A/N: Thank you for all the support during my health battle. I am back in the hospital. I am going to publish every other Saturday...but I didn't get as many chapters typed in as I should have. I ask for your continued patience in getting this story published. I love and appreciate all of you who read my stories. All the best, Lady Dragonsblood.
As Chris, Adam, Roman, Seth, Dean, Stephanie, Barrett, Orton and Cardona rode toward Mayfield Estate, their eyes scanned everything. Once Stephanie saw a horseshoe. They waited as Cardona dismounted and picked it up.
"Draft horse shoe." Matt said with a sigh as he tossed the broken shoe into the ditch.
Chris smiled at his sister. "Good eyes though, Steph." He spoke with encouragement. The group rode on.
"Why go back to the Mayfield Estate? They said Shane left." Barrett was curious, it seemed odd to him.
Chris turned in his saddle to look at Barrett. He wanted to see the man's reaction. "I want to talk to the washer girls. Ask them a few questions no one else thought of." He was totally honest with his answer to Wade.
Barrett could say nothing to that. "Oh, makes sense." He gave a bit of a shrug. What else could he do?
Chris exchanged a very quick glance with Randy Orton. He knew the man was on the same page. He turned back to scanning his eyes for any missed signs of Shane.
It wasn't long before they arrived at the former home of Martha and a Elizabeth. "Wait here, please. Adam come with me, they love you."
They found the girls inside, both ironed shirts. "Chris! Adam! We thought you were at Auntie Pru's place in France." The elder of the two girls spoke with a grin.
Adam spoke first. "We were. We rushed back when we heard about Shane. Girls, we need to ask you some questions. Nothing bad, so please, do not be scared. But we need you to answer as honestly as you can." He knew servants never liked to be questioned, it usually meant trouble.
"Of course we will. We love Mister Shane. We told the policemen all we knew." The younger girl replied.
Chris smiled. "I know and we are grateful for that. I want to know more. Did either of you happen to notice anything unusual about Shane's horse? Did he seem jumpy or did he act normally? Think carefully, it could be very important."
The two girls closed their eyes as if to replay the time of Shane's visit to them before he vanished. The older girls eyes flew open.
"There was something. We were hanging bed sheets on the line. I snapped one to straighten it so it would hang better. The sound made his horse jump, but Shane kept him under control." The older girl spoke with confidence.
The younger girl spoke up. "That's right, he did. That's why I waited to snap my sheet till after Shane left. I guess it would have been possible he heard it, even down the road. The sheets, especially when so wet, do make a rather loud snap." She gave a shrug.
Chris nodded. "I see. Thank you. Now, one more question. Did you see anyone or hear anything strange just before or just after Shane stopped by?" Again, he looked at the two girls.
"No, no one strange. The stable boy from that woman's estate, but he turned up the road. He goes to the shops in the village up there. That was before Shane stopped to see us." The older girl was again honest.
"Thank you, my dear girls. Listen, if you do see or hear anything strange, run tell Pru. Have her call me, now that the telephone is in." Chris gave the two girls a smile.
Adam hugged the girls. "Yes, thank you, my darling girls. You did just fine."
"We will do anything to help Mister Shane. If we see or hear anything, we will tell Auntie Pru. We pray that Mister Shane is back with you soon." The two girls curtsied as Chris and Adam left.
Chris mounted Highflyer as Adam mounted Locket. Chris filled the others in on what the two girls had said. "...so Merlin could have spooked. They just didn't see it." He gave a sigh.
"So, what should we do now?" Seth asked with anxious eyes. He was worried to death about Shane.
"Your Lordships, might I apply my military training here?" Matt Cardona spoke up. He knew exactly what to do.
Chris gave a nod and again explained about Cardona. "...yes, Cardona. What should we do?"
"We ride, side by side, but twenty paces apart, at the same speed, a slow walk. We should start here and ride as far as we can. Keep your eyes on the ground and your ears open. If he was thrown, Master Shane could be in a ravine, not visible looking straight on. Understand? I will ride right point, Mister Orton on the left. Lord Chris, center. Everyone pace outward from him." Cardona spoke with military precision. Orton smiled, Matt was good, really good.
The eight riders progressed slowly through a wooded area, that eventually opened to a meadow. There were no fences to stop them, so they rode on.
"When we get to the top of the rise ahead, let's stop. It's a good place to call out to the missing horse. The meadow is a good place for him. Plenty of grazing and water." Cardona again spoke with authority.
