woman is lying," Kyle assumed. "It wouldn’t be the first time someone came to us with ridiculous claims."

"Either that, or her daughter did run away but didn’t come to the estate to burden Eloise," Quinn concluded.

"Are we to send notice to Eloise that her cousin is missing?" Kyle asked, certain that Eloise would want to know right away.

"No. They left to get away from the troubles in town. We shouldn’t bother them with this. Go back inside and keep the servants focused. I will take care of this," Quinn said, going forward to greet the town guards.

"They have my daughter," Agatha said as the town guards dismounted their horses. "She is in there. I know it. This is the only place left for my daughter to hide."

Jonathan Olsen, captain of the guards, looked at the gates as they began to open. "What is your name and your daughter’s name?"

Agatha hated that despite making a report, her name was forgotten. "I am Agatha Wilkins, and my daughter is Iris Wilkins. I reported her missing a few days ago," said Agatha.

"Agatha Wilkins? I meant to visit your home. There is other news I must share with you," Jonathan said, remembering Agatha’s injured husband. "Allow me to speak to Lord Hawthorne in peace, and then I will return to you."

Agatha grabbed hold of Jonathan’s arm and said, "You mustn’t come back without my daughter. She doesn’t understand the way of the world and believes the lies spoken by men. She must keep her innocence, or she won’t be able to get married."

"Ma’am, I can only return with her if she is here. Allow me to do my work without any disturbances. I ask that you release me and stand back," said Jonathan.

Agatha let go of Jonathan’s hand, disappointed that he was so civil. Why couldn’t they have sent someone who hated the Hawthornes just as much as she did?

Jonathan watched Agatha step back before moving towards Quinn. "I must speak to Lord Hawthorne," he said, searching for the older brother.

"My brother and Lady Hawthorne are out of town. They have been away for a few days now. There isn’t a young lady other than my sister travelling with them. Her daughter is not here," Quinn assured Jonathan.

"Are you most certain?"

"I am. I have been watching over the estate in my brother’s stead. There hasn’t been a single visitor since they departed from town. No one was reported trying to sneak onto the estate. She has not been listening to us," Quinn said, looking over Jonathan’s shoulder to where Agatha stood.

"Since she is Lady Hawthorne’s cousin, perhaps Lady Hawthorne might know her whereabouts. We will have no other choice but to do our own search elsewhere and wait for Lady Hawthorne’s return. Thank you for your time," Jonathan said, bowing his head.

"You’re welcome. If you can, please remove her from standing in front of our gates. She is troubling the guards," Quinn said, giving Agatha one last look before turning around to leave.

"Why are you allowing him to leave without my daughter coming outside?"

Jonathan placed his hands on his hips and sighed. "Mrs Wilkins, they say your daughter isn’t here, and without evidence, we cannot simply search the estate. To do so requires a request from the court, which would take days. I have more pressing news for you."

Agatha was appalled by the nerve of the guard. "What could be more pressing than my daughter’s disappearance?"

"Your husband was stabbed while he was held in prison. He has been moved to be seen by a doctor. We were to inform your family-"

"That is the work of Lord Hawthorne," Agatha spoke over Jonathan. "We both know it. How are prisoners stabbed when they are being watched by guards?"

"It is not uncommon. It happens quite often. If you wish to see your husband, you must request it from the court. This is the only way you may see your husband until he is released," Jonathan informed Agatha.

"I don’t want to see that man. I no longer have a husband, but I do have a daughter. I want my daughter home by nightfall. I have visited all her friends and family, but no one has seen her. She is doing this all because she doesn’t like her suitor," Agatha shared.

"Then I would suggest you find her a different suitor. If you want your daughter to return home, make it comfortable for her. Is that suitor more important than having your daughter feel safe?" Jonathan asked, starting to believe Agatha was trying to sell her daughter.

"She owes the family this marriage," Agatha replied.

Jonathan shook his head. "Then, she might not return soon."