‘I don’t know,’ she sighed. ‘As long as I am away from my father, I don’t care where I stay. I cannot stay here, I know that.’
‘Has your friend given you any idea of when he wants you to move on?’
‘No, but this is a temporary arrangement.’
‘What do you intend to do when you leave?’ Phillip turned to face her. ‘Where did you intend to run to when you left the safe house? I know you came back here. What did you intend to do then? Where did you intend to go?’
‘I don’t know,’ she whispered. ‘I think I would have gone to a town or something. There is very little opportunity for employment in a village like Windwidger.’
‘Have you asked around?’ Phillip asked.
‘Not yet,’ she murmured with a smile. ‘It isn’t just employment I would struggle with it is finding a place to stay in Windwidger.’
‘I have to concede that you have a point,’ he replied.
‘It is wonderful here,’ she whispered as she eyed the room they were in.
Phillip looked around the bed chamber. The rich oak panelled walls were dull from dust, but he knew that once highly polished the room would look opulent. Bedecked with thick brocade curtains and lavish furniture it was luxurious yet tasteful. ‘It is a nice house,’ he conceded.
Carlotta tipped her head back to look up at him. ‘What do you intend to do once you have finished your investigation?’
‘I have to move on to another investigation, and after that another investigation. Our work doesn’t stop. We usually work on larger scale crimes; gangs of criminals rather than a random pick-pocketer or people like it. Unfortunately, larger gangs mean more danger. They are harder to stop. It takes time, effort, a lot of travelling, and skill, but we get there. I cannot see myself doing anything else,’ he mused.
‘Then you shouldn’t. You will know when the time is right to move on and do something else, I am sure of it. For now, there is no reason why you should stop, is there?’
Phillip tipped his head to look down at her. ‘Not really. I have often wondered if there is more to life. Several of my friends have recently married and are happy. It makes me wonder if they might have the right idea in finding something to occupy them away from the Star Elite.’
As soon as he spoke the words, Phillip had to wonder why he was being so brutally honest. He didn’t want to give her hope where there might be none but refused to lie to her. If they were to have a future, and he hadn’t yet made his mind up if they should have, he didn’t want their relationship to be founded on dishonesty. ‘I just don’t know what to do.’
‘Neither do I,’ she replied. ‘I know what I don’t want. I just don’t know what I do want. If I am honest, I have never stopped to consider what to do with my life. Work isn’t something that offends me. I am willing to roll my sleeves up to earn my keep, I just don’t know what kind of work I could do.’
‘For now, it is nice to just relax like this and enjoy some peace,’ he mused with a smile.
Carlotta settled her head against his arm and felt her eyelids droop. The peace that fell over them this time was gentle; a soft wave of comfort that soothed them both and allowed the tension of the last few days melt away.
Phillip felt tiredness sweep over him. He was, for the first time in a long time, truly relaxed. With that relaxation came an overwhelming need to get some proper rest. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.
Carlotta watched him for several long moments. While as
leep, Phillip’s face changed completely. The stern lines, the thoughtful frowns, disappeared leaving him looking incredibly vulnerable, almost boyish. So much so, Carlotta carefully eased out of his arms but only to sit upright so she could reach the blanket at the end of the bed. Shaking it out, she draped it over him and gently tucked him in before settling back down against him. His arm instinctively tightened around her, tugging her closer. This time, Carlotta had no qualms in nestling just that little bit closer. Within seconds, she too had fallen into a deep, restful sleep.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Phillip jerked awake and stared blindly at the ceiling for several moments. He had no idea what had woken him. He listened to the silence and tried to remember the dream he had just been having but it eluded him. For now, all he could was be thankful that it had. It left his thoughts free to focus on the woman beside him: Carlotta.
Over the last several days she had become an integral part of his life. He and his friends had spent the daylight hours searching the fishing harbours up and down the coast for sign of the Starling and its skipper, but to no avail. They had also tried to find Horace and his thug, but there was no sign of them either. All was peaceful and quiet, so the men from the Star Elite had taken the time to take stock of their situations, lives, and positions within the Star Elite to work out what they wanted to do as a team and as individuals.
It had been Oliver who had suggested they set up a regional branch of the Star Elite, only last night as a matter of fact. Carlotta had been in a chair beside the fireplace pretending to read. Phillip had taken his usual seat beside her. He and Carlotta had been discussing childhood exploits, and their favourite games when Oliver had stalked into the room and announced that he wanted to set up a branch of the Star Elite far away from London.
‘Where?’ Phillip demanded.
‘Sir Hugo has mentioned that he wanted to set up a team near here. I am going to ask to be the one to establish it. Emmeline won’t have any objection to moving, I am sure of it. The beaches will be wonderful for the children to play on when they are a little older. It is a better way of life here,’ he reasoned.
Phillip nodded. ‘This house is nice,’ he mused as he looked around the comfortable room.
‘I have already seen one I think Emmeline will love. It is about two miles out from Bladley Weeks, along the coast about an hour’s ride away from here,’ Oliver explained.
The men shared knowing looks. For a while, nobody spoke. When they did it was Jasper and Justin who suggested that maybe they too should join this local branch.