"Alright everyone, let's do as he says." Chris spoke to the group. Chris was a bit surprised, Barrett was putting in a full effort. Perhaps he'd been wrong. Still, he kept a wary eye on the Professor.
Randal Orton had the same thought as Chris in regard to Barrett. Maybe, just maybe the man had nothing to do with Shane's disappearance. Still, like Chris, he kept a wary eye on the man.
When eight horses and their riders reached the top of a small rise, they stopped. They turned in their saddles when they heard a voice from behind them.
"Addy! Stop, wait!" Jason's voice called out from a distance. He rode Thunderbolt at a lope.
When Jason got to the group, he was a bit breathless. "Mark sent me. Said Merlin would respond to me better. The girls at the wash house pointed out where you had gone. It's lucky I found you."
Chris smiled. "Glad you did. I should have thought of that. What would we do without Mark Calaway." He reached over and gave his brother-in-law a pat on the shoulder.
Cardona gave a nod. "Glad you are here. Go, call out." He smiled at his new friend and fellow Groom/Coachman.
Jason dismounted. "Maybe go back down the rise. Too many people might spook him. Here." He tossed Thunderbolt's reigns to his brother. The riders rode back down the small hill, and dismounted. Roman helped Stephanie down from her sidesaddle.
"Thanks, Ro. I hate that thing. One of these days I am going to make riding togs so I can ride astride." Stephanie spoke softly, but with frustration. Roman chuckled, then went to talk with his husband.
Jason cupped his hands around his mouth and called out. "Merlin! Mer-lin!" He then gave a sharp, ear piercing whistle.
Jason waited a few minutes, then called out and whistled again. He turned to Matt. "Bring Misty up, please. She gets along best with Merlin."
Cardona brought Misty up to Jason. "Keep trying. I have a feeling. Then again, I have been wrong before." He handed Jason the reigns then went back down to the others.
"Come on, girl. Let's call old Merlin." Jason spoke softly to the gentle gray mare. This time, when Jason whistled, it made Misty neigh loudly.
Jason's shoulders drooped. He heard and saw nothing of Merlin. He walked with Misty, down to the others.
In the vast distance, Sunday morning church bells could be heard. Adam pulled out his grandfather's pocket watch. "It's eleven." He gave a shrug.
Seth put a hand on Adam's shoulder. "You and Chris must be exhausted. Just a few hours ago you were in Paris, now you're back here."
Adam gave Seth a weary smile. "Doesn't matter. Our little brother is in trouble. We wouldn't have been able to enjoy Paris knowing about Shane. Paris is just a place, Shane is family."
"Adam, if I didn't love you before, I love you even more now." Stephanie gave Adam a kiss on the cheek.
Orton spoke up. "I hate to interrupt, but we have a long day ahead." He looked at Chris.
"Agreed. Adam is right. No way in hell could we have stayed in Paris. Come on, let's find our baby brother." Chris helped Adam, then mounted Highflyer.
Adam explained to Jason about the pacing. Jason was now twenty paces to his left. He rode between Adam and Stephanie.
After two miles at a slow pace, Cardona called for everyone to stop. "Let's turn to the west. There is stream or river beyond that line of trees, with another rise." Matt had the military voice again, as he turned to the right.
Orton was again impressed. He began to wonder how tied the man was to his job in France. Cardona would make an excellent recruit for the agency he worked for. Randy decided to feel the man out.
"Whoa up." Roman called out. He thought he saw something in a deep patch of grass. He dismounted and started to kick the thick clump of grass.
"No!" Cardona cried out as he too dismounted. Roman put his foot down. "Sorry to shout, your Lordship. Kicking can actually displace what you saw. Let me look. What did you see?" Matt asked as he pulled a knife out of his boot.
"Not sure exactly what I saw. It looked shiny, out of place. Know what I mean?" Roman answered as best he could.
Cardona knelt on the ground. "Yes, I do, your Lordship. Thank you." He began to slowly and carefully cut the tall patch of grass. Orton dismounted and knelt next to Matt.
"Two pairs of eyes are better." Orton spoke as he stared at the ground.
Cardona spoke. "Agreed. You clean and search as I cut." He never stopped cutting as he spoke.
Jason pulled two canteens of water out of his saddle bags. "Water, your Lordships, Lady Stephanie?" He held out one of the canteens.
"Thank you, Jason." Stephanie smiled. She took the canteen and took a sip. She passed it to Roman.
