The Christmas Ball (2 page)

“I think we hit that sniper,” one of them said.

“Any more out there?” the corporal asked.

“Not as far as we can tell.” The private’s glance flew between her and the corporal. “You need help?” the private asked.

“Brewster’s been wounded,” the corporal said. “Help me get this soldier off the field, then we’ll come back for him.”

She glanced at the corporal and nodded. “I’ll be all right,” she gasped. “Take him.” She inclined her head toward the man on the litter.

The corporal rose gingerly to a crouch, then nodded to the private and they lifted the litter, moving toward the ambulance on the far side of the trees.

Grasping her thigh, she felt a sticky substance.
Blood!
The other private knelt and looked at her thigh. He pulled out a neckerchief and tied it to stop the bloody flow.

“Hold on, Brewster. We’ll get you back to the doc.”

Sara gritted her teeth. Thoughts of Doc Ellison caused her pulse to race. While she longed to see him again, the thought of him examining her wound sent a jolt of fear through her.

What if he discovers my secret?

Chapter Two

Later that morning, Kirk was roused from a dream. While waiting for casualties, he must have dozed off.

“The wounded are here, Doctor.” Miss Marshall stood by his side, her hand resting on his shoulder.

Being startled awake drove the dream from his mind. He instantly rose from his chair and surveyed the men easing litters through the entrance.

“Have them bring the more serious wounds to the back,” he ordered.

The nurse moved forward to instruct the men.

He glanced at the men carrying litters for a sign of Private Brewster. If the lad had been injured, he didn’t think he could forgive himself for sending him out.

The nurses and other doctor checked each patient and sent them to their respective positions. He moved to the back to attend the most serious wounds.

As he examined a man whose calf bone was shattered, two soldiers angled another litter to the back. He moved toward them to help lift the injured man onto a cot.

This one had been shot in the gut. He’d have to probe to see if the ball was still inside the wound.

Glancing at the men who’d brought him, he said, “I need both of you to hold him down while I look for the bullet.”

The men nodded and moved to both sides of the wounded man. The younger of the two, who looked to be all of fifteen years old, swallowed and paled.

What seemed hours later, Kirk washed the blood from his hands and made his way to the front of the tent where the less serious wounds had been laid.

His gaze rested on a familiar head of short, chestnut curls. He crouched down to the lad’s eye level. “Private Brewster?”

The lad groaned. His eyes widened in his dirt-streaked face.

Kirk’s gaze slid over his body to the bloodied upper thigh. “Were you shot?”

Brewster nodded. “A sniper. Got me when I tried to lift one of the litters.”

To better examine the wound, he’d have to cut away the trousers to see what damage had been done. “Nurse,” he called to one of the women, “I need some shears over here.”

Brewster’s face clouded. “What are you gonna do?”

“I need to remove your trousers so I can get a good look at the wound.”

“No! You can’t!”

“You need to be treated.” He stared down the private.

The lad shook his head, his face paling.

****

Sara’s hands shook as she covered her injured thigh. The wound was too close to her groin area. If he removed her trousers, he’d know. She couldn’t allow him or anyone else to do that.

“I’ll be all right. I’ll just go back to my tent and rest some.”

Doctor Ellison scowled. “No. You will stay right here until I fully examine that wound.”

Miss Marshall handed Ellison a pair of shears. Ellison turned to Sara, a slight smile softening his features. “Unless you prefer the nurse cut your trousers off.”

She shook her head. It might be less embarrassing to have a woman do it, but the end result would be the same. She’d be found out. “Please, don’t,” she whispered.

Ellison nodded to the nurse, who moved away. He gazed at Sara. As much as she’d longed to have his attention focused on her, she didn’t want
this
. What should she do?

He gently positioned her leg so the knee was bent. The movement sent a white hot shaft of pain through her body. His lips formed a straight line. “I don’t want to hurt you, but the sooner I take a look at the wound, the better.”

She really had no choice, but cringed inwardly as he cut the trousers. Once he’d finished, she looked up into his widened eyes.
He knew
.

Chapter Three

When Kirk finished cutting the trousers, he gasped. His face flushed at his discovery. Beneath the torn drawers he glimpsed female genitals. No wonder the private had been so reticent about being treated.

“You’re a woman,” he whispered.

The private held a finger to her lips and glanced around the tent. Seemingly satisfied no one else was in hearing distance, she said, “My name is Sara. Sara Brewster.”

He nodded, trying to keep his features composed. He’d heard of women posing as males to serve as soldiers, but this was the first time he’d encountered one himself.

“Promise you won’t report this,” she said.

Frowning, he bent down to speak softly in her ear. “I can’t keep this a secret. You don’t belong in the army. This isn’t right.”

“Please...they’ll send me home.” Her lips pursed.

“Is that so bad?” He couldn’t imagine why she would rather be in the army than at home.

“Yes,” she said. “It is.”

He shook his head, then decided to take a different track. “Where are you from?”

“I was raised on a farm near Harrisburg.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad. Why don’t you want to go home?”

A flash of pain shadowed her eyes. “Please, don’t ask me.”

“But, I must report this.”

She reached up and slipped her small hand into his. “Please, I’m begging you...”

