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

“I did knock,” Angus lied around a wry smile.

Charity squinted at him suspiciously but didn’t argue, not least because she couldn’t be sure he hadn’t given she had been immersed in conversation.

“Well, my friends have gone now, but I am afraid there is some bad news,” she warned.

“I know. They are going to come here every night,” he growled. “It doesn’t matter. I can work around it. My work will be silent because I am just keeping watch. They won’t know I am here unless they have cause to venture into your bed chamber. Just keep everyone downstairs and they will never know you are not alone. Aaron and I will come and go through the back door, and make sure to avoid the lady next door.”

Charity sighed. “You have seen her then, have you?”

“Jasper did,” Angus replied with alacrity. “He said she didn’t seem to miss much.”

“She doesn’t. I don’t wish to speak ill of anybody, but she can be rather grumpy at times, so I would be wary about speaking to her. She is also a terrible gossip, so please, please, please make sure she doesn’t see you entering or leaving here. My reputation will be destroyed if she does.” Deep in th

e back of her mind, Charity was aware that she was conversing far more freely with the man before her than she had ever done with her friends. Why?

It must be because we have a secret to keep, she mused, briskly and quite firmly ignoring the niggling voice of doubt that prompted her to be honest with herself. She refused to acknowledge that it might be because she felt any kind of connection to this powerful, extremely good looking stranger.

“Well, I haven’t had a chance to move my things yet. If you give me a few moments, I will leave you to it,” Charity sighed.

She hurried up the stairs, painfully aware that he had yet to move out of the doorway. She wasn’t at all sure she should trust him enough to leave him alone downstairs but had no choice. The alternative was being alone with him upstairs, and that was an even worse idea.

Hurriedly, Charity crossed her bed chamber and slid the shutters partly closed then lit a candle. She quickly gathered the clothing she would need for the next day or so, then turned to leave. Another scream escaped her when she was immediately met with a solid wall of black. Charity was so startled, she promptly dropped her small pile of neatly folded clothing all over the floor.

“Do you always creep about like that?” she gasped in annoyance. Charity swooped down to pick up her things, horribly aware that her hands were visibly trembling.

Angus knelt beside her and quietly began to help. He didn’t even look at each slippery, delicate object he held, he just placed it onto the pile in her arms until the floor between them was clear. Charity slowly pushed to her feet but with Angus blocking the door there was nowhere she could go. She was left standing hesitantly before him, waiting patiently for him to speak.

“I don’t creep about with any intention to scare you. I have just learnt the skill, that’s all. It will stand me in good stead to remain undetected when your friends are here,” he warned. “Tell me, Charity, do they always stay this late? I mean, for a social function the evening has only just started but to entertain a tapestry group this late – is that normal?”

Charity shook her head. “They were curious about you and tried to sit me out. I think they didn’t intend to go until they could make sure you weren’t going to come back.”

“It is good that they keep a close eye on you,” he assured her, his voice low and intimate.

Angus tried to reassure himself that he was talking softly purely because he didn’t want to scare her anymore. After all, he was a total stranger, alone, and in her house well after dark. It was understandable that she should be a little afraid of him. He had to move slowly and carefully and not do anything that would cause her any alarm or distress.

Unfortunately, the atmosphere between them began to shift and thicken a still lingering tension that had remained over them since their discussion earlier in the day. He wished he knew what caused it because then he would have a chance to get rid of it. As it was, he was left to contemplate the strange feelings that began to grow stronger and seemingly take on a life of their own whenever he was with her.

“Is it?” she whispered when she couldn’t tolerate him staring at her as intently as he was. It made her distinctly uncomfortable, as though he was seeing something about her she wasn’t aware of. She wished she had a hand free, so she could check her curls were still in place. As it was, they were holding tightly to her clothing, waiting for him to get out of her way so she could leave.

“I am sorry for invading your home like this,” Angus murmured gently.

“It’s fine. I have already told you that,” Charity replied.

“I have work to do, Charity, if I might call you that?” he began.

Charity nodded.

“I need you and your ladies to stay completely out of the way.”

“They are curious,” she replied, wondering why she felt the need to defend her friends.

“They are nice, gentle ladies who need to be protected. I don’t want any of them being in any danger,” Angus’s voice hardened. “We cannot risk them discussing anything we are doing here while they are on their travels.”

Charity tipped her head to one side. “What are you saying? What danger could they be in? What do you know that we don’t?”

“A lot.”

Charity froze. Her stomach dipped in alarm.