"MR WILLIAM PERCY IS NOT IN his rooms, my lord. A footman reported that he has left the estate," The butler pronounced after being summoned and questioned about the gentleman's whereabouts by the lady of the house in the drawing room.

"That's strange; I did not give him leave. Neither did he inform me of his sudden urgency," Frank Templemore spoke, his brows furrowing as he glanced at Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon, both of whom wore slight puzzled expressions reflecting his own.

"I can't say I'm disappointed," The Countess sighed before putting a bright smile on her face, "A wine businessman did make for an awkward weekend party."

Lord Buxton let out an amused smile as he lowered his gaze to peer into the glass of wine he held in his hands, shaking the glass nonchalantly and exchanging glances with Lord Algernon.

"Still, mother," Frank pointed, "He should've at least informed me. Mr Percy was invited here, and with invitation was he only to leave."

"Surely you aren't offended by the machinations of a wine maker, Frank," His mother laughed, before composing herself and sighing, "Men like that are hardly inoffensive."

The remaining party sat in the west drawing room of the Brockenhurst estate that Sunday evening, the extravagant room alit with candles, casting a deep orange sheen on everything below and around them. The floral tapestries adorning the walls and the crystal decors on mantels and intricate tables around the room, with a glasses in hands, made it seem as though the party sat for a painting; the easel and the painter nowhere in sight.

"Mrs Fleming, did you happen to see Diana, perchance? I haven't seen her since she went out for her ride," The Countess probed as she turned to look at the lady seated across to her on the sofas, cradling her third baby on her lap, "Is she indisposed?"

"I can't say, Lady Templemore," Mrs Fleming lilted, her expression going into a thoughtful one, "I haven't seen Alicia since too, the girls do inform me if they retire to their rooms."

"That's strange," The Countess cast her son a glance and he shrugged in response, then turning to face the butler again, she spoke, "Send a maid upstairs to fetch my niece and Lady Kirkpatrick to the drawing room. They need plenty of fresh conversation and company to occupy them if they are to fully recover."

The butler nodded and with a bow, spun on his heels and exited the drawing room efficiently.

"Lady Templemore," Arthur Fleming's voice followed soon after the butler's exit as he cleared his throat to get the attention of the party, "I can't thank you enough for this weekend. It has done much good for my Frederica's health to be in such company as that of yourself and your son, and my boys are overjoyed."

"Ah, nonsense," The Countess mused as she shrugged playfully, "I had more fun than either of them, I dare say. I rarely ever use the word, Mr Fleming, for it far too vulgar for a lady of my disposition, but all in all, I couldn't have asked for a better company. Your family is welcome to Brockenhurst anytime in the future. I understand that our acquaintance was brought together because of my niece, but now that we are friends, I would love to see more of the Fleming family in the future when I'm in Portsmouth again."

"For sure," Arthur Fleming rejoiced, humbled. He always had little words to say when he was humbled, his only hope was that the person in front of him was an expert in reading minds and acknowledge what he was trying to say without him going through the trouble of self expression.

"I am also delighted that this weekend has brought you on closer grounds with your employers as well," The Countess continued, nodding towards Lord Buxton in particular, "Which wasn't exactly what I had planned, but plans seem to have a way of shocking one entirely, don't they?" she finished, chuckling.

Arthur Fleming laughed, and so did Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon. It really had been a weekend like no other, Edward Buxton thought as his gaze swept across the party in the room. He'd come here wanting one thing, he'd accepted an invitation with only one thing on his mind; and now it seemed that there was more that he wanted, more that he needed, and more that he wished for. A sudden feeling washed over him as his thoughts lead him to her, to Lady Diana Beaumont. The tingly gush in the pit of his stomach made him straighten himself as a shiver traced his back. How could he have still kept falling for her after all that happened? It seemed impossible that every angry word she had thrust at him only made him want her more without him even realizing it.

