For Love Alone (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite Book 8)

by Rebecca King

  ‘When the day came, mother was calm rather than nervous. Father had left the night before like he usually did. We didn’t expect him back for several days. All was well. We had packed in our belongings and were ready to go. The carriage arrived. His name was Rupert; her lover that is. He started to carry the luggage to the carriage. Mother and I helped him. Then, unfortunately, father returned. We don’t know what made him come back so unexpectedly. When he saw the luggage and Rupert, Horace began to bellow and quickly turned violent. He nearly beat Rupert to a pulp. Mother had to beat father with a poker to get him to stop punching him. She didn’t stop. Eventually, Rupert punched Horace back and he fell to the ground. Mother told Rupert to just go before Horace got back onto his feet. Rupert reluctantly left and took the carriage with him. Father went berserk and charged at my mother. The next thing I know, he pushed her. She fell backward only was close to the steps and caught her heel. As she fell, she slammed her head into the corner of the step and never opened her eyes again. Blood poured everywhere. I knew the second I stepped toward her that she had gone. I looked at my father and knew I would never hate anybody as much as I hated him right then. He killed her. He pushed her and killed her. He nearly killed Rupert as well.’

  ‘That explains the guns,’ Oliver growled. ‘Whatever happens Carlotta, you are never to go with your father’s thugs. No matter who turns up. No matter what they promise you.’

  ‘I don’t know if it is murder. She stepped back and her heel got caught on the step, but she wouldn’t have if Horace hadn’t shoved her,’ Carlotta whispered.

  ‘Did his push unbalance her?’ Phillip asked.

  Carlotta nodded.

  ‘Then it was murder. He pushed her and caused her an injury that ended her life. It is no different to running someone over with a carriage. He should have made sure that she didn’t fall, or not pushed her at all,’ Phillip assured her.

  ‘It is murder,’ she whispered numbly.

  ‘I am afraid so. That means that your father wants you back to make sure that you don’t tell anybody else what he has done,’ Phillip whispered.

  It was only when Carlotta turned to look at Phillip and she saw the sad sympathy in his eyes that she realised that she had been crying while she had been relaying the fateful events of that afternoon.

  ‘Do you know where we might find this Rupert?’ Oliver asked gently.

  ‘Mother used to go into Dramner on a weekend. She said it was to visit her cousin, but I think she might have met Rupert while she was there.’

  ‘Did she have a cousin in Dramner?’ Phillip pressed.

  ‘Yes, but that is not to say that mother visited her as often as she said she did,’ Carlotta sighed. ‘Even I didn’t know what she was doing. I have no idea how long she had been seeing this man, but I have never seen her as happy as she was when she talked about Rupert. Her eyes lit up. I knew she was looking forward to being with him. She just dreaded having to face father’s wrath. We both did.’

  ‘Which she did because he returned unexpectedly,’ Phillip murmured.

  ‘Well, I am afraid that it puts us in a difficult situation. The thugs who your father sent have walked right into the middle of our investigation and one of them has died as a result. I don’t want to alarm you, but I can only assume that your father is not all that far away. In circumstances like this it is my experience that your father wouldn’t trust two low-life criminals with his freedom. If they fail in their task, and don’t retrieve you before you tell anyone, he faces a very long time behind bars for the murder of his wife. It is highly unlikely that he would just remain at home and pace in front of the fireplace. It is likely that he is taking an active part in trying to find you. You just haven’t seen him yet,’ Oliver said.

  ‘That means you have to remain under our protection.’ Callum slid a wry look at Phillip.

  Oliver nodded. ‘Because you have already met Phillip, I am going to put him in charge of your protection. I don’t know how much he has told you about us but most of us have recently married. Our wives wouldn’t be impressed if we spent a lot of time in the company of a pretty, unmarried female. That makes Phillip your new protector.’

  Phillip grinned.

  Carlotta flushed and opened her mouth to apologise to him only for Phillip to wink at her. She gasped and brushed prettily but couldn’t stop herself from smiling at him. A part of her had to wonder if they were trying to lighten the atmosphere, which had become strained throughout her recounting the death of her mother. For that she could only be grateful.

