Chapter Five
She was brought out of her reminiscence by the sound of an incoming call on her mobile.
"Hello," she said identifying the number as that of the South Yorkshire police department.
"Ms Summers, Michael Clarke speaking. I just received a call from your neighbour stating that there had been a burglary attempt at your house last night at 2 am approximately. Thankfully, your neighbours raised an alarm as others too came rushing out of their houses and the burglars escaped," he informed as Brittany mumbled inaudibly.
"What could they possibly want?" She asked.
"Beats me. Do you have any valuables in the house?" He asked.
"No, nothing," She confirmed him.
"Good. We have sealed the house and commissioned a plainclothes police officer in front of your house to catch the burglar red-handed," he said as Brittany breathed a sigh of relief.
"Do I need to come down?" She asked.
"No, once the post mortem reports are ready, we will call you," he said and hung up.
Distressed, she freshened up and went downstairs to search for uncle Rob. Sitting at the breakfast table, uncle Rob was having an animated conversation with him. The man with baby blue eyes. As she approached, they both looked up.
"Brits, come and have breakfast," said uncle Rob as her eyes travelled towards the handsome man sitting beside her uncle, watching her with his intense gaze. "Oh, meet Lucas, he was the one who saved you, ten years ago, if you remember," said uncle Rob.
"Yeah, I remember," said Brittany as her cheeks coloured at the memory. She couldn't hold his gaze any longer. Looking away she remembered the reason why she was looking for her uncle.
"Uncle Rob, I wanted to talk to you," she said hesitantly.
"Tell me dear. Oh, don't mind him. He's family. He knows it all," her uncle said as she hesitated further. She was a private and shy girl, always kept her problems to herself. So, suddenly she couldn't bring herself to speak about the phone call in front of Lucas and his piercing baby blue eyes.
"Y'all carry on, I was fixin to leave. The barn won't look after itself," he said as uncle Rob chuckled and Lucas walked out through the back door yelling at Briar, her cousin.
"Bri, ya comin?" He said as Briar came rushing out of the kitchen with a plastic box full of sandwiches.
Once they were out of sight, uncle Rob turned to her,"Tell me what's wrong," he asked.
She told him about the phone call from the south Yorkshire police department.
"If Harold was behind the murder, he already had dad's shares. Why would he plan a burglary?" She asked him.
"Maybe the two cases aren't connected. Maybe it was just a petty theft planned since the house was deserted," suggested her uncle.
"Let's see what the police find out. If there is a repeat burglary attempt, they will get the man this time," he said as Brittany nodded and got up to get coffee for herself.
Taking her coffee, she went outside to the backyard where a small trail led to a small pristine water body. She sat down on it's grassy bank sipping her coffee, thinking about what uncle Rob told her. She had a feeling that the murder and the burglary were related. It wasn't a small theft. It was a hunt for something that was worth the trouble. But what exactly? She had no idea.
She thought about her father's important documents that she sorted. Was there anything so important that she missed? No, apart from the house documents, all others were normal bills, and medical records and identifications. So did Harold want the property papers?
"You broke your promise," someone said, close to her ear as she jumped up in surprise, clutching her heart as Lucas chuckled, standing to his full height of 6ft 3 inches, towering over her 5 ft 7 inches delicate frame.
"Don't do that, you scared me," she told him as he nodded.
" I'm sorry, but you did break your promise," he said as Brittany looked into his eyes, they held a sadness that he tried to hide.
" I didn't want to break it," she said softly.
"Then why didn't you come? I've waited every year for you," he said as Brittany simply stared at him not knowing what to say.
"My dad, my family didn't want to come," she said, suddenly realising that it was in past tense as she had no family now. "They're no more, so I'm here," she said as a tear trickled down her cheek. She didn't know why she felt so choked with unshed tears. She didn't cry when it all happened, she didn't cry when she arranged the funeral, she didn't cry during the burial, she didn't cry when she saw her grandma, then why now?
"I'm sorry Brittany, believe me I know how you feel. I felt the same ten years back," he said as he held her hand, his thumb caressing her hand.
" I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise," she said as more tears fell.
"Hey, it's ok. I don't blame you, darlin," he said as he pulled her into his arms, her hands going around his torso as she cried for the first time onto his shirt, drenching it with so much pent up feelings.
She didn't know how long she stood there crying in his arms, he tightened his arms around her, supporting her, holding her till all her pent up emotions and tears had completely been vented.
"I'm sorry Lucas, I drenched you," she said as she touched his wet shirt.
"It's only water, it'll dry up." He said as she looked here and there, unable to meet his eyes. It was so embarrassing that she had to cry all over him. What he might've been thinking of her?
He held her chin and made her look at him,"I'm glad that you opened up to me. If you ever need me, I'm always there for you. Ok?" He said as he stared at her upturned face longingly. His eyes going from her eyes to her plump pink lips. How he dreamt of kissing her, every moment after she'd left.
She blushed at his appraisal, "Yeah," she said as she picked up her coffee cup, ready to return back for breakfast. "Are you coming?" She asked as he quirked an eyebrow.
"Will you miss me if I don't?" He asked.
"Why should I?" She said walking ahead.
"I've a fencing to fix, go on and have breakfast," he said casually walking to his stallion, mounting effortlessly and galloping away.