"How was your weekend here, my lords?" Lady Templemore spoke again, a beaming smile on her face as she looked towards Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon in inquiry, "I do so hope we were tolerable company for such businessmen as yourselves."

"More, madam," Isaac Algernon smiled as he announced, glancing at Edward with a confirming look on his face.

"Yes, more. We are grateful to you, and to Mr Templemore, for hosting us. Our time here has been diverting and pleasant," Edward acknowledged, nodding, "I would also like to apologize for my behavior that night," he paused, that night seemed like the only way to recall that day. "It was disrespectful and I beg your pardon for any offense I may have generated with such an action."

"Lord Edward Buxton, your offense was forgiven and forgotten the second you and Lord Algernon saved my drowning niece and her companion," The Countess imparted, her expression changing to a genuine and stern one, "You have done me a huge service, and although I cannot possibly thank you in words without my mind torturing me to dwell on what would've happened were you two absent, I intend to offer you my regards in whichever way I can." With that, the lady of the house exchanged an assured smile with her son, who beamed back.

"I have judged my son's capability to judge incorrectly. He has chosen fine candidates for his first business investment, except for Mr Percy might I add, and I can't help but feel proud. Thus, I have given him my opinion and blessing to go forth with this endeavor with Portsmouth Mills & Co, and I'm sure Diana would agree as well since hers is the second opinion Frank is after," The Countess finished with a smile and Frank Templemore nodded, glancing towards Lord Buxton and Lord Algernon, offering them an assured nod.

Suddenly, the drawing room door burst open, and the party all turned their heads to look towards it in shock. The butler of the house rushed in, his tailcoat flying about and his forehead glistening with sweat under the light of the room. He held a maid by her arm as he dragged her in, her expression was worried while his was more frantic.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Countess bellowed her eyes going wide in anger.

"I'm sorry to barge in, my lady, but something terrible has occurred," The butler let out, his words rushed and jumbled, with the party barely making them out.

"What happened?" Frank Templemore stepped forward, his eyes observing the maid held by her elbow. If this vulgar interruption was all about the inconsistency of a maid, then he had half a mind to lessen the household staff by sending the butler on his way first with his tail coat between his legs.

"Lady Diana Beaumont and Lady Alicia Kirkpatrick are not in their rooms," The butler swallowed, his eyes jumping from the lady of the house to Frank Templemore and then back to her again.

"Then where are they?" Mrs Fleming's voice came, a worried expression on her face as she stood up from the sofas, her baby in her arms.

"I d-don't know but I asked the servant in the stables who saddled Lady Beaumont's house, and he said that she was riding with Mr Percy when an hour later his assistant brought back both their horses, claiming that they had resorted to walking," the butler stammered, rushing to get all that he knew out, "The servant said that he didn't see either of them after that, b-but I don't understand since the footmen already informed me that Mr Percy and his assistant already left the premises. I then asked all the house staff if they knew anything else about the whereabouts of the ladies and this maid claimed she was with Lady Kirkpatrick when she was called outside so I-I brought her straight here."

He pushed the maid forward and she stumbled before regaining herself and rubbing her arm anxiously where she had been so roughly grabbed. She was grabbed again, this time by Frank Templemore as he roughly shook her, his hands on her shoulders, "Where are they?" he demanded, his eyes bearing into the maid's as she looked back in fear.

"I-I don't know Mr Templemore. I was only following Lady Kirkpatrick outside when she asked me to. A footman had come, telling her that Lady Beaumont required her assistance outside, so she had gotten up to leave. Mr Percy's assistant was with her and he offered to come along too-"

"What assistant?" Edward Buxton demanded as he came forward, a thunder in his voice. Having heard the mention a second time in the ongoing story, Edward felt his insides still until every sound inside him dimmed except the pounding of his heart. There was no assistant of William Percy's at Brockenhurst, it was only him. That scoundrel had staged something in Lord Buxton's absence, and so Edward steeled his nerves waiting for the impact.

