A Spinster's Awakening (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 2)

“Hello,” he said suddenly.

Charity stopped and reluctantly turned to face him again.

“Hello,” she replied warily.

She placed one hand on the gate and watched the carriage door closest to her open. Two men climbed effortlessly out of the darkened depths of the sombre-looking vehicle. There could be little doubt they were both wealthy men, but what they could want with her was beyond her, and it was her they apparently wanted to meet.

“Can I help you?” she asked when they had closed the carriage door and turned to face her.

Standing side-by-side as they were they presented a bold display of masculinity that was enough to make her take a wary step away from them. Charity knew they were trouble. Behind her, her hand fumbled with the latch on the gate. She heaved a sigh of relief when it swung silently open and she was able to take a couple more steps backward, onto the path to her front door.

“We would like a quiet word with you, miss,” one of the men announced.

Charity’s gaze flew to his. She gasped when a strange flicker of something alarming slammed into her. Whatever it was stole her breath and left her unable to register anything more than he had the most startling blue eyes she had ever seen. They seemed to be reaching into the depths of her soul such was the lure of his penetrating stare. Charity struggled to drag her gaze away, even though she was painfully aware of the awkward silence that had settled over them.

“M-me?” she stammered only to mentally wince when she felt her cheeks heat with a discomfiture that was uncharacteristic of her. Charity had no idea what to think other than she had never, in all her years, been in the presence of such overwhelmingly powerful men like these. Who were they? What did they want with her? Where were they from?

Charity wasn’t sure what to do. Should she talk to them? Dare she?

“May we come inside?” the tallest of the men asked.

Charity studied him. There was something about this man that was disturbing. She knew instinctively that he was dangerous; both men were really. But, while the blue eyes on the other man were mesmerising, his associate was considerably more worrying, not least because he was so darned attractive. Charity struggled not to stare at the bladed jaw, liberally adorned with a day’s worth of stubble, which accentuated his high cheekbones above which sat emerald green eyes that were staring at her just as intently as she was studying him.

“What for?” she forced herself to ask.

The man held out a small card. Charity forced herself to tear her gaze away from the handsome stranger long enough to accept it.

“The War Office?” she frowned when she read it. “What could you want with me?”

“We are here on official business, miss,” the tallest man with the green eyes declared with a formal bow. “My name is Angus Bentonville, miss, and this here is Mr Aaron Winters. The coachman up there is Mr Jasper Carrington. He will remain out here, but if Mr Winters and I could come inside, there is something we need to discuss with you.”

“Inside?” Charity whispered. “My house?”

Angus nodded, aware that this young woman was incredibly nervous of them.

“It’s a private matter, miss,” he added persuasively.

Angus suspected that if he stepped forward and shouted ‘boo’ she would either collapse into a heap on the floor or disappear into the house and would refuse to come back out again. He slid a look at Aaron who smiled encouragingly at her.

“We don’t mean you any harm, miss,” Angus assured her. “We just need a quiet word, preferably not out on the street.”

Charity read the card in her hand again.

“You had better come in,” she murmured. She was too curious to refuse.

Charity began to walk up the path to her front door. When she had the distinct feeling she was being watched, Charity glanced at her neighbour’s house and groaned when she saw her overly curious neighbour, Mrs Vernon, openly peering at them. To avoid the old woman coming out to question her, or her unexpected guests, Charity hurried into the house.

“Are all of your neighbours like that?” Angus asked as he came to stand behind her in the small porch.

“I am afraid so,” Charity sighed ruefully.

Angus lifted his brows. He wasn’t at all sure if it was a good thing or not that her neighbours were so nosy. While their quarry would be spotted behaving unusually, so would the Star Elite if they used Charity’s house as they had intended. Unfortunately, failure was not an option. They had to use Charity’s home, for a few weeks at least, because the property they needed to observe was directly across the road.

As he followed the young woman to the house, Angus slid a look at Jasper who was still seated on the carriage. Jasper rolled his eyes and tugged the collar of his cloak up, clearly expecting to be a while. Angus grinned at him because he knew Jasper would study their target’s home across the road while Angus and Aaron were speaking with Miss Charity Kemble but would be thoroughly cold and miserable.

“Hurry up,” Jasper mouthed.

Angus grinned and sauntered into the house. He had to remind himself that he was a professional man who had a job to do as he stepped into the hallway and found his gaze resting comfortably on the delightfully curved derriere of the homeowner. To his disbelief, Charity sashayed into the hallway of her frigidly cold house, apparently not even aware of the fog of breath that puffed out before her.