Adam took the other canteen, then passed it to Chris, who passed it to Dean. Barrett took a sip and handed the canteen back to Roman.
"I need a tree." Dean chuckled as he went behind a large tree and relieved himself. The others followed. The men discreetly turned away as Stephanie had to do the same. Servant or gentry, when you had to go, you had to go.
"Argh. Men are lucky in some cases." Stephanie griped as she adjusted the skirt of her riding habit.
Dean shrugged. "Sorry, Steph. It's alright, we won't tell." He held back his usual wicked humor, now was not the time.
All heads turned as Cardona finally spoke. "Does this look like part of a buckle?" He handed the piece of silver metal to Orton.
Randy looked closely. "It could be, or a bit of chain." It was hard to tell what the metal object was.
Jason went over to look. "May I?" Orton handed him the object.
"Look. It's a bit of chain from a snaffle bit. Merlin wore a snaffle bit. He has a hard mouth and needed it. Problem is, can't tell how old it is." Jason handed the metal back to Matt.
"Of course, I should have known. We don't use snaffle bits much at the Chateaux. Lord Roman, how you saw that is amazing. See now what I meant about not kicking?" Cardona brushed his knees as he stood. He put is knif back in his boot.
"Sheer luck." Roman spoke with a shrug.
Cardona looked at the others. "We could be on to something. Keep going?" He asked as he looked at Shane's family. He would do as they wanted, no matter what.
"We do not quit." Chris spoke firmly as the nine riders mounted up and rode toward the rise near the river.
This time Cardona stopped the search party before continuing up the rise. "Jason, take Misty and do like before." He handed Jason his mounts reigns.
Everyone listened carefully as Jason called out and whistled. Once again, Misty neighed, after Jason whistled the second time.
"Hey… come up here." Jason called down the rise. The riders spurred their horses up, Cardona ran.
Jason pointed to a distant hill, across the river. A horse stood on a hill and grazed. "It's too far away to see if it is Merlin or not. He did look up when I whistled, but went back to grazing. I don't see any other horses around."
Cardona rubbed his chin. The feeling he had grew stronger. "Let's get to the river and see if there is a way to cross. It is the only thing I can think of." He sighed, hands on his hips.
Roman spoke. "We do not quit. Let's go. Shane could be out there… badly hurt."
"Wish we would have thought to bring some food… Shane will…" Dean's words faded as his worry grew.
With their slow pace, it took nearly thirty minutes to get to the bank of the small river. The riders dismounted to let their horses drink.
This time, Orton had an idea. "We should split up and search the banks. Half up stream half down." He looked to Cardona for approval.
Matt Cardona nodded. "I was just about to suggest the same thing. Lords Chris, Adam and Dean, with me. We will go upstream. Lady Stephanie, Lords Roman and Seth and Mister Barrett will go down stream with you. The same process, eyes down, ears open. Jason, you wait here with the horses. It will take longer on foot, but it will be better. Too many rocks and felled trees along a river."
"Sounds good…" Orton spoke, then looked at his pocket watch. "It is noon, let's meet back here at two o'clock."
Cardona nodded in approval. "Also, scan both banks. Look for signs of someone pulling themselves out of the water." He gave the final instructions and set off up stream with his group of riders.
After thirty minutes, Adam spoke. "Sorry, I need to sit for a moment. I think it is all catching up to me." He sat on a large rock and took a deep breath.
Chris went to his husband. "Love, do you have a headache? Please, tell me the truth." He knelt down to look into his husband's eyes. Dean joined Chris and knelt down on the other side of Adam.
Adam smiled at his husband and brother-in-law. "No, I do not have a headache, I promise. I am just really tired. Just give me ten minutes to get some air and I will be alright."
Chris gave Adam a soft kiss. "Alright love. We will give you some room to breathe. Come on Dean, let's look around here, we might find something." He gave Adam another kiss and stood.
Dean stood. "Sorry brother, but I am not going to kiss you too. Just breathe it will be alright."
Adam chuckled. "Aw, I love your cheek kisses. Go search, we have to find Shane."
Chris and Dean wandered further upstream. Cardona had gone a few yards into the tree line. He saw something that hung from a low tree branch. As he drew closer, he became excited.
"Your Lordships! I found something! Come quickly!" Cardona cried out. Maybe his feeling was right.
Adam pushed his tiredness down and ran after Chris and Dean. He prayed it was a sign of Shane.
When the three Lords got to Cardona, they stopped. Cardona pointed to a broken bridle that hung on the low branch.
