“It … I … Branch! I thought you were a Loyalist, or perhaps even a spy for the Redcoats.”
He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. “And yet you fancied me anyway.”
“I never said I fancied you.” She prickled, but calmed considerably when he kissed the back of her hand a second time. “Well, I may fancy you a little.”
He chuckled. “I thought you might, Miss Sassafras.”
Her eyes went as round as saucers. “How on earth do you know about that?” she asked in a heated whisper, looking around as though spies might hear each word they exchanged.
“Because, Lucy, Martha Washington herself told me Sassafras was going to be your code name. I did come into your shop that first day to retrieve the gloves and locket, but I was also there to test you. To see if you’d blithely hand them over, orprotect them. When you pretended not to know anything about the locket and refused to part with the gloves, Martha suggested you would be a good spy. There is an abundance of news that passes through your father’s shop.”
“There is. I’ve …” Lucy paused. “I’ve recorded some of it.”
“I know, Lucy. That day at the market, when you gave a beggar a coin, it was me,” Branch admitted. “I also was one of the men who bumped into you, testing you to see how protective you’d be of the locket. No one can know what side I’m on, Lucy. You must keep my secret. It could be a matter of life or death.”
“But how did you go from searching for a farm to purchase here to being a spy for General Washington?” Lucy asked in a hushed tone.
“I joined the Army, and my talent for disguises was immediately noticed. I was given greater and greater responsibilities until General Washington himself sent me here to Philadelphia. Theo is right in that the city is full of spies for both sides. From what I can gather, the British intend on taking Philadelphia before the war is through. It won’t happen right away, but that particular storm is brewing. It would be good if you and your family thought about staying here at the farm with your grandparents. You’ll be much safer when that time comes.”
“Safe, yes, but not helpful to the rebellion. I can’t hear messages to convey if I’m out here weeding Grandpapa’s cabbages.”
Branch smiled and nodded his head in understanding. “It’s heady stuff, isn’t it? Being a spy, I mean. The danger. The intrigue. It also eats at your peace and rattles your nerves until you can barely discern which way is left or right.”
“Is that why you’re here?” Lucy asked, holding his hand between hers again, offering him a look of such tenderness, he nearly pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Branch nodded. “The past few days were … challenging. Truthfully, you’ve been the only reason I’ve endured the wretched stench and heat of the city as long as I have.”
“What are you saying?” Lucy asked, sitting up a little straighter.
“I’m saying, Lucy Carlson, that I have feelings for you that are quite foreign to me,” he said, glancing down at her small hand resting on his. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman, and I’m coming to realize I likely won’t feel this way again. I would very much like to spend time with you, getting to know you better. I also realize in the midst of a war that will pull us in directions we can’t begin to fathom is not the best time for pursuing such things, but I can no more stay away from you than I can refuse to breathe in air.”
Branch feared what he would see if he looked into her face, but had to know. He raised his gaze to hers and found himself drawn into the warmth and affection in her eyes, the sweetness of her smile, and the tenderness of her expression.
“I feel the same, Branch, and would appreciate time with you more than you can know.”
He grinned and rose to his feet. “In that case, I had better take you back to your grandparents before I forget my promise to myself to behave like a gentleman and kiss you senseless.”
Lucy offered him a cheeky smile. “Maybe I wouldn’t object if you did forget,” she said, then began running down the path, laughing at him over her shoulder.
Branch chased after her, wondering if it was the beginning of a lifetime spent chasing after the woman he loved.
He stopped her before they reached the yard where the voices of their loved ones carried to them. He grabbed her hand and turned her around. “Lucy, you should know I’m not a soft man. I have endured a hard life, and some of those roughedges are bound to gouge at some point, although it won’t be intentional when they do. I just want you to be aware of that.”
“I’m aware, Branch.” She squeezed his hand, then stood on her toes and kissed his cheek as her scent mingled with the night air, fragrant with flowers and a hint of woodsmoke from the fire the women had cooked over that day. “I’m fairly skilled at smoothing and polishing rough edges.”
“I believe you are,” Branch said, and brushed a light kiss over her lips before he summoned his considerable willpower not to kiss her as he dreamed of doing. Instead, he escorted her back to her family.
There would be time enough for kisses once he had earned the right to lavish her with them.
Nine
“You look like you’ve traveled a thousand miles away,” Cleta observed as Lucy stared out the kitchen window while she dried the breakfast dishes.
“Hmm?” Lucy asked, barely aware that her mother had spoken. Since she had returned from the farm with Theo, she had spent far too much time lost in her memories of what a wonderful time she had experienced there.
She had appreciated the days spent with her grandparents and the joy of being at the farm, where she and Theo had both felt free to be themselves and not under constant scrutiny from people who came into the shop. Yet what had made the days so memorable was every precious moment with Branch.
Once he had confessed who he really was and what he really did, and shared about his nightmarish childhood, Lucy knew she could no longer pretend she didn’t hold feelings for him. He had sat next to her at the Sunday church service the morning after his confession. When he had covertly held her hand, hidden by the folds of her petticoat, she had felt almost wicked doing such a thing. However, her grandmother was seated on her other sideand didn’t seem to disapprove, although Lucy was quite certain the woman knew exactly what had transpired.
