by Dawn Brower
He picked the ring up and held it before her. “One day, when this war is over, I want to marry you. This ring is my promise to you that I’ll always love you. It’s a symbol of our future. I need you to know that I’ll be yours for as long as I draw breath. If you should ever need me, I’ll move heaven and Earth to be by your side. Ash paused a moment and then asked, “Will you wear it?”
“Yes,” she said. If he’d asked her to marry him, she’d have said yes to that too. “There’s nothing I want more than to be with you forever.”
Catherine had a lot of hopes and dreams. She’d never thought she’d find love or Asher though. He’d changed her outlook on life, and now she wanted so much more than she did before. She stared at that ring, and for the first time, she realized they might be able to have it all. He made her believe.
He pushed the ring on to her finger, then kissed her. She didn’t know what the future held, but she did realize one thing: Ash held her heart, and she believed they’d have a long life together. She had to—anything else was unacceptable.
Their time together didn’t last, and soon Ash had to leave. As he walked away, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling. Everything blurred, and everything went black. A vision of Ash dying ricocheted through her, nearly decimating her from the inside out. When she came to, she was lying on the floor and it had darkened outside. Moonlight illuminated everything. She leapt to her feet and ran up to her room. Once there, she packed a small back and donned her winter wear. She had to save Ash.
Chapter 9
February 1915
Asher rubbed his hands together, trying to ward off the bitter cold. It had seeped down to his bones and became unbearable. The barren landscape didn’t do much to help warm him. Stark trees outlined the perimeter of a large, open field. He had to cross it and move to the far end, then into the forest. If there were any snipers in the trees, he’d be a walking target that would end up dead before he made it to the other side. This was his only choice, so he’d have to stop wasting time and continue his trek.
He’d been all over the French countryside and had managed to infiltrate a German troop. He’d picked up enough German to fake his way through, but he couldn’t stay too long or they’d figure it out. When he left the camp, he’d managed to swipe their Major-General’s notebook. He couldn’t let an open field scare him. It was necessary to put as much distance between him and that troop before they caught up to him.
Ash took a step into the field and kept alert as he moved across it. His heart raced hard in his chest. He glanced left as something moved in the distance. He stilled briefly and then took off on a dead run. If someone had him in their sights, he wouldn’t make it easy for the bastard to shoot him. He’d taken enough bullets to last a lifetime. That one death scare had been enough to make him realize he wanted to live. Catherine would kill him if he managed to get wounded again. She’d given him hell when he’d awoken in the hospital. He would do anything to ensure nothing like that happened again.
Unfortunately, the very nature of his job meant he put his life on the line. The one way he could make sure he stayed safe was to resign his post. Some days, he considered doing it, but then he remembered why he’d signed up for the job. It hadn’t been because being a secret agent had been bred into him. Sure, great-grandfather Dominic had been one of the best spies in the nineteenth century, but his reasons were based on a lot more than that. He wanted to do something great for the country he loved and also protect everyone he cared about. He was good at being a spy, and Ash hoped his contribution would help end the awful war. If he could somehow stay safe for Catherine, he would. He had to stay at his post and gather all the information on the enemy he could.
When he reached the trees, he stopped and leaned against one. He fought to catch his breath. He still had another two miles to walk until he reached the base. The Major-General would be waiting for him, and he’d probably insist he bring Private James with him again. Ash had been able to slip out without him the last time, but he wouldn’t be so lucky a second time. The Major-General didn’t like sending Ash off on his own even though it made Ash’s job inherently easier when he didn’t have to worry about someone else.
After his lungs stopped burning, he started walking again. It shouldn’t take him more than a half hour to reach the camp. So far, he’d had no issues, but he didn’t want to tempt fate. He set a rapid pace and kept focused on his task. Before long, he could see the outline of white tents in the distance. Relief flooded him at the sight and he took off on a run. He couldn’t wait to unload the information and get some much-needed rest. Sleep was a luxury he didn’t manage much of.
“Halt,” someone shouted.
Ash froze in place and glanced up. A soldier balanced himself between two trees and had his rifle pointed toward him. “I’m a friendly.”
“You don’t look like one,” the soldier responded and didn’t lower his weapon. “Why should I believe you?”
He cursed under his breath because he hadn’t had time to change. In order to infiltrate the camp, he’d had to acquire the proper attire. Ash had thought his long coat would cover up the enemy uniform enough for him to slide into camp. Ash glanced down and noticed some of the buttons had come undone. He sighed. “I have some important information for Major-General Lewis. He’s expecting me.”
“Wait there for a few moments for the sentry to come by,” the soldier said. “If you’re not a spy for the Germans, he’ll escort you to the Major-General.”
Ash stayed completely still and waited for the sentry. He didn’t want to make any wrong moves and have the sniper shoot him down. There were two weapons he carried with him—a pistol he kept in his jacket and a switchblade in his pants pocket. He’d never retrieve either one of those fast enough to do anything with them. Not that he wanted to hurt the soldier, but in a war, he had to consider all options to keep himself alive.
“Lord Seabrook?”
Thank God. “Private James, it’s good to see you.”
