Where Is Eloise?

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Esmeralda joined the others back in the dining room.Lady Azalea curtly joined them,linking her arms to the duke's and smiling at Esmeralda.

All she could do was smile.She had no grudge to hold against her as it was normal to see unwed people walk around town with linking arms.

While the bride herself was not irritated by Lady Azalea's presence,her mother stood beside Sir.Dynevor shooting Lady Azalea hard glares.

"I think we should leave now!"said Lady Azalea,feeling uncomfortable under Lady Georgina's gaze.

The lady's gaze alone could ruin the life of thousands and she feared to not dare to test her anger too.

"Oh! So early?" Lady Georgina chuckled."Wouldn't you like to stay a little more?"

"Do not worry Georgina.We have to prepare for the exquisite wedding of Britannia.I wouldn't want to be drowsy by then." Lady Beatrice joked. The duke smiled at Lady Georgina and together with the two women,made their way to the carriage and rode out of the Dynevor's Estate.

Without a moment hesitation and the anger still rising in her head,Lady Georgina raced to her daughter's room.She had already changed into her nightgown and sat on her bed with a few books in front of her.

"Mother!" Esmeralda looked up as her mother stormed the room.

"I saw you speak to Lady Azalea.What transpired between you two?" She demanded.

Esmeralda sighed and looked away from her mother's face.Her mother was the sole eyes and ears of the Dynevor's Estate and could hear every conversation without being present.She was happy she was able to tell Lady Azalea off and her mother wouldn't scold her.For the first time,she would proudly own up to something.

"She was telling me about the duke's proclivities." She curtly replied.

"But I saw you worked up.You were annoyed.What did she say too daughter?" Lady Georgina swiftly sat beside her daughter, massaging her leg as she spoke.She knew Esmeralda wasn't going to tell her that easily and she needed to coax her.

"Do not worry mother." She pushed her hands from her leg."The only thing that matters is that I told her off.You don't need to worry.The wedding will still be held."

Lady Georgina grinned."You should have said that earlier.I thought she was going to be a threat"

"And what would you do?" Esmeralda inquired, furrowing her eyebrows.

She already knew what her mother would do.

She knew her mother from childhood to be known in all Britannia as the cunningly beautiful daughter of the Ashcroft family.It wouldn't surprise her if her mother would go to crazy extents to secure her daughter's position.

"It's nothing daughter.You should sleep." Lady Georgina ignored her question,racing to get to the door and allow her daughter to sleep.

"Goodnight mother!" Esmeralda said,later realizing her mother had disappeared as fast as she came in her room.

The next morning, Esmeralda hurriedly woke up with fear etched in her heart.She was unable to sleep the entire night,...not because of Lady Azalea or the upcoming wedding.But she was worried to know if Eloise was fine.

Seeing Eloise being escorted by two men added to her fear.With that,she slipped into a simple yet elegant gown leaving her house with a drowned heart.

As the carriage halted in front of the familiar storefront,she scuttled to examine what she was seeing.She couldn't believe her eyes.The doors of Clockwork City was firmly looked.

Esmeralda stepped backwards to check if anyone could be seen from the top floor,but,there was no one.

She approached a young ragged boy in baggy pants and jacket,eating a loaf of bread beside the shop."Excuse me,young man" she called out."Do you know where old Davington and his assistant might be?"

The boy turned to her,with an unhappy look in his eyes.

"See here!" She threw a bag of coins at him."It's all yours.Just tell me where they are."

The boy greedily snatched the bag from the floor,opening to check if he was indeed getting money in exchange for an information.

He wiped a sweat from his forehead with his finger."Oi, old Davington hurriedly shut his shop yesterday, which weren't his usual closin' time. It were like two hours after he opened. An' his assistant…? Well, she's been missin' since yesterday."

Esmeralda's heart sank.She couldn't believe Eloise had disappeared without a trace."What do you mean Eloise disappeared y-yesterday?"

The boy shrugged,taking a bite from the bread."Dunno, miss. All I know is the old man shut up shop, and the girl's been missin'. Folks been talkin' 'bout it, but no one knows what happened."

Hearing this,she set off to Eloise's home in the forest to look for her.She didn't even have the heart to turn and say thank you for the information.Anyway,she had given the boy a bag of coins which she knew,he should be the one thanking her instead.

The carriage stopped on the eerie road,leaving her to make her way through the forest to find Eloise's home.The small cottage came into view and she quickened her pace.She had to hurry in case Eloise needed help.

Esmeralda knocked numerous times,but was greeted with silence.There was no one inside to respond to her knock.Panicking,she opened the door with a spare key Eloise had given her .She stepped inside the cottage as the door flung open and was greeted with packed bags on the bed.It was as if someone had been preparing to leave in a hurry.

The wardrobe had its content removed and scattered on the floor...and the papers in the drawers had been scrambled and forced into the bags.

She raced out of the cottage,calling out to Eloise but there was no sign of them.Her voice drew some villagers nearer as they noticed the distressed girl.

"What is it miss?" A hunter asked.

"E-Eloise." She burst out crying."Have you seen Eloise?"

The villagers exchanged knowing glances. "Calm down miss." said the hunter."We heard strange noises from this direction last night."he said with a low voice.

"Yeah..folks were talkin' bout hearin' female screams comin' from this part.We came to investigate,but the place was lonely." Another hunter said.

Esmeralda's heart sank as she realized the gravity of the situation.Eloise and old Davington were no where to be found and no one knew their whereabouts too.