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SUNBEAMS PRICKLED THE back of Sebastian’s neck as he toiled at his new position, but he didn’t mind. He was enjoying his new job. He’d been hired as a plowman for another farmer, a Mr. Hopkins. Even though he sent a few longing looks at Mr. Williams’ farm when he passed it in the morning on the way to this one, he was glad he made the change. Mr. Williams had seemed decent, but decency did not include screaming at Sebastian’s sweetheart.
Pegasus was almost getting used to plowing a field. He left his other horse, Theseus, at home in case Genevieve or her mother needed to take it somewhere. He wasn’t going to let them be abandoned. Each day he exchanged horses, happy he could let each of them rest.
Each day he returned home, happy to be part of a family. The cottage was tiny, but one day they would live in a larger one. He vowed to earn sufficient money to do that.
The problem with plowing was that the salary was low. In fact, Sebastian was shocked just how low the salary was.
If only his parents hadn’t sent him to Eton. He’d thought he’d struggled there, when he’d needed to learn Latin and Greek and do fancy things to numbers, but none of that compared to being here.
A commotion sounded in the field. Last time Sebastian had heard a commotion in the field, his lovely wife had appeared. He turned, half hoping to see her again. Unfortunately, no blonde goddess, no lithe angel, appeared.
Instead, a man was going around to the farmhands, informing them of something. Sebastian frowned. He doubted this was the sort of action that would endear him to the farmer.
Mr. Williams had almost had a convulsion when Genevieve had appeared, and she was far lovelier than this strange man. Had this stranger come to deliver somber, but important news? The men though almost seemed...happy.
“What’s happening?” Sebastian asked a nearby farmhand.
The man shrugged. “I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.”
Sebastian nodded, then urged Pegasus to continue his round. Sebastian wasn’t a local, and he didn’t need local gossip. He wouldn’t remember it anyway.
Sebastian continued to concentrate on the field and to plow it with care and efficiency, loosening the soil.
Finally, the farmhand appeared, grinning. “Sebastian! I have news for you!”
Sebastian urged Pegasus to halt, then turned to his new friend. “What is it?”
“Money!” the man exclaimed.
“Don’t tell me they found something valuable in the soil.”
His friend guffawed. “Here? Nobody comes around here with anything valuable.”
“So no diamond necklace?”
His friend chuckled. “Nonsense. Who here has even seen a diamond before?”
Sebastian decided not to reveal he wasn’t entirely unfamiliar with them. He’d attended balls where women had adorned themselves with them.
“No, it’s not that,” the man said. “But it is a chance to earn extra money.”
“Oh!” Sebastian grinned. “I like the sound of that.”
“Some rich lady came to the posting inn and told the publican to organize a search party. Apparently, some duke went missing.”
Sebastian blinked. “That’s dreadful.” He paused. “Which duke was it?”
“What a question. Which duke is it? Nobody here asked that question. I don’t think it was one of the king’s brothers though. More people would already be searching if it were one of those leeches.”
“Really?” For an odd reason, Sebastian felt uncomfortable, and he frowned. “Do you think the missing duke is dead?”
The man shrugged. “We’ve been offered a lot of money to find the duke. Actually, we’ve been offered a lot of money just to look for the duke. I mean, that’s what I call a truly pleasant walk in the park.”
“Someone might be dead.”
He swallowed hard. He didn’t like dwelling on it, but he’d come close to succumbing to death. If the force of his injury had been a bit more vigorous, or if lovely Genevieve hadn’t been present to rescue him from the waves, he would likely have succumbed.
He’d lived, but perhaps this other man, this titled man had passed away?
His stomach thudded. “I’ll help. Where do I go?”
His friend raised his eyebrows. “You shouldn’t look so serious.” His friend lowered his torso and looked around conspiratorially. “The publican reckons that the lady in question fancies the gentleman in question.”
Sebastian furrowed his brow. “This is an unmarried woman?”
His friend nodded and grinned. “Exactly. An unmarried woman who might want to become a duchess.”
“Oh.” Sebastian blinked.
“I mean, who wouldn’t want to be set for life?”
“I suppose that makes sense,” Sebastian assented, though something still struck him as sad. He didn’t feel like laughing, even though he always felt like laughing.
“You needn’t look glum. If she’s right, and the duke is truly lying in some ditch somewhere, we’ll rescue him. And if not, she won’t worry about his fate. He probably took a ship over to France to get away from her.”
Sebastian wasn’t interested in the woman organizing a search party. He was interested in this poor man’s safety.
He nodded gravely. “I’ll join the effort.”
“I haven’t even told you the pay!” his friend exclaimed. “That’s the good part.”
“I would do it regardless,” Sebastian said solemnly.
It was always good to help others. He was certain about that.
