A Very Dishonest Scandal (The Hero Next Door Book 5)

by Rebecca King

  In that moment, something changed within Rosemary. The bonds she had always felt toward the village, the kinship with the locals, the sense of belonging, disappeared. All of it. She became detached, yet strangely independent. The fire was devastating, of course it was, but in a strange way it seemed to bring an end to a way of life neither she nor her father had been able to change voluntarily. Now, they had to change it because life was no longer safe there. Given what she now knew of the villagers she had once felt so close to, Rosemary couldn’t be sorry about leaving them behind either. It was time to go.

  As if by magic, Luke appeared before her and knelt until he was at eye level with her. ‘How are you?’ he murmured. His gaze slid to Thomas who nodded his approval.

  Thomas was curious about this stranger because he was showing a lot of gentleness toward Rosemary. Luke’s attentiveness, his open concern for her welfare, even the way he had charged into the yard to rescue her, warned Thomas that it was highly likely that another part of his life was coming to an end. He couldn’t be at all sorry about it because he wanted the best for his daughter. It was high time she was married, raising her own family, and running her own house with the protection of her husband to keep her safe. From what he had seen of Luke so far, he couldn’t be more pleased with his daughter’s choice of future husband.

  ‘The place I have in mind for you isn’t all that far away. I think it will be perfect for you both. It will give you some time away from here, but you will be close enough to return to the property to oversee the repairs to the place, or its closure. Either way, you will be protected by the Star Elite whenever you do come here, at least until we can discover who is doing this and put them behind bars where they belong.’

  ‘Someone has started the fire deliberately.’ Thomas’s words were dull, not really a question. He looked at Luke for confirmation because he struggled to believe it and needed confirmation from someone else.

  Luke nodded. It was clear to him that Thomas was struggling to absorb the shock of what had just happened. ‘It wasn’t an accident, Thomas. The outside of the door has been damaged far worse than the inside. The arsonist put an accelerant of some kind on the doorstep and left it to burn knowing that they would be far away when the fire finally took hold of the door. It was put on the doorstep between when you went to bed and now.’

  Thomas nodded. ‘Well, I think that has made the decision for us. They win. We leave. Although, it is going to take a couple of days given how much stock we have. Is much of it damaged?’

  ‘Your workshop is safe. None of the clocks in the shop have been damaged. The fire didn’t get that far. I am not sure what projects you were working on, but we have dragged everything away from the flames. A few tools are beyond use, and the end of your workbench, but everything else is salvageable.’

  ‘I have customers’ watches in there.’ Thomas heaved himself to his feet. He was deeply moved when Luke hovered nearby, patiently waiting to make sure that he was steady on his feet.

  ‘We will move everything for you,’ Roger assured him. ‘It would be best if you go and fetch your things from upstairs, including any valuables. Take the clothing only, though. We will arrange for your furniture to be removed tomorrow. Then, we will secure this place and keep guard over the property here while you oversee the packing of the clocks. We won’t move anything during the daytime.’

  ‘Why?’ Thomas stepped out of the doorway when he felt movement behind him and looked over his shoulder at Rosemary.

  ‘Because we aren’t going to give any arsonist the satisfaction of knowing that they have burnt you out of the village,’ Roger warned. ‘I know you must be exhausted, but I need you to fetch your personal things now. Luke can take you to where you will be staying for the foreseeable future. Tomorrow, you are going to have to return to the shop, Thomas, and open as usual. Try to keep the door to the workshop closed and try not to appear concerned about anything. If there are watches here that belong to customers, they have to be left here in case the customers turn up to fetch them.’

  ‘Most of them are in the cupboard in the shop and are awaiting collection. There is only one I haven’t started on yet.’

  ‘Debrette’s fob watch,’ Luke murmured.

  Thomas nodded. ‘I was going to start on it this morning. It just needs a good clean.’

  ‘Well, you can work on that tomorrow. While the shop is open, you can pack up the contents of your workshop and the clocks,’ Roger said.