"Is it Merlin's?" Cardona asked, brow arched.
Both Chris and Dean took a closer look, then sighed. Dean answered. "No way to tell. Adam, would Jason know?"
Adam nodded. "Probably. He handles their tack every day. It may take me a while, but I will go get him." He started to run off.
"No, your Lordship. Can't have you keeling over. I can run faster. Please, all of you, stay here and do not wander off." Cardona called over his shoulder as he took off at a brisk run.
Dean sighed and plopped down on the forest floor, cross-legged. He put his chin in his hands. He was soon joined by Chris and Adam.
"It's been four days, Chris. Even if he wasn't… taken… how could he survive out here? Why wouldn't he find his way home?" Dean spoke through another sigh.
"Because Shane is smart. He would find a way to survive. Remember what we learned at school? If you are ever lost, stay put. If you wander away you could become even more lost." Chris also sighed.
"That is the same thing Mark taught us at the old Estate. Jay and I always wandered off into the woods. Mark said if we ever got truly lost, to stay put. Let him come find us. He also told us, if possible, build a fire and make a lot of smoke." Adam spoke with a shrug.
"Very sound advice. We weren't told about lighting a fire though. The Professors probably thought we would burn the school down. No great loss if we would have done." Dean gave a bit of a chuckle. He was always a bit of a hellion at boarding school.
Chris rolled his eyes at Dean. "You were very difficult to keep out of trouble. But, you are right, I am sure they were afraid we would burn the place."
Adam looked from Dean to his husband. "You two must have been trouble at school. I can well imagine it." He too gave a light laugh, after all better to laugh than cry.
Dean hung his head. "To be fair to your husband, it was mostly me. Chris got me out of more than one scrape with the Head Master…" Dean's humor suddenly vanished. He spoke again, with anger.
"I don't trust Barrett. How could he have not known what was going on right under his nose. And Shane had begun to fall under it. Why poppa and father took Barrett on, is beyond me." Dean huffed and put his chin back in his hands.
"It is better that Barrett is where we can keep an eye on him. I feel the exact same way, brother. However, I will give credit where credit is due. So far, he has been a good companion for Shane. No signs of that other nonsense. But trust me, I am watching." Chris spoke with firm truth.
Their conversation ended when they heard the others approach. "That took less time than I thought it would." Chris spoke as he stood and helped Adam up.
"They were halfway here. Their group was stopped by a high fence. So, they headed this way to help." Cardona explained as Randy, Wade, Seth, Roman and Stephanie joined them, along with Jason.
"I secured all the horses. Where is it?" Jason asked as he got to his brother.
Cardona pointed to the broken bridle in the tree branch. "I didn't move it. Is it Merlin's?"
Jason stepped up and took hold of the leather. He closely examined it. He looked at the anxious faces that looked back at him. "Yes, this is Merlin's. Look." He removed the broken bridle from the branch. "See. I marked it." Jason showed them the underside of the piece that went over the top of Merlin's head. "MERLIN" was lightly etched into the leather.
Jason continued. "He must have stopped here to pull it off. The broken bit would have irritated him. Do you have that other piece that Lord Roman found?" Jason looked at Matt and held the broken bridle firmly in hand.
"Here." Cardona pulled the small piece of metal out of his pocket.
Jason took the metal piece. "Yes, it is from Merlin's bridle. See how it fits." He showed where the piece attached the broken bit.
"Right. That means he turned at some point and came up stream. Let's do this. Jason, you bring the horses up here. This tree will be our marker. Orton, take your group upstream. My group and I will fan out and search deeper into the woods. Again meet back here in two hours. Put the bridle back so we know the tree." Cardona's military training once again took over.
"Excellent. Get some water and will head out." Orton held out the two canteens he'd kept. Everyone took a drink. Some took a relief break in the woods. When they were ready, the two groups split up and headed out.
Cardona spoke to his group. "Stay in a line, twenty paces apart. If you see anything, stop and call out. Don't touch it, please. Seeing it in situ tells me things." He looked at his three charges.
"Alright. You ready, love?" Chris looked at Adam with worry. His husband looked a bit too pale for his liking.
"I'm fine, just tired. I am ready, my Lion." Adam stated with a firm nod. He was tired but otherwise alright.
Dean snickered. "Lion, huh? Well, whatever. I swear if Kenny lets his name for me cross his lips around others… the wedding is off." He teased with his usual humor.
"Whatever you say, Deannie." Chris teased. He already knew what Kenny called his brother.
