Eve stepped out of the piano room and while walking, met Alfie, whose eyebrows had been drawn together. The servants had gone back to continuing their work and noticed how Lady Aurora was nowhere to be seen, except for Blythe, who stood on the other end of the corridor.
"Did they find Rosetta?" Eve asked the butler in a low voice.
"We haven't been able to find her in or around the mansion, Ms. Barlow," Alfie responded to her in the same lowered voice, and he continued, "The lady hasn't left any note in the room where she has been staying. Her things haven't gone missing either. Do you think she eloped all by herself?" There was a hint of astonishment in his eyes.
Eve shook her head, "I don't think so. She might have gone out for some air." But Rosetta wasn't someone to do that.
"All the carriages are parked in the shed, milady," Alfie replied.
"Then she must be somewhere in the mansion. Let us find her before Lady Aurora makes another uproar," Eve whispered, and she asked, "Can you do me a favour?"
"Yes, milady?"
"Try to keep Blythe away from me. I need to find a black cat in the mansion," Alfie gave her a nod, and Eve walked towards the end of the corridor.
When Eve walked past Blythe, who was watching her like a hawk, the maid was ready to follow her, right then Alfie jumped in, and he instructed the maid,
"There is a shortage of help for having to clean the piano room. As Miss Allie and Ms. Barlow are done for the day, you can continue to work there," the butler pointed her toward the piano room.
But the maid had not forgotten the slap that she had received from the Marchioness for her irresponsibility in looking after Lady Rosetta. She didn't want to risk her neck being snapped next for not being able to keep an eye on the lowly human governess. She said to the butler, "I am not the servant of the Moriartys, but a Hookes. I am obliged to answer to Lady Rosetta, and now that she isn't here in the mansion—"
"Then there is no reason for you to stay here, unless you are a servant," Alfie was curt with his words. As the butler of the Moriarty mansion, he was used to managing servants during the absence of the members of the Moriarty family. He knew exactly how to handle maids like Blythe. "Would you want me to see your things to be sent back to the Wright's mansion?"
Blythe stared at Alfie for a good two seconds, and she then said, "My mistress may not be here right now, but I am sure you are well aware that the Marchioness would like to have me stationed in the mansion until Lady Rosetta returns. After all, her things are still here. Failing to comply will only add trouble to your young master," a slight sly smile appeared on her face.
"Don't bring the terms about the deal that has been made by the Moriartys and the Hookes. You are a maid, and if you cannot work in the mansion, you can stand outside the mansion and wait until Lady Rosetta or the Marchioness returns. Or do you prefer to have guards escort you out?" Alfie returned his calm and poised smile. "Well?"
"Let us hope my mistress will be able to find Lady Rosetta and if she's run away, it has nothing to do with you, your master, or with the human governess," Blythe's words held a foreshadowing warning.
The maid glared at the butler and started walking away from there, while he followed her until they reached the front of the mansion's entrance. Blyth thought, 'Vincent didn't seem to be in the mansion right now, and with the human governess inside, it is better I wait for Mistress to return.'
Inside the mansion, Eve searched for Timotei and not knowing where he would have stretched himself to laze the few hours before the next meal would be presented, she decided to look for Eugene if he knew where the cat was.
But even after asking a few people in the mansion including the butler, Eve didn't know where Eugene was. Somewhere the line of worry deepened on her forehead.
Away from the Moriarty mansion, a furious Lady Aurora who now sat in her carriage, was on her way to Darthmore. She had gone to the Wright mansion and picked up her husband from there, letting him know what happened. But before the carriage could leave the edge of the Skellington town, Marquee Hooked opened the front window and ordered the coachman, "Go to the magistrate's office first quickly."
"Yes, Sir!," the coachman obliged, and soon the horses and the carriage took a U-turn.
Once they reached the building where the magistrate worked, they entered inside and noticed the magistrate stand up from his seat, even though a second ago, he seemed busy reading a parchment.
"Marquee Walter Hooke and Marchioness Aurora Hooke, what a pleasant surprise that you have come to visit me. Please come inside and take a seat," the magistrate snapped his fingers, and the servant in the room stepped forward.
"We have come here to seek your help, Mr. Welbek," Marquee Hooke informed the magistrate.
It took the magistrate a moment to realise the Hookes appeared upset and tense.
"Of course! Anything you need. All you need to do is ask, and I shall see that it is done!" Mr. Welbeck, the town's magistrate answered without missing a beat.
"We want you to keep this under wraps without creating too much hoo-ha about the matter as it concerns my family," Marquee instructed him, and Mr. Welbeck nodded for him to continue. Rosetta's father said, "Our daughter Rosetta… has gone missing. We want you to send your loyal men to watch the borders of all towns, and where everyone gets on the carriages. If you find our daughter, bring her back to us."
Mr. Welbeck was taken aback by hearing that Hooke's daughter had gone missing. He carefully asked, "Did she run away with so—"
"She has not," came the curt answer from Lady Aurora, and she held a glare that had Mr. Welbeck offer her an apologetic bow. She smiled as she said, "Rosetta is a young, shy lady, who doesn't know anyone in Skellington. We are worried that she must be in grave danger, and would appreciate it, if you could try to find her as quickly as possible."
If Rosetta had escaped from here with someone's help, the best option was first to find her before it would be too late for her to find her daughter. She could deal with Vincent later.
Mr. Welbeck nodded, "I shall do that once the men return from their current search."
Lady Aurora stepped forward, trying to tower over the magistrate, who, in truth, was taller than her. She then demanded, "I don't care if they are busy. Order and have them look for my daughter, unless you would like to be summoned by the King and be handed with execution for your lack of tact towards my family's situation. The King would be disappointed about it, if he came to know that you didn't help us," she warned the magistrate.
In the magistrate's eyes, the Hooke family was reputable and had high connections, or more right to be said, Walter Hooke had a good relation with the King.
"I will try to do my best, milady," Mr. Welbeck bowed, and Lady Aurora continued glaring at him.
"Find my daughter quickly. Someone must have kidnapped my precious daughter," Lady Aurora demanded, as she didn't know where Rosetta was and didn't want to accept that her daughter had run away.
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