“Oh, but you must. I insist.” Martha grinned at Theo and set another little cake on his plate, appearing thoroughly charmed by the child who had drawn on his best manners.
Soon, they found themselves standing at the front door, a large basket overflowing with treasures of tropical fruit, cheeses, flavorful breads, and cakes in Lucy’s left hand.
“Be brave and keep true,” Martha whispered as she gave Lucy a hug, engulfing her in the scent of lavender and cloves. “Remember, trust no one.”
“I’ll remember,” Lucy said when Martha released her.
The woman cupped Theo’s chin and smiled. “Will you promise to keep a good eye on your sister for me?”
“I promise, ma’am,” Theo said solemnly, then grinned. “Thank you for the food and for allowing me to explore. It was amazing!”
“You are most welcome, Theo.” Martha opened the door, then stepped back. “In the event I do not see you both again, may God’s blessings be upon you, and may He keep you sheltered from all harm.”
Lucy stepped outside and took Theo’s hand in hers as the door shut behind them.
Despite Martha’s warnings not to involve him, it looked like the only person Lucy could trust or share her secrets with going forward would be her little brother.
Three
The scent of roses drifted on the evening breeze, tantalizing Branch Barton’s nose. For a man who’d spent a lot of time on horseback in the heat, or stuck in a tent with men who hadn’t bathed in a good long while, the fragrance was entirely welcome.
He drew in a deep breath as he waited in the shadows across the street from the manor house where his commander’s wife had taken up temporary residence. Since a musket ball had grazed Branch’s side a month ago, he had been given the supposedly less strenuous duty of keeping an eye on Mrs. Washington. That woman rarely sat still. Keeping abreast of her whereabouts had turned into a relentless, unending task.
Not that Branch had minded.
He admired Martha Washington for her strength and loyalty to the Patriots, not to mention how much she adored her husband. In fact, Branch had been among those traveling with her from New York to Philadelphia at the end of June, when General Washington had concluded she would be safer away from New York and the upcoming battles he was sure would soon take place there.
Branch thought the general also wanted her present in Philadelphia for the signing of the Declaration of Independence. There was something about reading the words Thomas Jefferson had written that stirred Branch’s heart and reminded him of all the reasons he had been a supporter of the pursuit of liberty and freedom from the start.
He dragged in another breath, watching from the shadows as Miss Lucy Carlson, escorted by her little brother, stepped inside the house.
Earlier that afternoon, Branch had been trailing behind Mrs. Washington, fully aware she intended to meet with a courier and give him the locket she wore. He had offered to make the exchange for her, but she had insisted on doing it herself. Before the locket could be handed off, though, two Loyalist ruffians had appeared out of seemingly nowhere. One had held her shoulders, while the other had attempted to yank off the locket.
Thankfully, the clasp had held. Martha’s faithful servant, Jack, had shoved the men away. Branch had bellowed for her to run, then melted back into the shadows. It was important for people in Philadelphia to think he was a Loyalist and speculate if he was a spy for the Redcoats. He had invested time, blood, and pieces of himself in creating the identity, and he couldn’t allow one incident with a locket to upend things now. Not when the information he could gather would continue to prove to be so vital to the Continental Army.
The two men had chased after Mrs. Washington, but Jack had managed to trip them both, then shoved a cart full of cabbages into them, giving the woman time to slip away.
Branch had darted down a side street and watched as Mrs. Washington was beckoned into the goldsmith’s shop by Ward Carlson’s lovely daughter.
After taking a post in the shadows across the street, Branch had observed the ruffians race by, followed by Jack, who hadchased them to the far end of town before he doubled back and waited around the corner to escort Mrs. Washington home when she left the shop filled with sparkling jewels.
Mrs. Washington had only taken a few steps when she had paused, turned to Jack, and spoke quietly to him. Jack had subtly motioned to Branch as he and Mrs. Washington stood looking in the window of a print shop.
Branch had hustled across the street and started past her when Mrs. Washington turned and intentionally bumped into him, relaying the detail that she had left her gloves in the shop and to see if Lucy would give them to him.
Lucy’s reactions had been her first test of loyalty, which the girl had passed with ease.
Although Branch had seen Lucy from a distance on any number of occasions, when she had bustled into the shop and greeted him with a smile that had quickly disappeared, he had been momentarily dumbfounded by her beauty.
Clear creamy skin. Beautifully formed face with a slightly stubborn chin. Nicely rounded curves in all the right places, even if she was taller than most females he knew.
When she’d marched over to the workbench and slammed shut the ledger book that he had studied as soon as he had walked into the shop, she had glared at him with eyes such a dark, deep blue that at first he thought they were black. Then he had seen a spark in them, like lightning mirrored on a stormy midnight sea, and realized they were an intense shade of blue unlike any he had seen.
With a long slender neck and hands, she had appeared feminine and graceful. A white cap had covered her hair, but tendrils of brown tresses had waved and curled around her face.
Admittedly, Branch had found her quite enchanting.
But in the middle of the war was not a time for romance or letting pretty girls turn his head.
