Page 29 of A Fierce Wind

Freddie shook his head. “I’ve no desire to venture into that nest of vipers.”

The Chouan placed a fist on his hip and gestured north with his other hand. “The road to Fougères leads through Rennes. To skirt it from the south would be difficult without a guide and I can spare none. You will be safe with us.”

Zoé sensed Freddie’s unease and his reticence to go through Rennes. She, too, did not wish to enter the stronghold of republican soldiers, but there were good reasons to do so.

Freddie raised a brow at Erwan. The former Vendéen soldier merely shrugged. Being from Brittany, he would know Rennes better than the rest of them, and he had faced republican troops before and survived.

Likewise, Gabe voiced no protest. “I go where the mistress goes.”

“Perhaps we should accept M’sieur Cadoudal’s offer,” she urged Freddie. “That way, we would not be traveling alone. And we may gain information in Rennes that would prove useful.”

Freddie rose, a look of resignation crossing his face. “Very well.” He offered his hand to Cadoudal. “It seems my companions agree with you. We accept.”

Cadoudal shook his hand. “Rennes is nearly four days’ journey north. Every day the child is in the hands of those pigs is a day she is in grave danger. We must leave within the hour.”

At his command, the Chouans began to decamp and, before an hour had ended, the fire had been snuffed out, the ashes strewn about and the clearing made to look as if no one had been there for days. Zoé supposed after the last few years of guerilla warfare, they had perfected their ability to disappear quickly.

When their leader gave the command to depart, the Chouans lifted their satchels, picked up their muskets and moved as one in Cadoudal’s footsteps.

Freddie looked at her, his brow furrowed with worry.

She ran her finger over his forehead, brushing away the frown. “You made the right decision and I have faith you will see it through.”

He caught her fingers against his cheek and pressed them to his warm skin. “I have a good partner.”

Drawing a steadying breath, she met his intense gaze. A jolt of emotion surged through her but she couldn’t have explained why if she’d been asked. Here was Freddie, possibly her best friend, paying her a compliment. He had done so before, not often but she could recall a few times. So why should this time be different? They were joined in a cause, surrounded by danger but could it be something had changed?