A/N Okay, not a very long chapter, but effective, I think, especially the ending….Thanks for all the reviews!! ^_^

Chapter Twenty One.

I got back to the grange at a late hour, and crept up the stairs to the lower landing. I decided to check on Bobbie, just to make sure he was okay. My night out had dulled my sense, but increased my wariness.

I slowly pushed open the door to his bedchamber and peered inside. His bed was empty.

"Bobbie?" I said, stepping further into the room. "Bobbie!" I screamed.

I ran out of the room and straight to my own, the one I shared with Roberto. Stepping inside, I shrieked to find the bed empty. Where was my son?

After a futile couple of shouts, I rang the servants bell, and ran out into the corridor, greeted by the rather tired Miss Lacey.

"What on earth is up, Madam?" She asked, grabbing hold of my arms. I stared into her haunted face, unable to rid my face of panic.

"Where is Bobbie?" I asked, "He is not in bed, and nor is Roberto. I want the house searched."

"The master has gone to the gaming tables at the Connell's." She said, quickly.

"Then where is my son? We have to find him!" I said, wondering off down the corridor. "Bobbie!" I yelled. "Bobbie."

"Miss, please calm down. I shall have Jarvis woken, he'll get the men on to it straight away." said Miss Lacey, soothingly.

I nodded, trying to calm myself down. "Thank you." My shouts had awoken other servants who had come to find out what was going on. Miss Lacey sent many of them back to bed with a swift slap across their cheeks. Others were employed to search the grange for Bobbie. The men took the outhouses and the gardens, whilst the women searched the rooms. Miss Lacey sat with me in the parlour trying to ease my nerves with a cup of Earl Grey, which I spilt all over Roberto's Persian rug.

We sat for an hour in silence apart from the occasional soothing words from the housekeeper. "They'll find him, you'll see Miss. Course they will. Little scamp probably gone after his father."

I jumped up. "I shall go over to the Connell's and inform Roberto."

"It's okay, Miss. I sent Briggs to bring the master home. Don't you worry now."

"Oh Fanny, he is nine years old, and out all alone. . .who knows what devilish people have got that thieving hands on my dear. . .oh my gosh. . ."

"Miss?"

"Jack." I said, bitterly, to myself. "Jack." I groaned stamping my foot on the ground.

"Miss?"

I was surprised the thought had only just occurred to me, after all he hadn't thought twice about taking me. But why on earth would he flood back into my life and destroy it again by taking away my son? The only thing that made living bearable.

"Theodora." Roberto's voice brought me back to the present. He stood at the door way, looking distinctly flushed, and rather angry. Perhaps Briggs had interrupted him in the middle of a winning streak. Or leaving the Connell's had caused an inconvenience for him.

I ran to him, and threw my arms around his neck. It was a childish thing to do, but for some reason his presence comforted me. After all Roberto had chased me across the seas, and brought me home. In my innocent heart I felt everything would be fine now Roberto was here.

He pushed me off him. "What is going on?"

"I got home, I got home. . .and Bobbie was missing." I said, hurriedly.

"Where did you go? How dare you just storm out like that!"

"And where have you been, squandering our money with your stupid gambling, and pit headed arrogance in the belief that you are superior to those you play with?" Every good feeling Roberto had just brought in to the room was extinguished in a second from the cold icy river of words from his mouth.

He brought up his hand, and slapped me hard across the face. My head went to the left, and the impact almost knocked me off my feet. Miss Lacey ran forward and grabbed my shoulders. I pushed her away, heartlessly, and stood up to face Roberto. There was a strong dash of red across my cheek where he had hit me.

"Well don't just stand there, find my son!" He shouted at the gawking Miss Lacey. She curtsied and left in a flurry from the room.

I didn't go to bed that night, I sat up in the drawing room, with a glass of wine, staring into the darkness. I couldn't face Roberto, and couldn't sleep without having Bobbie safe by my side. It was the first time Roberto had ever hit me, and yet it seemed to mark a change in our relationship. Like all the years that had passed, he had been chained up, containing his real self inside, and now in the heat of the moment it had resurfaced for all to see, including the terrified housekeeper.

The morning brought no news, and the male servants looked exhausted from extensive searching throughout the night. The woman burst into action with a fresh determination, and each seemed eager to find Bobbie in one of the closets or cupboards that the grange contained. Unlikely though it was, I did encourage such a hunt.

Roberto disappeared during the morning, and did not return until late after lunch, his absence was duly noted and appreciated by all. He cast such a shadow over the house that it was a blessing when he left.

And then we got the note. A messenger from the pub, which I had journeyed on my night's rebellion, arrived at the door.

Miss Lacey took the note as Jarvis was out in the town inquiring to as any witnesses who had seen Bobbie. She opened it rather absentmindedly, but when the powerful words entered her head, she screamed.

I shot down the stairs like a bullet from one of Roberto's hunting guns. "Miss Lacey?" I asked, running up beside her.

She passed me the note with a quaking voice. "I'm so sorry, Mistress." She said, breaking down.

I grabbed the note from her hands, and skimmed the fancy words.

'Meet me at the Old Oak Inn, Dora, if yer ever want a see yer son again.'

My shaking fingers couldn't hold it, it fell gracefully to the floor. I ran to the door, and pulled it open, but a hand on my shoulder forced me to turn back.

"You can't go mistress, you can't. It's down right dangerous." Miss Lacey pleaded.

I broke free. "I have to go. . ."

"You should alert the master, he'll soon sort this out." She begged.

I shook my head. "No, Fanny, and you have to swear you won't tell him. Swear it on your life. I know who this man is, I can deal with him. I promise you everything will be okay, but you must swear not to tell Roberto. I must go." And with that I took off down the drive, narrowly missing the return of my husband, and the bad mood that he spread over the house.

I got to the Inn, and took a moment or two staring up at the sign, trying to prepare myself for the sight of Jack Sparrow once more. Without wasting a second longer, I pulled open the door and stepped inside.