  ‘The glass maker was coming to replace the window later. He couldn’t come last night on account of his wife being ill, but he promised me he can be here this afternoon. We can cancel him and leave the shop boarded for now. It will stop anybody from seeing us pack the clocks in the shop. Once the shop has closed, we can use the premises as our base in the village and be here if the arsonist tries to strike again. I don’t doubt that they will try again once they realise that there has only been minimal damage caused tonight. The next time they come anywhere near here in the middle of the night they will meet us,’ Luke informed them.

  Rosemary and Thomas watched the men from the Star Elite all nod. It was evident from the grimness on their faces that they were deeply concerned that they could have had two murders on their hands tonight. Believing that nothing this sinister would happen to Thomas and Rosemary was clearly a mistake that they weren’t going to make again.

  ‘What you have to understand is that the arsonist has proven your innocence. They are waging a campaign of hatred designed to damage everything you have, are, and do. Tonight’s fire is arson but also attempted murder because people were inside the building at the time the fire was placed on the doorstep,’ Roger warned. He threw a dark look at his men.

  They all understood the significance of tonight’s events and how it changed their involvement. Now, this investigation was something the Star Elite should be involved with because many people in the village appeared to be involved until the Star Elite could prove otherwise.

  ‘I will write to Sir Hugo in the morning. He needs to be informed about this,’ Roger said briskly.

  ‘Debrette has men on watch. He needs to be informed about this as well,’ Luke warned.

  ‘His men are keeping watch on the street,’ Roger replied. ‘I have just spoken to them. They were near to the church and at the other side of the village near the tavern when they saw the smoke. If the arsonist saw them, he must have waited until they had gone before he set the fire.’

  Luke looked at his friends. ‘We need more men.’

  Daniel snorted. ‘We need to keep men in the building, watching the front and back of the property and the street. If the arsonist lives near here, they could be in and out of their home without anybody noticing, and in just a few minutes. We need more men on watch.’

  ‘I agree.’ Roger looked at each of his men who were all crammed into the tiny workshop. ‘The investigation starts now, gentlemen.’

  With that, the Star Elite set to work escorting Rosemary and Thomas upstairs to pack.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  ‘Are you all right?’ Luke murmured gently to Rosemary when he hauled the Star Elite’s heavily laden carriage to a stop outside of Wickerstone. A strange anticipation coursed through him as he jumped down and handed her down. He was eager to see her reaction to her new home. ‘It isn’t much, I am afraid, because I haven’t had the chance to furnish it properly. But I am sure that it can be turned into a home without too much effort.’

  ‘Whose house is this?’ Thomas asked, studying the huge three storey building with a mixture of envy and awe. Although slightly dilapidated, it had so much potential that he almost wished he could see it once it was renovated. Regardless of the minor repairs that were needed, the property seemed to reach out toward them like welcoming arms. It was surrounded with huge lawn and sat amidst miles of open countryside. ‘It’s wonderful.’

  ‘It’s mine,’ Luke said softly. ‘I bought it recently but have no idea what I am going to do with it. It needs a
coat of paint and some repairs, but mostly just a thorough clean and proper furnishing.’ He nodded to the house. ‘Do you want to look around?’

  Rosemary stared at him and didn’t move. ‘This is your house? Why would you move us here? What is happening to us could put your home at risk as well.’

  ‘I doubt it,’ Luke snorted. ‘If someone has followed you here, they will stand out amongst all this lot, don’t you think?’ He waved to the fields around them. ‘Besides, they will be venturing onto Star Elite property. I am offering you both a place to stay while you recover from what happened tonight, and while we investigate who is behind the attacks on you. You need somewhere to stay. The buildings in the yard are perfect for your father’s workshop. There is plenty of room in the workshops and the house for all of us.’

  ‘It’s exceedingly kind and generous of you,’ Thomas murmured, staring avidly at the long row of workshops opposite a stable block.

