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

To her shock, it slowed down. Clara looked at the driver and opened her mouth to call good morning to someone familiar only to slam her mouth closed when she realised the driver was a stranger. Not only a stranger, but someone who had his entire face covered. Her first thought was that it was probably one of the Star Elite, there to try to worry her into going home. Instinctively, she stepped closer to the hedge only for the carriage to veer closer, effectively pinning her to the side of the road. Rather than stop, the carriage slowed right down. The door opened.

Before Clara could even squeak in protest, she was hauled bodily off her feet and dragged into the darkened interior of the carriage as it sped up again. She opened her mouth to speak only for something heavy to slam painfully into the back of her head and render her incapable of doing anything to save herself.

“What do you mean she hasn’t come back?” Audrey demanded. “She isn’t at Sissy’s house. I have just been there.”

“Oh, dear,” Flo whispered not for the first time that morning. “Where could she be?”

“I saw her heading toward Sissy’s house at about eleven this morning,” Rita offered from the doorway.

“I have been at Sissy’s house since last night and Clara hasn’t visited,” Audrey said.

A stunned silence settled over everyone.

“Where could she be?”

“We need to ask if people have seen her,” Babette suggested.

“Where is Sissy?”

“She is still abed. The doctor said that the pains should subside just as soon as she has stopped being sick. He thinks she will be able to get up tomorrow. She might have eaten something that didn’t agree with her. She will mend in all good time,” Audrey assured them all.

“What about Clara?” Edith snapped. “We know where Sissy is. We don’t know where Clara is. Oh, I am sorry, dear.”

Edith made soothing noises and began to ineffectually pat the back of Flo’s hand when Flo began to weep into her handkerchief.

“We have to find her.”

“Do you think she might be with Niall?”

“I don’t see why. They have been gone for hours,” Flo whispered. “I know something has happened to her. It isn’t like Clara to disappear like this.”

“Where can we find him?”

“I haven’t seen him for days,” Babette announced in answer to Audrey’s question.

“We have to go and look for him.”

“Well, Clara has said that they have been watching the house. If we go outside and shout for them, maybe one of them will step forward? We have to tell them,” Babette announced.

“Maybe they already know and that is why nobody has seen them?” Audrey suggested.

Flo nodded, and tried to push herself to her feet only to slump back down in the seat to weep some more.

“I will go,” Babette offered. With that, she marched out of the house, straight into the garden, and began to shout: “Hello! Star Elite? Can you hear me? We have a problem. Clara’s gone. Do you hear me?”

“Babette, do you want to tell the entire village?” Audrey chided.

“Yes, I most certainly do.” Babette squeaked when a tall, sinister looking man stepped silently out of the woods.

“What?” Was all he said.

Audrey and Babette shared a worried look before they looked at the man again.

“What are you doing in the garden? Are you with the Star Elite?” It was difficult to tell from the cut of the man’s clothing. He was dressed in greens and browns, and seemed to blend in with the woods he had been standing in. They certainly hadn’t seen him.

“What of it?”

“Clara has gone missing. She should have gone to Sissy’s house but didn’t turn up.”