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

“Wait! Someone has to stay behind in case the men come back, and has to keep watch on the house,” Monika cried.

“I am going after Horvat,” Gertrude declared with a militant glint in her eye.

“I am going to look for Angus,” Charity whispered.

She knew Angus would be mad if he ever found out, but the thought of simply sitting and home and waiting to hear news of him left her ready to pull her own hair out.

“Edwina, you can stay with Augusta and I,” Agatha suggested. “Monika is the same build as Charity and is far more agile than us. Go. Go. Before that Horvat fellow gets too far away, and we lose him.”

“I know where he is going, I just don’t know how to get there without being seen,” Charity sighed.

“Show me,” Monika demanded.

Before Charity could allow logic and common sense to prevail, she stepped out into the night once more.

“He is over there look,” Charity murmured when the women were in the woods. Together, they watched Horvat disappear into the trees. “He knows where he is going and took this same route at the same time last night.”

“He is meeting with someone,” Monika suggested.

“It looks like it, or why stick to a timetable?” Charity replied.

It felt good to give her brain something to think about. The logical facts and credible argument eased her troubled thoughts. Unfortunately, it did little to curb her growing frustration about Angus. The last thing she wanted was to follow Horvat. She wanted to find Angus instead.

“Well, we cannot cross that field tonight without being seen from at least three sides of the field. We need to go and search over there during the daytime. He must be using a path or else he would fall flat on his face. Nobody uses those woods usually,” Monika said.

“What now?” Charity moaned.

“Horvat’s house is now empty,” Monika murmured thoughtfully.

Charity’s gaze whipped around to hers.

“We have to know if Angus is in there,” Monika added when she read Charity’s indecision.

“Horvat is clearly suspicious,” Gertrude murmured as she came to a stop behind them.

Charity whirled to face her.

“What?” Gertrude demanded belligerently. “I said I was going to come with you and I am.”

“None of us are going over to Horvat’s house,” Monika declared firmly.

“We are going to get into awful trouble as it is,” Gertrude said suddenly.

“How? For what? It isn’t illegal to take the night air,” Monika challenged.

“She has a point,” Charity sighed. She wished now she hadn’t agreed to come on this little adventure with Monika. She wanted to be back at the house, in case the men had news about Angus.

When Charity turned around, she stepped into a muddy puddle. It immediately soaked the bottom of her dress.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” she hissed as she stared down at her soiled clothing.

Maybe this is why Angus doesn’t seem able to make his mind up if he is attracted to me or not. One minute I am behav

ing like a lady in a domestic setting, and the next I am charging off into the night without a care in the world being reckless and foolhardy.

She would have turned around and gone home right there and then, if it wasn’t for Monika’s suggestion that Angus might be in Horvat’s house. While she didn’t mention it to the ladies, she contemplated the afternoon’s scenario whereby Mr Horvat had made his curiosity about Angus blatant. Had that been a warning of some kind? Had Horvat been sizing up his opponent before tackling him once darkness had fallen?

Charity shuddered at the thought that someone could be that cold bloodied. It was then that she made the decision to go and search Horvat’s house, no matter what the cost to herself.