  ‘What do we do if he does turn up? Father, I mean?’ Carlotta asked.

  ‘Leave us to deal with him,’ Oliver smiled. ‘For now, get some rest. We are going to keep watch so please don’t go wandering around at night. The men are on guard, heavily armed and are trained to kill if the shadows move too much. Phillip, you get some sleep as well. It isn’t wise for you to leave those wounds unattended any longer either. The pair of you get some rest.’

  With that, the men left again, leaving Phillip and Carlotta to study each other.

  ‘Come on. I don’t know about you, but I need to get some sleep.’ Phillip stood and held out a hand to her.

  This time, Carlotta had no hesitation standing up and taking it. To her delight as soon as their palms touched Phillip entwined their fingers. When he smiled that gently at her there was nothing that she could deny him. She had no qualms following him out of the room and up the stairs to her bed chamber. Carlotta had never felt this kind of connection, this closeness with anyone before. She had never felt as protected either. There was something about the look in Phillip’s eyes whenever he glanced at her, as he did often before they reached the door, that was almost possessive. She flushed beneath its warmth and felt something unfamiliar yet strangely appealing flutter to life deep within her.

  ‘You need to get your cuts cleaned,’ she whispered.

  ‘They aren’t that bad. I will check them when I change my shirt,’ he assured her. He kept his voice low because he truly didn’t want anything to break the intimate peace that had settled between them as they made their way across the landing. ‘Just try to get some sleep.’ Phillip escorted her to her bed chamber and opened the door.

  When he stepped back to hold the door open for her, Carlotta eyed the bed chamber with little enthusiasm.

  ‘I can sleep in the chair if you like, just so you are not alone,’ he offered.

  Carlotta seriously contemplated it but the prospect of trying to sleep while he was so close was just too distracting. She rejected his offer before she could question the wisdom of it. Rather than step into the room, Carlotta quickly stood on tiptoe and pressed a swift kiss to his cheek. She caught his smile before she turned away but didn’t dare look back. It was impossible to understand what had compelled her to do such a thing, but she didn’t regret it for one second.

  ‘Good night,’ he murmured quietly before stepping out of the room.

  ‘Good night and thank you.’

  When he had gone, Carlotta removed her boots and lay down upon the bed. The covers felt heavy and swiftly chased the warmth away. Unfortunately, they did little to chase away the horrifying nightmare that followed her into slumber.

  The thick sea fog swirled around her. Shadows danced within it. Not a sound could be heard. When she spoke, nothing left her mouth. Carlotta knew what she was trying to say, the words just wouldn’t escape her. She was cold. Painfully, shockingly cold but couldn’t feel any pain. She couldn’t feel much of anything. Something, an icy hand of Fate, compelled her to walk forward although she could not feel the soft blades of the grass beneath her feet, or the chill of the soil that held on the autumnal night. She couldn’t feel the sea breeze that gently teased the edges of her nightgown. All she could feel was a dread. A deep, sickening, dreadful knowledge that all was not well; that her fate was full of doom if she carried on the path she was on. But she couldn’t stop herself from putting one foot in front of the other. She couldn’t stop hers
elf from looking over the edge of the cliff. It wasn’t just a brief glance either. That horrid, forcing hand made her stare long and hard at the crumpled body that lay at the base of the cliffs, its limbs twisted and bent at unnatural angles. The deadly stare that looked straight back at her saw right into her soul. Carlotta knew it wasn’t there to give her any kind of message. That, she had already had. She knew, deep in her heart, that the man who lay at the base of the cliffs was someone who had the power to change her life for the better. Unfortunately, he was now so far out of her reach, Carlotta knew that if she jumped, she still would never reach him. He was gone forever, and it was all because she had remained on the path which she knew she shouldn’t take and hadn’t been able to change.

