The Baroness Misbehaves-Chapter 113: Missing (1)

"You made this?" Barletta’s gaze widened in obvious surprise as she took hold of Madeline’s hand, staring at the beautiful ring that endorsed her delicate ring finger. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Lord Cassian didn’t make mention of his wife being so talented in the arts of Gemmology."

"Gemmology?" Madeline immediately shook her head. "You’re mistaken, this wasn’t made from a gem, it’s just..."

"If I could give you a gemstone to craft a unique ring for me, can you make one similar to this?" Barletta requested, looking up to Madeline with expectancy in her olive-green eyes. "I like the way you crafted it, and the flower designs are so exquisite. Did you use real flowers?"

"Barletta, she appreciates your compliment but she’s not a jewel-maker." Isabella curtly interrupted before Madeline could think of giving a response. "You are making her uncomfortable."

"But..."

"We had a lovely conversation, but I think you should hurry up before the shop closes, I’m hoping you find your ring. Madeline, follow me." Holding Madeline’s wrist in her firm grip, Isabella took Madeline away from Barletta’s sight, and the lady let out a huff, silently claiming Isabella’s reaction to be one filled with contempt and jealousy.

"Hmph!!" She walked in the other direction.

Venturing towards the end of the house, Madeline continued to stare with interest, and Isabella suddenly cleared her throat before speaking.

"Did you really make the ring yourself?" She asked, and Madeline smiled before nodding her head. "yes. I might have spent most of my life in a locked room, but I still got a chance to view the world from my window. There was a jewel-maker who always made beautiful rings with his hands, and I watched him everyday till I took it into practice, starting with small wires and beads."

"That is very fascinating." Isabella smiled impressively. "If you made the rings, that means you made one for Cassian as well?"

Madeline nodded. "It was already late and we had no rings when we got to the church, so I made us one."

"Impressive! It’s not everyday you get to hear the bride make her own wedding ring."

Madeline suddenly remembered how Cassian also praised her for her work. The look on his face and how happy he was at her craft. She tried not to blush at the invading memories and kept her expression neutral.

Stepping out of the house, Madeline and Isabella took a peaceful stroll around the estate. Two servants followed them, holding an umbrella above their heads to shield them from the sun. The sun was high in the sky, casting a warm glow over the fields of green and gold, yet there was something ominous about the atmosphere that surrounded them as they walked further.

"The gardens here remind me of the ones at the mansion, the Duke must have been inspired by the gardens here to make something similar for the mansion."

Isabella explained every little area they found themselves in with a bright smile, confidently speaking as though she was here when the estate was made. A feeling of unease began to grow within Madeline who tried to pay attention, but instead, she found herself constantly looking over her shoulder as if she was being watched.

"Some other day, I’ll take you to visit the tower, and....." Isabella continued with her chattering, oblivious to Madeline’s expression.

Unable to concentrate, it was then that she finally spotted what was making her feel uneasy. On the other side of the road, a small, neglected graveyard could be seen, and Madeline stopped in her tracks to stare at it.

The graveyard was surrounded by a rusted fence, and the gate was hanging off its hinges. The gravestones were weathered and worn, some of them tilting at strange angles as if they were trying to escape from the earth that held them.

"Is that the graveyard?" Madeline couldn’t help but ask out of pure curiosity, and Isabella nodded with a slight shudder. "It is, but I don’t feel comfortable looking in that direction. Ever heard of Late Uncle William’s, brother of Duke Richard, he was buried here."

"Can I take a look?"

"A look at what?!" Isabella shook her head. "I am too beautiful and alive to venture into the world’s of the dead, I’m not going."

"Then wait here."

"What?" Before she could say something, Madeline had already crossed to the other side of the road, and Isabella facepalmed at her courage.

"This girl... she’s really crazy, how can she go in without feeling afraid?" Isabella firmly remained where she stood, unwilling to follow Madeline into the graveyard. The crazy lady even stopped the servant from following her.

Standing before the gate, Madeline climbed over the fence, feeling herself drawn towards the graveyard despite the warning signs that were flashing in her mind. Successfully making her way in, Madeline’s heart pounded in her chest as she made her way through the rows of gravestones.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the rustle of leaves and the occasional caw of a crow. The air was thick with the scent of honeysuckle, and Madeline could feel the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end.

As she walked, Madeline took notice of something strange. All the gravestones were dated with the years of when each corpse was buried, yet there were no names on them. Instead, they were inscribed with strange symbols and long-forgotten words, as if they were trying to tell her something.

"Didn’t she say Late Sir William’s was buried here?"

Madeline shivered, feeling as though she was being pulled deeper and deeper into the mysterious world that surrounded her. She couldn’t explain the feeling, but she knew that she had to leave the graveyard, and she had to leave quickly.

"Madeline! Let’s go." Isabella called her name, and when she turned around to go back and meet Isabella, her nose was instantly covered with a handkerchief as someone suddenly held her back, making her inhale the substance.

Panicked, Madeline struggled with the hand that covered her nose with a handkerchief, and since she couldn’t hold her breath for long, she ended up inhaling the substance that was smeared into the handkerchief. Her eyelids grew heavier as she was forced to inhale it, her body grew weak with each passing second until she stopped struggling and passed out on the strangers arms.

*******

A/N: I know the romance between our favorite couples are building at a snail pace, but believe me when I say it will be worth the wait! °♡♡°