Juliana and Richard left the ballroom with much fanfare and climbed into the coach. Juliana leaned out and waved goodbye as they traveled down the road. She knew it would be expected.

Soon enough though she settled back. "Mind explaining what is going on?"

Richard smiled, "First, I must apologize. This is your wedding day. I hope to make this up to you someday. Now for the proper answer, Clara is missing as you already know but I learned from Lily that it is Mr. Chase, who Mother named in her letters."

"Mr. Chase!" Juliana exclaimed her blood ran cold thinking she had just been dancing with him in the ballroom just moments ago. "But he is still at the party and Clara is not. How can he be the one who made her disappear?"

"I do not know if he is."

"Richard, you are making little sense," Juliana stated, frustrated by the entire situation.

"I left you in the ballroom because Benjamin McAllister had shown up on our doorstep looking for Clara."

"My God, he must be out of his mind with worry. Where is he now?"

"He has gone after her. He has his own resources and reason to think he may be the why behind Clara's disappearance. I do not know if the incidents are connected but I do know that if I wish to get any answers, I have to get to Mr. Chase and find out what he knows."

Juliana frowned there was something she took note of that she did not care for in Richard's explanation. "Why did you say YOU have to get him? IF you think for one moment Richard Charles Bentley, that you are going anywhere without me, you had best think again!"

"Juliana, even though I know you took a vow to obey, I certainly am aware by this point in our relationship it is far better for me to keep you where I can see you." Richard laughed.

At that moment the carriage came to a halt. Juliana looked out the window and there was a stable hand waiting with two horses. The fact that there were indeed two horses proved that Richard's words were true.

Richard jumped out of the coach and found the clothes that Albert made certain were packed. He joined her once more in the carriage handing her a much more sensible traveling frock. "Do you think you can manage?"

"Yes," Juliana said, "if you could just undo these few buttons." She turned her back to him and Richard made quick work of the four buttons trailing down her back. As he slid the garment from her shoulders, he could not help but sigh wishing he were doing this for far different reasons.

Juliana slipped out of the gown and gingerly placed it aside. She so hoped nothing happened to it as it was the loveliest creation she had ever seen and it belonged to her. She quickly donned her travel clothes, and as she done so Richard made quick work of his attire as well. Juliana could not help but steal a glance at him, memories of their night together flashed through her mind bringing color to her cheeks which did not go unnoticed by Richard when he looked up from buttoning his shirt.

He stopped and knelt in front of her. "Soon my, Love," and he kissed her soundly. "Soon we will put all this ugliness behind us, and we will be together again, as we should, as man and wife. Are you ready?"

Juliana nodded and he helped her from the carriage. He looked at the coachmen, "Take the carriage to the first inn you find and park it there for the night."

He tossed the man some coins to cover his stay. You may return in the morning." The coachmen pocketed the coins and nodded before riding on.

The stable hand looked at Richard expectantly. "Shortly a rider will come down that hill with news of which way Mr. Chase has taken. I expect you to stand by the road and wait for him, and retrieve us as soon as you have word. The rider can take you back to the Manor, and we will ride on."

"Very good, sir," The stable hand said and made for the rode.

"So, now we wait?" Juliana asked.

"So now we wait," Richard told her.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The moment came where her Master and Mistress had left, supposedly on their honeymoon. The moment the hall had cleared of guests Lily dashed down the stairs. She grabbed a napkin from the kitchen linens and wrapped the letters up in them.

Lily entered the ballroom under the very watchful eye of Albert. She knew it would take time for her to renew his trust. If she made one wrong move she had no doubt all would be reported back to Lord Bentley, but he had made a promise to take care of her and her family. She would make him proud.

She worked her way through the crowd of guests easily enough. Many had still remained to enjoy the day of dancing and frivolity. Sitting in the corner was Mr. Chase. She waited momentarily to steel her nerves, willing her hands not to shake. Taking a deep breath she strode over to him and under the guise of removing his plate from the table set the napkin down next to his utensils. Momentarily their eyes met, and she nodded ever so slightly and then quickly moved on.

Mr. Chase could not believe he held in his possession the letters. "Lord be praised," he thought, "it is over." Since the guests of honor had already left he could leave without any pretense. He slipped the letters into his waistcoat, and stood and made for the door.

Mr. Chase left the ballroom and asked the footman to bring his carriage around. He had not noticed the several servants that had followed his movements. Nor did he spy not only the men that ran to comply with his wishes but also the wishes of Lord Bentley. The carriage was brought forward and a rider was in place waiting to see which path he took.

Mr. Chase jumped in the driver's seat and took hold of the reigns eager to get home. He traveled down the path to where the road split and made the turn on the road that would lead him there. Never did he notice the rider that traveled not too far behind that took the path to the right to find his Lord and Master.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Clara's head throbbed from pain. What happened? She struggled to think but the pain was too intense for clear thought. She tried to open her eyes and fright took over her brain as she could not see, and then she felt the blindfold.

Clara moved her hand to try and remove it but her hands, and she discovered, her feet were bound. She appeared to be tied to a chair. How the hell did she get here? And where was here?

Benjamin's warnings began flooding her mind. "I need you to promise me you will stay at the country house. Please, Clara it is the only way I can be certain you stay safe. There are those that would love to harm me, and you would be a perfect way to make that happen. Promise me?!"

She had promised and she broke that promise. After being alone so long she could not take her internment any longer. She had to know, did he still love her? Would he follow?

She knew the servants would pass the message on that she left the moment the carriage drove away. They were the eyes and ears Benjamin left behind.

Clara had only meant to shake him up a little. She thought being with family and at the Manor she would not be in any real danger. She had thought wrong. What have I done?

She struggled against her bonds to no avail. Clara had to get loose. She had to escape. She had to get back to Benjamin and beg his forgiveness. She did not want to die before he knew without doubt how much she loved him and now her actions will appear that she had run away, and she might never return.

Clara heard movement in the room.

"Who are you? What am I doing here?"

Silence came to be her answer.

More scuffle noises, and Clara's heart leapt, as they sounded closer than before.

"What do you want?" she cried.

A weak and gravely voice answered her. "I want to see your family fall. I want to destroy them all, but first I want those letters."

Letters? Clara struggled and then remembered her Mother wrote letters naming names.

"If that is the case, then you should know my Mother has sent them to the most popular magazines and newspapers. They are in the hands of every editor just dying for you to do as you are now, because should any of us Bentley's come to harm those letters will be published."

"You lie!" the voice spoke and Clara gasped as she felt a knife blade under her chin. "Your Mother is but a puppet on a string she is not smart enough to think up such a scheme."

"She has and if you wish to find the truth of it. Kill me and you will find out."

Clara felt the blade press against her skin, nicking it slightly before it disappeared completely. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"It is not too late you know," Clara said slightly emboldened by the fact that she got her assailant to back away. "If you let me go now, I still know nothing. Just leave me somewhere far from wherever here is and give me a way to unbind my hand and feet and I will find my own way home."

"You think it is that easy? That I will just let you walk away. No, now that I know the letters are not within my reach you are my new bargaining tool. Especially now that your Mother was stupid enough to get herself killed. I still would love to know how she managed that?"

"How did you know?" Clara asked her bravery beginning to fail her.

"Please that was the simplest of tasks to discover. I have eyes and ears everywhere. It would not have been able to rise to the state that I have without it."

"A servant?" Clara wondered aloud.

"Very good, I can see you have your Father's looks and intelligence. Too bad that neither are enough to save you. "