What You Propose (Anything for Love 2)

Selene sucked in a breath and then suddenly flew into his arms, pressing her cheek to his chest. Marcus froze, not knowing what to do or how to react. He patted her arm and offered a few words of comfort before forcing her to straighten.

"Has someone been here?" he demanded. What the hell was the matter with the woman? "Has someone been hurt?"

"It is Miss Sinclair," Selene blurted.

Marcus almost crumpled to the floor, too, as panic gripped him by the throat and threatened to crush his airways. "Miss Sinclair? What's happened? Where is she?"

Selene shook her head. "That is just it. I do not know."

"You don't know? You're not making any sense." He considered grabbing her and shaking the words from her mouth. However, experience forced him to modify his tone. "Has something happened to Miss Sinclair?" he repeated.

Perhaps Anna had packed her things and left the monastery. Perhaps the fear that was currently clawing away at his heart was unfounded.

"I … I took Miss Sinclair to the village," Selene began with a sniffle. "She was not well. She was suffering from a headache, fever, and became — how you say — delirious."

Marcus felt the blood drain from his face, run the length of his body to pool at his feet. His last words to her were said in anger. Out of guilt and frustration he had suggested she leave.

"Where is she now?"

"That is the problem. I do not know."

Marcus' frantic gaze scanned the garth and the ancient corridor, glanced behind to the nave and the chapel. Was there anyone about who could tell him what the bloody hell was going on?

Draping an arm around his cook, he led her into the chapter house, made her sit and take a nip of brandy. It took a tremendous amount of effort not to charge out into the courtyard, mount his horse and gallop down to the village. But he knew that a few minutes spent procuring information would save time in the end.

"You took Miss Sinclair to the village," he repeated in as calm a tone as he could muster as he perched on the edge of his desk. "What time was this?"

Selene shrugged. "I don't know. I think sometime after one."

"But that was hours ago."

"Oui. I have been here, waiting for you to return."

"Did you not alert Andre? Ask him to come and find me?"

"I did not think you would want me to mention it until you knew what to do."

Marcus suppressed his frustration. In truth, he was annoyed with himself for staying out so long. "What happened then?"

Selene nodded. "I took her in the cart. She wanted to lie down, but found she could not stay awake, and so I covered her with a blanket. I … I left her for a minute while I ran to get help. But when I came back she had gone."

"Gone? Gone!" People did not just disappear. "Perhaps one of the villagers saw her and offered assistance. Perhaps she wandered to a house, and they took her in."

"Non!" Selene cried. "I could not wake her."

Marcus stood up. "She had lost consciousness?"

"Miss Sinclair felt sleepy. She closed her eyes, and I could not rouse her." Selene held her head in her hands and sniffed again. "What if she had lost her way and cannot remember where to go? What if I was wrong and she did speak to a man in the stables that night, and he has taken her somewhere far away?"

Guilt stabbed at his chest as a way of punishing him. He had made her ill. His unforgivable actions had brought her nothing but torment and distress.

"I'm sure all will be well," he lied, hoping Selene's dramatic account did not paint an accurate picture of events. What if Victor did have an accomplice staying in the village and he'd witnessed Anna's vulnerable state? Then another thought entered his mind. "I shall go down to the village and search for her. But before I go, I want to ask you something."

Her head shot up, her brown eyes growing wide. "What is it?"

"On the night Miss Sinclair spoke with the intruder, she said she saw you wandering the corridors. She said you ran out through the nave." It wasn't a lie, just a slight manipulation of the truth. "What were you doing?"

Selene gasped as her hand fluttered to her chest. "She … she was mistaken. Andre woke me when you asked him to search our rooms. If you ask him, he will tell you."