Betrayal of Innocence (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 1)

“I don’t want a wife,” he growled.

Vanessa blinked at the road ahead. She wasn’t sure how to answer that.

“I didn’t suggest you did,” she murmured eventually.

“Good,” he snapped.

“I don’t want to move to London,” she snapped, suddenly feeling annoyed herself.

“I never said you should,” he retorted.

“Good,” she replied crisply, in much the same way he had.

To his dismay, several miles passed without either of them saying anything else. At first, he was happy to let the silence settle. Then he waited for her to break it. Then he found himself trying to think of something to say to break the ice between them. In the end, he wriggled around until he was in a more comfortable position, then he sighed – heavily – again.

“Tell me something about yourself,” he urged in the end.

“Why? What do you want to know?” she asked with a frown.

“Why? Because I need something to keep my mind off the pain in my a – ankle -, and just tell me anything to get my mind off the misery of this journey,” he pleaded.

“God, you really are miserable to take anywhere, do you know that?” she chided. “You are worse than a toddler.”

“Do you have much experience with toddlers?” he asked sarcastically.

“Yes, I do as a matter of fact,” she replied placidly. “I help out at the orphanage every week. I am due there tomorrow as a matter of fact.”

Justin frowned at the back of her seat. “What do you do there?”

“I read to the children mainly, or help them do their lessons or cook their dinners, or sometimes just play games with them. They are glad to see anybody who will play with them. They are always willing to play.”

Justin quickly closed out the mental image of Vanessa holding a young boy who looked just like her. He stared blankly at the sky for a moment while he contemplated just what it meant when the image kept returning and wouldn’t be defeated.

“I am going to be needed to help out there now more than ever given Jemima has gone,” Vanessa added sadly.

“Jemima used to help out there too,” he murmured thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Vanessa replied as though he had just asked her.

“Did your sister?”

Vanessa nodded but then realised he wouldn’t be able to see her from behind.

“Yes. She came with me every Friday,” Vanessa replied.

Justin’s mind raced. “Did any of the other kidnap victims work at the orphanage?”

“Marilyn did, but not as often as Geraldine,” Vanessa replied. “Why?”

When Justin didn’t answer, she glanced over her shoulder at him. It was a shock to find him staring blankly at the sky, as though he was miles away.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he replied swiftly. “Just turn around. Keep your eyes on the road, but keep a look out at the surrounding area, just in case someone decides to jump out at you.”

He didn’t think anybody would today, especially given the suspicions that had started to form in the back of his mind. Suspicions he knew he was going to have to think about more closely when he was able to study the goblets on the make-shift map back at base.

“Are we nearly there yet?” he grumbled when he couldn’t stand the pain in his legs a moment longer.