“Yes,” Cade said honestly. “But Tamsyn said not to, and I always do what she tells me to do.”
Tamsyn chuckled. “Only if it’s what you want to do anyhow.”
They exchanged a smile. They always listened to each other, then did whatever they thought best.
Turning serious, Tam said, “We wish to return to England as soon as possible. Is your grandson ready to leave? Going to a new country takes courage.”
“Andre feels the danger around him and he is tired of living in hiding,” Madame LeBlanc said. “I will bring him to you tomorrow as darkness is falling. I’ll also bring another horse so we can ride to meet the smugglers. They’ll take the three of you across the channel tomorrow night.”
“A quarter moon. Just enough light to guide us safely,” Cade said.
Madame LeBlanc nodded. “Exactly.”
“We’ll take good care of Andre,” Tamsyn promised.
“If I didn’t believe that, I wouldn’t be able to let him go,” the older woman said starkly. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening. It will be best if you stay inside the cottage until it’s time to leave. If you need some amusement, there are books in French and English in the bottom of the cabinet in the kitchen area.”
“I like the idea of doing very little for a while!” Tamsyn said fervently.
“Rest while you can,” Madame LeBlanc said as she opened the door. “There is a long war ahead of us all.”
“She’s right,” Cade said soberly after the older woman was gone. “I also like the idea of resting.” He covered a yawn, then turned to the ladder that led upward. “Time to see how comfortable the sleeping loft is.”
Yawning was contagious. As soon as Cade disappeared into the loft, Tamsyn headed to the bedroom. She and Cade had been on the move ever since leaving Bran and Merryn’s wedding to head straight to France. She had a lot of lost sleep to catch up on.
* * *
Tamsyn was used to being busy, but spending a quiet day in the cottage turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. She awoke refreshed in midafternoon and considered what they might have for supper. After studying their supplies, she decided on a pot of hearty potato-leek soup. Chopping the vegetables was very soothing.
She kept thinking of Cade’s shocking revelation about his feelings for her, but his behavior hadn’t changed so she was starting to relax. Perhaps his declaration of love had been a result of his captivity and his gratitude at being rescued. He was probably regretting what he’d said.
Her reaction when he’d kissed her, thinking she was his wife, had just been surprise. No need to keep thinking about how it had felt....
She was slicing the stale bread for toasting when Cade swung down the ladder from the loft. His smooth, controlled action caught her attention. He moved beautifully, all elegant male strength, and once again, he seemed to shine with a golden light.
She blinked and the golden light disappeared. Had it been only a brief splash of late-afternoon sunlight that had shafted through the window at the front of the cottage? Now the light was gone, and he was his normal self again, handsome, rumpled, and in need of a shave.
“Something smells very good,” he said. “I’ll go tend to your horse. Then what can I do?”
“We’re having humble but delicious potato-leek soup,” she said. “You can open another bottle of white wine and pour it, then toast the bread with cheese.”
He went out to take care of the horse, then returned and started toasting the bread and cheese. They’d often shared a kitchen, and they fell easily into the routines of cooking and eating.
Tamsyn poured the soup into two bowls and they both sat down to their simple meal. “I’m enjoying a day of doing nothing. How about you?”
He chuckled. “So am I, though by tomorrow afternoon I’ll probably start pacing around restlessly.”
“So will I,” she admitted. “But now—soup!”
They had a leisurely meal with seconds and, for Cade, thirds on the soup. As they sipped wine, they talked casually about the past and what the future might hold. They both agreed that the renewed war was likely to be long.
The pleasant evening was like any number they’d shared in the past. But she knew in her bones that her future back in England would be different from her life in the past.
CHAPTER24
The pallet in the loft was reasonably comfortable, and Cade was still tired enough to fall asleep easily, serenaded by the soft rolling sounds of the nearby sea. In two nights, they’d be stealthily sailing home across the channel....
He came sharply awake at the sound of a muffled cry from the floor below.Tamsyn!
