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

“Is Charity in any danger?”

“Is she investigating with you?”

“Are you going to stay here?”

“Are you getting married?”

Charity sighed when everyone levelled their gazes on her. These people were her friends, people she would remain with for many years after Angus had moved on. Was it fair or right for Angus and his colleagues to just turn up and expect her to lie to her nearest and dearest? No, she didn’t think so. It was because of that she refused to even look at Angus for approval before she told them what they wanted to know.

“Angus is going to stay here, along with some of his colleagues. They are taking turns keeping watch on the suspect. It is imperative you do not speak of this with anybody else, though. The person they are after is the blackguard who has been snatching young women just like me off the streets.”

“Are you in danger?” Alice cried. “Oh dear, oh dear.”

“No,” Charity assured her. “I am in no danger. In fact, I am probably the safest person in the village right now. The men are keeping watch in the house morning, noon and throughout the night and are armed. Nobody will be able to get anywhere near the house without risking being shot or arrested.”

“Thank heavens for that.” Monika nodded emphatically. “Shoot first, ask questions later.”

“Monika,” Charity scolded. “What has gotten into you? It is not like you to be so cut-throat.”

“Well, I am just saying,” Monika shrugged. “You have to be – safe.”

Again, she turned a suspicious squint on Angus.

“Who do you believe it is?” Edwina demanded.

Angus stepped forward to try to stop Charity from answering. She was far too forthright with information for her own good. He was already too late, though, because she had seemingly already decided to tell her friends everything, despite his dire warnings.

“Will you just remember what I said?” he snapped to try to pre-empt her disclosure.

“They have to know,” Charity protested.

“Why were you kissing her?” Monika asked bluntly. “We all know that is what you were doing.”

“Mr Bentonville here is from the War Office. He has it in his stupid head that Mr Lawrence across the road is involved in the kidnapping of those young ladies,” Charity declared, carefully ignoring Monika’s question.

Charity heard Angus’s grumbled epithet but chose to ignore it. Deep inside, she was thoroughly miserable at the hint of betrayal she felt emanating from Angus. Her loyalty was torn between her friends and him. Did he not understand that? It was only the distinct memory of his sentiments last night that still echoed hollowly within her that nudged her toward doing whatever she had to do to reassure her worried friends. If Angus was mad at her for it, then so be it.

“Do you not think you should leave the explaining to me?” Angus asked her.

“They have to know,” Charity protested, defiantly tipping her chin up.

“How ridiculous,” Augusta blustered. “Mr Lawrence struggles to remember to put his

pants on in a morning. He couldn’t possibly do such a thing. You men would be fools to even bother attempting to investigate the man if that is really why you are here.”

“It might be Billy Stingle, though,” Edwina suggested, staring thoughtfully out of the window. “Now I have never liked that boy. He is a bully through and through. Ever since he was a young lad he has picked on young girls. His mother has been at her wits end with him, I can tell you. Now he would do something like that, egged alone by that dratted Barry Shallimore. He is a true scoundrel.” She looked at Angus, her eyes alight with militant determination. “I am sure the magistrate will be able to tell you all about him.”

“You see?” Charity murmured when she saw Angus remove a small pocket book and pencil from his breeches and begin to write. “You need us. The ladies here will be able to tell you about the people in the village who are most likely to engage in such heinous activity. People like Mr Lawrence aren’t.”

“Does Mr Lawrence have any relations in the area?” Angus murmured, scribbling furiously.

“Yes, a cousin of his lives in the next town. He is a little shady, but I haven’t heard any bad rumours going about him. He is just shifty, you know?” Monika replied matter-of-factly.

“What’s his name?” Angus murmured as he carefully noted the names that flowed out of the women. They provided a veritable treasure trove of valuable information for a group as starved of fact as the Star Elite were right now, and for that he could only applaud Charity for the wisdom of involving her friends.

Reluctantly, and without telling Charity, he conceded that she had been right to tell the ladies of the tapestry circle what he was doing.

“Phillip Lawrence,” Monika replied promptly. “The old man is called Brian. People don’t stop and talk to him, Phillip. He is just odd, you know? Like we have said, he is shifty and rarely gives direct answers. As a result, he comes here to visit his cousin, yet nobody knows anything about him.”