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

“Wedding? There is to be a wedding?” Flo demanded.

“Let’s go into the parlour, shall we?” Clara suggested.

An uncomfortable silence settled over them as they all moved into the parlour. While Flo settled into her favourite chair, Clara busied herself stoking the fire back into life. She poked at the embers and threw on another half bucket full of coal while frantically trying to think of something she could say that would extricate her from this difficult situation without bringing about her total humiliation. All she could think of doing was behaving like the perfect hostess, even though Edith was practically a member of the family and didn’t require the normal formalities.

“It was wonderful to meet him, although you certainly kept him a secret, didn’t you?” There was something accusatory in the look Edith gave Clara.

“I am still not convinced it is the right thing to do,” Clara began honestly.

“Oh, it is just nerves, that’s all. I am sure that you will be a little more confident once the reality of it sinks in,” Edith assured her.

“When shall we meet him?” Flo demanded, piercing Clara with a suspicious look that left Clara in no doubt she would face questions later, and would go nowhere until she answered them. Clara knew that look on her aunt’s face. It was the look that warned Clara she was in deep trouble.

I brought it on myself. I shall just have to be honest with her.

Out of everyone who would understand, Clara suspected Flo would. She might be annoyed at the falsehood, but she would try to help Clara get out of the awkward situation she was in. Clara hoped so in any case because, right now, she needed all the help she could get.

“Does your father intend to come back to meet him?” Edith asked. “He must be delighted.”

“He is,” Clara replied instantly.

Edith nodded, but frowned a little as if she sensed something was wrong. “Well, let’s hope that he will return soon.”

“Niall?”

“Atticus. If he stays away any longer, he will have forgotten where to find you and it would be shame if he missed your fiancé while he was here.”

“But Niall lives in London and works for the War Office. They meet quite often, Edith,” Clara said.

She then clamped her lips closed because she knew just how much information she had just divulged and probably shouldn’t. While Edith knew of her father’s position, she didn’t know about the Star Elite, and the work they did for the War Office.

I can only hope Edith doesn’t go around the village telling everyone because if Niall is one of them, I have just made his job a lot harder. Although, what job he might be here to do I have yet to find out.

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“Is that how you met, dear?” Edith demanded.

“You must tell her,” Flo urged. “I do love to hear this story.”

The pointed way Flo glared at her as she spoke warned Clara that her aunt knew she was lying and was warning her to tell the truth.

“We met by accident,” Clara began. Her mind ran over what had happened just a few short hours earlier.

Face it, not much else exciting happens in my life. A handsome stranger rescued me and challenged me more than anybody ever has.

Niall had challenged her and awakened something inside her that Clara hadn’t known she possessed. It yearned for freedom, adventure, something more. Unfortunately, the freedom she had enjoyed thus far in her life had left her somewhat bored. She wanted something – more; a new kind of challenge. A new kind of adventure. A new kind of life. While she was incredibly grateful for the life she had; it was luxurious and gave her everything she could want, it was a little staid, predictable, and mundane. The latest fashion, money in her purse, plenty of friends, and a wonderfully large home to live in all seemed rather tepid given the wild thrill of exhilaration being with Niall had brought her. While he was around, she felt rash, daring, and seemed to almost come alive. She knew instinctively that life with Niall would never be boring and wanted to experience more of it.

“Clara?”

Clara jerked and offered Edith an apologetic smile when she realised that she had temporarily forgotten the woman was still waiting for an answer to a question.

If only I can remember what she just asked me.

“I will go and put some water on to boil,” she gasped before she launched out of her chair and hurried across the room.

“I say, Clara dear, is everything all right?” Flo called after her.

Clara froze when she reached the doorway and turned to frown at her aunt. “Yes. Why would you ask?”