  Luke’s lips pursed as he tried to stop his smile from escaping. He knew that Thomas was interested in staying. ‘You have to be under the protection of the Star Elite anyway. At least nobody can creep up on us out here.’

  ‘That’s why you wanted us to leave while it was still dark, isn’t it?’ Thomas asked. ‘We could come here, and nobody would see us.’

  ‘It is the way the Star Elite work, I am afraid. A lot of what we do is done at night when most people are asleep in their beds. It is important that whoever is targeting you does not learn where you live. It also helps if you live somewhere like this because if someone does want to target you, they can’t reach you without being seen. Not many people come out here.’ Luke’s worried look slid to Rosemary. ‘I know it is a big change given you are used to living in the village, but I am sure you will get used to it.’

  ‘It’s wonderful,’ Rosemary breathed, turning to stare in amazement at the house.

  With a large terrace at the back, and a conservatory to one side, the house sat amidst peace was calming, soothing, healing even.

  ‘Thank you,’ Thomas repeated effusively.

  ‘Come on. I’ll show you around,’ Luke offered with a fond smile. He really liked Thomas. The man was humble, self-effacing, and didn’t seem to have a harsh bone in his body. It was clear to Luke that the man doted on his daughter as much as he did his watches, and that was more than enough of a reason to like the man.

  An hour later, Luke stood back to show Thomas the rooms he had in mind for Thomas’s workshop. The row of five rooms were three times the size of Thomas’s old workshop and had a large bank of windows against one wall and a wonderful view of the rolling countryside. At some point in the past, the rooms had been used as workshops anyway, and already had workbenches along one wall in each room that were perfect for Thomas’s clock making.

  ‘It needs a good sweep out,’ Luke announced.

  Deep inside he was struck by how much he really wanted Thomas and Rosemary to like his house and want to stay. It was a little concerning that their decisions now mattered so much to his future, but Luke couldn’t change the way he felt now.

  Thomas swept a hand along the workbench and studied the vast empty space he could work in. It was something he could only ever dream of using. ‘It is perfect,’ he announced. ‘If you are sure I can use it.’

  ‘I will help you clean it.’

  ‘I can manage. You have to help your friends find out who has decided they hate us,’ Thomas reminded him.

  Luke grinned. ‘We can get everything else moved tonight, so it would help if everything could be swept out today. I know you are tired.’

  ‘I have never felt more alive than I do right now,’ Thomas interrupted. ‘There is nothing like a close brush with death to make one readjust their attitude toward life.’ He turned to Luke and squared his shoulders. ‘Now, I don’t have much in the way of funds but how much rent would you like from us?’

  ‘None,’ Luke announced firmly. ‘Just move in and get settled. I must go and help my colleagues. If you want to clean up, get changed, and rest for a while, we can have something to eat and then go back to the shop later. We need to be back there in time to open up.’

  ‘Do you need me to go?’ Rosemary asked. She couldn’t withhold the longing look she gave the house.

  Luke felt a heavy weight of worry lift off his shoulders when he saw that look. He knew that she was contemplating how she was going to turn the house into a home.

  ‘No, I think that you need to rest today and get settled,’ Luke replied.

  ‘I think you should stay here, my dear,’ Thomas added.

  ‘We will bring the furniture later tonight, so it might be a good idea if you get some sleep while you can. Your father can take naps in the shop throughout the day,’ Luke added.

  ‘What about you, son? When are you going to get some sleep?’ Thomas demanded, looking upon Luke with fatherly concern.

  Luke blinked at the familiar tone of Thomas’s voice. He wasn’t at all sure what to think because it had been a long time since anybody except for his colleagues within the Star Elite had shown any concern for his welfare. It was deeply touching and only increased his affection for the watch maker.

  ‘I will take naps too. My colleagues and I will work in shifts of roughly three hours a time and will try to sleep when we are not working. If we are lucky, we should be able to have about six hours’ sleep today, but it depends on what happens at the shop,’ Luke explained.

