forgot the picture was in there at the moment I threw it. I was angry about something else. I regretted it the instant I remembered that their picture was in the locket," she replied.
He nodded, studying her. "Why should I get it for you?"
"I thought you wanted to be friends."
"If you're my friend, then give me the friendly kiss I asked for," he countered.
"If you're my friend, you'll get the locket for me," she said.
"Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You first."
They stood for a moment looking at each other stubbornly, locked in a silent battle of wills.
"Then we are obviously not meant to be friends," she said, breaking the deadlock.
He turned away from her and spoke without facing her. "If I were to get this locket for you," he went on, his voice quiet and with intensity she had never heard there before, "would you then become my friend?"
"Of course," she agreed eagerly.
"Don't answer me so quick, sug," he said, his voice still low and earnest. "Make sure you understand what I'm really asking. Would you become my dearest, most loyal soul companion?"
This new seriousness in him frightened her. Why was this so important to him? "I could promise you that I would sincerely try," she replied, "to be friends, that is. I can't promise anything more than friendship."
"True friendship," he pressed. "You're sure?"
"Yes! I promise!"
A distant boom made her jump. "Another attack!" she gasped.
"Calm yourself, sug," he said. "It's only thunder."
It rained all that night but on the next day, while Jack napped, Colonel Schiller opened the bedroom door and beckoned for Emma to join him in the hallway. "You heard nothing in the marketplace the other day?" he inquired, getting directly to his point.
She hadn't, but it might help her situation to have something to tell him. "I overheard some farmers saying that the Americans are secretly sending supplies to England." Even though she was sure he already knew this, she wanted to seem compliant.
"Ach!" he scoffed. "That is not news. Tomorrow our submarine U-20 will torpedo an American cruise liner that is smuggling in arms. We know all about that!"
The news hit Emma like a punch in the stomach.
There would be innocent passengers on a cruise liner.
"Arrogant Americans," he said. "Our embassy even warned them that we're onto their tricks and we intend to torpedo the liner. Only one passenger out of over a thousand canceled his ticket. Is your husband like his countrymen, so full of foolish pride?"
"My husband is not like most Americas," she said, thinking that Jack was not like anybody she'd ever met.
"I suppose you think he's special just because he is your husband."
"Perhaps," she agreed just to be polite. "I'm sorry the news isn't valuable to you. I am not really up on world events or political issues."
He looked her over and nodded. "That is not surprising in one so lovely as you. In the future, tell me all that you hear and I will decide what is important. You've done well enough for your first trip out."
"I'm glad," she said as sweetly as she could manage. "Do you think I might take a walk just around the outside of the estate? It's such a beautiful day, and I would love some air."
"There are guards all around the property. It will do you no good to attempt to escape."
"I won't. Thank you." She hurried down the hallway, grabbed her light coat from the closet, and went out. It was even warmer than the day before, perfect weather for what she intended to do.
Jack had intimated that he might go down the well to get the locket for her but he hadn't mentioned it in the last three days. She'd asked him again just that morning but he'd pretended he hadn't heard before turning his head and feigning sleep. "Will you go or won't you?" she'd demanded, shaking his shoulder.
"The time isn't right," he'd replied before shutting his eyes again.
If he wouldn't go down the well to search for her locket, who needed him? She'd do it herself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A
He nodded, studying her. "Why should I get it for you?"
"I thought you wanted to be friends."
"If you're my friend, then give me the friendly kiss I asked for," he countered.
"If you're my friend, you'll get the locket for me," she said.
"Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You first."
They stood for a moment looking at each other stubbornly, locked in a silent battle of wills.
"Then we are obviously not meant to be friends," she said, breaking the deadlock.
He turned away from her and spoke without facing her. "If I were to get this locket for you," he went on, his voice quiet and with intensity she had never heard there before, "would you then become my friend?"
"Of course," she agreed eagerly.
"Don't answer me so quick, sug," he said, his voice still low and earnest. "Make sure you understand what I'm really asking. Would you become my dearest, most loyal soul companion?"
This new seriousness in him frightened her. Why was this so important to him? "I could promise you that I would sincerely try," she replied, "to be friends, that is. I can't promise anything more than friendship."
"True friendship," he pressed. "You're sure?"
"Yes! I promise!"
A distant boom made her jump. "Another attack!" she gasped.
"Calm yourself, sug," he said. "It's only thunder."
It rained all that night but on the next day, while Jack napped, Colonel Schiller opened the bedroom door and beckoned for Emma to join him in the hallway. "You heard nothing in the marketplace the other day?" he inquired, getting directly to his point.
She hadn't, but it might help her situation to have something to tell him. "I overheard some farmers saying that the Americans are secretly sending supplies to England." Even though she was sure he already knew this, she wanted to seem compliant.
"Ach!" he scoffed. "That is not news. Tomorrow our submarine U-20 will torpedo an American cruise liner that is smuggling in arms. We know all about that!"
The news hit Emma like a punch in the stomach.
There would be innocent passengers on a cruise liner.
"Arrogant Americans," he said. "Our embassy even warned them that we're onto their tricks and we intend to torpedo the liner. Only one passenger out of over a thousand canceled his ticket. Is your husband like his countrymen, so full of foolish pride?"
"My husband is not like most Americas," she said, thinking that Jack was not like anybody she'd ever met.
"I suppose you think he's special just because he is your husband."
"Perhaps," she agreed just to be polite. "I'm sorry the news isn't valuable to you. I am not really up on world events or political issues."
He looked her over and nodded. "That is not surprising in one so lovely as you. In the future, tell me all that you hear and I will decide what is important. You've done well enough for your first trip out."
"I'm glad," she said as sweetly as she could manage. "Do you think I might take a walk just around the outside of the estate? It's such a beautiful day, and I would love some air."
"There are guards all around the property. It will do you no good to attempt to escape."
"I won't. Thank you." She hurried down the hallway, grabbed her light coat from the closet, and went out. It was even warmer than the day before, perfect weather for what she intended to do.
Jack had intimated that he might go down the well to get the locket for her but he hadn't mentioned it in the last three days. She'd asked him again just that morning but he'd pretended he hadn't heard before turning his head and feigning sleep. "Will you go or won't you?" she'd demanded, shaking his shoulder.
"The time isn't right," he'd replied before shutting his eyes again.
If he wouldn't go down the well to search for her locket, who needed him? She'd do it herself.
CHAPTER TWELVE
A
Similar Books
