"You scared me out of a good year of life."

"I was afraid of that. I knew I couldn't die, knew it would flatten you. You feel things so very deeply."

A black brow shot up a good inch. He felt things deeply? "What do you mean?" he asked slowly.

"I mean that if something final happened to me, you wouldn't recover. You would feel guilty and it would gnaw at you."

"It would be warranted. It's more than that, Meggie. Perhaps you finally realize how important you are to me."

"Oh yes. Possibly as important as you are to me."

She yawned even as those words of hers floated through the still air to his ears. He went still. He wanted to ask her what she meant, but he didn't. He watched as her eyes closed. He listened as her breathing evened into a light sleep. Her thanked God she'd survived.

"It must be luncheon potato soup."

He didn't have any idea what she was talking about. For a moment, he feared she was losing her wits. "What about Mrs. Mullins's soup?"

"It was delicious. Since she still can't manage a tasty dinner, this must be for luncheon. I'm very grateful. Please thank her for me, Thomas."

"I did hear her singing."

"That's it, then. She's come up with an ode to the potato."

Chapter 32

DAYS LATER Meggie was sitting up in her bed, smiling. A beautiful smile, Thomas thought, balancing a tray on his arms. On that tray were Cook's famous nutty buns, smelling like cinnamon and butter.

Meggie's mouth watered. She even began singing Cook's Nutty Bun song. She clutched the tray to her chest, had one of those nutty buns to her mouth within a second. While she ate, Thomas said, "The wedding will go forward. I have decided that no more time will be wasted. I will carry you downstairs. What do you think?"

"I agree. Get that miserable William on the straight and narrow. I'd do it now, today."

He laughed. "Dearest, if I could get the preacher here, I would, but upon inquiry, he was seeing to a very ill uncle in Cork. On Sunday it will happen, as planned. Now, this afternoon I have invited Jenny MacGraff to come for tea. You will wish to get to know her as she will be your sister-in-law. I think you will like her, Meggie. She's honest and straightforward, a pretty girl with a nice smile and a good heart. The only thing in question is her taste and her good sense, since she succumbed to William. Damn his eyes, if he would only realize it, he's a lucky man."

Meggie yawned, took another bite of the nutty bun. "I look forward to it. Will you tell your mother and Aunt Libby to be kind to her?"

"I will make suitable threats to keep them reasonably civil."

"William came to see me," Meggie said as she swallowed the last of a nutty bun and reached for another. "He was all sorts of apologetic, told me he'd had to see about a wedding present for Jenny and had trusted Jem to stay with me and that was why he hadn't been watching over me that day."

"Yes," Thomas said. "That is what he told me as well."

"You don't believe him?"

Thomas rose and began his familiar pacing. Meggie looked forward to the day when he wouldn't have to pace more often than, say, once a month.

"I don't know," he said over his shoulder. "He could have shot you, just like you said to me, but again, why?"

"My lord."

It was Barnacle. For once, there was no look of agony on his face. For once, he was standing straight, his shoulders squared.

Thomas was over to him in an instant. "Oh God, something dreadful has happened. Out with it, Barnacle. I can take it."

"I'm very sorry, my lord, but Teddy MacGraff is here. His daughter is missing."

Thomas just stared down at him blankly. "Jenny is missing? What is this?"

"That is all Mr. MacGraff said, my lord. His daughter is simply missing. This is a conundrum that will unsettle us all. Mrs. Black has done away into one of her silences, something she has not done in a very long time. Everyone knows there is something very wrong here, and now this. Jenny is much liked, my lord."

Thomas merely nodded. "Thank you, Barnacle. Tell Teddy that I will be down shortly and we will immediately start a search."

"Yes, my lord." Barnacle turned toward Meggie, saw that she was pale, and said, "You just ate some nutty buns and that is good. You must be certain my lady, that you must keep enough heft so it will help me when you walk on my back."

"I will have her walk on your back when she is carrying my child, Barnacle. Then we'll hear you yell."

"Aye, my lord, that you will. I will go stay with Teddy MacGraff."

Thomas nodded, then turned back to his wife. "I want you to remain here in bed, Meggie. I don't want you to rest, I want you to think about this. I am going to find William."

William was standing by the far wall in the drawing room, at least twenty feet between him and his future father-in-law.

Teddy MacGraff yelled so loud a crystal shepherdess nearly shook herself off the mantel. "Where is she, you little puke?"

"I don't know, sir, I swear it on my late father's grave."

"That old blighter? From everything I've heard about him, he was a rank one, the old lord. Kicked you and your mother right out, he did, his lordship and his mother before you. Aye, obviously the old earl was a grand one, he was, and you're his spawn, now aren't you? If I were you I would certainly swear at his bloody grave, but never on it." Teddy wanted to spit, but knew he couldn't, not in the drawing room of Pendragon. He was scared, more scared than he'd been when his wife had struggled so hard to birth Jenny. She hadn't made it the second time, curse him for his lust. Jenny, his pride and joy, now missing. Where? Someone took her, he knew it.

William took a very small step farther away. "Perhaps, sir, she didn't want to marry me, sir. Perhaps she's run away to Dublin."

"I don't think so, William," Thomas said from the doorway. "When did you realize she was gone, Mr. MacGraff?"

"She always makes me lunch at exactly twelve. I walk into our cottage on exactly the last stroke of the village clock and there my lovely Jenny is, smiling and leading me to the table. She wasn't there. There was no food."

"You've spoken to all the neighbors?"

"Of course, my lord. There was no reason for her to leave. She was whistling-whistling-last night, all dreamy-eyed because she was going to marry him, that little bastard." Teddy MacGraff took an angry step toward William.

"I didn't harm her, Mr. MacGraff. I swear it to you."

"Where were you last night, William?" Thomas asked mildly.

William looked down at his feet. "I was with Lord Kipper, sir. I fear I was a bit drunk."

"Will Lord Kipper tell me this is the truth?"

"It is the truth, Thomas. I wouldn't hurt Jenny. Really, I wouldn't. I like her."

"All of her clothes were still there, Teddy?"

"Mrs. Ezra said they were, my lord. I had her check Jenny's room and all her gewgaws that belonged to her dear mother. Everything were still there, and in place."

"We will organize a search immediately," Thomas said. "William, you will lead the search."

"What will you do, my lord?"

"I am going to speak to Lord Kipper."

An hour later Thomas was standing in Lord Kipper's drawing room, an elegant eighteenth-century array of gilt and white furnishings that dazzled the eye. Lord Kipper looked right at home amidst the fabulous beauty.

"What William said is true, Thomas. He was with me. I was trying to, er, reconcile him to his fate, not a bad one, I assured him. Perhaps a wife would steady him, that's what I told him."

"Did he get drunk?"

"Just a little. I don't like to see young men drink too much, Thomas, you know that."

"No, I don't."

"Well, it's a fact. William didn't leave until well after midnight. He returned this morning at about ten o'clock. I had a gift for him, a wedding present."