it, he swung his horse around and bypassed her. Thomas gazed in her direction but didn’t approach her.
She fought the urge to forego her charade and go to him.
The rain let up as they continued to trample through the woods for what seemed like another hour. The sun began its drop below the trees, creating shadows, when they gathered around an abandoned farmhouse and set up camp.
“Sammy,” Thomas commanded, “heat some water and haul it inside for the bathtub.”
Alexandra jerked up her chin and almost smiled. A bath would be the most wonderful thing in the world right now.
“I’m going to take a bath,” Thomas continued.
Alexandra’s elation shattered. Thomas wanted the bath for himself.
What an insensitive cad!
She glanced at Eli Cooper, watching this reaction.
Damn, I’d like to tell Thomas what I think about his boorish manners!
Seething all the while, she procured an iron cauldron and placed it over a fire that one of the men prepared. One by one, she carried buckets of steaming water into the house and poured them into the wooden tub lined with metal. The house was simple and small, but someone had taken the care to hang lacy curtains and needlepoint on the wall. Everything was in its place. It looked as though the home’s inhabitants had fled to a safer place with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The tub full, she stood staring down at the inviting water. Her muscles cramped; she nearly collapsed . I hope you enjoy your damned bath.
As she moved through the house toward the front door to inform Thomas that the tub awaited him, she rounded the corner and stopped inches from slamming into him. Her pulse raced at the near contact.
“I’ll watch the door. Just don’t be too long,” he said, looking over his shoulder.
“What?”
“Go. Take your bath.”
“But I thought—”
“What am I going to do? Try explaining why my little cousin gets better treatment than any of them? Go.”
Alexandra admitted to herself that he had a point. She closed the bedroom door behind her. She’d been so angry, she hadn’t noticed that Thomas brought her second set of clothing in and laid it out to dry. Stripping, she stepped into the hot water and lay back with a sigh. The unscented soap made her feel cleaner than ever before. As she washed, the soap lathered up. Bubbles popped around her.
She rinsed her hair, and Thomas burst into the room and locked the door behind him. She gasped.
“Shhh. Someone’s coming,” he said, one hand in front of him, palm down, the other flat against the door as though to keep anyone out.
She darted a glance right then left for a towel, but it lay three feet away on the washstand. Thomas, however, stared toward the window, its curtain blocking his view.
“Captain Munroe? ” Eli’s voice .
Thomas backed up to stand in front of the tub, so his voice wouldn’t give him away.
“What is it?”
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but the sky’s about to open up. The men want to know if we can sleep inside tonight?”
“No, I won’t have the lot of you destroying this house. You’ll sleep in your tents like the soldiers you are.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Sorry to bother you.”
Eli mumbled, and the thud of his footsteps decreased in intensity. The door slammed.
“You can’t blame them,” Thomas said. “Some of them haven’t had the comforts of home in two years.”
Alexandra sat silently huddled in the tub, afraid to call attention to herself. His eyes on the far wall, Thomas picked up her towel and handed it to her.
“I’ll keep my back turned. Dry off so I can get into the tub and take a quick bath.”
He did as he promised, pulling a chair up to the fireplace and sitting with his back to her. Nonetheless, she swiped the towel over her wet skin and pulled on her damp, but clean, clothes. She darted a glance around the room, looking for an escape route. The thought of remaining there while Thomas bathed heated her cheeks, he r bod y , to
She fought the urge to forego her charade and go to him.
The rain let up as they continued to trample through the woods for what seemed like another hour. The sun began its drop below the trees, creating shadows, when they gathered around an abandoned farmhouse and set up camp.
“Sammy,” Thomas commanded, “heat some water and haul it inside for the bathtub.”
Alexandra jerked up her chin and almost smiled. A bath would be the most wonderful thing in the world right now.
“I’m going to take a bath,” Thomas continued.
Alexandra’s elation shattered. Thomas wanted the bath for himself.
What an insensitive cad!
She glanced at Eli Cooper, watching this reaction.
Damn, I’d like to tell Thomas what I think about his boorish manners!
Seething all the while, she procured an iron cauldron and placed it over a fire that one of the men prepared. One by one, she carried buckets of steaming water into the house and poured them into the wooden tub lined with metal. The house was simple and small, but someone had taken the care to hang lacy curtains and needlepoint on the wall. Everything was in its place. It looked as though the home’s inhabitants had fled to a safer place with little more than the clothes on their backs.
The tub full, she stood staring down at the inviting water. Her muscles cramped; she nearly collapsed . I hope you enjoy your damned bath.
As she moved through the house toward the front door to inform Thomas that the tub awaited him, she rounded the corner and stopped inches from slamming into him. Her pulse raced at the near contact.
“I’ll watch the door. Just don’t be too long,” he said, looking over his shoulder.
“What?”
“Go. Take your bath.”
“But I thought—”
“What am I going to do? Try explaining why my little cousin gets better treatment than any of them? Go.”
Alexandra admitted to herself that he had a point. She closed the bedroom door behind her. She’d been so angry, she hadn’t noticed that Thomas brought her second set of clothing in and laid it out to dry. Stripping, she stepped into the hot water and lay back with a sigh. The unscented soap made her feel cleaner than ever before. As she washed, the soap lathered up. Bubbles popped around her.
She rinsed her hair, and Thomas burst into the room and locked the door behind him. She gasped.
“Shhh. Someone’s coming,” he said, one hand in front of him, palm down, the other flat against the door as though to keep anyone out.
She darted a glance right then left for a towel, but it lay three feet away on the washstand. Thomas, however, stared toward the window, its curtain blocking his view.
“Captain Munroe? ” Eli’s voice .
Thomas backed up to stand in front of the tub, so his voice wouldn’t give him away.
“What is it?”
“Sorry to bother you, sir, but the sky’s about to open up. The men want to know if we can sleep inside tonight?”
“No, I won’t have the lot of you destroying this house. You’ll sleep in your tents like the soldiers you are.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Sorry to bother you.”
Eli mumbled, and the thud of his footsteps decreased in intensity. The door slammed.
“You can’t blame them,” Thomas said. “Some of them haven’t had the comforts of home in two years.”
Alexandra sat silently huddled in the tub, afraid to call attention to herself. His eyes on the far wall, Thomas picked up her towel and handed it to her.
“I’ll keep my back turned. Dry off so I can get into the tub and take a quick bath.”
He did as he promised, pulling a chair up to the fireplace and sitting with his back to her. Nonetheless, she swiped the towel over her wet skin and pulled on her damp, but clean, clothes. She darted a glance around the room, looking for an escape route. The thought of remaining there while Thomas bathed heated her cheeks, he r bod y , to
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