Page 34 of A Fierce Wind

“Thanks.” It felt good to let her feet breathe. In her stocking feet, she took off her coat and climbed into the bed.

Freddie moved the small table away from the fireplace to make room for his thin pallet and added a few logs to the low-burning fire, prodding the flames to life with a poker. Snuffing the candle, he settled down on his blanket and drew his coat over his chest.

“Thank you,” she said, pulling the cover to her chin.

“For what?”

Fighting a yawn, she looked over the edge of the bed to see his form silhouetted against the firelight. She lay back down and stared at the firelight flickering on the ceiling. “For returning hale and hearty.”

In his exhausted state, Freddie should have been able to sleep, but he could not. His mind whirled with thoughts of the woman who slept a short distance away. He wanted desperately to climb into that bed with her and kiss her. That he might not be able to stop at just one kiss briefly occurred but it mattered not. He could never allow his desire for her to overcome his respect for her innocence. And if they were to become lovers, there might be a babe. One day, he hoped she would give herself to him as his wife. But that day was not today.

On the way back to the inn, Cadoudal had told him what to expect in Fougères. “If he still holds the town, Boisguy will prove a worthy host. He has more than two thousand men under his command. I do not know their needs but they must be substantial as more men join him each day.”

Warmed by the fire, Freddie had finally begun to doze when Zoé let out a groan, followed by a shout of “Non!”

Concerned Gabe and Erwan might come rushing into their room, believing her shout was directed at Freddie, he leaped up and ran to her bedside.

Tossing and turning her head on the pillow, she fought some invisible foe. “Non, non, non!”

He placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her awake. “Zoé! Wake up!”

She opened her eyes, dazed from her dream. “Oh, Freddie you are here!” She rose on her knees and swept her hands over him as if to make sure he was really there. Though he knew she was just verifying his existence, the touch of her hands on his shirt might have been on his skin for the effect it had.

Thinking her dream might have been caused by worry for the next day’s travel, he asked, “What is wrong? Did you dream of being harmed?”

Staring into his eyes, she whispered. “Non, not me. Someone was after you. Oh, Freddie, it was so real.” Her whole body shook as her hands flew to her face.

“Pigeon, it was merely a dream. We are safe in Rennes.” Overwhelmed by the desire to comfort her, he pulled her against his chest and leaned his cheek against her head. Her hair smelled of wood smoke but he didn’t mind. It was enough to be with her every day. Was he right in remaining patient, never giving her an indication of what lay in his heart? He thought so, at least for the time being. After all, war was inopportune for love. “As we are leaving in but a few hours, I suggest you try to get some sleep.”

He made to lay her back on the pillow but she clung to him. “Don’t go, Freddie.” She slid over to the far edge of the bed, her hair strewn across the pillow. “There is room here beside me. Not much, but enough. You can sleep on top of the cover with your blanket if you like.”

He let out a sigh. It would be torture. But how could he deny her innocent request?

“If it will help you sleep, I’ll stay.”

Zoé curled into the warmth of Freddie’s chest, tucking her head under his chin. Her heart still raced as she tried to recall the dream, certain it was some kind of omen. The vague images quickly faded yet the horror of them persisted. Someone had dragged Freddie away and she had been helpless to save him. Could it have been brought on by her fear when he’d gone to rescue the girl? That might be so but, still, it had been uncommonly real. And frightening.

Freddie’s familiar scent and his arm wrapped around her were a balm to her soul, the steady beat of his heart a reminder of his strength. It was like coming home after a long voyage, like smelling the sea breeze on Guernsey after the stale air of Paris, like being tethered to an anchor in rough seas. Freddie, she realized, was her home port.

More than a friend and dearer to her after the night he’d been shot coming to her rescue in Granville, she couldn’t imagine her life without her friend.

Bravely, she laid her hand on his chest and had the sudden urge to raise her head and ask him to kiss her.

He would think her a fool. They were cousins, after all, and he’d known her for a decade.

Lulled by the slow beating of his heart, Zoé let go of her wild imaginings and began to drift back to sleep, comforted by the presence of the one man who had never hinted of any interest in her beyond friendship. She knew him to be a man of honor, a man she could trust even if he weren’t good with a sword.

She was nearly asleep when he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, telling her he was awake. “Get some sleep, Pigeon.”

Nestling into his chest, she pondered the cause of his wakefulness. Did it speak of his worry for the morrow when he must lead them to Fougères without the Chouans to guide them?