so.”
“Tepper. Of course, now it comes back to me now. I haven't been here for that long, but he had a way with gowns. It's a shame. I don't know if he'll be returning. Whether he closed because of the havoc or left for good.” Hannah poured herself a cup and took a sip. She looked over questionably to the Lieutenant. “You don't think he could've been arrested? Oh, perish the thought. No, he couldn't have been I'm sure.”
“I wouldn't worry, Miss Corbett,” Lieutenant Fletcher said. “I will look into it for you ladies. It won't be a trouble.”
“Thank you so much, Lieutenant Fletcher—”
“Simon, please,” he interrupted.
“Simon, what a strong name,” Hannah added. “I do so want to hear of your home. I have heard so much about England.”
* * * *
Three days later, Lieutenant Fletcher dropped by unexpectedly. Hannah, taken by surprise, hurriedly adjusted her dress and her hair in the mirror. She rushed down the stairs, followed by Camilla. He sat within the sitting room, looking quite proud of himself.
“Good morning, Simon. What a pleasant surprise,” Hannah greeted him.
“It's my hope that I have another surprise that you will find pleasing,” he said, taking the back of her hand and kissed it. Hannah smiled. She saw it within his eyes. She had Tepper back.
* * * *
“I knew you had it within you.”
“I didn't do much, Tepper. Lieutenant Fletcher extended me a favor. He acted on his own accord having you paroled,” Hannah responded, although she had been ecstatic upon seeing him once more. She watched him read over the notes she had taken during their time apart.
“You've impressed me, child,” he said, sounding delighted. In the midst of defeat, he emerged from the ashes that were left. He pushed his spectacles upon his forehead. “Excellent. Detailed. If you have this kind of access, I believe you can obtain more.”
“What exactly do you want me to do?” She stood at the window and glanced back over at him questionably. “It was in truth a series of fortunate events that led you back here, Tepper.”
“Ah, but it's what you made of them, my dear,” he said as he crossed over behind his desk to a hidden compartment. “If you can get closer, get hold of written plans, attacks. Hannah, it could be yours for the taking. You have been accepted within their circle without question.”
“I'm not so sure about that,” Hannah stared back out the window.
“How can you not? Didn’t Lieutenant Fletcher drop you off a few minutes ago?” he shot back. “You will find there is much men will do to impress you.”
She swallowed hard.
He shook his head. “Don't feel guilty, my dear. Remember why you came here. Remember why we fight.”
She turned back to face him. “I'm afraid I don’t have the confidence you do. Colonel Durham has a manner about him. He has pressed me on more than one occasion why I'm still here. I don't think he believes me helpless. Camilla said that Sergeant Wright said he was keeping an eye on me. He has left at the present, but, Tepper, he makes me uncomfortable.”
“Hannah,” he said as walked over to her. He studied her for a moment. “You can't get anywhere without reaching for it. We have a job to do. This man stands in your way. He has his job, you have yours. The difference is you know what he does, he isn't sure about you. Play him if he's attentive. Use him. Don't back away.”
A look of trepidation swept across her face, which he had no trouble reading. If he had a conscience about the position he placed her in, he didn't show it. “I see in your eyes he is pressing you. You're afraid he is trying to bed you?”
Shocked at his frankness, Hannah couldn't respond, but her silence gave her answer.
“Again, I have to stress upon you the importance of remaining in control, no matter the situation. The British are arrogant in their ways. They play down society's rules to suit themselves. You have to consider him an obstacle
“Tepper. Of course, now it comes back to me now. I haven't been here for that long, but he had a way with gowns. It's a shame. I don't know if he'll be returning. Whether he closed because of the havoc or left for good.” Hannah poured herself a cup and took a sip. She looked over questionably to the Lieutenant. “You don't think he could've been arrested? Oh, perish the thought. No, he couldn't have been I'm sure.”
“I wouldn't worry, Miss Corbett,” Lieutenant Fletcher said. “I will look into it for you ladies. It won't be a trouble.”
“Thank you so much, Lieutenant Fletcher—”
“Simon, please,” he interrupted.
“Simon, what a strong name,” Hannah added. “I do so want to hear of your home. I have heard so much about England.”
* * * *
Three days later, Lieutenant Fletcher dropped by unexpectedly. Hannah, taken by surprise, hurriedly adjusted her dress and her hair in the mirror. She rushed down the stairs, followed by Camilla. He sat within the sitting room, looking quite proud of himself.
“Good morning, Simon. What a pleasant surprise,” Hannah greeted him.
“It's my hope that I have another surprise that you will find pleasing,” he said, taking the back of her hand and kissed it. Hannah smiled. She saw it within his eyes. She had Tepper back.
* * * *
“I knew you had it within you.”
“I didn't do much, Tepper. Lieutenant Fletcher extended me a favor. He acted on his own accord having you paroled,” Hannah responded, although she had been ecstatic upon seeing him once more. She watched him read over the notes she had taken during their time apart.
“You've impressed me, child,” he said, sounding delighted. In the midst of defeat, he emerged from the ashes that were left. He pushed his spectacles upon his forehead. “Excellent. Detailed. If you have this kind of access, I believe you can obtain more.”
“What exactly do you want me to do?” She stood at the window and glanced back over at him questionably. “It was in truth a series of fortunate events that led you back here, Tepper.”
“Ah, but it's what you made of them, my dear,” he said as he crossed over behind his desk to a hidden compartment. “If you can get closer, get hold of written plans, attacks. Hannah, it could be yours for the taking. You have been accepted within their circle without question.”
“I'm not so sure about that,” Hannah stared back out the window.
“How can you not? Didn’t Lieutenant Fletcher drop you off a few minutes ago?” he shot back. “You will find there is much men will do to impress you.”
She swallowed hard.
He shook his head. “Don't feel guilty, my dear. Remember why you came here. Remember why we fight.”
She turned back to face him. “I'm afraid I don’t have the confidence you do. Colonel Durham has a manner about him. He has pressed me on more than one occasion why I'm still here. I don't think he believes me helpless. Camilla said that Sergeant Wright said he was keeping an eye on me. He has left at the present, but, Tepper, he makes me uncomfortable.”
“Hannah,” he said as walked over to her. He studied her for a moment. “You can't get anywhere without reaching for it. We have a job to do. This man stands in your way. He has his job, you have yours. The difference is you know what he does, he isn't sure about you. Play him if he's attentive. Use him. Don't back away.”
A look of trepidation swept across her face, which he had no trouble reading. If he had a conscience about the position he placed her in, he didn't show it. “I see in your eyes he is pressing you. You're afraid he is trying to bed you?”
Shocked at his frankness, Hannah couldn't respond, but her silence gave her answer.
“Again, I have to stress upon you the importance of remaining in control, no matter the situation. The British are arrogant in their ways. They play down society's rules to suit themselves. You have to consider him an obstacle
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