a fever pitch. Most of the soldiers had probably forgotten her existence, but Eli Cooper, no doubt, would note her absence.
“Thank you for arranging the bath,” Alexandra said, coming to stand next to Thomas.
He looked into her eyes, and she swallowed a gasp. He had to be the most handsome man she had ever seen. His rumpled black hair framed a face rough with a new beard. Her breath caught, and a knot settled into the pit of her stomach as his lips softened into a slight smile, and his eyes sparkled like a dark blue sky at dusk.
“I am delighted to be of service,” he said. “I only hope you can forgive me for all the hardship I’ve put you through.”
“I will try to forgive you, even though I did have to haul all those buckets of water without any help.”
Thomas laughed, and years vanished from his face. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back? It isn’t too late for me to arrange it.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” Not only did she have a message to deliver, but she was loath to leave Thomas’s company. “Your water is getting cold,” she said, turning toward the door.
“You have to stay,” Thomas said, suddenly serious again.
“But I can’t. It wouldn’t be proper.”
“The circumstances are hardly proper. Wait here in the chair as I did.” His tone allowed no denial.
She knew he was right. Eli Cooper lurked about, questioning her whereabouts. Being cooped up in this room with Thomas was torture. Already her hands trembled, and her thoughts whirled about.
“No, I think I’ll wait in the sitting room. You won’t be long.”
He appeared at her side and grabbed her arm. She gasped.
“You don’t seem to realize the danger you’re in. Besides being a woman alone in the midst of lonely soldiers, your grandfather is suspected of treason. What do you think that does to your safety? Your disguise is paramount. Please help me maintain it.”
With tears stinging her eyes, she nodded, and he released her. His expression softened. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I just don’t want to place you in danger.”
“It’s all right. I understand,” she said, her eyes downcast as she moved to sit in the chair. ****
Thomas undressed and stepped into the lukewarm water. Even though he would have preferred it to be hot, bathing in the same water Alexandra had was…intimate. Sighing, he glanced in her direction. The girl was going to send him to the insane asylum.
Heaven knew he didn’t enjoy being stern with her. In fact, he dreaded it. Having her there in the bedroom swiped all logical thought from his head, leaving his insides aching with desire. Having to feign nonchalance required every ounce of selfdiscipline he could muster. There had to be a way to get her out of here without being detected. And he needed to get that bloodhound Eli off her trail.
“How do you plan to get us out of here?” she asked.
“We’ll think of something,” he said, stepping out of the tub. He wiped the towel along his body and hair.
After dressing and putting Alexandra’s hat on her head to hide her wet hair, Thomas went out the front door to inquire about his cousin Sammy’s whereabouts.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Eli Cooper said. “I’ve been looking for him, but he’s disappeared.”
“He’s got to be somewhere around here,” Thomas said. “Don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
Looking in the direction of the woods, Thomas paced behind the house. Just as he had predicted, Eli followed along behind him.
“There he is!” Eli announced.
Turning, Thomas spotted Alexandra lounging in a rocker on the back porch and tried not to smile. She resembled a boy at the moment.
“Where have you been?” Eli asked, approaching her.
“I went for a walk,” Sammy said.
“Don’t you know there is work to do around here?”
“Cooper,” Thomas interrupted, “as I said before, I’ll handle my cousin.”
“What if he goes running off again in the middle of the night and attracts
“Thank you for arranging the bath,” Alexandra said, coming to stand next to Thomas.
He looked into her eyes, and she swallowed a gasp. He had to be the most handsome man she had ever seen. His rumpled black hair framed a face rough with a new beard. Her breath caught, and a knot settled into the pit of her stomach as his lips softened into a slight smile, and his eyes sparkled like a dark blue sky at dusk.
“I am delighted to be of service,” he said. “I only hope you can forgive me for all the hardship I’ve put you through.”
“I will try to forgive you, even though I did have to haul all those buckets of water without any help.”
Thomas laughed, and years vanished from his face. “Are you sure you don’t want to go back? It isn’t too late for me to arrange it.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” Not only did she have a message to deliver, but she was loath to leave Thomas’s company. “Your water is getting cold,” she said, turning toward the door.
“You have to stay,” Thomas said, suddenly serious again.
“But I can’t. It wouldn’t be proper.”
“The circumstances are hardly proper. Wait here in the chair as I did.” His tone allowed no denial.
She knew he was right. Eli Cooper lurked about, questioning her whereabouts. Being cooped up in this room with Thomas was torture. Already her hands trembled, and her thoughts whirled about.
“No, I think I’ll wait in the sitting room. You won’t be long.”
He appeared at her side and grabbed her arm. She gasped.
“You don’t seem to realize the danger you’re in. Besides being a woman alone in the midst of lonely soldiers, your grandfather is suspected of treason. What do you think that does to your safety? Your disguise is paramount. Please help me maintain it.”
With tears stinging her eyes, she nodded, and he released her. His expression softened. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I just don’t want to place you in danger.”
“It’s all right. I understand,” she said, her eyes downcast as she moved to sit in the chair. ****
Thomas undressed and stepped into the lukewarm water. Even though he would have preferred it to be hot, bathing in the same water Alexandra had was…intimate. Sighing, he glanced in her direction. The girl was going to send him to the insane asylum.
Heaven knew he didn’t enjoy being stern with her. In fact, he dreaded it. Having her there in the bedroom swiped all logical thought from his head, leaving his insides aching with desire. Having to feign nonchalance required every ounce of selfdiscipline he could muster. There had to be a way to get her out of here without being detected. And he needed to get that bloodhound Eli off her trail.
“How do you plan to get us out of here?” she asked.
“We’ll think of something,” he said, stepping out of the tub. He wiped the towel along his body and hair.
After dressing and putting Alexandra’s hat on her head to hide her wet hair, Thomas went out the front door to inquire about his cousin Sammy’s whereabouts.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Eli Cooper said. “I’ve been looking for him, but he’s disappeared.”
“He’s got to be somewhere around here,” Thomas said. “Don’t worry, I’ll find him.”
Looking in the direction of the woods, Thomas paced behind the house. Just as he had predicted, Eli followed along behind him.
“There he is!” Eli announced.
Turning, Thomas spotted Alexandra lounging in a rocker on the back porch and tried not to smile. She resembled a boy at the moment.
“Where have you been?” Eli asked, approaching her.
“I went for a walk,” Sammy said.
“Don’t you know there is work to do around here?”
“Cooper,” Thomas interrupted, “as I said before, I’ll handle my cousin.”
“What if he goes running off again in the middle of the night and attracts
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