Was Lady Hall kidnapping Gretchen? What about Elizabeth —what had they done with the baby? Jacob couldn't do anything but lie still until he could no longer see or hear the women's footsteps.

The moment he thought it was safe, he scrambled to his feet and immediately ran into Ethan's room. The large room stood empty with the furniture still in place and no sign of what had just taken place in it.

He turned to the balcony, reaching it in time to see Lady Hall's carriage make its way out of the manor.

Racing down the hall as fast as his legs would permit, he reached the front door, his eyes scanning the environs for signs of Gretchen —he found nothing but the unconscious bodies of servants. He ran back into the building and found a bucket of water in the kitchen. Carrying the bucket along, he began sprinkling water on the faces of the sleeping servants; an effort that proved to be completely useless. The longer Jacob stood trying to awaken the servants, the more convinced he was that the entire household had been drugged.

Heaving a tired breath, he sat helplessly on the floor and ran his hands through his gray hair —it was going to be impossible to awaken the servants until the drugs wore off, Ethan was in town most likely already in court battling for a child that was now missing, and Gretchen was in danger because Jacob knew Lady Hall hadn't just taken her for an afternoon ride in the sun or for some tea.

He must have been sitting there for about fifteen minutes when he heard someone yelling.

“Gretchen?!”

Immediately recognizing the voice of his master, he sprang to his feet and hurriedly made his way toward Ethan.

“Gretchen?!”

He reached the hallway to find Ethan standing by the foot of the stairs, glancing around in sheer horror. “Lord Williams!”

“Jacob?!” Ethan turned sharply to him. “Where's Gretchen?! Where's Elizabeth?! What happened here?!” His hands motioned to the unconscious servants.

“I do not know, my lord but Lady Williams is in trouble. I think she has been abducted.”

“What?!”

“Now!” He yelled, frantic. “Go after them! Lady Hall has abducted Lady Williams, they are in a black carriage and I believe a maid has helped Lady Hall achieve all of...” The words barely left his lips before Ethan turned suddenly around and began racing to the front door. “Your gun, my lord,” Jacob yelled after him, pulling him to a halt. “You may need your gun.”

Chapter Forty Four

Keeping calm when there was a knife held to Ellie's back was simply impossible. Gretchen wanted to scream —she needed to cry. Her mind was on the verge of madness but she fought desperately to keep herself from jumping off of the sane bridge. Everything in her wanted to leap across the seat and claw Lady Hall's eyes out, but she couldn't because as long as Lady Hall held a knife to Ellie, she held Gretchen hostage as well.