* * *
Tamsyn woke the next morning to find that Cade had already left, as quiet as a cat on the hunt. She smiled at the thought as she pushed aside her covers and crossed to the tiny washroom. That soft-footed stealth was part of what made him such an excellent agent.
But as she splashed cold water onto her face, she realized he’d been right that sharing a room was different from traveling together with separate rooms, as they’d always done in the past. It was more . . . intimate.
In the darkness, hearing his soft breathing, she’d been very aware of him as a man, not only the brother she’d known most of her life. She’d always been very close to both Cade and Bran, though in different ways because they were different men. The previous night had created a different kind of closeness with Cade. More physical awareness.
She thought back to the two nights when she’d joined Cade in his bed after he and Bran had arrived at Tremayne House. As soon as he’d entered the household, she’d sensed his courage, strength, and honor, but she’d also felt his shattering fear that he would never be strong enough or good enough to do what must be done.
She couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t have her gift for sensing people and emotions, and she’d learned that she could calm people who were upset by touching them, usually taking hold of a hand. Hoping she could help Cade, the next night she’d slipped from her bed and gone to find him.
He’d welcomed her presence, so she settled beside him and laid her hand over his heart. She enjoyed the warmth of being next to him, but she was shocked to feel a surge of healing power so intense that surely it must have come from the divine. Awed, she sensed his fear dissolving, leaving the strength and integrity and loyalty that were the bedrock of his spirit.
It was a night she never forgot. She’d given Cade a gift of healing, and in return he’d shown her what she was born to do.
Today there were new challenges to meet. She dressed and prepared for another busy day of helping the duchess as a combination of companion and lady’s maid. The next morning, they’d be on their way home to England.
And then what? Frowning, she realized that for once she really had no sense of what the future held.
Except, she realized with a chill, that it would be different, unexpected—and dangerous.
CHAPTER4
The courtyard in front of the British embassy churned in the dawn light. Carriages were being packed, horses snorted restlessly, and servants and staff members raced about making last-minute adjustments.
Cade sat quietly on his horse, watching. Next to him was Captain Hansen, the commander of the embassy’s military guard. He was lean and tough, with watchful eyes. They’d become friendly, developing a degree of trust as they worked together.
Cade said, “Do you think we’ll be moving before noon?”
Hansen laughed. “Yes, and the sooner the better! I can’t wait to get back to England.”
Cade hesitated before asking a personal question, but he sensed an unusual kind of tension in the other man. “Does trouble await you there?”
Hansen’s brows arched. “This is why people resent those who are gifted.”
“You’re more gifted than you want to admit,” Cade observed.
The other man shrugged. “I just have a soldierly sixth sense for danger. How did you know that I’m concerned?”
“There seems to be more on your mind than this escort duty.”
Hansen hesitated as he considered whether to say more, then sighed. “A month ago I received word that my father had died unexpectedly. As soon as we reach London, I’ll need to resign my commission and go home to take charge of the family estate. My mother is grieving and I have a young sister and brother. I need to be there for them.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t even want to think about what it will be like to lose my father,” Cade said quietly. He meant his real father, Rhys Tremayne, not his birth father, the brutal smuggler who’d thrown Cade away when he was a child.
“We’ll all miss him,” Hansen said tersely. Then his voice lightened. “There was also good news arriving in the same post. My wife informed me that she’s with child.”
“Congratulations! That’s a very good reason to want to return home.”
Hansen nodded. “I wanted to return to England immediately, but it was obvious that the embassy would be closing soon and I couldn’t abandon Lord Whitworth when there were no other officers with as much experience.”
“Staying was the honorable thing to do.”
Hansen smiled wryly. “Yes, but I now better understand the temptations of being dishonorable!”
“Sometimes being less than honorable is the best way to get the results you need,” Cade said.
“Spoken like a man who works for the Home Office,” Hansen said. “But you have the bearing of an officer. Were you ever in the army?”