"I d-don't k-know," the maid stammered more, shaking with fear upon being cornered by two men, the new addition being more intimidating and terrifying than she had ever been faced with before, "Lady Kirkpatrick asked me to stay midway so she can go to see what the matter was and before I knew it, the assistant cornered me. He gave me a letter and asked me to shut up and go inside if I wanted Lady Kirkpatrick and Lady Beaumont to survive. He asked me to give it to Lord Buxton."

Frank Templemore let go of the shivering maid, who had now started weeping, her meek face becoming shiny and reflective under the light. "Here," she instantly spoke, digging her hand in her apron pocket and pulling out a note and thrusting it towards Lord Buxton.

Edward Buxton stood there, pressing his feet onto the wooden floors as his fists tightened so hard he felt the veins in his arms budge out. Only a dunce who knew William Percy would not be able to figure out what has happened. He immediately took the note and opened it to read, his jaw tightening.

You and Isaac are invited to my office tonight, if you want to see your beloveds again, I suggest you be prompt. Let's have a round of wine as we discuss important matters, I'll have my finest bottle out.

"What is it? For goodness' sake someone tell me what has happened," The Countess cried, her voice cracking as her hand pressed against the chest, a painful expression on her face.

Frank Templemore reached out and snatched the note from Edward's hand, his eyes pressing to read it, before he growled and tossed it aside, the piece of paper floating to the ground. "I knew he had a personal rivalry with you, but beloveds? What does that mean for you both?" Frank reprimanded his eyes bearing accusingly into Edward's.

Edward Buxton steeled himself, fighting his heart and mind for composure, "It means that we are going to let nothing happen to them and we will bring them back safely."

"You bastards, they both are being used as pawn for your worthless rivalry," Frank cast Isaac an angry glance before his fisted hand lunged towards Edward's face, only to be caught fiercely mid air and lowered forcefully to his side as he struggled against the grip to no avail.

"I will not let anything happen to them," Edward roared, tightening his grip on Frank Templemore's fist with every word, "And I advise you not to try that again, I can pound you into this ground before you even realize what's happening." With that being said, he motioned towards Isaac who frantically nodded, and both of them rushed out of the drawing room leaving a distressed family in their wake. 

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

"You should've spared my cousin, she had no business in this," Lady Diana Beaumont fretted, trying to put weight into her faltering voice as much as she could. She winced as one of Percy's men holding her elbow tightened his grip on it and forced her to walk faster. William Percy let out a laugh, which echoed through the empty hallways of his wine factory. He did not turn around to acknowledge her words, nor did he speak out his intention, he just kept walking up ahead leading the way to his office, his dark frame blocking Diana's view in front. She turned to look over her shoulder, struggling against the pain shooting up her captive arm to try and make sure Alicia was alright. But far was she from consolation, the man at Alicia's arm seemed to be dragging her along and Diana could hear the soft winces of pain that left her cousin's lips and the fury in her gut tightened.

"You abominable reptile, I'll make you pay for this," Diana fumed, her voice loud enough to echo her declaration ten times more into her intended's ear.

William Percy halted in his steps as the words left her mouth, causing his men to stop dragging them along as well. He stood there with his back to Diana for a few seconds, before he pivoted and started walking towards her, taking long menacing strides before he reached her face to face.

"And how will you do that, pray?" He asked, disguising his menace sweetly. Diana could tell it wasn't the sort of question the interviewer wanted answered, for she could tell he had his mind elsewhere and wouldn't care a dime for what response she had in store. His eyes observed her face, and she saw them travelling to every corner of her face with keenness, before they started dropping down her neck, his observation extending to more of her. Diana grimaced under his gaze, and instantly snatching her captive right arm away, she brought her right hand up and it came to a sharp contact with William Percy's face, whipping it to the side with force. The sound of the slap echoed through the hallway louder than any sound that had echoed before in a span of those twenty minutes. Mr Percy instantly backed away a few steps, clutching his reddened face with both his palms as an angry groan escaped his lips. Diana felt her right palm burn before going numb, and a wave of satisfaction circled her at the intensity of her attack.

