“Can you recognize anyone?” Nathaniel asked the question for the third time.
Squinting, William trailed his vision over the soldiers as they moved about, setting up tents and starting campfires. He jerked forward, raising to his elbows.
Thomas touched his arm. “What is it?”
William leaned another inch forward, the hum of excitement seeping deeper into his chest. “Jimmy Brown.” He lowered back down, speaking side to side. “Brown served under me from the time I was made Captain, but I’ve known him for even longer, almost three years.” He looked up again and spoke more to himself. “I wonder what he’s doing here?”
“Could you trust him?” Thomas asked.
“Trust him?”
Thomas tipped his head and the unspoken question sunk deep into William’s muscles. He pinned his vision on Brown once again. Tall and thin, the man—who was no more than a boy of nineteen—had long wished to return home. Army life suited him like a pan suits a fish. William put his head down and rubbed his eyes. Could he trust him? Aye. In the years William had known him, Jimmy had performed every duty, met every task with exactness, despite any inclination he may have had otherwise. Nay. William could not think of anyone he would trust more. But any contact would put them both in grave danger…
A shout rose from the boat at the shore, and the three of them lay flat against the hard ground, the loamy scent of moist leaves making William’s nose itch. He faced Nathaniel. For the first time he understood how Thomas and Nathaniel spoke so clearly with their expressions alone. The message in Nathaniel’s eyes mirrored William’s thoughts. He nodded slowly then shot Thomas a quick glance.
“I’ll return shortly.”
In a flash he was up, racing toward the far end of the camp, legs charging, lungs heaving. He slid against the base of a tree, keeping his back to the camp. His blood fired through his veins like a well-trained army. How to draw Brown from the group? He stole a glimpse behind the tree but spun back when a soldier glanced his way.
Then it came to him. This regiment wasn’t likely to know him or to even be aware that the companies to the south had been searching for him. Spies crawled back and forth along these routes like spiders. How were they to know if he was a spy…or not? He looked again and blinked, unable to discern what he saw. After another moment, his cramping muscles eased a measure of their tension as Brown and another soldier made their way toward him, gathering sticks and griping about their menial chore.
Providence at work, no doubt. Thank you, Lord.
He clicked his tongue three times. Brown looked up, expression sharp. William clicked again and both soldiers dropped the sticks.
“What was that?” the other one asked, glancing to the side and behind.
William’s pulse stormed as he peered out, snatching Brown’s attention. He put a finger at his mouth and raised a surrendering hand with the other. “Shhh!”
Brown’s entire frame jerked and his face rounded in shock. “What the devil?”
The soldier scowled. “What is it?”
Brown pointed to camp. “Go back and wait for me there.”
Jogging to the tree where William still crouched, Brown looked like a boy who’d found his lost brother. “Captain Donaldson, where have you been?”
William tugged on Brown’s arm and pulled him out of sight. He lowered his voice, indicating Brown should do the same. “Good to see you, Brown.”
He threw a glance to William’s arm. “How is your wound?” He shook his head and repeated the previous question with more strength. “Where have you been? We couldn’t find you, though of course I was pleased we couldn’t find you. I’m surprised to see you here. You know if they find you they’ll hang you.”
They’ll do more than hang me. William paused, grinning inwardly at the speed of Brown’s mouth. The boy had always been too young, too kind for the army. And certainly too trusting.
“’Tis true that I meant to be undiscovered. It was all a ruse.” William formulated the plan only one word ahead of the next. “That’s what we hoped everyone would think—what the colonists would think.” He lowered his voice and cupped Brown’s shoulder, the boy’s eyes growing wide. “I’m a spy.”
“A spy?” His expression crunched.
William glanced back at the regiment. “My mission is to gain the confidence of the patriots and learn of their plans. They do not suspect I am still a valiant man of the king.” He kept his vision clipped on Brown. Would he believe him? The boy didn’t flinch so William continued. “How many soldiers are here?”
“Three hundred.”
As suspected.
He kept the strain behind his hard exterior. “Who is in command?”
“Randall.” Brown looked toward camp then back again. “Stockton’s on his way back to Boston from New York we hear. Expected sometime today. Rumor is, fifty men will remain at this camp, and so on every twenty miles to somewhere south of Boston, but no one knows for certain.”
The news filled his muscles with blood. He asked the question that seared through his chest. “What is your mission here?”
Brown shrugged. “Billy says he heard we’re supposed to watch for smugglers. We aim to stop them, I suppose.” Jimmy looked toward camp then back to William. “If we can snuff out the fervor in Boston, the rest of the colonies will follow suit.”
Fully masked in his new character, William nodded, though within he laughed as loud as the sky is wide. Snuff it out or fan the flames?
“Brown?” Another soldier called from camp.
William swung back and pressed against the tree.
“What is it?” Brown jumped up and pulled at his breeches.
The soldier neared and William stopped his lungs, his blood chilling in his veins.
Jimmy moved forward, away from the tree. “What do you want? Can’t a man take a piss?”
“Apparently not.” The soldier chuckled. “Randall wants three patrols to go looking about. You’re one of the lucky ones.”
Jimmy hurried his step and the other soldier followed. “We’d better get a move on then.”
