“It does. They hanker for a wee bit of the gentility they used to know. And how have ye been doing?”
“Well, I have been doing as fine as can be expected. There is one thing. Noah thinks they need a new storybook, or five. None of us knows where to get one. Rose suggested we all write out stories we recall being told and that is a very good idea but it will be a while before that is put together.”
“I can ask around. Come and sit with me and then, maybe, we could go for a stroll.”
She laughed as she sat down on the settee and he sat down rather close to her. “I doubt this town has seen so many people going for a stroll in however long it has been here.”
“Probably not but that might be a good thing. Such sights can give some the feeling of normal life and ease their fears.”
“One does not want them to ease them too much, I think. Not in the middle of such a bloody war.”
She realized he had draped his arm along the back of the settee and was now playing with her hair. It was oddly soothing to have him dragging his fingers through her hair so she decided to say nothing. She relaxed her head against the back of the settee and stared up at the ceiling to find it was another elaborately plastered ceiling.
“True enough. Being always alert for trouble is what will get them through this.”
“I begin to fear this war will never end.”
She tensed when he kissed her face, right near the corner of her eye. Even as she started to turn to ask him what he was doing, she knew it was not a good idea. He was so close when she turned, she could see what thick eyelashes he had. Then he kissed her on the mouth.
It was a deep, hungry kiss and Abbie quickly wrapped her arms around his neck to keep steady. When he put his tongue in her mouth she nearly jumped but the feel of it stroking the inside of her mouth swept away her shock and replaced it with the urge to hold on tighter. She even tentatively returned the strokes of his tongue with hers and a low growl sounded in her ears. He slowly pulled back and she stared at him, a little afraid she probably looked like a startled frog.
“We best be careful or Mrs. Beaton will banish me from the house,” he said.
Let her just try, Abigail thought as she leaned back and found she was still clutching his neck. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she hastily removed her arms.
“Quite all right,” he said, and grinned as he stood up and held out his hand. “How about we take a little walk?”
“Is it cold?” she asked as she took his hand and walked with him as they left the room.
“Just a small nip in the air.”
She put on her coat and let him take her by the hand to lead her outside. They meandered down the street for a while in a comfortable silence. Abbie decided she liked the fact that they did not need to fill the silence with empty talk. Then she thought of something she really wanted to know.
“I did not see Boyd in the infirmary yesterday. He is all right, isn’t he?”
“Aye. I only saw him the other day and he has not worsened.”
“Good. I was a little worried about that but did not dare question the doctor. Mostly afraid of what he might say. The arm still does not work.”
“Nay, but the doctor had a few suggestions.”
“Work it, right?”
“Aye, if only to keep it from withering from disuse. I will see him tomorrow most like and can work with him. It is his spirits I dinnae ken what to do about.”
Abbie nodded. “He must be so disappointed that it has not returned to normal. It is nearly as bad as losing it completely as so many have.”
“It will take time for him to see it is better to have it useless than to lose it,” she said and squeaked when he suddenly stopped and pulled her into his arms. “I thought we were strolling.”
“This is a very important part of strolling with a bonnie lass.”
“Or so men tell themselves,” she said, and threw her arms around his neck.
He pulled her hard up against him. Abbie liked the way he felt against her, all warm and hard. She had done enough nursing to know that one particular part of him was very hard indeed so she decided those kisses were not signs of mere friendship. It lifted her spirits considerably.
Abbie leaned back a little to look at him, glancing around to make sure they were still alone. A glint in a tree behind caught her attention as she glanced over his shoulder. She squinted toward it, saw some movement in the branches around where it was, and felt terror chill her body. She shoved at him and he stumbled back.
“Get down!” she yelled, grabbing his hand to pull him down to the ground with her.
