A Terrible Misunderstanding (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 6)

“That’s probably why Smidgley wanted to come this way. Anyone looking for him would be inclined to think he would stick to what he knows and be hiding in a city somewhere,” Will warned.

“Well, we have to be careful because we are going to be the strangers in this village and will stand out,” Niall growled, even though his colleagues had worked in villages just like this on many occasions in the past. They all knew the dangers and risks involved in trying to hide in a village like Serpentine.

“It’s going to be bloody difficult going anywhere in a place like this,” Will hissed in disgust.

Niall sighed. “I don’t want to be here.”

Will threw him a commiserating look. “None of us do, but we don’t have any choice. Let’s just get on with it. The quicker we get it over and done with the faster we can move on.”

“What does she look like again? From everyone’s descriptions, we are looking for a woman who is somewhere between five feet five inches and six feet, with narrow shoulders, a waist no larger than the palm of my hand, and who has a backside on her that would challenge any bovine. In addition to that, her features are a curious mix of witchlike, with long wavy black hair and mousy with brown hair. She has frizzy yet curly hair with dark or green eyes which tend to be a little wild,” Niall mused.

He grinned when Harry snorted, and Will shook his head in disgust.

“Anyone?” he prompted when neither of his colleagues corrected him.

“I haven’t got a clue what she looks like,” Harry admitted with a shrug. “The last time I saw her I was a little distracted, and she disappeared really quickly.”

Harry’s statement sent cold shivers down Niall’s spine. His mirth died instantly when Will nodded and added: “The last time Oliver saw her she vanished quickly as well.”

Niall squinted at them both. “Mother of God.”

“Well, we know that about her,” Harry mused sarcastically.

“It’s going to make it bloody difficult if she is good at disappearing.” Niall sighed and squinted at the village before them with even less enthusiasm.

“At least we aren’t going to be the ones who marry. We will prove that we can nursemaid one of the ladies placed in our care and are able to keep our hands to ourselves. We are not all lecherous.” Will lifted his brows at his colleagues who rode on either side of him.

Niall nodded. “I should damned well take her back to Leicestershire with me just to tell Oliver that I have married her. His reaction would be priceless.”

“Are you all right?” a young voice suddenly piped up from beside him.

Niall cursed because he had been so deep in conversation and his perusal of the houses up ahead that he hadn’t noticed the young boy leave the tress and fall into step beside his horse.

“How long have you been there?” he demanded without thinking, wondering just how much of their conversation the young boy had just heard.

“I just got here,” the boy replied honestly. “Why?”

Niall frowned when the young boy began to jog along beside his horse as if it was something he did with every stranger in the area.

“Are you all right?” the young boy asked again.

Niall looked down at him but didn’t slow his horse. “Yes, why?”

“You were talking to yourself. My mam said it’s the first sign of madness.”

“Well, I lost my marbles years ago,” Niall muttered. “I must have to be here now.”

“Are you staying in the tavern?” the boy asked.

“We are passing through,” Will offered.

“It’s going to be dark soon,” the boy announced as if they couldn’t already see the orange and blue swirls on the horizon forewarning of the looming night about to fall upon them.

“You need to go home then,” Niall urged.

“What are you here for?” the boy demanded.

“Private business,” Niall growled. “Go home.”