Lady Sarah's Secret

XXXXII. Sarah is Gone

Henry smiled in true happiness as he entered the music room where Amelia had been playing. Her musical talent had filled the house upon he and Charles' return from the club, and he'd been drawn to her helplessly. He stood propped against the doorframe, watching her play. She was lovely, she was beyond lovely, he corrected himself. And he meant to claim her as his wife the moment this ugly business with Warwick was cleared.

He'd gotten carried away again last night, it seemed to be a problem he consistently had when it came to Amelia Amesbury. He'd loved her since she turned fifteen, had worshiped her at sixteen, had promised to cherish her for all eternity by seventeen... and then the long years of war had separated them.

But no more, he reassured himself as she finished the piece, they would marry within the month. Sarah would be pleased at least, he chuckled to himself. And perhaps Amelia would heal what ailed him at last, she who seemed to know who he truly was. Perhaps this empty cheerfulness would fall away to the genuine happiness he felt at this very moment. Perhaps she would teach him to always feel his way.

Seeing him, Amelia left her place at the pianoforte to meet him, but stopped short when they were a foot apart.

"Is this the distance you are to keep me at now?" he asked, one eyebrow quizzically raised above the other. Amelia smiled and a faint blush crept up through her cheeks.

"Should I, Henry?" she was teasing him now. Laughing he reached out to snap her by the waist, pulling her close to him for a kiss. How he loved this woman.

"I want ten," she breathed heavily when they at last broke apart, he shook his head in confusion, his thoughts still preoccupied with their happy reunion the night before and how soon it could be repeated.

"Children," she stated easily, then grinned, "I want ten," she repeated.

"You shall have whatever you like, my love," he answered her quickly so as to revisit their previous activity. It was several minutes before they were again pulled apart, this time by the sound of hurried footsteps in the corridor. Henry released her, unwilling to yet explain his intentions to Charles of Lady Eleanor, just as his friend entered the room

"Have you seen Sarah?" he asked breathlessly, a frazzled look about him, his hair lay disheveled as if he had been running his own hands through it.

"We went visiting together this morning," Amelia offered easily, Henry suspected this was not the answer Charles sought, "The last I saw of her she was going to the library, in search of you."

Henry heard Charles swear under his breath, and as he had suspected the man began to run both hands through his hair.

"Out with it, man," Henry ordered, growing impatient.

"She's gone," he stated flatly, not making eye contact with either of them as he paced in a small space of the floor.

"What do you mean she's gone?" Amelia asked in confusion.

"Sarah- I can't find her anywhere," Charles said, and the desperation in his voice and expression told Henry just how concerned his friend was at the moment.

"Have you any idea -"

"The annulment papers," he stated, speaking again in such broken fragments that made it almost impossible to follow.

"What papers?" Henry growled, surely he'd heard wrong. Charles stopped his pacing then, covering his face with his hands.

"She asked for an annulment weeks, ago," he explained in a ragged tone, "I denied her... but she seemed so miserable that I finally was considering releasing her."

"Charles! How could you?" Amelia cried indignantly, Henry reached to take her hand in his as some kind of comfort, for she was clearly upset.

"I could not!" He returned loudly, "That is the point! Things have changed... and I am determined never to let her go. I did not plant to go through with the annulment," he finished and then began pacing again.

"The point to this, Charles?" barked Henry, drawing his friend from his daze once again. Charles stopped to stand before them both, a wild and desperate expression on his face, his hands held palms up in front of him as he beseeched their help.

"You said she had gone to the library in search of me?" he repeated Amelia's words and she nodded in confirmation.

"The drawer I'd hidden the papers in was open when I returned, the annulment had been taken out and then replaced to the top. Charles paused for a long moment as they each considered the consequence of Sarah's discovery, until finally he heard his friend speak in a broken voice.

"She has left me."

"Charles -" Amelia began but the girl never finished her sentence for at that moment a gunshot rang through the house followed quickly by a scream and the sound of breaking glass.

"Sarah!" Charles began shouting, taking off in the direction the noise had come from - Henry close after him.