When the sound of their footsteps turned to whispers against the ground, William leapt from his spot and ran to where his friends waited. He lay flat on the ground between them, sucking in huge gasps of air.
Thomas pushed up. “Well?”
“They’re about to send patrols to search the area.” Panting, William spoke between breaths. “We need to leave now. I’ll give details when we reach town.”
Careful not to rise too quickly, they crawled several yards on their bellies to a thick grove then bolted, refusing to slow the entire three miles.
William’s lungs were on fire. When they neared the house he stopped and gripped his knees, explaining between exhales what he’d learned from Brown. “Who knows if they will come this way, but the chances sound likely.” He stood straight. “Is it true? The smuggling?”
The men shared a quick look before Thomas answered. “We heard of the movement ourselves only two nights ago.” He looked to Nathaniel. “But we plan to take part.”
With such boldness in his answer William could do nothing but smile. “I’m pleased to hear it.”
“I am pleased that you are pleased.” Nathaniel removed his hat and wiped his forehead. “I shall warn the others on the committee and call a meeting to decide what is to be done to secure the smuggling effort.” He started toward town. “I shall require your help, Thomas.”
Thomas nodded and followed.
William stepped after them. “You’ve an army in Sandwich?”
Nathaniel halted. “Our militia is small, but we are fearless.” He turned, a light in his eye. “I shall return here tonight and give you what information I have.” At William’s nod he and Thomas started toward town.
“William?”
Anna.
He whirled, dread robbing him any clarity of thought. The soldiers could come here. And if they did…
“I thought I heard your voice.” H
er head cocked to the side. “Are you unwell?
William shook his head and pulled back his shoulders, constructing a barrier that would conceal the war that waged inside of him. “I am well, I thank you.”
He glanced back the way he’d come then looked up at the sky, thankful for the way it was just starting to darken. If any soldiers came to town they would likely check the farm and if they found him… Blast. He had to take her somewhere. Staying at the house would be too dangerous. They’d have to find a place the soldiers would be less likely to look.
A thought burst to light and he started for the house. “Shall I help you carry the wash to the creek?”
Her shoulders dropped. “Now?”
He jogged the rest of the way to the house, feeling as if the soldiers were at the very edge of the wood though he knew such a thing was improbable. He cupped her elbow. “We must hurry. We have little daylight left.”
Whether she sensed the urgency he strained to disguise, he couldn’t tell. She dashed to the kitchen and grabbed the laden basket, but he plucked it from her arms. “Follow me.”
After a few paces he glanced to Anna before focusing on the trail, with her only steps behind. He’d have to find a reason to stay longer at the creek than they had clothes to launder. What if he was found? He flung a look to Anna, praying that his earlier belief that the soldiers of this regiment wouldn’t know him was well founded. But if they did know him, and he were apprehended, would they take her as well?
He flicked away the rancid thoughts and hurried his pace toward the creek.
Nay, he would not think it. In time they would be home and enjoying a meal of boiled meat and burnt biscuits. Suddenly, such a meal had never sounded so inviting.
~~~
Anna tried to keep her eyes ahead, not on her husband’s broad shoulders or how his biceps strained the linen fabric of his shirt as he hefted the laden basket. The light evening breeze carried scents of late-blooming foliage mixed with salt air from the sea. Inhaling, she focused on that.
She raised her eyes to the sky. Was William really so concerned about the washing? It would be dark soon. She opened her mouth to voice the question but snapped it shut again. Nay, better not to ask when he’d so willingly offered to assist in a woman’s chore. The other men she’d known in her life would have scoffed at the mere thought of participating in such a task. Well, perhaps not Samuel.
A niggling worry pierced her stomach. She shook her hands at her sides to release the building nerves. She’d never washed a thing in her life. Seen it performed, aye, but never participated and certainly never watched from beginning to end. Did she need soap? How would they dry the clothing? She’d nearly attempted the task days ago, but her worries over cooking had consumed every thought, every moment.
Anna bunched her skirts in her hands. Why must he be so kind? It would have been better to learn such a chore on her own rather than shame herself with an exhibition of her failings. He’d notice first hand her lack of domesticity and solidify any regret he may have in marrying her, if her humiliating meals had not already done so.
“Did anyone come by the house this afternoon?”
Anna almost tripped over the commanding sound of his voice.
She cleared her throat. “Nay. No one.”
He glanced over his shoulder, a slight dip in his chin. “You are certain?”
“Aye.”
He stopped so sharp Anna nearly careened into him. “We’re here.”
Stooping, he lowered the basket and glanced the way they’d come, then to the right and left. He scowled. “We should begin. The sun won’t be up much longer.”
Anna’s stomach rose to her throat, but she forced a smile and took a shirt from the basket. Whatever he did, she would do. That wouldn’t give too much away, would it?
He grabbed a pair of breeches and stepped to the edge of the water. He crouched and soaked the pants before rubbing the fabric together in his hands. Anna neared and lowered beside him, doing the same with a shirt she’d grabbed. Relief coated away the tension in her muscles. How had she imagined it to be so difficult?
