Fallen Hero (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 3)

Aaron winced. “I am sorry I wasn’t here for his funeral. I only found out about his demise three days ago. When I did learn of it I came here straight away, but sadly far too late to attend his funeral. I am so sorry, Elspeth. Please believe me when I tell you that I would have been here if I had received the news in time. I just didn’t know.”

Elspeth stared at him. Suddenly, with a heavy sigh, all her discontent with him vanished, not least because she knew she needed his assistance to help her through this difficult time.

“Look, let’s get changed so we are both dry. The men will be back soon. We can all get comfortable, and then you can tell me who the man is,” Aaron murmured. He stood and returned his chair to the table only to turn around and find her staring blankly at him.

“Man?” she asked quietly.

Aaron sighed because he realised then that he had yet to tell her about the intruder.

“In a while, I will tell you all about him,” he replied hesitantly.

“There is someone else here?” Elspeth looked at the darkened corners of the room as though half-expecting someone to jump out at her.

Her thoughts immediately flew to the figure dressed in black she had seen standing in the corner of the garden about half an hour ago. She knew immediately that the man had gotten into the house somehow.

“Has someone broken in?” Elspeth asked, her eyes wide and fearful.

“Not exactly, no. He was trying, though. However, he is no threat to you, not now anyway. For now, let’s get you dry before you catch influenza. It really will do you no good at all to fall ill,” Aaron frowned. Or himself for that matter. He was used to a life outside, whatever the weather, but even he was bloody freezing, the house was that cold.

Disturbingly, Elspeth seemed oblivious to the dark tinge to her lips, and the icy chill of her frigid flesh.

“Come on,” he urged.

Elspeth stood and slowly made her way through the house to the bottom of the stairs. She paused and looked up at the still and silent upper floor.

“What is it?” Aaron whispered from directly behind her.

“The men?” Elspeth queried. “Who are they?”

Just how many people were in her house? She couldn’t be certain. The place certainly felt empty enough for her to suspect there was just the two of them – alone – together.

“They are men I work with. They are friendly, I can assure you. I will introduce you to them when they get back. For now, let?

??s get changed,” Aaron urged. He followed the trail of water she left behind as she traversed the stairs to the upper hallway.

“Thomas’s room is down the hall,” she said quietly.

“Can we use the rest of the rooms? There are six of us, but we can double-up,” Aaron asked.

“Of course,” Elspeth replied. “I will make the beds up once I have changed.”

“We can sort all of that out. The men are used to fending for themselves. We don’t expect you to look after us. In fact, the men aren’t used to luxuries like houses such as this.” Aaron’s straight white teeth flashed in the darkness as he offered her a cheeky smile.

Elspeth gasped at the changes his smile wrought upon his already handsome face. Aaron’s eyes sparkled, albeit briefly, in a teasing way that was infinitely intriguing. She was compelled to stop and stare at him while she quietly willed her wayward heart to resume its normal pace.

“I will meet you back downstairs in a while,” Aaron murmured.

When she continued to stare at him as though expecting him to say something, Aaron slowly made his way to the door at the end of the corridor. Inside the room, he waited until Elspeth closed her bed chamber door then quietly made his way back downstairs to fetch his belongings. Hurriedly, he raced back upstairs to get changed, all the while hoping Elspeth didn’t venture into her sitting room before he could forestall her in the kitchen.

Elspeth reluctantly let herself into her bed chamber. There were so many things she wanted to ask Aaron that she didn’t know where to start. It was tempting to ignore her shivers, and go after him, not least because she didn’t want to be alone. However, she had to get changed because she was leaving puddles everywhere each time she stood still.

It took her considerably longer than usual to remove her dress because her fingers shook so badly she struggled to work the laces with her usual dexterity. Eventually, Elspeth managed to change into dry clothing, but didn’t feel any better, especially given how sodden her hair still was. She eyed the fireplace longingly, and wished she could light it, if only so she could dry the wet strands which clung damply to her face like sodden rat tails. With a sniff, Elspeth found her thickest shawl instead, and tugged it around her shoulders before she swept out of the room.

Hugging it against her, she quietly made her way downstairs. It was difficult to know what to do once she was there, though. There was no food to eat, no fire to sit beside and no light with which to see much of anything. If she had been on her own she would have slid into bed and spent the long and empty night staring blindly at the ceiling.

But I am not alone now. Aaron is here, she mused with no small measure of relief.

It was difficult to understand the changes she now faced given only a few hours ago she had considered herself all alone in the world. Now, Elspeth not only had Aaron, but a mysterious ‘gentleman friend’ apparently, and Aaron’s friends in her life.