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

Flo began to descend the stairs and waved her cane airily around her head. “Then he shall have this to contend with.”

Clara rolled her eyes at the militant look in her aunt’s eyes and hurriedly turned around to answer the door.

“Edith,” she gasped with huge relief when saw who was on the doorstep.

“I just came to see how you are, my dear,” Edith said by way of greeting. “That was a terrible to-do with Erasmus, wasn’t it?”

“Has he gone now?” Clara stuck her head out of the door and looked up and down the road. It was a little disconcerting to note that she was really looking for Niall, but no less disappointing that he wasn’t there.

Edith glared at her. “Yes. I told him he was being a pest and that if he didn’t leave you alone, I would send my Robert around to have a word. That cooked his pestering goose for him, I can tell you.”

Clara grinned and stepped back to allow her friend into the house. Robert, Edith’s son, was well over six and a half feet, and not the kind of man any sane person messed with.

“Come on in,” Clara urged, eager to get out of sight in case Erasmus returned.

By the time she had closed the door, Edith had greeted Flo and the two women were chatting amiably about their respective days. Clara suspected that Edith had called to hear more about Niall but was inwardly horrified that her aunt was going to find out about her fictitious engagement.

It is inevitable now.

Unfortunately, Clara knew there was nothing she could do about it, except tell the ladies the truth. Strangely, that was something she didn’t want to do, although had no idea why.

I must. It isn’t fair on Niall to allow the lies to continue any longer.

“I am off to sit with Isadora and read for a while, dear,” Edith announced suddenly. “Would you care to join us?” She looked from Flo to Clara and back again.

“Well, I can’t my dear. It is far too late for my eyes to read in candlelight. I can barely see my own feet as it is,” Flo explained.

Clara’s lips twitched because she knew that despite her aunt’s claimed instability Flo’s eyesight was sharper than her own.

“No, thank you.” Clara offered her a smile when Edith looked a little disappointed. “I have some paperwork to catch up on. I have left it far too late to respond to my father’s correspondence as it is. He is going to be cross with me if I delay it any longer. He is likely to come back to find out what has happened to me.”

“How is your father, dear?” Edith asked, patting her kindly on the arm.

“Busy. You know father. He is always busy,” Clara sighed but with far less pride than she ought to use.

“And still in London?” Edith’s wise eyes turned sympathetic.

Clara smiled but had little in the way of information to tell her friend, not least because she didn’t know what her father was up to. “He will come back when he can, but I am sure you will understand that his position is very demanding.”

“He must be delighted that you have met Niall,” Edith gushed suddenly.

Clara mentally winced when she felt Flo turn to stare at her.

“Niall?”

“Her fiancé,” Edith gasped. Misunderstanding Flo’s askance look, she threw an apologetic look at Clara. “I am sorry. I know this is a family secret, but I just can’t contain my excitement.”

“You have a fiancé?” Flo stared at Clara as if she had never set eyes on her before in her life. “Is there something you need to tell me, dear?”

“I can explain,” Clara began awkwardly as her panic rose.

Edith looked from one woman to the other and lost some of her jubilation as she read Flo’s confusion and felt the sudden tension in the air.

“You remember Niall, don’t you, Aunt?” Clara began although didn’t have the heart to let the woman believe she had met Niall and forgotten.

“Is he here?” Flo looked around the room.

“No, he has gone back to his lodgings,” Clara replied.