“You know this chap?” the sniper asked. “He says he has information for Major-General Lewis.”
James stopped and glared at the soldier. “Then why the bloody hell did you leave him standing here. He’s one of the top secret agents we have working for us. Next time, don’t be an idiot.”
Ash shook his head in disbelief. “Don’t be so hard on him. He’s doing his job, and if I had been a German spy, he’d have stopped me from infiltrating the camp.” He glanced up at the soldier and nodded. “Keep doing a good job. One day you might save a life by being so cautious.”
“You’re right,” James agreed. “Come with me; I’ll take you to see the Major-General.”
Ash walked with James in to the camp. It was better if he escorted him in anyway. There might be more soldiers that questioned Ash’s loyalties, and he didn’t need to get shot by someone too green to realize he was on their side. “How have you been?”
“Would have been better if you hadn’t sneaked out without me.” He lifted his eyebrows. “You do know he’s going to lecture you about that. Hope you’re prepared.”
“He’s not my boss.” The Earl of Derby had enlisted Ash’s aid. He worked with Major-General Lewis because he controlled a large part of the British battalions. “In time, he’ll understand I work better alone.”
Ash realized he was fighting a losing battle, but he had to try. Private James would better serve his battalion as a trained soldier than as Ash’s babysitter. Maybe he should give in and let the private tag along. It might save him trouble in the long run. They reached the Major-General’s tent. Two soldiers were posted outside of it. “Gentleman,” Ash greeted him. “I need to speak with the Major-General. Can you let us pass?”
“Is that Seabrook,” the Major-General bellowed. “Let him by.”
Ash took a deep breath and then headed into the tent. James followed behind him. The meeting didn’t take too long. He handed the information over to the Major-General—after a long scolding for sneaking o
ut of camp unaccompanied. Once he agreed to not leave without Private James again, the Major-General excused him like an errant schoolboy. Ash allowed it because he needed to relax, so he wanted the meeting over as soon as possible.
Private James showed him where he could rest and provided him with a cold meal, but he was too tired to eat. He laid down and that was it—Ash fell asleep before he even realized he’d closed his eyes.
Catherine had become lost almost immediately upon entering the forest, trying to figure out which way Ash had gone. She’d traveled with a British battalion almost from the start of her journey, and she had yet to find him. It scared her that she hadn’t seen him, and she had no idea if he was still alive. That vision she had terrified her. She’d barely had time to make sure Merlin would be taken care of before she ran after him. Luckily, one of the nurses had promised to see to his care until she could return for him.
“Lady Catherine,” one of the soldiers said. “Did you say you were a nurse?”
She’d put her promise ring on a chain and wore it close to her heart. Catherine hadn’t wanted anyone to notice it and take it. When she was alone, she pulled it out and reminded herself what she was fighting for—Ash and their love. The gesture gave her hope and courage to continue on her journey. Catherine had been walking for days. The troop didn’t stop often to rest unless it neared dark, and even then, they kept going. Surely they’d stop soon. Maybe she should let them go on without her. It didn’t matter if she had their escort. They might not even be heading toward her true goal—Asher. But this soldier had asked her something that had nothing to do with that. “Yes, I am. Why do you ask?”
“One of the bloke’s thinks he might have something going on with his feet. When we stop, can you take a look at him.”
“I’d be happy to take a look.” She had a feeling she knew exactly what was wrong with the man’s feet, and it wouldn’t be pretty. There was one way to tell, and that was a full examination.
They walked for another hour until Lieutenant Wilson told everyone to make camp, but no fires. The smoke would give away their location. Catherine groaned and rubbed her fingers together. She didn’t know how much longer she could take the freezing temperatures. Her fingers and toes were constantly numb. She went to find the soldier who’d asked for her help before resting. Her body was so tired that she ached with exhaustion. If she sat first, she might not find a way to stand again.
“Hello,” she greeted him. “Who did you want me to examine?”
The soldier took him over to another man. “This is Lance-Corporal Franklin.”
“Lady Catherine.” The lance-corporal nodded at her. “You don’t have to look at them. It’s not right.”
“I’m a nurse.” She didn’t have time for the man’s sensibilities. “Forget about my status.”
He frowned. “It still doesn’t seem right.”
Catherine sighed. He wasn’t the first man to have a problem with her station in life. At least he hadn’t looked down on her because she’d been born female. “I assure you I’m well trained and can help if you’ll allow it.”
He stared at his boots then back up at her. “All right,” he finally agreed.
At least he had decided to be reasonable. She wasn’t going to fight him in order for him to allow her to glimpse at his feet. Catherine may have trained long and hard to become a nurse, but that didn’t mean she enjoyed looking at diseased flesh. At least helping others boosted her empathic side. That side of her craved healing and it was ingrained in her to do good works. “I need your feet bare.” She tapped his boots with her foot. “Take these off.”
He untied his boots and shoved them both off. Then slid off his wet socks and shook them out. His feet were swollen and blotchy. Catherine pressed her fingers to the bottom and it was cold. That wasn’t enough to make a diagnosis though. She needed more information before she could figure out what was going on with him. “Do you have tingling, itching, numbness?”
