Chrystabel was surprised when the taller man stopped in his tracks. Then she remembered Lord Trentingham was a peer, while the justice was apparently a mere knight or baronet. He might have the advantage in malice and government authority, but the earl was a powerful man, and by no means the weaker opponent.
But Sir Leonard wasn’t backing down. An inflamed red lump on his head, just visible beneath his thinning hair, seemed to pulse with anger. “I’ve searched all the other nearby estates and found no trace of her,” he snarled.
He’d saved Tremayne for last, Chrystabel noted. Further proof he was afraid of the earl.
“You’re welcome to search our grounds,” Lady Trentingham put in, “though the cold—”
“What I did find,” he interrupted rudely, “was a universal consensus among our neighbors that my cousin was most likely to be found with the Ashcrofts.”
Joseph stepped forward, his right hand moving to his hip—where a sword hilt would have rested had he been formally attired. “We already told you she’s not here,” he snapped.
Lady Trentingham held out a restraining arm. “Please excuse my son, your worship. He means no disrespect. But I’m afraid he’s right. Mistress Moore is not with us. If she were, she would have prevented us from dancing.”
Sir Leonard barked a laugh. “Don’t trifle with me, my lady. I have no illusions regarding my bride’s proclivities. Her intimates are all depraved Cavaliers, every last one of you. If you called on her to dance, she wouldn’t bat an eyelash.”
“You mistake my meaning, your worship.” Astoundingly, the countess maintained her composure in the face of his insults. “I was merely referring to the balance of the genders. If Mistress Moore were present, we would have one too many ladies.”
Sir Leonard made a show of balking, but Chrystabel could see him mentally counting heads. “Very well,” he said at last. “I shall expand my search further afield. But if I learn you’re withholding information…”
“We shall, of course, notify you the instant we hear of her whereabouts,” Lord Trentingham held out his hand. “We’re as worried about her as you are.”
Chrystabel had a hard time believing the brute ever worried about anyone besides himself. He appeared to lack the required muscles.
With another of his frequent sneers, Sir Leonard refused the offered hand. “Let me be clear, Trentingham. If it emerges that you are in any way hindering my search, you and your family will suffer dire consequences. Full cooperation will be rewarded. Anything less will be punished—severely.”
“I understand, your worship.” The earl gave a curt nod.
“Also understand that you are still under suspicion. Would that I could make a thorough search of your home tonight, but I’m afraid I haven’t the necessary…expertise.”
Chrystabel wondered what he meant by that. What special knowledge could be required for searching a home?
The earl cleared his throat. “Begging your pardon, Sir Leonard, but I must remind you that you are on my property. I have not gone so far as to bar you from paying a social call”—Chrystabel nearly burst out laughing at the absurdity of labeling this ‘a social call’—“but such will be the extent of my hospitality.”
“As I expected.” The justice waved a hand, as if he weren’t bothered. In fact, Chrystabel could have sworn she saw a triumphant gleam in his eye. “I’ve already sent for a force to help me scour the countryside. Shall twenty armed men be sufficient to compel entry?”
Matthew’s hand tightened around Chrystabel’s—she hadn’t even realized he’d been holding it. Joseph grunted, Lady Trentingham gasped, and Lord Trentingham looked like he was about to be sick.
And Sir Leonard smirked. “Parliament’s justice will not be subverted. I shall have my men on Saturday, and if my bride hasn’t yet returned, I’ll be bringing them here first. Good evening.”
With that, he turned on a heel and left.
SEVEN
THE MOMENT THE heavy front door thudded to a close behind the Justice of the Peace, everyone in the great room audibly released their breaths.
“I’ll get her,” Joseph said.
He strode toward the same doorway Creath had disappeared through. Inexorably curious, Chrystabel trailed him. To her great surprise, no one tried to stop her. She assumed they were too stunned by the news of an imminent attack on the castle to bother themselves over a girl’s inappropriate prowling.
But after passing through a drawing room and into another corridor, she looked back and realized everyone else was coming along, too.
They all turned a corner to find a maidservant standing there—standing guard, it would appear. She acknowledged Joseph with a nod, then pulled a crowbar out of a nearby cupboard and handed it to him.
Chrystabel followed Joseph into a bedchamber and across it, where he unlatched the double doors of a wardrobe cabinet that looked exceedingly large and heavy. Fitting the crowbar into one end of the base, he used it to pry up the bottom. The panel of wood came loose, revealing an opening in the floor that had been hidden.
Chrystabel gasped when she saw Creath ascending what looked to be a very steep staircase that led down into a dark space below.
“Watch out for the third step,” Joseph said, reaching a hand to help her up and out.
“I remember.” As she stepped out of the cabinet, Creath’s legs were trembling and her breathing looked labored. She let Joseph support her over to sit on the bed.
Despite the grave circumstances, Chrystabel couldn’t help disliking the sight of his hands on another woman. It reminded her of how it had felt to have his hands on her a little while ago. She didn’t want to share that feeling with anyone else.
Creath drew deep, calming breaths. “I’d forgotten quite how dark it is down there.”
“We never closed the entrance before,” Joseph said, sounding concerned.
“I cannot believe we used to play in there for fun.” Creath held a hand to her chest, as if to slow her heartbeat. “Has he left?”
“For now.” Joseph’s fists clenched. “He said he’d bring men to search
