by Rebecca King
“Are you alright?” Hugo asked gently. The sight of Florrie’s pale face made him frown. He felt sorry for the latest revelation about Tabatha’s duplicity and, even though there was no love lost between the women, felt sorry for Florrie’s for having to hear of her aunt’s ultimate betrayal. Nobody deserved to learn that their family had actually tried to gamble them away.
“I just can’t understand how anyone could be that vile,” Florrie sighed, wondering what her uncle Archiebald would have made of it all. Even if he could have been bothered to consider what was going on, he had always been a rather weak-minded man. Tabatha had ruled the roost and would undoubtedly have over-ruled any decision he made, as long as she could keep gambling.
“It is like a poison that continues to spread out of control until it consumes everything and everyone,” Pie remarked, sitting back in his seat.
Although this morning had revealed a lot, it hadn’t answered all of the questions.
“So why haven’t you bothered to collect the bag of coins you kept insisting had to be repaid?” His tone was almost conversational but held an underlying steeliness that wasn’t lost on anyone around the table. An expectant silence hovered over them.
“Because I want Tabatha’s debts to be as high as they possibly can be so she has no hope of repaying her debts if she went to debtors’ prison. She won’t get out because she cannot afford to get out. I think that she has to go to debtors’ prison. There won’t be any absolution but this woman doesn’t deserve any.” He received no objection from anyone present.
“You aren’t doing this for altruistic reasons then?” Hugo drawled, not convinced for a second that the man was being entirely honest with them.
“No, I hate the woman and want her to pay for her selfish greed.” Dexter’s eyes turned cold and hard and Pie knew that this was the truth. “Nobody deserves to get caught up in her schemes and I don’t see why she should be able to live in that big, posh house, fleecing her niece, without having to pay for her duplicity.”
“You wanted to isolate her from her nearest and dearest and back her into a corner.”
Dexter made no attempt to deny the allegation.
Florrie shook her head and shivered. Dexter was an ex-lover scorned, and was clearly prepared to do whatever it took to get revenge.
She was very grateful that Pie was sitting beside her. This was a part of life she had never thought about before, and was horrified at just how close it had come to ending any possibility of her own new, considerably brighter future.
She couldn’t bring herself to thank the man for being honest with them, not after he had paid someone to shoot at her. However she was strangely glad that she had forced her attendance at the meeting because knowing Hugo and Pie as she did, she knew that they wouldn’t have told her about certain aspects of the revelations. They would have tried to protect her from the worst of it and considered it in her best interests for her not to know. Now that she had all of the facts, she could face her future in Norfolk with alacrity.
Dexter finished his ale and pushed away from the table. “I will be in contact with those lists you want. Meantime,” his gaze turned to Florrie. “If you have any ounce of common sense in your head, get as far away from that woman as you can and cut yourself off from her completely.” He nodded once, turned away from the table. He paused and turned back. “Keep the pouch of coins for yourself, you have earned it for simply sharing the house with that woman and, if you have any sense, you will take a word of advice?” He didn’t wait for Florrie to nod. “Start afresh and don’t think about her ever again.” With that he turned and left.
“That doesn’t help us identify the carriage driver,” Hugo sighed once the door had closed behind Dexter.
He was pleased that one of the problems appeared to have been resolved. However, there was still the issue of the unidentified driver who had nearly killed Florrie with his reckless driving. Was that accident merely that, an accident? There were several matters pertaining to that morning he needed to discuss with the others back at Crompton but, they were issues that he couldn’t discuss in front of Florrie.
He pushed away from the table and stared down at his untouched brew in disgust. “We will meet back at the house after lunch,” he growled to Pie. He nodded at Florrie and left.
Silence settled between Pie and Florrie for a moment.
“Where are you going to move to?” Pie asked, wondering whether she had planned to tell him of her future plans.
“I am going to my uncle’s house to start afresh,” Florrie replied with a sigh. “Silas is about as opposite to his brother, Archibald, and Tabatha, as it is possible to get. It is the safest and furthest place from Oxfordshire that I know.”
A part of her waited for him to suggest that there was somewhere else for her to go, preferably with him, but he remained silent. She wasn’t surprised. Although they had shared far more than friends really should, she didn’t have any expectations. A small part of her was glad that he didn’t make any false declarations of affection, or begin to hassle her into accepting his proposal. A commitment between two people had to be founded on more than a single night of unbridled passion, especially as far as Florrie was concerned.
“You are not going to remain at Crompton?”
Florrie shook her head. While she was very glad for Jamie and Cecily’s happiness, she couldn’t bear to live on the fringes of their lives, watching them build a home and family together while she lived the life of a spinster. She had to go to Silas.
Just being able to think about her small cottage was like being able to see a glimmer of light at the end of a very long tunnel, and she couldn’t wait to get there. Being next to Pie was reassuringly comforting at times, but strangely disconcerting at others. His presence made it impossible for her to gather her thoughts into any semblance of order and she desperately needed to think. She needed space to be able to start to absorb what she had just been told about her aunt’s duplicity while considering her reckless behaviour last night.