  ‘Noooo!’ It was her scream escaping her that jolted Carlotta awake. Her eyes flew wide as she sat bolt upright in bed only to find herself faced with impenetrable blackness that was as suffocating as her nightmare had been. It took her a moment to realise why she couldn’t even see the bed chamber she lay in. Whilst she had been asleep, someone had closed the curtains and shutters. She cried out in alarm when the door was suddenly slammed open with such force it ricocheted off the dresser behind it.

  ‘What? What’s wrong?’ Phillip demanded as, gun drawn, he raced into the room.

  Carlotta stared at him. She opened her mouth to tell him all about her very vivid dream only to realise that the words still failed her. Just like in the dream, she couldn’t tell him the things she wanted to say. She had no idea why. The words just locked in her throat and threatened to choke her with their ferocity.

  ‘Carlotta?’ Phillip peered around the bed chamber until he realised that she was still all alone.

  Earlier, he had waited until she had fallen asleep and then had checked all the windows were locked before closing and securing the shutters and closing the curtains across them for good measure. Nobody could get into the room without having to make a lot of noise, and the only sound to break the stillness of the house had been Carlotta’s scream.

  ‘I just had a bad dream,’ she stammered tearfully, her voice weak and shaken. ‘I am sorry I woke you.’

  Phillip edged closer and placed his gun onto the small table beside the bed.

  ‘Was it about your father and mother?’ He lifted his brows when she shook her head.

  She couldn’t bring herself to tell him her dream had been about him. ‘It was about something else,’ she murmured vaguely.

  ‘We talk about dreams a lot. It sounds odd but we often have nightmares about some of the things we have seen and done. It helps to talk about it. I won’t find whatever you tell me unusual, believe me. I have had my own fair share of strange dreams over the years. Some of them horrible, others recounting what I have done or witnessed, others are memories from past times on the battlefields. They come back to haunt us all at some time or another.’

  Phillip didn’t ask if he could sit beside the bed. As he talked, he settled himself next to her and propped his shoulders against the wall at the head of the bed. With a yawn, he settled into a comfortable position and stared at his feet.

  ‘Can I ask you something?’ she murmured quietly.

  ‘Go on then,’ he replied with a smile.

  ‘Why do you work with the Star Elite? Do you not get frightened running around the woods like you do?’

  ‘We would be foolish if we didn’t. If you are not afraid in situations like that you are doing something wrong. A little bit of fear makes you warier, and apt not to take stupid chances with your life. Fear helps sometimes,’ he replied honestly.

  ‘I seem to be afraid all of the time lately,’ Carlotta whispered with a shiver. She found herself instinctively edging closer to him.

  Phillip slid an arm around her but allowed the silence to settle between them. ‘Try to get some sleep,’ he murmured several long and thoughtful moments later.

  Carlotta yawned. She knew she should ease away from him. It was highly inappropriate of her to be like this with him, but this was the first time she had felt truly protected in her life. He didn’t ask anything from her, and she didn’t ask anything of him either. They simply enjoyed this moment of unity and took from it the comfort being together brought them. When they were together like this, they were stronger and able to withstand anything life could throw at them. Together, they could be honest about themselves; their wants, needs and emotions without fear of criticism or censure.

  ‘Where do you see yourself in the future?’ he asked quietly a few minutes later.

  ‘I don’t know,’ she sighed. ‘As long as I am away from my father, I don’t care where I stay. I cannot stay here, I know that.’

  ‘Has your friend given you any idea of when he wants you to move on?’

  ‘No, but this is a temporary arrangement.’

  ‘What do you intend to do when you leave?’ Phillip turned to face her. ‘Where did you intend to run to when you left the safe house? I know you came back here. What did you intend to do then? Where did you intend to go?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she whispered. ‘I think I would have gone to a town or something. There is very little opportunity for employment in a village like Windwidger.’

  ‘Have you asked around?’ Phillip asked.

  ‘Not yet,’ she murmured with a smile. ‘It isn’t just employment I would struggle with it is finding a place to stay in Windwidger.’

  ‘I have to concede that you have a point,’ he replied.

  ‘It is wonderful here,’ she whispered as she eyed the room they were in.

