[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
attention to him. I can scarce believe it.
Her heart skipped a beat, and Katie drew a deep, steadying breath. What makes you say that?
You look more like a waif whose main concern would be her next meal. Joshua tilted his head to one
side, studying her. I wonder what sword Ethan is holding over your pretty head.
I don t know what you mean.
Perhaps you don t. I ll wager he could bind you to him witü nothing more than a few sweet words and
a kiss. Ethan has a way with women when he chooses.
Does he? I hadn t noticed. She turned her head once again toward the subject of their con-versation.
Ethan and the pair of soldiers had moved to take seats at a nearby table. Dorothy stood beside his chair,
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and he was deep in conver-sation with her. Her generous breasts spilled over the edge of the tightly laced
corset she wore over her chemise, and when she leaned down to whis-per something in his ear, Katie
was certain those breasts were going to fall out of her corset and right into his face.
If you hadn t noticed, Joshua s teasing voice in-terrupted her thoughts, why are you glaring at him?
I m not, she lied, and forced the scowl from her face. She turned her attention away from Ethan and
his barmaid and back to the man opposite her. I was just worried, that s all.
Worried?
If she gets any closer to him, he ll suffocate, she said sweetly.
Joshua chuckled. There are worse ways for a man to die.
She cast another glance at the subjects of their conversation and found the girl with her hand on Ethan s
shoulder. She was whispering something in his ear. Katie forced herself to look away. They seem to be
more than friends.
That sounds like the tone of a jealous woman.
Nonsense. Never in her life had Katie felt jeal-ousy toward another woman over some man, and she
resented the notion that she felt it now, espe-cially about a man who cared naught for her, a man she
knew was capable of slitting her throat should he find out the truth about her. You are mistaken, sir. The
loose women he trifles with in taverns are no concern of mine.
Loose women? Joshua threw back his head and laughed. Katie stared at him, unable to under-stand
what she had said that was so amusing. After a moment, he stifled his laughter and took a long draught of
ale. Dorothy, he said, striving for a se-rious expression, is my sister.
Katie stared at him in dismay, her face heating with embarrassment. I m so sorry. I didn t realize that.
Joshua dismissed her embarrassment and her apologies with a wave of his hand. My sister dresses as
she does and acts as she does for very good reasons, not because she is a loose woman.
Because that sort of demeanor elicits more in-formation from the soldiers who drink here than she
would get otherwise, Katie concluded, guess-ing what Joshua had not explained.
You are a shrewd young woman and seem to know your way about. I can see why Ethan has cho-sen
you to assist him. But I wonder what your rea-sons might be for agreeing to do so, since you insist he
holds nothing over your head.
Katie was silent a moment, thinking how best to proceed. Here was a chance to find out more
information about Ethan that might prove useful, and she did not want such an opportunity to pass. But if
she wanted to get information, she would have to establish some credibility with Ethan s friends. Death
does not frighten me, she said, choosing her words carefully, and my alterna-tives to being Ethan s
friend are worse than death.
You intrigue me. I cannot help but wonder what those alternatives might be.
They are rather unpleasant, to say the least. I would rather not talk about them. She turned her face
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away and took that opportunity to divert the conversation. Ethan has told me that the two of you fought
together againstFrance.
We did. And I thank God every day for that. If Ethan had not been with me, I would not be alive.
He saved your life?
He did. We were in the same regiment, and we had become friends. We were fighting nearAlbanyand
getting badly beaten. Our sergeant gave the call to retreat, but just then a spray of grapeshot hit us. I was
wounded, and so was a friend of mine. The French were pounding us with cannon and grapeshot, and
we knew we would be killed if we did not get back behind the lines, but neither of us could retreat with
our regiment.
What happened?
Ethan had already fallen back, but he saw us in the distance. I ll never forget the sight of him, cross-ing
that field toward us, dodging the cannon fire. He carried me out of there.
Joshua paused in his story, shaking his head as if in disbelief. Once he got me to safety, he went back
for David. He took a musket ball in the shoulder, but he saved both of us.
Katie remembered the comment Molly had made the morning before as they had walked to the
marketplace. Perhaps here was the story behind it. Was your friend s name Munro? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl rafalstec.xlx.pl
attention to him. I can scarce believe it.
