THE DISAGREEABLE DUCHESS

CHAPTER NINETEEN

"I want you gone, Olivia." The world suddenly stopped for Olivia. "Colin and I suffered long enough, we deserve each other."

"What are you talking about? We're married." Flustered, Olivia stared at Annabel. "I can't leave him, not now."

"Why?" Annabel asked. "Colin told me he doesn't love you."

"He did?" Olivia looked worried, had Colin told her about the deal? "When?"

"I visited him earlier, right?" Annabel knew that she was falling under her lie, so she thought of deepening it, she wanted to see to it that Olivia would look at Colin with disgust the next time they meet. "He kissed me, Olivia. He still loves me."

Olivia felt nostalgic, she thought that Colin and her finally got along well. She thought that they could become one for the child, but her thoughts and views changed at the knowledge of Colin's infidelity. He promised her that he would be loyal, but he broke it. "But..." Annabel quickly cut her off.

"You're ruining it all, Olivia, can't you see that he's unhappy?" Asked Annabel, watching as Olivia began to reminisce all those wonderful memories she's shared with Colin the past months. All of it was a lie. "Colin will never love you the same way he loved me, he will never look at you the same way he looked at me. Olivia, he might love you now, but he loved me first. You will never be able to take that away from him."

Dumbfounded, Olivia stood up and walked away from Annabel.

"Olivia!" Annabel called. "Where are you going?"

But Olivia didn't reply, she marched off and walked to where her feet would take her. She even left the basket she was supposed to bring to Colin beside Annabel.

Annabel lightly chuckled, thinking her plan had been effective. She watched as Olivia drifted away from her sight. "What is this?" Looking at the basket that Olivia had left behind. "Maybe there's a reason to return after all..." Smiling, she stood up and carried the basket that was supposedly Colin's lunch. She walked back to the clinic, opposite of where ever Olivia was going.

Annabel returned to the clinic, where Colin was outside trying to calm an old woman who was crying her lungs out, saying the words "We have to find her." Even the Duke of Montrose was there, tightly holding onto the old woman as she cried.

Curious, she stepped in the crowd of people to know what was happening in front of the clinic.

"She's not feeling well, we have to find her!" Cried the old woman. "What if she fainted somewhere? David, your daughter has these tendencies to wander off, but not without my permission. Where could she have gone?"

"We'll find her, Magnolia." Colin reassured the old woman. "Even if I scour the whole city, we'll find her."

"Colin?" Called Annabel. "What's happening?"

"Annabel, now is not the best time to be asking such questions. I suggest you leave immediately." Said Colin.

"Why? What's wrong?" She asked, looking worried for him.

"Olivia, she's missing." Replied Colin.

"David, call for the police." Said the old lady, she looked at Annabel whom Colin was talking to. "That," pointed the old woman. "Where did you get that?" All eyes were suddenly on Annabel, she herself was looking at the basket that Olivia left behind.

Flustered, she looked around to see all eyes on her. "I found it, it was abandoned elsewhere."

"That's Olivia's basket," the old woman identified it. "She was carrying that when she left, where did you find that?"

"You," one of Colin's colleagues pointed at Annabel. "you were talking to a lady earlier, I saw her, you left with her, she was carrying the basket..."

"I don't know where she is, she ran away in the middle of our conversation." Annabel confidently replied because she was finally telling something true.

"Annabel, is it true? You were with Olivia?" Asked Colin, approaching her.

"Yes." she said. "She asked me to take a walk with her, she was looking off, as if something was bothering her." Again, she was making up stories. "She was asking me about us Colin... She seemed bothered about it."

"Where did you last see her?" Asked David.

"At the park, but she left before I did... I didn't know where she was headed, I know that her health's acting against her, but don't worry, she looked physically fine." Once again, she was lying. Olivia looked pale, she was staggering as she walked away.

Colin left quickly, pushing everything in his way, his heart was pounding like crazy, Olivia's done this before and the day did not end well for her. And not only that, there were tendencies that Olivia suddenly faints, and it could happen anywhere. So, he ran as fast as his feet could carry him, looking left and right for Olivia.

When Colin reached the park, he saw no sign of Olivia. The park was empty except for an old man sitting by the bench. He didn't bother ask him though, the man was drunk and had passed out.

"Olivia!" He began yelling. "Olivia!"

Running further into the park, Colin was tearing up, he couldn't bare lose Olivia, nor the child. "Olivia, answer me!" Colin stopped to take a breath, still his head was circling the park. "Olivia!" He yelled.

"Colin!" Called Annabel, who was running after him. "Have you found her?"

"No," Colin was sobbing, tears mixed with sweat as it dripped off his face. "Where is she?" He asked like a lost little boy.

"It's alright." Annabel gave him a comforting hug. "We'll find her."

Annabel saw Olivia, hiding behind the tree. She was watching them from a distance, crying from the sight. Annabel took advantage of the moment, hugging Colin tighter, kissing him as she looked at Olivia. "It's alright, Colin." Her hands ran through his hair. "We'll find her." She repeated herself.

She didn't let go of Colin till Olivia was no longer there, Annabel gave her the opportunity to run further away from him.

"Let me go," Colin tried to pull himself away from Annabel. "I have to go after her."

"The duke's already sent the police after her Colin, you don't have to look for her now." Annabel tried to stop him. "You should go home and rest."

"No, I won't stop until I find her."

"Colin, I think Olivia would appreciate it if you gave her time to think..." Said Annabel, trying to convince Colin. "She'll come home soon, I promise."

The old man that Colin saw before passed them both, he reeked of alcohol, but he was sober enough to return home. The man slowly climbed the small hill behind Colin and Annabel whom was about to retreat from their search, but suddenly the man yelled. "Help! Help me!"

Colin quickly turned to see if the man was injured. "No," said Annabel. "He's drunk, he's probably hallucinating."

But Colin ignored Annabel's words, still looking at the man waving and shouting for help. "Help!"

"Colin, don't go!" Annabel tried to pull him away. "It's a trap."

"Annabel, I'm a doctor, it's my duty to respond to those in need." Replied Colin who quickly ran to the man.

"Sir, are you alright?" Asked Colin.

"I'm fine young man, but you have to help me, there's a woman over there, she's fainted." Suddenly, Colin's heart pounded, he ran towards the woman, dressed in a pale blue gown, similar to what Olivia was wearing when he last saw her earlier that morning.

"Olivia," he whispered, he immediately responded to the woman lying on the ground, a large bonnet covered her face.

"Damnation!" He cursed, looking at the woman who had passed out, it was not his wife.