  Phillip looked around the bed chamber. The rich oak panelled walls were dull from dust, but he knew that once highly polished the room would look opulent. Bedecked with thick brocade curtains and lavish furniture it was luxurious yet tasteful. ‘It is a nice house,’ he conceded.

  Carlotta tipped her head back to look up at him. ‘What do you intend to do once you have finished your investigation?’

  ‘I have to move on to another investigation, and after that another investigation. Our work doesn’t stop. We usually work on larger scale crimes; gangs of criminals rather than a random pick-pocketer or people like it. Unfortunately, larger gangs mean more danger. They are harder to stop. It takes time, effort, a lot of travelling, and skill, but we get there. I cannot see myself doing anything else,’ he mused.

  ‘Then you shouldn’t. You will know when the time is right to move on and do something else, I am sure of it. For now, there is no reason why you should stop, is there?’

  Phillip tipped his head to look down at her. ‘Not really. I have often wondered if there is more to life. Several of my friends have recently married and are happy. It makes me wonder if they might have the right idea in finding something to occupy them away from the Star Elite.’

  As soon as he spoke the words, Phillip had to wonder why he was being so brutally honest. He didn’t want to give her hope where there might be none but refused to lie to her. If they were to have a future, and he hadn’t yet made his mind up if they should have, he didn’t want their relationship to be founded on dishonesty. ‘I just don’t know what to do.’

  ‘Neither do I,’ she replied. ‘I know what I don’t want. I just don’t know what I do want. If I am honest, I have never stopped to consider what to do with my life. Work isn’t something that offends me. I am willing to roll my sleeves up to earn my keep, I just don’t know what kind of work I could do.’

  ‘For now, it is nice to just relax like this and enjoy some peace,’ he mused with a smile.

  Carlotta settled her head against his arm and felt her eyelids droop. The peace that fell over them this time was gentle; a soft wave of comfort that soothed them both and allowed the tension of the last few days melt away.

  Phillip felt tiredness sweep over him. He was, for the first time in a long time, truly relaxed. With that relaxation came an overwhelming need to get some proper rest. Within seconds, he was sound asleep.

  Carlotta watched him for several long moments. While as
leep, Phillip’s face changed completely. The stern lines, the thoughtful frowns, disappeared leaving him looking incredibly vulnerable, almost boyish. So much so, Carlotta carefully eased out of his arms but only to sit upright so she could reach the blanket at the end of the bed. Shaking it out, she draped it over him and gently tucked him in before settling back down against him. His arm instinctively tightened around her, tugging her closer. This time, Carlotta had no qualms in nestling just that little bit closer. Within seconds, she too had fallen into a deep, restful sleep.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Phillip jerked awake and stared blindly at the ceiling for several moments. He had no idea what had woken him. He listened to the silence and tried to remember the dream he had just been having but it eluded him. For now, all he could was be thankful that it had. It left his thoughts free to focus on the woman beside him: Carlotta.

  Over the last several days she had become an integral part of his life. He and his friends had spent the daylight hours searching the fishing harbours up and down the coast for sign of the Starling and its skipper, but to no avail. They had also tried to find Horace and his thug, but there was no sign of them either. All was peaceful and quiet, so the men from the Star Elite had taken the time to take stock of their situations, lives, and positions within the Star Elite to work out what they wanted to do as a team and as individuals.

  It had been Oliver who had suggested they set up a regional branch of the Star Elite, only last night as a matter of fact. Carlotta had been in a chair beside the fireplace pretending to read. Phillip had taken his usual seat beside her. He and Carlotta had been discussing childhood exploits, and their favourite games when Oliver had stalked into the room and announced that he wanted to set up a branch of the Star Elite far away from London.

  ‘Where?’ Phillip demanded.

  ‘Sir Hugo has mentioned that he wanted to set up a team near here. I am going to ask to be the one to establish it. Emmeline won’t have any objection to moving, I am sure of it. The beaches will be wonderful for the children to play on when they are a little older. It is a better way of life here,’ he reasoned.