"Boys! Behave. Shane is counting on us." Adam spoke firmly. Humor had its place, but now it was time to focus on Shane. He had a feeling.
Cardona smiled at Adam. "Well said. However, nothing wrong with a laugh. Let's get started."
Matt, Dean, Adam and Chris paced themselves twenty paces apart. They slowly walked in a straight line through the wooded area.
Adam had a sudden urge to check a tree that had fallen many years ago. He hurried to the log. "Over here!" He shouted, even though the others were just twenty paces on either side.
"Did you find…" Chris stopped when he saw what Adam pointed to.
Cardona rushed over. "The saddle." He knelt down on the ground to get a better look. "Did Jason mark the saddles?" He looked up at Adam.
"He does." Chris and Dean spoke at the same time. They knew the saddles were marked but hadn't known Jason had marked the bridles as well.
Cardona looked at Chris. "Show me, please, your Lordship." He arched his brow.
Chris lifted the skirt of the pommel. "See, MERLIN. He marks them because the saddle is expressly fitted to the horse."
"Alright. We need to search this area wider. I will get the others like before. Just stay here, keep your ears tuned. I will be back." Matt ran off before anyone could say anything.
Chris, Adam and Dean sat on the fallen tree. "I wonder what happened. There aren't any signs of a person hitting the ground or the tree." Dean pondered as he looked at Shane's saddle.
Chris shrugged. "I am starting to really think Merlin was spooked and bolted. Shane was tossed and Merlin ran away. If he was hurt, maybe someone took them to their home. They may not know who Shane is. If Shane was hurt…." His words trailed off as he got lost in his thoughts.
Adam looked at his husband. "You mean Shane could have amnesia? That would be terrible, not to be able to remember anything, especially family."
"If that is the case, we will get him the best care possible and get his memory back." Dean spoke with a brothers authority.
Adam sighed. "Don't take this the wrong way, either of you, please. But, the best possible care is one advantage money brings. Be thankful your family is so blessed. Millions around the world don't have and will never have that security."
Dean smiled at Adam. "We understand that, and we are grateful. I don't say this in a boast, but Roman, Seth, Kenny and myself have taken on Charing Cross Hospital as our priority charity. You and Chris have those dear orphans, Stephanie and Natalya have their old folks home. We try, very hard, to give back. And Adam, you must always say what you feel. That just makes you one of us. You've heard me run my mouth." He ended with a laugh.
Adam grinned at Dean. "I appreciate that, Dean. I know how hard you all work for others. That's part of why I love this one so much. Oh… here they come." Adam nodded to the searchers headed their way. Jason followed with the string of horses.
Jason dismounted Thunderbolt and went over to look at the found saddle. He knelt down and examined the girth. "It wasn't cut. Look, the cinch buckle broke. Not sure how it happened, but it can. I check them, but…" He sighed, it was his fault Shane's saddle had come loose.
Chris put a hand on Jason's shoulder. "Jay, no one blames you. We all know things can happen. Shoes get thrown, tack comes apart during rides, no matter how carefully they are checked. When a horse spooks, or just decides to act up, tack takes a beating. You know this. Every single one of us trusts you, without doubt or question. So buck up, brother." He gave Jason a brotherly slap on the shoulder to seal his words.
"He is right, Jason. One hundred percent. Remember when my cinch strap suddenly broke? It just happened." Stephanie added firmly.
Jason gave a slight sniff and swipe of his eyes. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Matt, I want to take Misty and go look for that horse we saw. If you need to, ride Thunderbolt."
Cardona nodded. "Good. The horses will be safe. We will walk them with us. We will stay on this course. Watch for signs of Shane. I am hoping, if that horse is Merlin, he can lead us to Shane."
"Alright. I hope it is Merlin. I will catch up when I can." Jason mounted Misty and rode off. He hoped the mare would help lure the horse in.
The others slowly began their search again. Matt had made sure all the horses were securely tied to various trees with grass for grazing here and there.
Jason carefully rode Misty across the stream. Thankfully he found a narrower, not to deep place to cross. His eyes constantly scanned the ground as he rode. When he got to the level ground above the stream, he pulled Misty to a halt. He shaded his eyes with his hand and searched for the horse. Just as he was about to move on, he spotted the stray horse.
The horse looked to be in the same area as when Jason first saw him from the other side. He decided to slowly approach before calling out. He didn't want to spook the animal.