“It’s like tiny pinpricks all over my feet, and sometimes it is painful.” He gestured toward his feet. “Do you know what’s wrong with them?”
“It’s trench foot. How long have your boots and socks been this wet?”
She’d seen a lot of cases like his once the trench warfare had started. The colder and wetter it got, the worse the cases became. “A couple of weeks.”
“It’s in stage three. If you leave this untreated, you’ll lose your limbs. Skin will start to fall off, and you’ll have more pain.” She didn’t want to see that happen to him. His job as a soldier didn’t leave him room to help himself though. “You need to keep them dry and warm. Change your socks as often as you can with dry ones. When you sleep or rest, don’t keep anything on them, and equally as important keep them as clean as possible. It’ll take time, but they will heal.”
“That’s it?”
“It’s all that can be done.” She stood and patted him on the shoulder. “Now I need to rest myself. If you will excuse me.”
She didn’t give them time to respond. Catherine walked to a nearby tree, slid to the ground and leaned against it, then closed her eyes. Sleep came fast and hard. Her dreams were filled with Ash, and not all of them were pleasant…
Chapter 10
April 1915
Pain breathed through Catherine and then poured out exhaustion with every step she took. The weather had finally warmed enough to function properly. She’d lost count of how often she’d rubbed her hands together in an attempt to spread warmth through her. Nothing seemed to work, and shivering had become her constant companion.
Traveling with the soldiers through France had taught her fortitude and perseverance. Every second she was separated from Asher she feared she’d be too late to save him. It had been months already, and she still hadn’t found him. If he’d written her, she wouldn’t know, and if he returned to the hospital, he’d be angry she’d left. Somehow, she had to find him, but she had no clue how. Her visions gave her nothing to go on.
That vision plagued her. Every time she closed her eyes, it would fill her mind, and she’d stop breathing for several seconds. Watching Asher die night after night was slowly killing her. They were making their way to the Belgium border. Colonel Murphy had received orders that they were needed in Ypres. Another day and they’d reach the battle front. That part sent shivers of terror down her spine. She did hope that, somewhere along the way, she’d find Asher. He put himself in danger on a regular basis. There was a good chance he’d be near the upcoming battle that was brewing in Ypres.
“Nurse Langdon,” a soldier called to her. They had finally stopped walking, and she was grateful for it. Of course that didn’t mean she could actually rest. Her work had begun the moment the colonel had called for the soldiers to halt.
Catherine sighed and rushed to his side. “Can I help you?”
He held up his hand for her to see. Blisters covered his palm from the center down, and the skin had been rubbed raw in other places. Why did they always wait until their injuries were this bad before bringing them to her attention? When she’d first started traveling with the soldiers, they hadn’t liked having a woman with them, let alone a lady. They’d gotten over their reservations quickly and adapted to having a nurse at the ready.
She reached into her bag and pulled out her supplies. Once she realized she’d be traveling with the soldiers, she made sure to restock it as often as possible. “This is going to sting,” Catherine warned the soldier. She cleaned his hand the best she could and wrapped it. “Keep it clean. I realize that might be impossible, but try. The blisters will break at some point. In the meantime, there will be pain until it heals.”
The soldier nodded, and she moved on to the next one calling to her. She worked tirelessly, bandaging wounds of all kinds. A soldier had sliced his shoulder with his knife. She still didn’t know how he’d managed it, but didn’t bother asking for details. Catherine shook her head and silently stitched the abrasion. “Do you ever think before you do something?”
“Sometimes there isn’t much time to think. All you have left are your instincts and quick reflexes.”
“And that thought process told you to cut your shoulder?” She slid her needle into his skin. Blood spilled from the wound as she closed it with thread. She’d told herself she wasn’t going to ask, but she couldn’t help herself. “Please tell me how this happened.”
“Well,” he began. “I was at the front of the line.”
“So you had to cut any foliage away that might slow the rest down?”
He nodded. “It doesn’t happen often, but I need to have the blade handy. I went to chop a low branch and missed…”
Life with the soldiers always led to one surprise after another. They certainly kept things interesting. She didn’t mind helping them; however, they were not her main goal. “I suppose you learned a valuable lesson from this.”
“Yes,” he said. “Don’t miss.”
She chuckled as she put the last stitch in and closed it off. “That’s one way of looking at it.” Catherine washed off the wound and placed a bandage over it. “You’re done.”
“Thank you, Nurse Langdon.” The soldier stood and went to join his comrades. In a time of despair and desolation, the men found things in common and times to laugh. She envied them that.
“How are you holding up?” Colonel Murphy asked as he came to stand beside her. “You work harder than anyone here and never complain.”
“Glad to do my part,” she replied. “Someone has to look out for them.”
He nodded. “That’s supposed to be my job. Theirs is to put their lives on the line every day. They all realized, a long time ago, that each day could be their last.”
“Is that why they find things to smile about?” She glanced up at the colonel. He had sandy brown hair and hard gray eyes that screamed responsibility. “I don’t see you joining in their revelry.”