by Dawn Brower
“Negative, my lord.” James pulled his rifle up and started shooting. A couple of Germans hit the ground. He was good at soldiering. The private had made a good choice by becoming a professional. “I have other orders.”
Ash turned sharply and stared at him. “What orders.”
“Major-General said to ensure you made it back alive.” The private shot off some more rounds. “He’s a friend of your father’s.”
Even from the grave his father controlled his life. Ash had signed up to be a spy, and he damn well didn’t need anyone making decisions for him. The Major-General had been so insistent on James coming with him. He’d stupidly thought that the reason had been for his recall, but he didn’t need that much detail to defeat the Germans. The intelligence Ash gathered would have been enough. “Go,” Ash ordered. “I outrank you, and you will follow my order.”
James continued to ignore him. Ash would have to take a drastic action to make him. He stepped out from behind the tree and started shooting. It was probably stupid, but it had the desired effect. Of course, it would probably have helped if he hadn’t managed to take a bullet to the shoulder.
“Don’t be foolish,” James said. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“It’s my decision to make.” Another bullet grazed by him, this time hitting his right leg. “Now listen to me and go.” He’d be taken prisoner, but it would be worth it if James made it back to base. That was the last memory he had before something hit him in the head and everything went black.
Catherine strolled into the embassy without anyone paying her any mind. She’d come back for two reasons. One was to see if Ash had written to her. While she was there, she’d leave a forwarding address in case she received any letters, but she hoped that at least one letter already awaited her. Catherine was desperate to hear from Ash, and she didn’t know how she’d react if she didn’t receive any news soon.
“Lady Catherine,” a male called to her. She turned to find the ambassador heading toward her. “It’s good to see you back here. Sir Benjamin has been worried about you.”
“I’m fine.” Those two words made her sound bland and almost—uninterested. Probably because she didn’t care what her guardian thought. He’d never shown much emotion toward her or understood what she truly needed. “No one should concern themselves with my welfare. I can take care of myself.”
“But you shouldn’t have to, my dear,” he said quietly. “A lady of quality should be pampered. This war is going to leave a stain on everyone involved. Once it touches you, there is no going back.”
It was already too late for second thoughts. She’d seen too much, and her heart had been shattered a thousand times over. Injured soldiers kept pouring into the hospital—each one more devastating than the last. She couldn’t tell the ambassador that though. He’d press even harder to make her stay at the embassy. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that she had never felt as she belonged there. Her place in the world wasn’t to be a coddled lady of society. She had gifts that could help people. Catherine met his gaze and didn’t waver one second as she said, “I’ll keep that in mind.”
“So, you’ll stay?”
Where in that sentence had she’d given him the impression she would do that? “No, sir,” she answered. “I’m here for some of my belongings and my cat.”
“You can leave Merlin here. He’s safe.”
She hadn’t realized he’d even known her cat’s name. “I’d prefer he stayed with me.” Merlin was one of her comforts, and she needed him. Otherwise she’d never survive working at the hospital. “Have I received any correspondence while I’ve been away?”
He shook his head. “No. We’re you expecting something?”
Catherine sighed. “Hoping would be more accurate. I’ll make sure to leave my forwarding address when I’m done.” Where was Ash? Would he write to her, and when would she see him again? She couldn’t help but worry about him. He’d come to mean a lot to her in a short time, and she couldn’t stop thinking about his kiss goodbye. That one action had changed her feelings for him, and she couldn’t help wishing circumstances had been different. That war hadn’t become a part of her life. “If you’ll excuse me, I still have to gather my personal belongings.” She turned to leave, but the ambassador placed his hand on her shoulder.
“You can return any time. Don’t feel like you have to be alone.” His voice held a tinge of kindness in it. He was a good man. “It’s safe here.”
It might be that, but it wasn’t home. Until she could return to England she had to discover her place in the world and who she wanted to be. She couldn’t do that as long as she lived at the embassy. The men that lived inside there would never allow her to explore what she needed to. There was one place where she could do that. Catherine didn’t respond or tell him any of that. Instead, she kept walking and went to her chambers at the embassy. While there, she packed the rest of the items she wanted to keep with her in a small satchel. She grabbed Merlin and put him in the custom-designed carrier. Then she left the embassy and started the long trek back to the hospital.
The doctor had given her permission to bring Merlin to the hospital. She’d assured him the cat wouldn’t be in the way. For the most part, that was the truth. He was an intelligent kitty and listened to her. Every now and then he would be mischievous though. When she reached the hospital, she went to her small room there and left her satchel on the tiny cot. After that she freed Merlin from the carrier.
Shouts started to echo through the corridor. Catherine exited her room and ran to the main hall. A soldier entered the room with another man draped over his shoulder. The man seemed exhausted, but he somehow managed to stand upright. “You have to help him,” the man begged.
Catherine glanced at the man he carried. He didn’t wear a soldier’s uniform. He had on plain black pants and a white shirt covered by a black jacket. His boots looked fine and well made. His blond hair had been stained with blood. In fact, there was blood all over him, leaving him unrecognizable. “He appears gravely injured.”