"Damn you," William Percy managed to scowl, before he directed his words to his men, "Take them, and tie them up out of my sight. I intended on having them in my office with civility, but we are way past that now."

Something dropped low in Diana's stomach, before she was roughly grabbed by her sore elbow and steered into the opposite direction in the hallway. She let out a loud shout at the impact; her whole arm throbbed in sharp pain. Over her shoulder, she looked fiercely at William Percy trying to blink back the tears that pricked her eyes. He stood there with his scowl turning into a wicked smile as his hand dropped to his side to wave at her as she and Alicia were dragged away. 

"Move," the man clutching at Diana's elbow as though trying to crush it to a pulp, let out, as he shoved her into a dark room himself. She hadn't quite focused on where she was being taken with Alicia, she hadn't made note of her surroundings, or the exact steps of stairs her captors had took, thus she had limited herself were she to escape and had narrowed her and Alicia's chances of freedom even more than they already were. This angered her, but it was all her fault and she had no one else to blame for it. The pain in her arm had spread out all over her shoulders to her chest, and she felt lightheaded. Her eyes adjusted to the dark room and she noticed it was of considerable size, with nothing in it but dusty wooden paneled walls and floors, and a lone crooked chair in the corner of it. There was a small hole in the wall to her left, a hole just below the ceiling, with a strong ray of silver light cascading through it in a sharp line and falling just on her left foot. Diana relaxed a little, it was ridiculous, but knowing the fact that she was still under the moon brought her comfort. 

The same moon who had been there through all her highs and her lows, was here even now, and that fact alone brought her a little warmth. Shuffling of feet interrupted her and before she could turn around to see what Percy's men were doing, her bad arm was yanked once again as she winced, and pulled to one corner of the room where both her hands were bounded with ropes and she was shoved to the floor with the man bending down to bind her feet as she folded them to the side in defeat, with the same rope. As the man was done with binding her, Diana saw Alicia being brought into the room as well, and her heart eased a little. At least she'd have her cousin close. Alicia shot her a pained look, and Diana realized it was intended for her and not their situation. 

William Percy's men talked to each other in a language of low grunts, and after making sure Alicia was bound as well, they left the room. The tinkling of keys at the knob followed after, and then all went silent. 

"Diana?" Alicia trembled in the dark from where she sat bounded in the other corner of the room, her voice a whisper as she struggled to make out her cousin's figure in the dark. Diana looked dazed when Alicia had entered the room. Her eyes were faintly closing and opening, and she wasn't moving. Alicia had expected to find her fiery cousin angry, or fighting back in some way by keeping her spirits high. But Diana seemed deflated, like all air had been pushed out of her chest. Alicia's heart stammered in her chest, no please no. "Are you alright? did he hurt you?" 

With all her might, Alicia started scooting over towards her cousin. It was hard, with her limbs all tied up, but she kept on moving, the dress material rubbing against the hardwood floors.

"My arm, I can't feel it anymore," Diana's faint voice came, "And I feel light headed with the pain." 

Alicia in relief and when she finally approached her, her own back ached like never before. She had also torn her dress a little, having got it stuck on a nail on the floor; but all that didn't matter now. She touched shoulders with her cousin and put her bound hands on top of hers. 

"We will get out of this mess, I promise you. Isaac and Lord Buxton will not leave us here as pawn for their own rivalry with William Percy," Alicia consoled softly. 

"I'm sorry," Diana whispered, her pain clouding her ability to form words, "I should've come to Portsmouth alone. I can't bear the thought of you enduring this Alicia, when it was all me and my decisions that have lead us here." A sob escaped Diana's lips and Alicia bit back her own. 

"No, I would rather be here with you than let you endure all this alone. I'm thankful I came, despite everything," she announced, her voice louder than Diana's, dismissing her cousin's doubts and regrets.