Chapter 5: Gone Heiress
Scarlett's breath hitched as she rushed back into the grand ballroom, her chest tight, her heart pounding in her ears. The lively music, the glittering chandeliers, the laughter-everything felt so far away, so distant, like she was watching from the outside of a dream.
Charlotte was gone.
The thought buzzed in her mind, looping endlessly, until it became the only thing she could hear. Her sister, her twin, vanished without a trace. Scarlett had searched the entire ballroom, asked for help, and even pleaded with Lord Jake. But no one believed her. Everyone just brushed her off.
She moved through the crowd, her footsteps quick and urgent, until her eyes landed on Lord Jake, standing smugly by the marble columns, his gaze sharp and amused.
"What are you in a hurry about?" Jake called to her with that infuriating smirk, his eyes glinting as though he knew some secret she didn't.
Scarlett's chest tightened. Her hand shook slightly as she gripped her gown. "My sister's gone," she said, her voice cracking under the weight of the words. She could barely meet his eyes, but there was no time to care about that. "Charlotte's gone."
Jake stared at her for a moment, his smirk fading into confusion. He raised an eyebrow, as though trying to decide whether she was playing some cruel joke. "Gone? You must be mistaken. She's probably off with some of her friends."
"No, Jake," Scarlett said sharply, frustration bubbling over. "She's not with anyone. She's-" She paused, forcing herself to calm down. "She's not here. I've looked everywhere."
Jake laughed-softly at first, then louder as he waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, Scarlett. You always did have a flair for dramatics. Just relax. She'll turn up." He turned away as though losing interest, not even giving her a second thought.
Scarlett clenched her fists. She had no time for his empty reassurances. Without another word, she hurried past him, pushing through the crowd with a sense of urgency that made her feel dizzy.
She spotted her parents near the center of the ballroom, still talking to a group of lords and ladies, their faces flushed from wine and conversation. Scarlett's legs moved on their own, her feet carrying her closer, her voice rising with every step.
"Mother! Father!" she called out, her voice strained with panic.
Her mother didn't even turn around. She just kept talking, her hand raised in a half-wave to some other noble as if Scarlett were invisible.
"Mother!" Scarlett cried again, more desperate now.
Finally, her mother turned, her brow furrowing, a look of irritation crossing her face. "What is it, Scarlett? I'm talking with Lord Fairfax-this is hardly the time for your theatrics."
Scarlett's breath hitched in her throat. "Mother, Charlotte's gone. She's missing!"
Her mother blinked slowly, her lips pressing into a tight line. "What are you talking about? Charlotte's probably outside with her friends, or maybe she's gone to check on something. You're overreacting."
"No, no, I'm not!" Scarlett shook her head, her voice cracking. "I followed her outside. She was gone before I even made it to the door. I-I couldn't find her anywhere! Something's happened."
Her mother didn't even flinch. She glanced over her shoulder at Lord Fairfax and then back at Scarlett, unfazed. "You worry too much. Charlotte's a grown girl. She knows how to take care of herself. Now, calm down."
"But, Mother-" Scarlett tried to protest, but her words died in her throat.
Father, who had been standing quietly by, finally spoke up, his voice low but edged with concern. "Cynthia, perhaps Scarlett is right. If Charlotte went outside alone..."
But Scarlett's mother, already irritated, cut him off. "She's fine, Charles. You're making a mountain out of a molehill."
Scarlett felt her chest tighten as a wave of helplessness crashed over her. They didn't believe her. Not her mother, not her father. No one.
Desperate, she tried again, her voice shaking. "Please, I swear, something's wrong. I think-"
But before she could finish, someone whispered in her mother's ear, and her expression shifted. Her lips parted, then curled into a sharp frown.
"I'll deal with this later," she muttered, but not before shooting Scarlett a look that could freeze the air. "You've embarrassed me enough. Go and enjoy yourself."
Scarlett couldn't even respond. Her body moved without thinking, leaving her mother and father behind, the sound of their voices fading into the noise of the ballroom. She hurried out of the room, pushing past guests, her legs like lead as she made her way to the stairs.
Up to the second floor. To the balcony.
She needed air. She needed to think.
As soon as she stepped outside, the chill of the night air hit her, and she gasped, trying to steady her breath. She leaned over the railing, her eyes scanning the darkened horizon, but her thoughts were too frantic. Charlotte... where was she?
And then her gaze froze.
There, far out on the water, a ship. A huge ship with sails billowing in the wind. At first, Scarlett thought it was just some trick of the night, her eyes playing cruel games on her. But then the flag caught her attention.
The skull and crossbones.
Pirates.
Her stomach dropped as the truth hit her like a stone.
"PIRATES!!!" she screamed, her voice raw with terror, her lungs burning from the force of the cry. The sound cut through the noise of the ballroom like a knife, drawing startled eyes toward her.
From the crowd below, startled faces began to turn. A few heads turned toward the windows, eyes widening as they, too, saw the ship in the distance.
The murmurs began, quiet at first, then growing louder as people scrambled to the windows. Scarlett's legs trembled as she clung to the stone railing, her mind reeling. Her sister was out there, on that ship, and no one had listened when she tried to warn them.
"I told you," Scarlett whispered to herself, her eyes filling with tears. "I told you."
The crowd was in full chaos now, nobles and servants alike rushing to get a better look, pointing at the ship, then at each other.
"Pirates? Here?" one lord asked, incredulous, his voice rising above the others.
"How did they get past the guards?" another noblewoman exclaimed.
Scarlett couldn't hear them anymore, the din of voices drowning out her thoughts. She only had one focus now-Charlotte. Her sister. She had to be out there.
As she clutched the railing, trembling, she heard a familiar voice shout from below, cutting through the confusion.
"Scarlett! What's going on? What did you see?"
It was Lord Jake. His voice was dripping with mockery, but it faltered as he looked out at the ship.
"Did you say... pirates?" he asked, his smirk faltering.
Scarlett didn't answer. She couldn't. She couldn't tear her eyes away from the ship that had stolen her sister. The pain in her chest grew, squeezing tighter with every passing second.
Charlotte was gone. And now it was too late.