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

It had been a week now since she had last set eyes on him. Despite her friends asking to meet him again, and questioning when he was going to see her, Clara hadn’t seen him. Nobody had. Niall had simply vanished. Aunt Flo had warned her that it was how the Star Elite worked, but Clara suspected it was because Niall was determined to avoid her at all costs.

All because I lied and told people we were engaged when we aren’t.

Clara was perturbed by how much Niall had occupied every second of every waking moment. What had happened in the garden had replayed over and over in her mind, but most of what she could remember had been overtaken by memories of Niall and how he had rescued her again. She suspected it was because she couldn’t get any of her questions answered, but until Niall appeared and told her what she wanted to know there was nothing she could do. She was well and truly left guessing why he had been in her garden, and whether he belonged to the Star Elite or not.

As she passed the doors to the tavern’s back yard, Clara happened to glance through them only for the one man in the village she truly didn’t want to see to step out of the darkness and block her path.

“Well, fancy meeting you here,” Erasmus drawled huskily.

His lecherous gaze slid over her from the top of her head to the tips of her boots where they lingered for a fraction of a second before slowly sliding back up. Clara refused to allow herself to move for fear of giving him any hint that he unnerved her, but deep inside she was trembling fiercely. Her stomach recoiled in protest. She couldn’t stop herself from glancing around wildly in protest. Her worried gaze lingered on the open maw of the yard doors before she forced herself to at least try to walk away. But when she tried to side-step Erasmus, he darted in front of her to block her path once more.

“Excuse me, please,” Clara murmured politely, keeping her gaze on the hedgerow in the distance.

She now doubted the wisdom of perching on the narrow bench seat in the middle of the village green. While it was overlooked by the tavern, there weren’t many people around to hear her if she had to scream.

“Now, what’s wrong with stopping to pass the time of day?” Erasmus drawled.

“I don’t think we have anything to talk about,” Clara bit out coldly. “Excuse me.”

Erasmus remained where he was to try to prove to her that he would move when he chose. When his puerile point was made, he stepped to one side and waved her on her way.

Clara cautiously stepped around him and resumed her journey, but sadly didn’t get far before Erasmus darted in front of her again.

“Will you go away and stop pestering me? I have said I am not interested. I don’t wish to talk to you. We have nothing to say to each other. I am not interested in your silly posturing. Stop bullying me, and go away,” Clara bit out.

“I merely wanted to wish you a good morning,” Erasmus murmured smoothly.

Clara huffed a sigh and willed herself to calm down. She really wanted to kick him in the shin because he was watching her like a hawk watches its prey. She suspected he knew he was upsetting her and was secretly revelling in it. The spite was there in his eyes when she looked up at him; spite and something else. With a shiver, Clara forced herself to look at something more amenable, and stared off into the distance again.

“Good morning,” she rapped briskly.

With that, she stepped around him again only for Erasmus to grab her elbow in a tight hold.

“Do you know something? Someone really has to do something about your prissy attitude,” Erasmus growled.

“You are no authority over me. Who says anybody has to do anything about any facet of my character? Who are you to judge what is wrong with me?” Clara snapped. “Unhand me at once, or I shall shout for someone to send for the magistrate. You are nothing but a bully, Erasmus. Stop trying, or I will notify father about your behaviour.”

“Oh, yes, the father who is always in London, and doesn’t give a damn about his dear little Clara. The father who is never seen here from one month to the next. Yes, I can see that he has left you well protected.” Erasmus glanced around the empty street, pointedly proving to Clara that they were all alone, and he could do what he liked without hindrance.

Clara’s stomach dipped in horror as his calculating gaze slid to the open door to the tavern yard.

“Unhand me at once,” she hissed angrily when he lunged toward her.

“I think you need to be reminded of how dangerous it is for a young woman to be alone around these parts. You never know who is lurking,” he mused. “Now that we are alone, don’t you think we should smooth this dislike you seem to have for me out of the way?”

“I don’t see why we should,” Clara began only for Erasmus to start to drag her toward the open doors. “Get off me!”

“Now, don’t be like that. A little kiss or two never hurt anybody, did it?” Erasmus murmured, his voice trailing off when Clara really began to struggle.

Clara tugged on her arm, but his hold was too firm. She tried to prise his fingers off but each time she managed to get one lifted his hold instinctively tightened and made her arm hurt even more.

“I said unhand me, you oaf!” Clara snapped. She eyed the yard

doors in horror when she realised how close they were. In another couple of seconds, she would be dragged through them and God only knew what would happen to her then.

“Erasmus Boyle unhand me this instant,” she cried in her loudest voice.

Erasmus, though, wasn’t listening as usual. Now that he had a goal in mind, nothing and nobody was going to thwart him.