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

Clara turned her attention out of the window, a little stunned and shocked that they were venturing out to take tea and shop while potentially still in danger.

“We aren’t doing anything wrong,” she whispered.

“No, and there is no reason why we should be taken to task for taking tea. Now if you were going alone, people could scold you, but we are together. We just have to stay that way,” Flo declared.

Clara nodded, and lapsed into thoughtful silence. She had spent the last few days sitting at home contemplating what had happened, how she felt about Niall, and trying to find a way to put him out of her mind for good. But each time she had looked out of the window she had found herself worrying about him, wondering if he was still out there. Whenever that had happened, the memories of the last time she had seen him came flooding back and she was suddenly no further forward than she had been the day he had walked out of her life for good. She didn’t expect she would see him now. She hadn’t caught sight of anybody lurking on the fringes of her garden since the day he had disappeared. Now, she wasn’t at all sure if that was a good thing or not.

Later that day, when they had finished their shopping, both ladies took tea in a small tea shop in one of the quieter streets.

“You look tired, my dear,” Flo murmured sympathetically. “We don’t have to go home today if you wish. I am sure there is a tavern in town we could use.”

“No,” Clara snapped. She huffed a breath when she realised how sharp she had been and threw her aunt an apologetic look. “I just want to go home. I don’t want to stay.”

“You don’t feel safe anymore, do you?”

Clara slowly shook her head. “I think I would feel safer if I saw Niall, or Will, but they aren’t around. I haven’t even caught a brief glimpse of anybody unusual.”

“I have found myself looking as well, I don’t mind admitting. What’s happened has the ability to creep up on you and steal your security, doesn’t it?”

Clara nodded. “Shall we go when we have finished our tea?”

“I think we have to, don’t you?”

Together, the ladies drank their tea and chose from a selection of succulent sandwiches but ate sparingly not least because they were aware of the encroaching dusk, and the fact that if they lingered any longer it would be dark by the time that they reached home.

“It has been rather nice to get out, though,” Clara murmured.

Flo nodded, but frowned at something out of the window.

“What is it?” Clara’s stomach dipped. She dropped the teacup she held back onto its saucer and studied her aunt before she slowly turned her gaze out of the window.

“I thought I saw someone,” Flo murmured.

“Niall?”

Flo’s brows shot up. “Now why would you think of him?”

“Because he is the one who always seems to follow me,” Clara retorted.

“Well, I thought I saw Edith, but I cannot be sure,” Flo sighed. “Anyway, if you are ready, shall we see if we can get a carriage to take us home?”

Clara nodded and dutifully finished her tea but before they could gather their things and leave, Flo was distracted by an arrival in the tea shop, an old friend who and beckoned her over.

“I shall go and see if I can flag down a carriage to take us home,” Clara suggested, and swiftly left her aunt to greet her friend.

Once outside, she eyed the road and lifted her hand at a carriage down the street. Before she could do anything more than step closer to the pavement, another carriage rumbled to a stop before her. Clara screamed when hands grabbed her from behind and hauled her bodily toward the open door of the carriage, and the hands that reached for her from within. Clara planted her boots on the panelling at the side of the door and locked her knees to stop her attacker forcing her inside.

“Let go of her!” a man bellowed from further down the street.

Clara was only faintly aware of the sound of pounding feet. Her attention was locked on avoiding the hands that were trying to tug her into the depths of the large vehicle. She pushed against the man behind her, fighting desperately for her freedom. With every ounce of breath that she had left, Clara screamed.

The man inside the carriage cursed viciously before suddenly slamming the door. As if propelled by the Star Elite, the carriage then lurched into motion and began to pull away. The man behind Clara then promptly vanished, leaving her to stumble backward and fall onto her bottom on the pavement. She sat with her legs outstretched staring blankly at her feet for several moments before the grunts and curses of two brawling men beside her drew her attention back to what was happening. Her eyes widened when she saw Niall land a punch against his opponent’s jaw that was so vicious his head snapped back and he slumped lifelessly to the floor.

Clara looked up, straight into Niall’s angry glare. Silently, he hauled her onto her feet and glared at the gathered crowd around them.

“Get out of here,” he ordered coldly.

Will raced up to them and threw Clara a careful look before he t