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standing
outside where anyone could overhear. He watched the occasional
carriage trundle past and wondered if he should invite the older
man back into the gentleman’s club so that they could talk more
privately.
    “ I wasn’t aware that you knew Sir Hugo,” Rupert murmured
quietly. As far as he was aware nobody knew who the Star Elite were
apart from a handful of people in the War Office.
    “ We are old friends,” John replied obliquely. He studied the
changes the four years had wrought upon Rupert and felt the heavy
weight of guilt grow a little heavier. It broke his heart to admit
it but he had, on more than one occasion, bitterly regretted the
actions he had taken all those years ago when he had lied to
protect his battered and bruised niece.
    “ Does Thea reside at Weatherby House now?” He had no idea why
he felt so driven to know. A part of him hoped that her father
would have done at least one decent thing for her in his life and
left her the house because she was his only child. On the other
hand, the thought of her being stuck in that huge house with nobody
but her waspish mother to keep her company chilled him to the
bone.
    “ No, she refused to even consider going back there. She was in
a bad way after the accident as you know. I didn’t think it was
fair to inflict Frances on her too.” His lips quirked wryly and he
shared a knowing look with the man who should have been Thea’s
husband by now.
    “ She needed to be moved far away from that awful woman.” It
was all he could think to say. The myriad questions that tumbled
through him were difficult to make sense of and he didn’t know
quite where to start. “Where is Thea now?”
    When
John didn’t immediately answer, Rupert wondered if he would have to
punch the information out of the older man and only just held on to
his patience when John merely studied the traffic for several long
moments in thoughtful silence.
    John
sighed and turned to stare sightlessly at the passing traffic. The
way that Rupert had continued to call by the doctor’s house daily
while Thea fought for her life had haunted John and, to this day,
continued to poke at his conscience with ruthless efficiency. Not
for the first time he had wondered whether he had been wise to
support Thea’s desperate cries not to allow Rupert to see her in
such a way, especially now that she was scarred for life and unable
to walk again. John’s own personal need not to distress Thea any
further had driven him to accommodate her wishes. However, he
couldn’t help but wonder where the couple would be now if Rupert
had been allowed to see Thea. She may have found the happiness that
had so far eluded her and Rupert would most probably never have
joined the army, or gone on to work with the Star Elite.
    John had
enough contacts in Whitehall to know that all of the men of the
Star Elite were held in the highest esteem and had a reputation for
dealing with matters not only discretely, but with diligence,
attention to detail and ruthless efficiency. There wasn’t anyone in
the War Office who wouldn’t move heaven and earth to provide the
men with anything they asked for.
    He
couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if he gave Thea and
Rupert a little nudge in the right direction. Rupert’s interest in
Thea was evident given the speed of his questions about her, and
the intent look in his eyes while he waited for an
answer.
    “ Are you busy for a while?” John asked as he watched a
carriage pull to a stop directly in front of him and glanced over
at the man who should have been his family by now.
    “ No, I was just heading back to my lodgings for the
night.”
    “ Why don’t you come back to Ridings with me? I have a few
things I need to discuss with you.”
    It is about time she joined life again , John thought to himself as he climbed into the carriage and
settled down against the squabs. He didn’t need to look behind him
to know that Rupert had climbed into the carriage as well and