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

“No, you don’t understand,” Clara interrupted.

She got no further before Sissy hauled her to a stop.

“Oh, no,” Sissy moaned.

They both watched a coldly furious Erasmus march resolutely toward them. Clara tensed and looked wildly around for Niall until she realised what she was doing. It was foolish to look for the help of someone who wasn’t going to be a part of her life in the future. If Niall was from the Star Elite, he would move on eventually and then she would be left to face Erasmus Boyle by herself anyway. It was high time that Erasmus realised she was not going to be harassed by him any longer. She had to stand up for herself.

Rather than duck into a shop and hide until he had passed as she normally would have done, Clara planted her feet firmly on the path and tipped her chin up. When she would have lowered her gaze and cowered, Clara forced herself to square her shoulders and stare coldly at him.

Their eyes met. The lethal warning was written in his, but it copied her icy glare. Nobody spoke until Erasmus was forced to tear his gaze away. Once he had passed, Clara turned in the opposite direction and linked arms with a stunned Sissy.

“Did you see how angry he was?” Sissy gasped.

“I don’t care. He shouldn’t accost people. If he hadn’t scared Albert’s cat so much the kitty wouldn’t have attacked him. He gets everything he deserves,” Clara murmured.

When she felt Sissy looking at her, Clara turned to throw her friend a rueful glance. They both burst into a fit of the giggles not least because it was funny to see the otherwise pristinely presented Erasmus looking like he had spent the night in a hedgerow. It was a relief to be able to stand tall against her greatest foe and make it clear that she was not a victim. Despite her growing consternation about Niall, Clara felt rather proud of herself.

“As long as I keep my distance everything should be all right,” she muttered when they had turned the corner and lost all sign of Erasmus.

“You do keep your distance from him. He is the one who comes to find trouble with you,” Sissy chided. “Don’t blame yourself because he is too foolish to take ‘no’ for an answer.”

Clara blinked at her friend. Sissy rolled her eyes.

“It is Erasmus that always pesters you, dearest, not the other way around.”

“I know,” Clara replied. “If he doesn’t get the message, I am going to have to tell father, but you know how he has always been about allowing me to stay with Aunt Flo. He knows how infirm she is and will have a conniption if he ever realises that I am going out alone. He will try to force me to go to London with him when he returns. I can’t do that. Even with Erasmus here, I like my life in Serpentine. I don’t see why I should change it.”

“Well, you are going to have to when you are married. I am sure your Niall won’t want to live here. He is rather-

” Sissy tried to find a word that would adequately describe Clara’s fiancé.

“Grumpy.”

Sissy grinned. “I was going to say debonair. He is a handsome man, but you know that or you wouldn’t have chosen him.”

“I didn’t choose him. We met by accident. He saved me from Erasmus.”

“Yes, I know he did. He rode into your life on a white charger and rescued you from a lascivious letch.” Sissy’s gaze turned dreamy as she stared blankly down the street.

“Well, not quite. I don’t even know if he has a horse. While he did save me, he isn’t staying in Serpentine.” Clara tugged Sissy to a stop especially when she realised that Sissy hadn’t heard a single word she had said. Before she could speak, Sissy continued her musings.

“That friend is nice, though,” Sissy murmured.

“Sissy. I am appalled,” Clara chided.

“What?” Sissy blinked and turned to stare at her friend. “He is friends with your Niall, is he not?”

“Well, yes, but how do you know he doesn’t have bad-habits or something? He might be quite disreputable, you know.”

“He doesn’t look disreputable. He looks dashing, and incredibly strong,” Sissy gushed.

“Sissy, get a hold of yourself,” Clara gasped.

She rolled her eyes when Sissy threw her a rueful grin, but Clara didn’t take her friend to task anymore. She secretly wondered if this was what she had been like the night she had first met Niall. That somewhat awestruck expression on Sissy’s face looked awfully familiar.

They were about to cross the road when Erasmus Boyle trotted past on his curricle. Clara frowned because she knew Boyle House was in the opposite direction.

“Do you think he is trying to worry us?” Sissy whispered. She slid a look at her friend who was stubbornly refusing to even look at the man who glared menacingly at her as he passed. “You could always tell the magistrate. Your father is the Secretary of State, you know. I am sure that if the magistrate was warned by your father to do a better job, Erasmus would be forced to stop. I mean, how would it look if the cousin of the magistrate was allowed to commit crimes and harass the daughter of the Secretary of State, and the magistrate didn’t do anything about it?”