His friend leaned over. “Well, one tip is not to tell them.” He shrugged. “The pay is good.”
“Even if we don’t find him?”
“Exactly.”
Sebastian vowed to find this man. Unless he was in the habit of traveling with food, this man might be in grave danger. Actually, that was a practice that a duke might do.
Perhaps there was hope.
Perhaps the man had broken the wheel of his carriage, and perhaps he’d also broken his leg and was happily munching food, waiting for someone who wanted to marry him badly to organize a rescue.
The whole thing sounded far-fetched, but Sebastian had realized life had a tendency to be far-fetched at times. After all, he had amnesia, a condition Genevieve informed him was not rare in penny dreadfuls, even if it was rare everywhere else.
Sebastian followed the group toward the public house.
The plan was that they would separate into search groups from there.
Sebastian rode toward his house. Unlike other nights, the other farmhands didn’t vanish by going in other directions. This time, everyone proceeded in the same direction.
Some people began to sing, and Sebastian’s heart felt lighter. He joined his colleagues in song.
It was odd that he could remember various nonsensical ditties, but that he couldn’t remember meeting Genevieve, courting her, marrying her.
He stopped at his cottage.
“You have an awfully nice carriage,” his friend said, glancing at Sebastian’s chaise.
“Er—yes.” Sebastian’s face reddened. He didn’t want to ponder again how he’d managed to procure it.
“I’m—er—just going to inform my wife that I’ll be late coming home tonight.”
His friend shrugged. “Personally, I wouldn’t bother.”
“She might worry.”
His friend smiled. “How romantic.”
Sebastian had the sense the word wasn’t precisely complimentary, but he didn’t mind. He disembarked from Pegasus and strode toward the door.
He loved returning home to the cottage each day.
He loved seeing Genevieve again and knowing she was his and that this life was theirs. Perhaps the home he’d been raised in was larger than the cottage, with more servants flitting about, but this felt more like a home.
Sebastian marched to the door.
“Genevieve! Genevieve!” Seeing her again was always the best part of his day.
The cottage seemed silent, and he frowned. No pitter-patter of feet approached him. Even Billy didn’t greet him.
Finally, Sally appeared. “Mr. Seagull?”
He nodded, and for some reason, the maid averted her eyes. She’d always seemed shy in his presence.
“Is my wife in?”
The maid swallowed hard. “Well—”
He sighed. “No, obviously, she’s out.”
Sally gave a relieved nod. “She’s by the shore if you want to see her. I believe her mother and brother went to follow her.”
“Ah, a family reunion. What a nice thought.”
Sebastian resisted the temptation to join them at the shore. Someone’s life was at stake.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it for dinner,” Sebastian said.
Sally nodded, then hesitated. “What should I say if she asks why?”
“I found another job for tonight.” He smiled, still pleased at his luck.
“Very well, Mr. Seagull.”
Sebastian nodded, then left the cottage. It was unfortunate he hadn’t been able to speak with Genevieve, but perhaps it was for the best. He certainly would have been reluctant to leave her.
Soon, he resumed his journey to the public house, scouring the neighboring fields, just in case he saw signs of ducal carriage tracks veering off the path. Finally, he arrived at the public house.
His friend had been correct: many people were searching for this man. The place swarmed with people.
The public house distributed tallow candles for people to clutch, and the area flooded with light. Rough voices murmured until the publican strode out. He moved slowly, with the comfortable waddle of a man constantly in the presence of pork pies and puddings. He was accompanied by a well-dressed older looking woman and an even more well-dressed young lady.
His friend elbowed him. “That must be the woman who caused a stir when she discovered he was missing. Lady something or other.”
“Ah.” Sebastian surveyed her, but the crowd of people made the task difficult.
“She’s a looker,” his friend said. “If I were the duke, I would want to be found by a woman like that.”
The woman had the same lovely shade of blonde hair that Genevieve did. She was thinner, and her features more firm, as if they’d truly been carved from stone. Personally, Sebastian preferred Genevieve’s appearance, but he was a biased man.
The publican explained they were dividing everyone up into teams. Wagons had been arranged to take each team to a separate location in a five-mile radius, and Sebastian piled into a wagon with other farmhands who’d volunteered.
They’d been assigned to work in a region in the woods, and they scoured the area, stepping through twigs and fallen leaves. Birds cawed, and squirrels scurried out of their way, their tails visible as they dashed away from the torches.
Sebastian searched for any sign of the duke, hoping they wouldn’t happen upon the man’s dead body. They marched up and down the forest. They hollered, listening for some sign that the duke was alive.
There was nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
The other men didn’t seem disturbed by this result, recognizing they’d already been paid, even if none of them had won a large reward. Finally, the wagon returned to bring them back to the public house.