The tavern suddenly seemed too crowded and noisy. The heavy smoke was cloying and she desperately needed clean, fresh air. Pushing to her feet, she made her way out of the tavern without bothering to stop to see if Pie was going to follow. She needed a good brisk walk.
Pie sauntered after her wondering what he had said to raise her ire this time. She was stalking down the road with brisk, purposeful strides as though she had realised she had a prior engagement and was determined not to be late. He had merely asked her what she intended to do now. Had she been expecting him to offer for her? They hadn’t been together long enough for him to declare any feelings for her. Even though he strongly suspected what those feelings were, he wasn’t prepared to acknowledge them fully just yet. They had been firmly pushed the far recesses of his mind to pull out and examine another time, when she didn’t bother the hell out of him. They had been so ensnared in the events that had unfolded around them that it had been impossible to get to know who she really was.
They were crossing the village green when Pie glanced up and down the lane. He caught a flurry of movement in a gap between two houses across the road and immediately recognised the man who rapidly disappeared from view. He cast a quick glance around but couldn’t see any of the Star Elite.
Urgency lengthened his stride and he caught up with Florrie. Grabbing her hand he almost marched her across the green toward the shelter a long row of houses. His mind raced.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” Florrie gasped. She glanced up at his stony face and started to struggle. “What are you doing? Let go of me,” she demanded trying to twist her elbow out of his fierce grip. She was going to be black and blue come morning if he didn’t loosen his hold.
His loud whistle was her only reply and she turned to see him waving frantically at Hugo who was trotting down the lane toward Melvedere. Hugo immediately turned around and began to trot toward them.
They waited in tense silence for Hugo to join them. She had no ide
a what had just happened to bring about such a change in Pie but he was suddenly a cold, battle-hardened warrior that was the exact opposite to the man she had spent last night with.
“Back in the lane; fourth house to the right in the gap. Beaulieu.”
Florrie frowned at Hugo’s curse. She watched as the men stared at each other before Hugo dismounted and handed the reins to Pie. “Get her back to Melvedere and summon the others.”
Pie didn’t waste any time. Grabbing hold of Florrie, he hefted her into the saddle and swung up behind her.
“What’s happening? What is Beaulieu?” She turned to stare at Pie, but was met with stony silence. As they walked toward Melvedere, Florrie glanced back at the village over Pie’s broad shoulder. What was going on? Whatever it was, the changes it had brought to Pie reminded her of the day when she had been run over. His face was so rigid that it could have been carved in stone. There was no softness in the harsh lines, no trace of the affability she had grown familiar with. Everything she had come to know and love had been replaced with a ruthless stranger who was dark and remote and, at that moment, worryingly silent.
A small muscle ticking in his jaw was the only indication that he was actually feeling or thinking about anything.
“Pie? What’s going on?” Florrie demanded her voice sharp. Once again he was leaving her out of things and she hated it.
“Star Elite business,” Pie snapped with a quick glance behind them. He hated to leave Hugo behind to deal with Beaulieu by himself. Beulieu was one of the most ruthless spies that had ever evaded them. To have him so close to being captured yet being unable to be the one to join in with his capture annoyed the hell out of Pie. There was one particular scar on the side of his ribs that he had yet to pay Beaulieu back for. Still, he couldn’t leave Florrie to ride home by herself.
“Do you want to go back to Hugo?”
“I can’t because I have to get you back to Melvedere,” Pie snapped and mentally bit back a curse. It wasn’t Florrie’s fault that Beaulieu had chosen this moment to raise his head above the parapet. He shouldn’t really take his disgust of the situation out on her.
“I am perfectly capable of getting there by myself,” Florrie sighed, feeling put out by his rudeness. Although she had walked out on him at the tavern, she didn’t deserve his bad temper. Whatever was going on back in the village wasn’t her fault this time, she was sure of it. She had never heard of anyone or anything called Beaulieu. Unless it was another of Tabatha’s creditors who had crawled out of the woodwork, Florrie didn’t see why she should get herself involved, especially if Pie was right and Beaulieu was Star Elite business.
Pie rolled his eyes. Given her penchant for getting shot at and run over, he wasn’t prepared to take the risk, not with Florrie. Instead he sighed heavily and nudged the horse to go faster. The rest of the ride was made in silence.
Florrie was greatly relieved when her feet hit the ground, if only so that Pie could go on his way. She couldn’t stand the tension between them any longer and was fighting tears by the time she reached the front door.
“If anyone else is inside, tell them Beaulieu is in the village,” Pie snapped. He didn’t wait to hear her reply. He nudged his horse into a canter and retraced his steps back to the village.
Dread quickened her step and she made her way into the hallway in a flurry of movement that brought her skidding to a halt in front of Simon and Jonathan, who were chatting at the bottom of the stairs. They turned to her as she entered. All trace of a happy welcome vanished when they caught sight of her.
“Pie is heading back to the village to go back to help Hugo. He said to tell you Beaulieu is in the village?”
She watched as the men looked at each other and burst into a flurry of motion that was so swift that within minutes, she found herself alone in the hallway watching the door close behind Archie.