“He’s been shot several times. Bloody fool tried to be a hero.” The man carried him farther into the room. “Where can I set him down.”
Catherine gestured toward a nearby bed. A doctor rushed by her as the soldier set the man down. She wanted to examine him because something about him seemed familiar. The doctor would do a thorough examination.
“Will he be all right?”
She’d forgotten about the soldier. “We will do the best we can.” Catherine placed a hand on his shoulder. “What’s your name?”
“Private James, my lady,” he replied. How had he known she wasn’t a mere miss? Catherine studied him curiously… The soldier gestured toward the man on the bed. “He can’t die. The Major-General insisted I protect him, but he wouldn’t listen to me. Stubborn idiot…”
Catherine kept her focus on the private. He was agitated, and it flowed into her. Her defenses were down, and she couldn’t shake them. He’d need some calming before she could turn her attention to their new patient. “Do you have a first name, private?” Everyone did, but it gave him something else to concentrate on.
“Samuel,” he replied almost absentmindedly. “Help him please. I’ll be fine.”
Catherine would help the doctor. The man on the bed was seriously injured and he’d need her to assist. “I’ll go to him in a minute.” She smiled at the private. “Samuel,” she started. “Why don’t I show you someplace you can wait and maybe get a bite to eat. Your friend will be in good hands, I promise.”
“He asked me to bring him here.” He seemed almost crazed. “The one time he became conscious he begged me to drag him here if necessary.”
That seemed odd, but maybe the other man had a reason she wasn’t aware of. “Come with me,” she coaxed. “It’s warm in the kitchen, and you can rest. I’m sure it was a difficult journey.” The soldier followed her, but he seemed reluctant to leave his friend behind. Somehow, they made it to the kitchen where th
e cook set a plate on the table for the private.
“He asked for you,” he insisted. Private James didn’t touch his food. “You’re Lady Catherine, are you not?”
That jolted her. How could he possibly have known that? “I don’t understand.”
“I had to ask around as we headed here. He didn’t know you would be here specifically, but he wanted you.”
Catherine stared at him in horror. The blond hair… She didn’t ask him again. She bolted from the room on a dead run. Ash was on that cot, and she hadn’t recognized him. He’d been covered in blood. Oh, God…
Chapter 7
The absence of sound seemed impossible, but somehow none existed. Her heart beat heavily inside of her chest and the pounding could be heard hammering in her eardrums. That steady rhythm surrounded her, and nothing but it continued, and even that couldn’t be truly heard. Her surroundings blurred, and she could barely tell what part of the hospital she was in. She had to get to the infirmary and check on Ash. Catherine had never run so fast in her life. She rounded a corner and slid into the wall, banging her head on the hard surface. Catherine barely registered the pain before she brushed it off and headed down the long hallway to where Ash would be.
Out of breath, she paused long enough to push air into her burning lungs. She scanned the room and discovered where the doctor had moved Ash. He was on an operating table, and the doctor had a scalpel in his right hand. “Nurse,” he yelled. Another nurse came scurrying forward, but Catherine was closer. She stepped next to him and asked, “What do you need?”
“There are no exit wounds,” the doctor explained. “We need to remove the bullets. I need you to clean his head wound and wrap it. He’s already lost too much blood.” He slid the scalpel into Ash’s already torn flesh. “The other nurse can help me with the surgery.”
Catherine nodded then went to gather the necessary supplies. She scrubbed her hands in a nearby sink and then went back to take care of Ash. With extreme care, she washed away the blood that coated his face and head through his blond hair. It would need a better wash later, but for now it was enough.
She did the best she could without being able to submerge his head into the water. The wound on the side of his head was mostly superficial. A long narrow abrasion started near Ash’s forehead and stopped behind his ear. Once all the blood was wiped away, she placed a clean bandage over the wound, then cautiously wrapped his head with gauze that she tucked the end into the side to keep it secure. The task made it easier for her to not give into her panic. It also kept her focused as the surgery progressed. The doctor worked on removing the last bullet when Catherine returned her attention to it. “That’s it,” he said putting the slug into a nearby bowl. “Can you close the incision?” he asked the nurse assisting him.
“Yes, doctor,” she answered.
The doctor glanced at Catherine. “You don’t need to stay. Nurse Rachel has the rest covered.”
Catherine stared at Ash’s unconscious form. She had no intention of leaving his side. The entire time that he’d been gone she’d worried about him. A part of her believed that if she left him now something even more horrible would happen. It took everything she had inside of her not to give in the tears she barely held back. Crying wouldn’t help Ash now. He needed her strength, and she’d make sure he had every ounce she had available. Ash’s survival through this ordeal was the sole thing that mattered to her. He would live. She’d do everything in her power to ensure it. “I’ll stay,” she said her voice almost toneless. “And I’ll see him settled after.”
The doctor nodded. “All right. His belongings are by the bed he was first set on. One of the other nurses already stripped it and replaced the bedding. Someone should talk to the soldier that brought him in and find out his name and see to his items.”
“His name is Asher Rossington,” Catherine said as she met the doctor’s gaze. “He is the Marquess of Seabrook.”
“I didn’t realize you were acquainted with him.” The doctor frowned. “You should have mentioned it.”