After a minute of silence, she peeked at him briefly, allowing her mind to enjoy more pleasant things, such as trying to decipher if his hair was always so light or only happened to be so in the sunnier months.
He must have sensed her gaze and looked up. “No soap, but this should be sufficient.”
“Of course.” She allowed a quick smile to light her face before focusing on the wash in her hands, her cheeks burning. Had he known she was staring?
He remained mute, dipping the breeches fully under the water then ringing them out. He gave her a brisk look and stood to rest the cleaned breeches over a nearby branch. His deep voice floated like a leaf on the water. “There is something I’ve been wanting to speak with you about.”
Anna’s stomach churned. “Oh?”
He walked over and snatched another article from the basket then returned to the water. His gaze narrowed before again turning his attention to the wash. “As you mentioned before, we both had our reasons for marrying.”
“True.”
Too nervous to focus on what he might say, Anna trained her thoughts on the wash, her tongue against her teeth. She attempted to wring out the sopping shirt for a third time. With a long exhale, she rested it over her knee and massaged her aching fingers until she realized he’d stopped talking and was looking directly at her.
His mouth tilted up in a half-smile that made her insides flip. He motioned to her. “Let me.”
She froze. He extended his hand and wiggled his fingers as a boyish smile lifted his mouth. She offered it, embarrassment singeing her face.
With one large twist he wrung it until it no longer dripped. But her shame did, falling from her like the very water on her hands. Was she really so incapable?
“There.” He handed it back and his fingers brushed against hers, however briefly, igniting a heat in her hand that traveled up her arm. She turned and focused her jumbled energy on opening the fabric and laying it over the nearest branch. The quicker they finished, the quicker Anna could find her place of solitude in front of the fire with needle and thread in her hands.
“Anna?”
She spun round. “Aye.” He’d taken to using her first name most of the time now, though ’twas still as if he disliked the taste of it.
He stood and flapped the newly rung-out sheet then placed it over the next available branch. Nearing, he released a soft sigh. “We both have secrets, that much is clear.”
She swallowed and the muscles in her neck tensed. His eyes roamed her face. Anna stared down at her hands as he continued. “There are some things you must know. This land is crawling with spies—redcoats and otherwise. Do not talk to anyone unless you trust them.” His timbre dropped and carried such a weight it pulled her spirit with it.
She looked up, brow folded. “What do you mean?”
“We know someone is looking for you. And the fact that you’re married doesn’t mean they will let you stay if they find you.” His blue eyes darkened, mirroring the evening sky. “If ever you feel threatened, the rifle is above the hearth, loaded and ready. Don’t be afraid to use it.”
Anna bit her lip and looked toward the creek. Did he really think it would come to that? She glanced at him again, startled by the sternness in the cut lines of his face.
He stepped closer, putting a hand on her arm. “I will do my best to keep you safe, but you must use caution.”
“I understand.”
“But there is more.” He dropped his chin and his volume. “To others, speak about me as little as possible.” He lowered his voice even more and Anna’s skin shivered. “You are not the only one being hunted.”
The revelation jarred to life a thousand terrifying questions that culminated in one. Who was he hiding from?
When she didn’t respond, he must have felt the need to soften his statement. “Nothing to worry over, really. ’Tis simply best to keep to ours
elves for a while, that is all. For both our sakes.”
Anna nodded, a blade of relief cutting away only a sliver of the rising anxieties. “What should I do if—”
He sliced the air with his hand and cut off her words. His features hardened and his eyes searched. Chest pumping, he lunged for the path then stopped.
Quickly crouching, he raced back to her. “Someone’s coming.”
Her breath stalled. “What?”
Holding tight to her hand, he led her behind the trees to the edge of the creek, the cold water pulling on her skirts.
He grabbed her shoulders. “Whatever you do, do not come out from this spot until I come and get you.”
She nodded, her tongue welded to the roof of her mouth. Her pulse thumped in her ears. How had he known someone was near? She hadn’t heard a thing. She gripped the trunk of a tree and crouched as low as she could, almost kneeling on the slippery stones beneath her feet as she watched him go.
Minutes passed in clutching silence. How many, she couldn’t tell. Her muscles shivered both from fear and the cold water that swam past her legs. She glanced up, noting how the first few stars twinkled above and the full moon promised a blanket of milky light. Her feet tingled and her toes ached with the beginnings of numbness. Should she look for him? Perhaps something had happened? Her body gave a quick tremor. Where was he?
Just then, voices shot back and forth some paces away. More shivers shook her limbs. She strained to hear over the gurgling of the water when footsteps neared and halted.
CHAPTER TEN
The pistol William had hidden at his side burned against his ribs, begging to be relieved of the ball within. Silent, he widened his feet, the muscles of his back tensing with every intake of breath. Had they been followed, or were the soldiers discharging the duties he’d heard that soldier profess to Brown?
The sound of shuffling feet was quickly followed by the man that owned them.
A young soldier hurried to the water then stopped with a lurch when his eyes landed on William. His expression fell, his eyes wide as if he’d seen an apparition. He flung his weapon against his shoulder, the nose of the musket aimed at William’s chest.
So Rare a Gift (Daughters of His Kingdom Book 3) Page 14