Harriett appeared in the sitting room doorway to see what all the commotion was about.
“Beaulieu,” Florrie announced carefully, wondering what it was.
Harriett merely shrugged and looked unconcerned. “Sometimes, Florrie, it is best not to ask too many questions. I think we are better off not knowing. Now come and have tea with us. Portia has brought her dress for us to look at.”
Florrie reluctantly followed Harriett into the sitting room. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss wedding details, especially given the curiosity that was eating away at her. Just what in the devil was Beaulieu? It was only when the door closed behind her that she realised she had yet to take that walk she had wanted.
Shaking her head in consternation, she reluctantly stayed with the ladies for as long as was polite before making her excuses and retreating to her bedroom. She liked them all.
Harriett, in particular, was of a practical nature that appealed to Florrie greatly. But there was still a gulf of difference between them that Florrie struggled to find a way around. Harriett was happily married to a man who adored her. She was pregnant with another child having already had the twins. She had a home and family back in Cornwall and was secure and confident in her place in the world. In contrast, Florrie was still in the process of taking her first steps into the world as a fully fledged spinster, having been ruined by a man whom she barely knew.
Although she would come back and visit Jamie and Cecily at some point in the future, it wouldn’t be for a long time yet and, when she did return to Crompton, Pie certainly wouldn’t be there. It was something she wasn’t sure whether she regretted or not.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was late by the time Florrie heard the soft snicker of a horse outside her bedroom window. She quietly crept out of bed and eased a shutter open enough to peek through a tiny sliver of a gap. Two riderless horses were standing on the grass beneath the window. She was certain that one of the horses was the one Pie had used earlier that day. Suddenly, Pie appeared and mounted the horse. He turned and spoke to someone out of sight.
She watched as he glanced up at the window but was fairly certain that he hadn’t seen her. If he had, he chose to ignore her because he made no attempt to lift his hand in acknowledgement. She watched as Archie rode into view and, together, the men set off across the gardens. Nobody seemed to know what Beaulieu was, or who it was. Not knowing plagued her, but she wasn’t going to even think about going out there to follow them. She had had enough of venturing out into the middle of the night thank you very much. With a shiver she closed the shutter and clambered back into bed, but her thoughts were firmly locked on Pie, and the thought of him spending yet another night outside, away from his bed. It gave her some understanding of just how dedicated he was; they all were really, to their jobs.
She didn’t see Pie for most of the following day. None of the men made an appearance at Crompton and none of the ladies seemed to know what was going on. After the tumultuous events of the past few days, Florrie was glad for a quieter day. Unfortunately, it was now rather too quiet and she had far too much time to worry about Pie. In the end, with nothing else to do, she chose a book from the library and settled into the window seat to read. It gave her a clear view of the driveway so she could see who was coming before they got there, and it was an arrangement that suited her perfectly.
To her relief, Pie stumbled back into Crompton later that evening. Weariness was etched on his face to the point that he looked almost bleak as he stumped into the study and headed straight toward the decanter.
“Are you alright?” Florrie demanded having watched him down one liberal dose of brandy before pouring himself another. She put her book down on a small table beside her and watched him take a seat on the floral cushion. Dark circles lay beneath his cloudy green eyes and there was a weary slump to his shoulders that made her wonder if something sinister had happened.
“Is everyone alright?” Her voice was sharper than she intended but she needed reassurance that everyone was alright. She glanced briefly at the door and was contemplating whether she should fetch Harriett or Francesca,
when Pie shook his head.
“Everyone is fine; exhausted, but otherwise fine.”
He was cold, exhausted and starving but the sight of Florrie sitting in the window, bathed in the golden glow of the firelight had been a wonderfully welcome sight that met him when he had turned into the driveway and he had nudged his horse just a little bit faster to be able to get home more quickly. He briefly wondered if this is what life would be like if they were married and he was returning home from a mission.
It wouldn’t be a bad way to come home, he mused, taking another swig of his drink. If only he had a home. Although it was something he had never considered important before, the knowledge that he didn’t have a home of his own didn’t sit all that comfortably with him.
He was aware that nearly all of the other members of the Star Elite had estates or houses of their own while he had preferred to keep himself free of all entanglements. So far in life the arrangement had suited his purposes perfectly. Now though, he wished he had a home of his own to offer a woman.
“You need to leave here,” Pie muttered reluctantly. He stared blankly down at the carpet and felt a tide of bitter frustration sweep through him. It was the last thing he wanted to say but, right now, the only thing he could say. He didn’t need to look at her to know that she had grown tense beside him.
Florrie felt as though he had just slapped her in the face. She hadn’t expected any softly spoken words or terms of endearment, but the last thing she had expected was his cold declaration that he wanted to be rid of her. It hurt. More than it ought to, but it still hurt. A dull ache started in her chest and she stared hard at the floor to stop the tears of hurt from falling.
Pie reluctantly turned to look at her. She was a stunning sight to behold. Although he would sleep more soundly knowing that she would be safe with her uncle, he would miss not seeing her every day.
“I shouldn’t tell you this, but one of the French spies we have been looking for has arrived in the area.”