Free The Lady Is Innocent (The Star Elite Series) by Rebecca King

where the tenderness had come from. He was about the least tender person he had ever come across. Giving himself a mental shake, he threw her a brief smile and quietly left.
    Florrie was dreading the next day. She glanced around and realised that Pie had taken the note with him. She was glad that it was gone from her room. Having the wretched thing near her made her feel a bit sordid and she was glad to be rid of it. She didn’t need to read it again; the words were indelibly printed on her brain. It was still early yet and her stomach rumbled hungrily. She contemplated the bell pull for a moment but didn’t really have any appetite for anything.
    Instead she quietly made her way to the door and turned the key in the lock. After closing the shutters and curtains, she clambered into bed with a sigh. As she settled down under the blankets she heard the rattle of the knob and knew that Tabatha was trying to get in again. She briefly contemplated getting out of bed and giving the wretched woman a piece of her mind, but Pie’s words floated back to her. She had to stay away from her poisonous aunt now, especially if she was trying to implicate Florrie in her sordid schemes.
    One thing was certain, Florrie wasn’t going to be able to return to Tabatha’s house for any length of time. She would have to go back, but only long enough to collect her belongings before she left for good. Then, as far as Florrie was concerned, Tabatha could gamble her heart away.
    A small voice asked her how she hoped to stop Tabatha from using Florrie’s name to amass debts once she had left. A tendril of fear snaked up her spine at the thought of losing her beloved cottage in Norfolk through no fault of her own. She wondered if Pie, or Jamie, would be prepared to have a word with Tabatha and try to prevent her aunt from fraudulently running up debts and putting Florrie in danger. If not, then Florrie needed to make enquiries about the legalities of ensuring her aunt met with justice.
    Whatever happened tomorrow, she could only hope that more of the truth will be revealed and Tabatha would be shown in her true colours to everyone. If not, then Florrie’s future had suddenly become very dire indeed.
     
    Pie left the study later that night with a yawn and a sigh of relief. He said goodnight to the others and nodded to the night watchman as he ambled past.
    He was grateful for the willingness of his friends to become involved in Florrie’s meeting with the creditor tomorrow. They had all been eager to discuss the finer details more minutely, and had gone over the possibilities again and again until they had covered all eventualities.
    The men who would be keeping watch would leave before dawn and take up their positions around the village green. Rupert and Hugo would remain on horseback and go after the man who collected the funds. They had no doubt that the creditor himself wouldn’t turn up, instead some lackey would appear and act as a courier. Still, he would have to deliver the money somewhere and Rupert and Hugo would find out where and when.
    Pie was satisfied that tomorrow would bring about some answers. This was something the Star Elite excelled at, and he knew that they had left no stone unturned in their planning. The creditor would be confronted, the true identity of the gambler identified and the debt dealt with, either by Hugo, or by Tabatha. Either way, Pie had made it clear to Hugo that Florrie wasn’t able to pay and, as such, had to be protected. For some strange reason Pie chose not to look into, Hugo had agreed to ensure that Florrie wouldn’t be pursued for the debt when she left Melvedere.
    It was agreed by everyone that they should take the opportunity of questioning the creditor as to his potential involvement with the body in the churchyard. They would also try to uncover the identity of the corpse still lying in the church crypt.
    None of them were ignorant of the fact that the y still had no idea who the man was.