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

urned his attention to the unconscious man.

“I’ll deal with him,” he assured Niall, who then turned his attention to Clara.

Clara turned around when she saw that Niall was looking at something over her shoulder, and watched another man disappear into the tea shop.

“Who is he?”

“One of us,” was all Niall replied. “He is going to get your aunt. Let’s go.”

“Where are we going? Wait. I am not going with you,” Clara protested. She tried to tug her arm out of his fierce grip but couldn’t get him to let her go.

Niall suddenly slammed to a stop. He pushed his face right against hers. “You are going to come with me, or I am going to throw you over my sodding shoulder and create even more of a scene. Now shut up and get walking.”

Clara blinked at him but couldn’t see anything of the passionate man who had kissed her in the woods. He had seemingly vanished that day and been replaced by a cold stranger who was lethal. She eyed the man on the floor warily and looked at Will. The urge to ask him if the thug was still alive was strong but she knew from the warning in his eye that he wouldn’t answer her. Carefully, Clara studied the man at her feet a little closer, but knew he wasn’t the thug who had accosted her in the street. It was then that she began to realise that the Star Elite were after both of the thugs who had attacked her, and the men in the carriage. But who were they? What did they want with her?

“Now what?” she whispered more to herself than to Niall, but he heard her.

“Now, we are going to get you home where you should have stayed,” he growled.

Without hesitation, he hauled her across the road and dragged her into a coaching yard whereupon he sent a stable lad to fetch his horse.

“I am not getting on that thing,” Clara protested when a large bay horse was led out of a long row of stables.

“Up you get,” Niall snapped and boldly manhandled her until she was sitting atop the animal.

Clara clung desperately to its mane when she looked down at the ground several feet below. The animal coughed and jerked causing her to cry out in alarm.

“You are going to fall off if you don’t relax,” Niall warned, jumping up behind her.

“What are you doing?” Clara cried.

Niall suddenly grinned an impish grin that was full of mischief. “I am going to get you home, my dear.”

With that, he encircled her with his arms and cantered out of the stable yard.

They joined the main flow of traffic with a speed that was alarming and made Clara cling to him in sheer terror. She was certain the horse was going to crash into something, and they would both end up on the floor. Eventually, though, the houses and buildings disappeared, and they raced across open countryside.

They were several miles away from town before Niall slowed the horse to a walk. For a few moments, silence settled between them. Clara was almost afraid to break it because she knew Niall was going to scold her for being daring enough to go out for tea and shopping. She almost wanted to defend herself before he could, but then warned herself she didn’t have to explain anything to him. She had done nothing wrong. How could one be criticised for going about one’s life?

“Who are they?” she whispered. “I think I have a right to know.”

“We think they are the people behind the kidnap of several innocent women, just like you, who used to live in Leicestershire and Derbyshire.”

“What do they want with me?” she asked, almost dreading his answer. At least Niall was prepared to tell her what she wanted to know now.

“Why do you think?”

“My father is the Secretary of State,” she murmured.

“Exactly.”

“It is a stupid thing to do, isn’t it?”

“Yes, you should have stayed at home like you were told to.”

“I am living my life as any young lady should,” Clara snapped. “I didn’t mean that. I mean those stupid men trying to snatch me. Don’t they realise that the Secretary of State has the power to unleash the law on their foolish heads? That he would leave no stone unturned to make sure those responsible faced the harshest of punishments?”

“Not if the people who issued the harshest of punishment were behind the kidnaps,” Niall snorted.