When would she have had the chance? She hadn’t even realized who he was when Private James had brought him in. Ash had been covered in so much blood… Catherine swallowed hard, and then met the doctor’s gaze. “You never asked.” She didn’t feel like explaining all of that to him. He’d never understand the sheer desperation she’d felt when Private James stuttered out the words, proclaiming Ash’s identity. She didn’t comprehend it all herself, and once she saw Ash settled into his bed, she’d seek the private out and have him explain it all to her.
“Still…”
“It doesn’t much matter now, does it?” She lifted a brow. “I didn’t assist on his surgery, and I cared for his head wound as any nurse would have. This is war, doctor, and there is no place in it for sentimental feelings.” She could close herself off to emotion if she had to. Doing so would make it simpler for her to care for Ash, and his safety was far more important to her then her own sensibilities. He needed her, and she’d be there for him during every step of his convalescence. “If you have no other objections, I have a job to do.”
He nodded. “You’re one of the best nurses we have. He won’t find anyone better to see to his care. I’ll leave you to it.” With those final words, he walked away.
Nurse Rachel finished stitching the wounds on Ash, then placed clean bandages over them. The two of them wheeled him back to the bed, and with the assistance of another nurse, they moved him to the bed. He didn’t have any clean clothes and he was nearly naked. All he had worn was covered in blood, and they’d need to be laundered. Someone had found a pair of undershorts for him and put them on him before his surgery. Nurse Rachel pulled a blanket over Ash’s sleeping form, then she, along with the other nurse left Catherine alone with him.
She pulled a chair up to his bed and picked up his hand. “Don’t think about dying on me. Did you really have to do something so drastic to gain my attention?” Catherine wiped the tear that found a way to escape from her cheek. “Don’t you know you already had it?”
“Lady Catherine,” a male said.
She glanced up and found Private James standing at the foot of the bed. He either moved quietly, or she’d been too focused on Ash to notice. Either way, it didn’t matter. “Yes?” Her voice wobbled a little on that one word.
“Is he all right?” Private James gestured toward Ash. “He’s so white.”
“He’s going to be fine.” She refused to accept anything less. “You did good bringing him here.” Catherine met his gaze. “Tell me again how you knew who I was. I didn’t stop to ask why earlier.” She’d heard enough to realize he spoke of Ash and then took off in terror. Now that she was somewhat calm, she wanted answers.
“We were traveling together for days,” James began. “I think it disconcerted him that I don’t talk much, so he filled the silence himself.” He twisted his cap into a ball. “The Major-General was concerned for his safety. He’d been friends with his father, and Lord Seabrook is the heir.”
“What does that have to do with me?” She pushed her eyebrows together. The private had started rambling and didn’t make any sense. “You were there to protect him, and he still got shot several times.”
“I mentioned earlier how he wanted to be a hero or something.” He shrugged, nonplussed by her accusations regarding his ability to protect Asher. “He can be—stubborn. After he fell, I managed to drag him to some bushes and camouflage our position until the Germans gave up looking for us. I had to stay immobile for hours…” He blew out a breath. “While I sat there praying we’d stay hidden and that he lived, I remembered him talking about you. He’d described you in detail, and it’s clear he loves you. Though he thought you’d be at the embassy—I think he hoped you were, actually. I’ve never been here, and I didn’t know where the embassy was located. He should have gone to a hospital first, but he begged me to take him to see you.”
James swallowed hard and didn’t meet her gaze. He seemed almost embarr
assed. “Lord Seabrook thought he was dying and wanted to be with you when he drew his last breath. I found a horse and used it to carry him to the edge of Paris. I ran into a troop heading to the trenches, and they directed me to the hospital. Apparently, you leave an impression on anyone injured. One of the soldiers—a Lieutenant Williams—told me you were at this hospital. You stitched a minor wound on his shoulder before he was sent back to his regiment.”
Private James didn’t speak much, but when he did it all spilled out like one long monologue of information. She’d had questions, and he had managed to fill in all of the blanks in one full swoosh. “Thank you,” Catherine said quietly. “For keeping him safe and bringing him to me. You don’t have to worry about him anymore. I’ll make sure he’s taken care of. Don’t you need to give a report to the Major-General?”
“I’m afraid to,” he admitted. “He won’t be happy that Lord Seabrook almost died.” He put the mangled cap in his hand back on his head. “But you’re right. The Major-General will want a report.” James gestured toward Ash. “He wrote some notes down. I should bring those to him.”
Catherine hadn’t found time to go through Ash’s belongings. She glanced at the basket at the side of his bed. The pockets would need to be emptied before they washed his clothes. “I’ll see if I can find it.” She picked up his jacket and started going through the pockets. First, she found a switchblade and a badly sharpened pencil. She set those down in the basket and then pulled out a small leather-bound notebook. “Is this it?”
He nodded. “I need the notes about the enemy encampment and his report.” She handed him the book. He opened it and scanned the first few pages and ripped them out. Private James frowned and gave it back to her. “The last one is addressed to you.”
“It is?” She flipped it open and pressed her hand to her chest. Tears threatened to fall again, and she was almost afraid to read the words he’d written.