In the woods, Cardona and Orton spoke as they took a short rest. "I think we should have gone with Jason. I am not picking up anything here at all. What if Shane removed the broken saddle and used the log to mount bareback. He went across the creek. Maybe, in the mean time Merlin wandered off. If that is Merlin on the other side, he may be staying close to Shane. My every instinct is to cross the stream. I think I was meant to find the saddle, but now, I am meant to cross the stream. Do I sound like a raving lunatic?" Matt looked at Orton. He also knew there was more to Randy than being a Footman. The man had too much other knowledge.
Orton looked Cardona in the eye. "No, I do not think you are a raving lunatic. I absolutely agree with you. He is across the stream. I just hope he is… Master Shane is a very special young man. Let's go tell the others." Randy nodded to the McMahon siblings and Wade Barrett.
After Cardona relayed the plan, Wade spoke up. "That makes sense. Shane has told me he loves to ride bareback. He wouldn't be put off by a broken saddle."
"That is true. He does love to ride without a saddle. Poppa hates it, thinks it is too dangerous." Stephanie added her thoughts.
The search party lead their horses to the stream. They took time to let the horses drink. Matt said they could all drink from the stream, so they did. Orton refilled the two canteens. Adam dipped his handkerchief in the cool water and swiped his face. It immediately brought him back to life.
"Darling, are you truly alright? You have to be ready to drop. I feel it too." Chris asked as he took the cloth and washed Adam's face again.
Adam smiled. "I am tired, but I am not quitting on Shane. He didn't give up on us with the Old Dames. We can sleep when is safe at home."
Chris gave Adam a love filled kiss and didn't care who saw it. "I love you."
"And I love you. Now, let's find Shane." Adam kissed Chris' cheek and swung into Locket's saddle.
The others followed. No one had noticed Chris and Adam's private moment. They were too worried about Shane.
"Give me a minute to find… ah… here." Jason crossed here. "Single file, please." Cardona ordered as he directed Thunderbolt into the stream.
Matt rode up to the flat ground above the stream. The others soon joined him. They looked like a mounted cavalry before riding into battle.
"Look, there is Jason. He's smart. He moved around to come in behind the horse. We should wait here as to not spook the horse." Cardona stood in his stirrups a bit to see better.
Jason slowly walked Misty in a wide circle, around the stray horse. He knew now, without a doubt, it was Merlin.
Jason had undone one of the two pairs of reigns on Misty's bridle. He was glad to see that Merlin still wore his stable halter. He could attach the long leather strap to lead Merlin.
As they got closer, Misty let out a soft nicker. She had missed her stablemate. Merlin lifted his head from grazing. He continued to chew as he calmly walked to Misty and Jason. He wanted a bucket of oats, and the human provided them.
"That's my good boy." Jason gave a sigh of relief as he clipped the reign to Merlin's headstall. He looked and saw the others on the horizon. He waved his arms to signal it was alright to approach.
"Come on." Cardona spurred Thunderbolt to a lope. Maybe now they could find Shane. The others followed. The horses were getting as weary as their riders, but they all carried on.
As they got closer, and closer, they all knew it was in fact, Merlin. When they got to Jason, the riders stopped.
"He walked right up to me. I think he is ready to go home." Jason had secured Merlin to a "D" ring on Misty's saddle. He calmly grazed again.
Matt scanned the land. "Let's go to the top of that rise. It looks like a higher vista." It was all he could think of, he needed to see the area.
"You're right. I don't think Merlin will lead us to him." Orton gave a nod.
Back at the McMahon house, Shawn, Bret, Kenny and Natalya had joined Vince and Eric.
Eric let out a very loud sigh. "They have been gone for hours… hours! What if something has happened to all my babies? We should have gone with them!" He went from angry to a frightened parent in seconds.
"I would have gone with them." Kenny too sighed.
Natalya nodded. "Me too."
"Everyone, calm down and take a deep breath. Maybe it means they are on Shane's trail. If had been bad news, they would have been back by now." Shawn spoke calmly as he sat next to Eric on the sofa.
"He is right, darling. Our children have level heads. Chris will guide them, Roman will protect them. Seth and Adam will nurture them. Dean will keep their morale up and Stephanie will drive them." Vince spoke of each child with a smile.
It was nearing seven o'clock. The evening meal had been served in the morning room. It was nibbled on at best.
Vince, Eric, Shawn, Bret, Kenny and Natalya looked up when Mark opened the door.
"Your Graces, they have returned." Mark spoke in his most stoic voice. His expression held no emotion.
