Runaway (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 4)

“T-travel?” Molly asked weakly.

“To Oscar’s favourite place,” Mrs Taunton nodded with a piercing look. “Where is that, by the way? I can’t believe I have ever heard him mention it before.”

That’s because he wouldn’t tell you anything, Molly thought waspishly.

Molly knew where Oscar’s favourite place was, though, and it gave her a very good clue where she could find her brother. Unfortunately, she just had no idea if she had enough money to get there.

“Well, I must say, there will be no good coming from keeping secrets,” Mrs Taunton warned, clearly annoyed that Molly wasn’t forthcoming with the information she wanted.

“There will be no good come from trying to pry into other people’s secrets either,” Molly warned darkly.

Mrs Taunton looked outraged for a moment, clearly offended that Molly thought she was being nosy. Molly didn’t care. She was sick and tired of nosy women like Mrs Taunton, who were completely unwilling to just go about their own lives and mind their own business.

“Well, if the inquisition is over, I shall be on my way,” Molly announced when she couldn’t stand the lengthy silence that had settled between them any longer.

Molly nodded briskly at the old woman and hurried down the alley at the back of the house, her gaze locked firmly on the main street ahead. Her heart pounded because she knew, in those few moments she had been delayed by the nosy neighbour, there was every possibility that either Edith or Denzel would appear and demand her return.

With her feet on the path of the main street, Molly hastened a glance back, and cursed when she saw Mrs Taunton letting herself into the yard at the back of Edith’s house.

“Damn you,” she hissed, cursing her luck at being stopped by the town’s worst gossip.

Urgency clawed at her. Molly was aware that she had only a few minutes to make good her escape. If she failed, Denzel would catch up with her, force her back to the house, and she would then be kept on a very short leash and never allowed out without Denzel as an escort. That, as far as Molly could see, was the very worst scenario she could ever face. Now, she could only hope Oscar had run away, and wouldn’t innocently return to the house and have to live with Edith but without his sister for company.

“Denzel is worse than Edith,” Molly muttered in disgust.

With that, she ducked her head and lengthened her stride to the coaching inn.

Her heart was pounding with fear by the time she reached it. She hurried to the ticketing desk. Molly placed her bag at her feet and rested her folded hands on the counter while she waited impatiently for the ticket officer to join her.

“Where does the next coach go to and when does it leave?” she asked of Mr Bakerson, the ticket officer, when he finally noticed her and ambled over.

He lifted his brows and peered over his spectacles knowingly at her. “Now where would you be wanting to go, Miss Egerton?”

“Where does the next coach leave for and when does it depart?” Molly repeated.

Mr Bakerson sighed. “It is going to London, like the last one. We have two going to London this morning, and one going just beyond London this afternoon, finishing in Kent. The last morning coach to London this week is leaving in about ten minutes.”

Molly mentally cursed because she didn’t have ten minutes. She was going to be lucky if she had three.

“I would like a ticket for it, please,” she murmured quietly.

She handed Mr Bakerson the requisite money and accepted her ticket with a gracious nod, but Mr Bakerson wasn’t done yet.

“Making good your escape then, eh?” he whispered conspiratorially. He leaned somewhat theatrically across the counter and looked up and down the empty hallway as he tapped the side of his nose. “Don’t blame you, I must say.”

Molly met the man’s astute gaze. She nodded, her face grim.

“I must confess, I didn’t think it would take you this long,” he added.

“You didn’t?” She frowned when Mr Bakerson slowly shook his head.

“Have you seen Oscar?” Everything within froze while she waited for his answer.

“He has gone to your Uncle Barry’s house in Camden, I believe,” Mr Bakerson replied.

Molly’s heart leapt with hope. “You have seen him?”

Mr Bakerson nodded. “He didn’t have the money for the ticket, so I leant it to him.”