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

“Do you socialise a lot?” Angus asked. It wasn’t until he spoke that he realised just how personal his tone had been when he had asked that question.

“I am a member of a tapestry group who meet two or three times per week,” she replied carefully. She wished there was some way to avoid the meeting tonight, but there wasn’t.

“I don’t see any problem with that, as long as you don’t walk the streets alone even in the daytime. It isn’t safe right now,” Angus warned.

Charity nodded but then looked regretfully at him. “We meet here.”

She saw the men’s startled looks. “I am sorry, but I have the space whereas the other ladies don’t.”

“Could you not meet in the church hall or something?” Angus asked in consternation.

Charity shook her head. “The ladies are a little difficult.”

Aaron’s gaze hardened. “In what way – difficult?”

“They can be a little argumentative,” she said.

“How argumentative?” Angus was becoming frustrated at just how reticent Charity had become. Frustrated and very, very worried.

“About six months ago, the ladies had a slight alteration with the vicar. He likes to drink, I am afraid, and found himself on the receiving end, whilst intoxicated, of one of Augusta Applebottom’s lectures on leading by example. I am afraid by the time she had finished, aided by some of the other ladies, we were no longer allowed to use the hall, or the church.” Charity fell silent and waited.

“You got kicked out by the vicar?” Angus murmured, appalled and impressed at the same time.

Charity nodded, her entire demeanour contrite.

“They don’t miss a thing either, I am afraid,” she murmured regretfully. The men looked stunned. Eager to appease them, Charity leaned forward. “Would it not be better for you to use the house next door? You could use Mrs Vernon’s house. Nobody would think anything odd about someone looking out of the window at her house. You could say you are relatives. She is a bit of a gossip but doesn’t go out much. I am sure you could persuade her not to speak to anybody while you are there.”

“No!” Angus mentally cursed at the force behind his words. He took a moment to force himself to relax. “It has to be here. We have to stay here.”

Aaron gave him a searching look but didn’t argue.

“I am afraid that our use of the coach might have already raised a few alarm bells. I would ask that you tell anybody who asks that we are your relations and that we are here to stay for a while. I am afraid that our being here like this could leave you vulnerable if our target is across the street, and suspects you know something. We cannot leave you vulnerable,” Angus insisted.

“Are you sure you cannot cancel your tapestry group for the time being?” Aaron asked.

Charity shook her head. “If I tried it would invariably bring them to the door, you see? They would be even more stubborn and would refuse to leave until they found out what is wrong, and why I wanted to cancel. Besides, I am afraid I am not prepared to lie to my friends.”

Suddenly, the clock on the mantle chimed the hour. Charity jerked and stared in horror at the men.

The panic on her face when Charity looked at the window was enough to get Angus out of his seat.

“Oh, no,” she whispered in dismay.

“What is it?” Angus stepped toward her, his gaze sharp as he scoured the area for whatever had upset her.

“They are here,” she moaned.

Charity looked at them in consternation. She had never seen anybody move as fast as the men who were quite clearly braced for a fight. Unfortunately, it wasn’t fast enough to make themselves invisible to the women who were already gathering outside her front door.

“Good Lord,” Charity whispered as she watched Angus reach for something hidden beneath his jacket. She knew exactly what he had instinctively tried to grab – his gun. “You won’t need that.”

On cue, a series of rapid knocks echoed through the silent house.

CHAPTER THREE

To Charity, the series of heavy knocks on her front door sounded like the death knell of the church bells when they were rung to announce someone’s funeral. She closed her eyes on a silent prayer that she had just imagined them, but when they sounded again with rapid succession, Charity knew God was most definitely not going to smile on her today.

“The tapestry group?” Angus asked.