  Rosemary’s lips twitched. She was delighted that her father had taken to Luke and was clearly as concerned about his welfare as he was about hers. She was also pleased that her father had someone he could talk to, and confide in, and even trust.

  ‘Let me show you the house,’ Luke said softly.

  ‘I am going to explore the outbuildings if that is all right with you?’ Thomas replied enthusiastically. ‘I’ll just wander and see about making a start on the sweeping before we go back to the shop, eh?’

  ‘If you are sure,’ Luke said. ‘Come on up to the house when you are ready.’

  Rosemary shook her head because she knew her father was already plotting where he was going to put everything in his new workspace.

  ‘I don’t think I have seen him as enthusiastic about anything in a long time,’ Rosemary murmured as her and Luke wandered toward the house.

  ‘How about you? Do you think you are going to like living here?’ Luke asked.

  ‘Yes, I do. It is wonderful here,’ Rosemary breathed. ‘You are incredibly lucky to be able to own a house like this.’

  Luke held the back door open and stood back to allow Rosemary to enter the house. Together, they stood just inside the door and studied the kitchen.

  ‘It just needs repainting, that’s all,’ Rosemary said with a shrug.

  Luke had already brushed out the worst of the cobwebs and swept the floor and was pleased that he had. Even so, the room did indeed need redecoration. ‘Come on. I’ll show you the rest of the place.’

  An hour later, Rosemary descended the stairs and shook her head in amazement. ‘It’s perfect.’

  ‘Well, not quite,’ he snorted. ‘A couple of floorboards need replacing. The fires need sweeping. I just haven’t gotten round to doing anything yet because I only purchased this place a few weeks ago.’

  ‘Why haven’t you?’

  ‘I have been busy,’ Luke replied. ‘My work with the Star Elite takes me up and down the country, often for weeks at a time. I don’t know where I will go, or how long for. Of late, though, I have wanted a home to be able to rest in when we are between investigations. I need to find something to do outside of the Star Elite and thought that working on a place like this might be it.’

  It sounded to Rosemary like Luke intended to turn the house into his home. ‘If you intend to use this house as your home, why would you bring your work back here?’

  Luke frowned at her. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Us,’ Rosemary replied. ‘I mean, you know that someone has already set fire to our shop and
has left us a dead animal on the doorstep. You have no idea if the culprit will follow us here and try to do the same. I know that out here it will be difficult for someone to creep up to the house without being noticed, but it isn’t impossible. It might be even more tempting for whoever is targeting us because there is nobody around to watch them.’

  Luke sucked in a breath. ‘My colleagues and I will work from here as well. It means that there will always be someone on watch. Today, the men are staying in the shop to replace the door and make sure that the property is secure. They will keep an eye out for any locals lurking nearby who are showing any undue interest in your home. It might be the arsonist trying to find out if they have succeeded, or where you are.’

  ‘What do you think they will do when they realise that they have failed?’ Rosemary felt she already knew the answer.

  ‘Try again,’ Luke replied simply. ‘Which is why it is important that we have men on watch, and that we remove all of your personal property overnight without the arsonist knowing.’

  ‘How can you do this? I mean, how on earth can you accept this as an ordinary part of life?’ Rosemary cried. ‘It’s very secretive, this work you do. You are talking about arson, attempted murder, and crimes as if it is an ordinary part of everyday life. It’s not.’

  ‘The criminals we usually work with are some of the most dangerous in the country. Discussing such heinous things is a part of our ordinary lives. I think that is why I have started to crave a normal life outside of our investigations.’

  ‘Have you?’ Rosemary knew that it was highly improper that she should ask him such a personal question. Until yesterday, she hadn’t met the man. Today, he had not only rescued her from a fire, he had escorted her home, protected her, helped her get assistance from the magistrate, and offered her a new home. ‘Why are you helping us like this? I mean, the Star Elite being involved in investigating what has happened to us is one thing, but involving your new home is a different matter entirely.’