Ada & The Earl (The Woodhouse Series #1)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

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*Train en route to Glasgow/Edinburgh, Scotland*

"You don't understand..." I was panicking and flustered, babbling to the conductor. "Why did they take him?"

"We don't know," The conductor said calmly and I groaned.

"What happens if they release him? How is he going to get to Glasgow if his ticket is here?" I gestured to Louis's jacket, which was on the seat next to mine and the conductor shrugged his shoulders. "What does that mean?" I was annoyed but the conductor walked on through the carriage.

There was nothing I could do so I sat down in frustration, the Scottish countryside disappearing behind me as the train made its way to Glasgow.

I needed a plan.

***

In an interrogation room, Louis was panicking.

He paced back and forth, his hand running through his hair.

At least he hadn't been arrested - or at least he hoped he hadn't.

Who knows how long he had been waiting but the doors to the room opened, and the two officers who had bought him in entered, closing the door behind.

"Sit..." One said simply and Louis obeyed. "I am Officer Buchanan and this is Officer Mackay. We want to ask you some questions." Both men were in official police wear but without their custodian hats. While Buchanan had short blonde hair, Mackay had curly brown hair. Both had long moustaches that covered their mouths and Louis instinctively touched his stubble that was creeping through, feeling less of a man all of a sudden.

"How long will this take?" Louis blurted out. "It's just, I have to be on that train."

"Be honest with us and it won't take too long..." Officer Mackay spoke. He sat down while Buchanan was leaning down next to him, both reading a file on the table before them. "We'll start simple. Who are you?"

Louis sighed. "I am Louis Hatton, the Earl of Nottingham..." The Officers looked at each other as Louis raised his hands. "I know I do not look like an Earl right now, but I promise you, I am. It's a long story..."

"What is the Earl of Nottingham doing in Scotland?" Officer Buchanan questioned as Louis explained his unforeseen detour from St Andrews, why he was there in the first place and how he ended up in Edinburgh. He looked at both officers in turn as he finished talking, their faces told him they did not believe a word. "Can I ask what this is about?" He flipped the script, needing to know more about why he was being interrogated when he had places to be.

Officer Mackay raised his eyebrows. "We had some reports from people that a peasant is pretending to be the Earl of Nottingham, who is a missing person."

"I know..." Louis nodded. "But I do not have access to any of my identification papers as they were all in my bags on that train." He suddenly frowned. "Wait...a missing person? Are my family looking for me?"

"The Earl's family are looking for him, yes..." Mackay said. "You haven't convinced us you are him."

"It's interesting..." Buchanan was smiling but Louis knew it did not leave him feeling assured and calm. "The Earl of Nottingham goes missing in Scotland and some working-class urchin then goes around claiming to be him."