Chapter 500 - Before It Is Too Late

Rutherford had been fast asleep with his wife laying on his chest when his ears picked up sounds of rushed footsteps in the corridor outside.

However, he did not think too much about it as he continued to rest in his comfortable bed.

It did not take long before the footsteps came to a halt before their door and loud banging noises filled his ears.

His eyes shot open with anger and frustration apparent in them as he glanced at his beloved wife.

Thankfully, she was still asleep and the noises had not yet disturbed her.

'Who could it…' His irked thoughts and his body froze when he heard the pitiful screams coming from the door.

The voice he heard was someone he knew all too well.

His Vonna was crying out in such distress that his heart was aching for her.

Just as he was about to carefully move Raylene from his embrace and put her back on the bed, his wife too jolted awake due to her child's cries.

The parents shared a look and there was worry and fear in their eyes as they wondered what might have gone wrong.

Thus, the two rushed to the door, and to their terror, just as Rutherford had pulled the door open, their daughter was about to collapse.

The father was quick in his actions as he scooped her up in his arms, protecting her from the fall.

Raylene's heart was pierced when she saw the tears which were streaming down Yvonne's cheeks and they only flowed faster after she had been carried in Rutherford's arms.

The Earl and Countess frowned when they heard the name that their daughter had uttered before she looked up in desperation.

Rutherford did not focus on the name but on his daughter whom he carried into the room.

Raylene sat next to them on the couch in their room as she tried to coax the sobbing child whose tears would not stop.

"Mama… Papa…" Yvonne looked at the two who were staring at her with worried eyes.

She knew she was disturbing them in this late hour of the night but there was nothing else that she could think of at this moment.

She needed to get this off her chest and she needed to do this right now.

"Vonny, are you hurt? Tell Mama what is wrong?" Raylene patted her back, trying her best to console her.

Rutherford nodded as well, as he was willing to do anything to make his child feel better at this moment.

Her bloodshot eyes and her tear-stained face were not something that he ever wished to see in this lifetime.

The parents were distressed to see her this way and were doing their best to stop her tears.

It took them many minutes to calm the weeping child and only when she had quietened down did they get a reason for her current pitiful state.

"Papa…" Yvonne hiccuped while staring at her father.

Raylene was busy wiping the child's tears and rubbing her back to warm her body which was freezing despite the room being warm enough.

"What is it, Vonna?" Rutherford repeated and hoped that she would reveal what was troubling her sooner so that he might help her out.

"Papa, take me to the Tanner family please!" Yvonne begged while clutching his shirt tight.

Her wide amethyst eyes reflected her sincerity, her seriousness, and most importantly, her desperation.

Raylene's hands stopped and Rutherford furrowed his brows after noticing how she was pleading to be taken to the Tanner family's estate.

It was in the middle of the night and even if he wished to fulfill her demands, he could not inconvenience some other family for his child's sake.

Therefore, he was ready to refuse her request and the child too had figured this out after taking a look at his stern expressions.

However, Yvonne was desperate to meet the Tanner family right at this instant.

"Please!" She insisted as fresh tears began flowing down the cheeks which Raylene had just wiped clean.

Their daughter had been obedient and well behaved for almost two years now, without being too wilful.

However, today, it appeared as though she was not going to take no for an answer.

"Vonna, we cannot disturb someone else at night." Rutherford sighed as he wiped her tears away.

He did not ask her why she wished to meet the Tanners this late in the night but he knew that whatever it was, she believed that it was extremely important.

'Or else, she would not have behaved this way.' He surmised but right now, he had to make sure that she did not continue to be adamant about going to the Tanners.

Noticing her frustrated and gloomy face, the father let out another sigh as he decided to compromise.

"How about I take you there when the sun rises?" He proposed and saw her eyes brighten as she nodded repeatedly.

Rubbing her puffy eyes, she was willing to wait until then.

'As long as I can reach them before it is too late.' She bit her lip and only sniffles were heard in the silent room.

There were still a few hours before the sun could rise so Raylene picked their child up and laid her on the bed with the parents on either side of her.

The adults had their eyes on the child who was on her back but she was not falling asleep.

"Rest for a while." Raylene patted her head in an attempt to get her back to sleep but the child only shook her head.

Staring at the ceiling, Yvonne's brain was filled with thoughts of what she had seen in her dream.

Her body shuddered as she bit her lip hard, terrified of the thoughts in her mind.

Rutherford had seen her shivering so he pulled the sheets over her, tucking her inside after which he pulled his wife and child into his embrace.

Neither of the three got any sleep for the rest of the night as they were all lost in their troubled thoughts.

The little girl, concerning the dream she had that night and the parents, after seeing her listless state.

When dawn broke, Yvonne sat up in bed because she had not slept a wink in this room.

She tapped her father's shoulders, indicating that it was time for him to fulfill his promise.

Rutherford did not want her to start weeping again so he rose from the bed and headed outside the room.

He knew that his Butler would be there already as the old man was an early riser.

"Prepare a carriage quickly." His words reached inside the room, making Yvonne smile for a second.

She then looked down at her nightgown and decided that she needed to change if she was going outside.

Raylene understood her thoughts and suggested that they head back to her room together.

The mother was still worried about her health so she chose to accompany her child.

Mrs. Jacinth and Roselie were heading in the direction of their Miss' room when they saw the Madam and the Miss also walking in the same direction.

Greeting them, the maids were told that the Miss had slept in her parents' room last night to not let them worry too much.

Raylene sat on Yvonne's bed while the maids hurried to get her prepared to leave soon.

Yvonne was dressed in a simple white gown with a black bow tied around her waist but she looked dull and sickly due to what she had undergone last night.

Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks and nose were red and even her throat was sore and itchy from all the crying.

However, none of that mattered to her as she walked out of the room with her mother and headed to the Parlor where her father was already dressed and waiting for her arrival.

"I've already sent word to the Tanner family so they should be expecting us." He revealed because coming by unannounced was not something a nobleman should do.

Yvonne nodded her head as if it wasn't for his level-headed and calm nature, she would have already taken Demon and barged into the Tanner household last night itself.

Refusing the demands made in her overly emotional state was the right thing to do and she was glad that she had not rushed over in that pitiful state into someone else's house.

'I would not have been able to explain why I had come over too.' She sighed at how she had behaved last night.