don’t want to cause any trouble.”
“Leave me be,” Alexandra demanded.
The soldier reached up, grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her from the horse.
“Let me go,” she said, hitting his hands with all her strength.
“You’re too frail to even be on a horse. What kind of sissy are you?” the soldier said, laughing at her. “You have a lot of growing up to do before you become a man,” he said, pushing her hands away.
“Let the boy go.”
The soldier released her.
Alexandra landed on her bottom with a crash.
“Eli Cooper, this is my cousin, Sammy,” Thomas said, pulling Alexandra to her feet. “He is under my protection, and I expect you to grant him the same respect you would give to me. Is that understood?”
Eli Cooper nodded but stared, a scowl on his face, as Thomas pulled Alexandra aside.
Annoyance over the sting of her backside replaced Alexandra’s amusement at the situation. Wiping the dust from her pants, she realized that this venture might not be so simple as she once believed.
“You’re not going,” Thomas said with a note of finality in his tone.
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“If you try to prevent me from going, I’ll follow along behind you and be in far more danger than under your protection,” she said, smiling at him.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Keep a low profile,” he said. “I mean it.”
Sobering her expression, Alexandra watched him walk away to initiate departure. As she turned toward the river, she silently apologized to Jeffy and prayed to the heavens above to keep him safe. She wasn’t choosing between Jeffy and Grand-père, she assured herself. Her heart twisted. How could she leave, not knowing if her brother were alive or dead?
Then Thomas appeared beside her, and she looked up, her heart heavy with regret.
“I’ve instructed two of my men to remain behind and search the river. They won’t stop until they’ve determined the whereabouts of your brother.”
Alexandra felt a shift deep inside her heart. A little fragment of pain broke free, replaced by a warm glow. Maybe he was a traitor. Maybe even a Yankee. Maybe he couldn’t be trusted.
But he kept his promise.
Chapter Five
The drizzle started in mid-afternoon then grew heavier. Her muscles ached. Her clothes stuck to her body. At first the raindrops cooled her skin; now she couldn’t stop shivering. She longed to be off the horse…anywhere. Mostly she wanted to be home in her bed.
They stayed away from the main roads and the river and traveled through the woods. No singing. No loud talking. The South crawled with Yankees.
Alexandra blinked against the rain in her eyes and looked over her shoulder for any sign that Thomas returned. He took another soldier and rode ahead for some unknown reason. They hadn’t spoken since this morning when he’d informed her that he would make sure the search for Jeffy continued. She missed him.
Even now, Eli Cooper’s eyes bore into her back—his distrust of her making her cringe. He’d been watching her all day. Perhaps he thought her a traitor; though Thomas said they were cousins. Maybe he didn’t trust Thomas.
She didn’t trust Thomas. First he showed up as a Yankee and then as one of them. Who was Thomas Munroe?
After hours of driving, and curiosity twisting her stomach in knots, Alexandra reached for the vial beneath her shirt. The wet leather strap chafed against her neck. How had Grand-père gotten so involved in the war?
The rain continued its steady downfall. Would the vial protect its contents? Eli’s eyes remained glued to her. Her hand stilled; the vial would have to wait.
Thomas’s horse appeared from around a bend in the path. A little surge of pleasure shot through her. He sat tall and straight against the torrents of rain that pushed other men back in their saddles.
He muttered something to the man in the lead position. That man passed his message to the next and so forth. When the man ahead of her received
“Leave me be,” Alexandra demanded.
The soldier reached up, grabbed her around the waist, and dragged her from the horse.
“Let me go,” she said, hitting his hands with all her strength.
“You’re too frail to even be on a horse. What kind of sissy are you?” the soldier said, laughing at her. “You have a lot of growing up to do before you become a man,” he said, pushing her hands away.
“Let the boy go.”
The soldier released her.
Alexandra landed on her bottom with a crash.
“Eli Cooper, this is my cousin, Sammy,” Thomas said, pulling Alexandra to her feet. “He is under my protection, and I expect you to grant him the same respect you would give to me. Is that understood?”
Eli Cooper nodded but stared, a scowl on his face, as Thomas pulled Alexandra aside.
Annoyance over the sting of her backside replaced Alexandra’s amusement at the situation. Wiping the dust from her pants, she realized that this venture might not be so simple as she once believed.
“You’re not going,” Thomas said with a note of finality in his tone.
“Yes, I am.”
“No.”
“If you try to prevent me from going, I’ll follow along behind you and be in far more danger than under your protection,” she said, smiling at him.
Thomas narrowed his eyes and scowled. “Keep a low profile,” he said. “I mean it.”
Sobering her expression, Alexandra watched him walk away to initiate departure. As she turned toward the river, she silently apologized to Jeffy and prayed to the heavens above to keep him safe. She wasn’t choosing between Jeffy and Grand-père, she assured herself. Her heart twisted. How could she leave, not knowing if her brother were alive or dead?
Then Thomas appeared beside her, and she looked up, her heart heavy with regret.
“I’ve instructed two of my men to remain behind and search the river. They won’t stop until they’ve determined the whereabouts of your brother.”
Alexandra felt a shift deep inside her heart. A little fragment of pain broke free, replaced by a warm glow. Maybe he was a traitor. Maybe even a Yankee. Maybe he couldn’t be trusted.
But he kept his promise.
Chapter Five
The drizzle started in mid-afternoon then grew heavier. Her muscles ached. Her clothes stuck to her body. At first the raindrops cooled her skin; now she couldn’t stop shivering. She longed to be off the horse…anywhere. Mostly she wanted to be home in her bed.
They stayed away from the main roads and the river and traveled through the woods. No singing. No loud talking. The South crawled with Yankees.
Alexandra blinked against the rain in her eyes and looked over her shoulder for any sign that Thomas returned. He took another soldier and rode ahead for some unknown reason. They hadn’t spoken since this morning when he’d informed her that he would make sure the search for Jeffy continued. She missed him.
Even now, Eli Cooper’s eyes bore into her back—his distrust of her making her cringe. He’d been watching her all day. Perhaps he thought her a traitor; though Thomas said they were cousins. Maybe he didn’t trust Thomas.
She didn’t trust Thomas. First he showed up as a Yankee and then as one of them. Who was Thomas Munroe?
After hours of driving, and curiosity twisting her stomach in knots, Alexandra reached for the vial beneath her shirt. The wet leather strap chafed against her neck. How had Grand-père gotten so involved in the war?
The rain continued its steady downfall. Would the vial protect its contents? Eli’s eyes remained glued to her. Her hand stilled; the vial would have to wait.
Thomas’s horse appeared from around a bend in the path. A little surge of pleasure shot through her. He sat tall and straight against the torrents of rain that pushed other men back in their saddles.
He muttered something to the man in the lead position. That man passed his message to the next and so forth. When the man ahead of her received
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