Her heart skipped a beat, and Katie drew a deep, steadying breath. What makes you say that?
You look more like a waif whose main concern would be her next meal. Joshua tilted his head to one
side, studying her. I wonder what sword Ethan is holding over your pretty head.
I don t know what you mean.
Perhaps you don t. I ll wager he could bind you to him witü nothing more than a few sweet words and
a kiss. Ethan has a way with women when he chooses.
Does he? I hadn t noticed. She turned her head once again toward the subject of their con-versation.
Ethan and the pair of soldiers had moved to take seats at a nearby table. Dorothy stood beside his chair,
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
and he was deep in conver-sation with her. Her generous breasts spilled over the edge of the tightly laced
corset she wore over her chemise, and when she leaned down to whis-per something in his ear, Katie
was certain those breasts were going to fall out of her corset and right into his face.
If you hadn t noticed, Joshua s teasing voice in-terrupted her thoughts, why are you glaring at him?
I m not, she lied, and forced the scowl from her face. She turned her attention away from Ethan and
his barmaid and back to the man opposite her. I was just worried, that s all.
Worried?
If she gets any closer to him, he ll suffocate, she said sweetly.
Joshua chuckled. There are worse ways for a man to die.
She cast another glance at the subjects of their conversation and found the girl with her hand on Ethan s
shoulder. She was whispering something in his ear. Katie forced herself to look away. They seem to be
more than friends.
That sounds like the tone of a jealous woman.
Nonsense. Never in her life had Katie felt jeal-ousy toward another woman over some man, and she
resented the notion that she felt it now, espe-cially about a man who cared naught for her, a man she
knew was capable of slitting her throat should he find out the truth about her. You are mistaken, sir. The
loose women he trifles with in taverns are no concern of mine.
Loose women? Joshua threw back his head and laughed. Katie stared at him, unable to under-stand
what she had said that was so amusing. After a moment, he stifled his laughter and took a long draught of
ale. Dorothy, he said, striving for a se-rious expression, is my sister.
Katie stared at him in dismay, her face heating with embarrassment. I m so sorry. I didn t realize that.
Joshua dismissed her embarrassment and her apologies with a wave of his hand. My sister dresses as
she does and acts as she does for very good reasons, not because she is a loose woman.
Because that sort of demeanor elicits more in-formation from the soldiers who drink here than she
would get otherwise, Katie concluded, guess-ing what Joshua had not explained.
You are a shrewd young woman and seem to know your way about. I can see why Ethan has cho-sen
you to assist him. But I wonder what your rea-sons might be for agreeing to do so, since you insist he
holds nothing over your head.
Katie was silent a moment, thinking how best to proceed. Here was a chance to find out more
information about Ethan that might prove useful, and she did not want such an opportunity to pass. But if
she wanted to get information, she would have to establish some credibility with Ethan s friends. Death
does not frighten me, she said, choosing her words carefully, and my alterna-tives to being Ethan s
friend are worse than death.
You intrigue me. I cannot help but wonder what those alternatives might be.
They are rather unpleasant, to say the least. I would rather not talk about them. She turned her face
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
away and took that opportunity to divert the conversation. Ethan has told me that the two of you fought
together againstFrance.
We did. And I thank God every day for that. If Ethan had not been with me, I would not be alive.
He saved your life?
He did. We were in the same regiment, and we had become friends. We were fighting nearAlbanyand
getting badly beaten. Our sergeant gave the call to retreat, but just then a spray of grapeshot hit us. I was
wounded, and so was a friend of mine. The French were pounding us with cannon and grapeshot, and
we knew we would be killed if we did not get back behind the lines, but neither of us could retreat with
our regiment.
What happened?
Ethan had already fallen back, but he saw us in the distance. I ll never forget the sight of him, cross-ing
that field toward us, dodging the cannon fire. He carried me out of there.
Joshua paused in his story, shaking his head as if in disbelief. Once he got me to safety, he went back
for David. He took a musket ball in the shoulder, but he saved both of us.
Katie remembered the comment Molly had made the morning before as they had walked to the
marketplace. Perhaps here was the story behind it. Was your friend s name Munro? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]