The Lady Is Innocent (The Star Elite Series) (13 page)

“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.” Dex
ter’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 h
er 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.

S
he 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.

H
e 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 idea 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 B
eaulieu?” 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 flu
rry 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.

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 had
n’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 woul
dn’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.”

Florrie
gasped and turned horrified eyes on him.

“I don’t know why he is here. We knew he lived hereabouts but didn’t think he would venture this way. I saw him in the village when we left the tavern
yesterday.”

“
Beaulieu?”

“Beaulieu.”
Pie sighed and placed his drink on the floor between his booted feet. He needed her to understand. Talking about the cold facts of the spies’ activities stopped him from saying something stupid, like offering for her hand. Now wasn’t the right time to make declarations of eternal devotion. Right now he had to deal with Beaulieu, and then he would find Florrie and romance her the way she deserved to be courted.

“He is one of the first spies to come to English shores;
who we know about at any rate. I don’t think he knows your cousin Jamie is one of us.”

“Do you think the body
in the churchyard has something to do with him?”

Pie turned to stare at her. He was surprised with how
logical she was and how she managed to maintain that logic when faced with life-or-death situations. Most women would have changed the subject and pretended they hadn’t heard anything. Florrie was analysing the situation from every view point until she could come up with a workable solution. He shook his head in consternation. He shouldn’t really be discussing any of this with her but, for some reason he felt driven to confide in her; to make her understand why he wanted her away from Melvedere. It had nothing to do with Tabatha’s duplicity or his taking advantage of her. It was purely because he was desperate to keep her safe. Beaulieu could have been the murderer of the man in the churchyard and, if he had seen Florrie find the body, her life was in more danger than it had ever been in before. It was imperative that she leave Crompton, now, before a third attempt on her life was the successful one.

“
I have no idea,” Pie sighed, hating to be the one to tell her that he thought Beaulieu was indeed the killer. Beaulieu had suddenly popped up out of nowhere in the village, and nobody could understand why. Why now? What did he want? One thing was perfectly evident, Beaulieu had been watching Florrie and Pie leave the tavern after their meeting with Dexter. Had he been waiting for Florrie?

“Right now we have him under surveillance, but not
hing is foolproof.” He threw her a rueful look. “You should know that. There is an element of danger here that I am not prepared to allow to taint your life, not after everything you have been through.”

“But Francesca and Harriett are here, and the children,”
Florrie protested. She didn’t know why he seemed to intent on packing her off and felt slightly offended at his determination to get rid of her.

“I know
, but they will be protected by Hugo and Simon. They won’t allow anyone near their families. I can’t protect you the way that they can protect their wives.”

Florrie
felt a pang of envy toward the women and kept her gaze carefully averted so that Pie couldn’t see the pain in her face. She almost cried aloud at the gulf that seemed to open up between them and left an awkward silence in its wake. She didn’t know what to say, what to do. She couldn’t bear him to know how much his rejection of her hurt.

“I was going to go anyway. Hugo has arranged for my things
to be collected from Tabatha’s house and delivered here. As soon as they arrive, I can leave for Norfolk.”

“Hugo thinks they may be here tomorrow morning.”

“I shall go as soon as they arrive,” Florrie announced in a firm voice. She busied herself closing her book and straightening her skirts as she stood. She could feel his gaze on her but refused to look at him. “I am really rather tired tonight, so shall bid you a good night.”

“
Florrie.”

She paused at the doorway and reluctantly turned to face him.

“If I may, I should like to call upon you in your new home. Just to see how you are?” Pie’s eyes met and held hers for several moments.

She had no idea what she was waiting for; a declaration that he wanted mor
e, perhaps? Although his gaze was sure and steady on her, she wasn’t fooled for a second. He clearly regretted what had happened between them and was trying to let her down gently and assure her that there wouldn’t be a second night.

Although she still felt recklessly wanton for her behaviour, she was glad that she had made the choices she had, and wasn’t prepared to attempt to excuse it. Neither was she prepared to allow Pie to make promises
he clearly didn’t want to keep, or allow him to think that she expected anything from him. Having practically forced herself on him, the least she could do now was let him off the hook without a murmur.

“If you are ever passing Norfolk, you are more than welcome to drop by.
I am sure my uncle Silas would love to meet you.” Her lips twisted in a parody of a smile and she quietly walked out. 

In reality
, she knew that it was most probably the last time she would see Pie, and her heart wept for the loss. He was a brave man. A stalwart companion who was prepared to protect those he cared about. Unfortunately for Florrie, that didn’t include her. She had no doubt the protectiveness he had shown toward her had more to do with his responsibilities to his work with the Star Elite rather than any sincere affection for her.

Suddenly, tomorrow couldn’t come quick enough.

Unfortunately, her clothing didn’t arrive.
Once again, there was no sight of the men, although the night watchmen had been replaced with heavily armed footmen who were constantly on patrol both inside the house and out. Everyone seemed to be tenser than they were yesterday. The easy-going camaraderie between everyone in the house that Florrie had grown familiar with had vanished, and been replaced by a watchful wariness that was vaguely alarming. Although the ladies tried to pretend that there was nothing amiss, Florrie watched as Francesca moved to the window to stare down the driveway for several long moments. Fear and worry were etched clearly on her face once her back was to the room and she thought that nobody was able to see her.

Florrie
spent most of the day wandering around the house, dreading the click of the door that would announce the arrival of Pie. While at the same time she yearned to be able to see him just one more time, she didn’t relish the awkwardness of having to face him again.

She pleaded a headache when Portia asked if she would like to join the ladies for tea that afternoon, and curled up in front of
the fire in her room to think instead. She knew what life held in store for her, and wasn’t altogether certain whether she was glad to have met Pie or not. He had taught her more about herself than she had ever considered possible but, he had also opened up a sea of emotion that she couldn’t contain. The desperate need to see him again and know for certain that he was safe was fuelled by a sadness that brought tears to her eyes and an ache to her heart. She didn’t know how she was going to bear the rest of her life not knowing how he was; where he was.

Still
, without throwing herself at him for a second time, there was little she could do about her situation now. He had made it perfectly clear that while he was prepared to accept anything she offered him, he wasn’t going to make the arrangement a more permanent one and for that she didn’t know whether to love him or hate him.

She jumped at the knock on the door. She didn’t say anything and watched as the door opened and Pie appeared.

“I have been looking for you,” he declared, ignoring the fact that she hadn’t invited him in. He closed the door behind him and walked toward her, studying her face closely as he approached. There were all sorts of secrets and shadows swirling around in her soulless eyes but he couldn’t make out what they were. He squatted down in front of her.

“Portia said you had a headache.”

Florrie nodded jerkily and stared into the fire. “I am fine,” she whispered. Her heart ached at having him so close and she stared into the flames to prevent the tears from falling in front of him. “I didn’t realise you were back.”

“I
came because I need to ask you a few questions.”

Florrie
felt a surge disappointment tempered by impatience. Didn’t the man ever think about anything but the wretched Star Elite?

She lifted one brow almost haughtily and stare
d at him.

Pie wished he had been able to spend a bit more time with her on her last day at
Melvedere. He had come back because he had needed to see if Billy had taken her away to safety and, although he knew it was foolish, a part of him had fiercely hoped that she hadn’t left. He had swapped his watch with Rupert to be able to see her, just one last time, and had hurried back to Crompton with the desperation that was faintly alarming.