Kate Kingsbury - Mistletoe and Mayhem

“Yes, of course it’s real!” Pansy sniffed and lowered her voice. “Gertie said everyone is out looking for the poor little thing. Oh, we have to find her, Samuel. Where is Tess?”

Samuel dropped his arm, turned his head, and uttered a shrill whistle. From somewhere outside a rough bark answered him, and a moment later the dog came bounding into the stable.

“Here, girl. Good dog. Come here.” Samuel held out his hand and Tess eagerly bounced toward him. He held out the bonnet, and she sniffed, then looked up at him, tail wagging, waiting for further orders.

Samuel looked at Pansy and shrugged. “I don’t think it’s going to work.”

Pansy wiped her nose on her sleeve. “It has to work. Show it to her again.”

Samuel bent over and held the bonnet to the end of Tess’s nose. “Here, find her, girl. Find the baby, Tess. Let’s go and find her.”

Excited now, Tess barked and ran out into the yard.

“Come on!” Samuel grabbed Pansy’s hand and tugged her almost off her feet. “We have to follow her.”

Pansy held back. “I can’t go! I have tables to lay.”

“What’s more important? Laying tables or finding a lost child?” He tugged again. “Come on. Four eyes are better than two. Don’t you want to find that little baby?”

Pansy hesitated another second or two, but then Tess barked again, more urgent this time. Putting the tables out of her mind, she followed Samuel out into the chilly air.

“It’s all my fault.” Cecily sank onto a chair in her suite and buried her head in her hands. “I should have been watching. How could someone have come into the library and taken that baby without me hearing? I’ll never forgive myself.”

“It’s all right, Cecily.” Madeline’s soft voice carried across the room. She stood by the window, peering out at the bowling greens that stretched down to the woods. “Please don’t blame yourself. It would have happened just the same had I been there instead of you.”

“No, you would have known that someone was in the room.” Cecily shook her head. “I should have known.”

“Don’t worry. Everything will be all right.”

Cecily raised her head, brushing tears from her cheek. “How can you be so calm? Your baby is missing!”

“She will be all right.” Madeline turned, her face strangely composed. “Please, Cecily. Don’t worry.”

Cecily gulped. Madeline had to be in some kind of catatonic state, her mind incapable of accepting the reality of what had happened.

Madeline knew about the words scribbled on the wall of Geoffrey Danville’s suite. All who kiss beneath the bough will not live to kiss again . She had kissed the baby beneath the kissing bough, not once, but twice. And now the baby was gone. She could not, would not, let her mind dwell on what might happen to the child if the murderer had taken her. The consequences were too unbearable to contemplate.

Glancing again at Madeline’s unruffled countenance, she couldn’t believe that her friend hadn’t considered the outcome of this deplorable act. Her baby, the child for whom she had yearned for so many years, was in the hands of a mad killer. How could she not be wailing and howling, or lying in a dead faint?

The door opened at that moment and Dr. Prestwick hurried in, his face drawn in agony. Now here, thought Cecily, was the look of suffering. The dreadful look she expected to see on her friend’s face.

Madeline’s smile was somewhat fragile as she greeted her husband. He clasped her to him, burying his face on her shoulder. His voice, choked with emotion, brought fresh tears to Cecily’s eyes. “How could this have happened? What in God’s name have we done to deserve this horrible torture?”

Madeline patted her husband’s head. “Hush, dear, try to calm down. I know this is worrying but I’m sure that everything will be all right in the end.”

Kevin raised his head, his words raw with his pain. “How can you say that? How can you possibly know that?”

“Because I do.”

He drew away from her. “No, you don’t. All your devilish visions are not going to return our baby to us. Can’t you understand? She’s in the hands of a vicious killer.”

Madeline flinched, then said softly, “No, I don’t believe that.”

Kevin turned away and rubbed a hand across his eyes. “She’s in shock. May I ask for brandy to be brought up here? She needs something to stimulate her brain.”

“Of course.” Trembling, Cecily reached for the bellpull. She gave it three tugs and let it go. “Madeline, come and sit down by the fire.”

“Thank you, Cecily, but I’m quite all right here.”

Cecily exchanged a worried glance with Kevin. “Do you think perhaps it’s better to let her go on believing that everything will be all right?”

Kevin shook his head. “It will only make the pain so much worse when she learns the truth. We must force her to accept what is happening, so she can be prepared.”

Madeline turned, her voice sharp. “Please don’t speak about me as if I am not here. I know you, Kevin, do not believe in my powers, but Cecily, I should have thought you would know better. I am dreadfully concerned about my daughter. Of course I am. But I do not believe that whoever has taken her means her harm. Quite the opposite. So let us all calm down and wait for events to unfold.”

Jolted, Cecily stared at her. “Are you sure?”

“Quite sure.”

“Do you know where she is?”

Kevin made a guttural sound of disbelief, and Madeline sent him a wary glance. “No, not at present. I only know she is safe.”

It was true, Madeline had an uncanny ability to sense certain events and situations, but in this case, Cecily found it difficult to share her friend’s faith in Angelina’s welfare. She felt more attuned to Kevin’s skepticism, and could quite understand his impatience with his wife.

She was about to comment when the door flew open and Baxter strode in. “I’ve got every footman searching the entire building,” he announced. “If that baby is anywhere on the premises we will find her.”

Madeline merely nodded and turned back to stare out the window.

Baxter inclined his head toward her and raised his eyebrows at Cecily.

Recognizing her husband’s signals, Cecily nodded to assure him Madeline was fine. “Thank you, dear. I’ve sent Samuel out with his dog, and Gertie went to ask Clive to search the grounds as well.”

“Then we have the Pennyfoot covered. I’ll notify the constabulary and they can start a search in the village.”

He sounded tired, as if he’d already given up. Cecily held out her hand to him, but Madeline spun around, saying, “There’s no need to contact the constable. Angelina will be found close by.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Madeline.” Kevin bounded over to her. “We need everyone available out searching for her.”

“No, we don’t.” She faced her husband, defiance flashing in her dark eyes. “I would never risk my daughter’s life if for one moment I thought she was in real danger. Trust me, Kevin. Just this once, have a little faith in my powers.”

He narrowed his eyes. “Are you aware of something that you’re keeping to yourself?”

“Of course not.” She turned away from him. “All I can tell you is that Angelina is somewhere close by and she’s safe. I shall be as relieved as you are when she is found.”

Kevin turned his back on his wife, shaking his head in defeat.

Baxter cleared his throat. “Ah, perhaps I should wait to call the constabulary?”

“Suit yourself.” Kevin strode to the door. “I’ll be searching the grounds if anyone needs me.” He flung open the door and disappeared.