Runaway (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 4)

“Then don’t stay. If I am carted off to gaol or something, get out as quickly as you can, but stay away from Rigley Row. That place is full of magistrate’s men. They will surely return you to Aunt Edith’s just as soon as you blink,” Molly whispered. “I am still not sure if we can trust the Star Elite, but we can’t trust Denzel either.” Her mind raced frantically to come up with somewhere they could meet up if they did get separated. “Do you remember the village we used to holiday in? Upperton-by-the-sea or something. It is in Yorkshire, so you are going to have to get the money for a coaching ticket. Go there and wait for me. I will get to you as soon as I can. If you struggle to survive when you get there, speak to Mrs Irgington. She might be able to help you.”

“Mrs Irgington?” Oscar frowned. “Do you think she is still there? She was old when she used to clean for Papa. She might be dead by now.”

“Can you think of anyone else to turn to?” Molly snapped. Her heart thundered. She glanced worriedly at the door. Sir Hugo and Marilyn were directly outside now. Molly held her little finger out to her brother. “Promise?”

Oscar studied it thoughtfully for a moment before he wound his little finger around hers and awkwardly shook her hand with their little finger’s entwined.

“Promise,” he murmured.

The door was suddenly thrust open without any announcing knock. Molly whirled to face a darkly frowning Jasper, who stepped into the room followed by a distinctly uncomfortable looking Sir Hugo. Behind him was a smirking Marilyn.

“Might we have a word?” Sir Hugo began around a discomforted cough.

“Well, I can’t really refuse seeing as you are in here now, can I?” she retorted sarcastically.

“She has it, I tell you,” Marilyn informed the men with a knowing nod.

“Have what?” Molly snapped.

“You stole my bracelet,” Marilyn accused, pointing one long accusatory finger directly at Molly’s nose.

“You have to let us deal with this,” Jasper growled.

“I demand you search this room at once,” Marilyn spat.

“What for?” Molly asked.

“We haven’t done anything wrong,” Oscar protested.

“Shut up. You are nothing but a thief and a liar,” Marilyn snorted.

“Don’t speak to him like that,” Molly countered. She stepped between them and levelled a dark scowl on Marilyn that didn’t even register on her or do anything to stem the tide of scorn she was clearly determined to pour upon both her and Oscar.

“I shall speak to him in any way I like and shan’t be told what to do by a little gutter-snipe like you.”

Molly’s temper flared. “How dare you?”

“Now, ladies,” Jasper growled. “Marilyn, go and wait downstairs like you were told to. I am not going to have you throwing insults at people. This is not your home.”

“It might not be my home, but it doesn’t mean that everything I own belongs to this thief,” Marilyn replied, her voice icy with disdain.

“I haven’t stolen anything,” Molly protested. “What am I supposed to have taken?”

She turned to glare at Sir Hugo who, while she had been arguing with Marilyn, had already started to poke through the contents of the room without asking her. Molly opened her mouth to object, but it wasn’t her house and she had nothing to hide. Still she didn’t like the way they seemed to consider her guilty.

“God, you believe her, don’t you?” she whispered, her eyes glued on Jasper.

He eventually lifted his gaze to hers but refused to offer her the apology that hovered on his lips. There was something about Marilyn he didn’t altogether like very much. Maybe it was the malice in her eyes, or the arrogant way she had defied everything he and his colleagues told her to do. Whatever it was, there was something about this situation that felt contrived. He just had no idea if Molly had taken the bracelet Marilyn claimed to have lost.

“Might I have a word with you somewhere private?” he asked of Molly.

“Unless you are in cahoots with her, there is no reason for you to speak with her alone, is there?” Marilyn interrupted. “What do you have to say to her that the rest of us aren’t allowed to hear?”

“That is the whole concept of a private conversation, madam, the contents of which have nothing to do with you,” Jasper snapped. When Marilyn opened her mouth to argue, Jasper leaned toward her. “I warn you now that I shall not have you going around hurling accusations at anybody in this house. Not until your honesty is absolute. Do you understand me?”

“I have nothing to hide,” Marilyn sniffed.

“No? Really? So why are you so determined to throw accusations at others? What is it about Molly you really don’t like very much? You seem so determined to label her and her brother thieves, yet I didn’t realise you knew them?” He lifted his brows at Molly. “Do you have a prior acquaintance with this woman?”