The other doctor and the nurses bustled about caring for other patients. No one took notice of him and the wounded soldier. “Allow me to treat your wound. We’ll worry about this situation later.”

She bit her lip and nodded.

He concentrated on the wound. The ball had gone clean through and hadn’t damaged the main artery. All he had to do was clean and bandage it. As long as infection didn’t set in, she’d be all right.

As per her wishes, he didn’t allow any of the nurses near her. He’d treat her himself until she was stable enough to go back to her own tent.

After he’d secured a clean bandage around her thigh, she placed her hand on his shirt sleeve. The softness of her touch caused his heart to trip. How could any woman live like this?

“Thank you, Doctor. Please say you’ll keep my secret.” Her large, blue eyes focused on him, begging him to be truthful.

“I won’t tell anyone. But I need to check on your wound each day to be sure there’s no infection.”

“If you’d come to my tent, we’d be away from prying eyes.”

He nodded, letting out a deep sigh. She looked so young and vulnerable. He wouldn’t betray her trust.

****

That evening, Sara sat on a rock before a blazing fire, huddled in a blanket against the winter chill. Doctor Ellison had stopped by to check her wound and satisfied with what he found, told her he’d be by tomorrow.

Having his eyes and hands on her now that he knew she was a woman, sent a thrill through her. But what must he see, a scrawny boy-shaped girl in soldier’s garb? He had women working around him every day. And she didn’t even know if he had a special girl back home. She did know he didn’t have a wife. At least that was something.

Once she was back on duty, she’d try to find out as much as she could about Doctor Ellison.

Several days later, she arrived at the hospital tent to relieve one of the other stewards. Dr. Ellison was on duty. She caught his gaze, but looked quickly away, her face heating at the knowledge shared between them.

He cleared his throat. “Private, I could use your assistance.”

“Yes, sir.” She glanced around the tent. A few women volunteers were helping some of the men write letters. It didn’t look like there was much work to do at this hour.

Ellison’s lips curved into a smile. “I need help setting up the barn over yonder for incoming patients. We’re much too crowded in here.”

“Yes, sir. Would you like me to round up more men to assist?”

“No. You and I can do it. I want to see how many more patients we can comfortably fit. I don’t know if any of the men we have here now can be shipped to hospitals any time soon.”

“All right. I’ll fetch a lantern so we can see our way around.” She located a lantern and lit it, then turned to find Ellison shrugging into his military coat. She faced him, her gaze focusing on his firm lips beneath his well-trimmed beard. She wondered how they would taste, but flushed at her indecent thoughts.

A dark-haired nurse turned their way as they approached the tent entrance. “Doctor, will you be gone long?” She batted her long, dark lashes.

“No, Miss Fletcher, but my relief should be coming in soon. I’ll be in the barn if you have any emergencies before Dr. Lynch comes.”

“Of course. I’ll send one of the stewards to get you if I need you.” She smiled brightly, then returned to the letter she was writing for one of the soldiers.

Sara gritted her teeth. Seemed to her all the young unattached women around here had designs on Dr. Ellison. Well, she really couldn’t blame them. One glance, one smile and she swore she’d melt into a puddle on the floor.

She hefted the lantern, hoping the growing darkness outside would hide her blush. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she’d taken a cotton to him. He’d probably laugh at the very idea.

After slipping through the tent flap, she waited for Ellison to join her. The barn he wanted to inspect was on the edge of camp, a perfect location for a temporary hospital.

She led the way past rows of tents, and men gathered around open fires, trying to stay warm. A small knot of soldiers were singing Christmas carols. No doubt, it brought them memories of their homes and loved ones.

Her senses tingled at the warm presence of the tall doctor beside her. As she picked her way over uneven ground and approached the doors of the barn, she caught his scent of wood smoke and sandalwood. Taking a deep breath, she tried to concentrate on the structure, but had trouble making it out in the lantern light. The full moon hid behind a cloud, so she couldn’t see the barn clearly, but she had seen it during daylight hours and knew the structure was painted white with a green roof and doors.

“The barn’s completely cleared out?” she asked Ellison as they stopped just short of the doors.

“Yes, the owners have moved temporarily. I suspect they won’t return until they get news the army’s pulled out.”

She nodded and crept into the darkened barn. She held the lantern high, allowing them to survey the interior.

Ellison moved ahead of her. “This will do nicely. We’ll start setting up cots tomorrow and bring half the men from the tent in here, and that will leave plenty of room for new casualties.”

“You reckon there’ll be many more?”

“Unless the Rebs pull out tomorrow.”

Sara glanced up at his face. His brow creased in a frown and his eyelids drooped, giving him a haunted look. Her fingers itched to reach up and smooth his brow. Brush her hand over his inviting lips. But she didn’t dare. Flicking out her tongue to moisten her dry lips, she moved forward, taking stock of the length of the barn.

“I think we’ve seen enough for tonight,” Ellison said.

Thinking he meant they were returning to the tent, she turned toward the entrance. The doctor blocked her path, a smile on his face.

She glanced between him and the open barn door. “Are we done here, sir?”

“Miss Brewster,” he said. “I really brought you here so I could speak with you alone.”

****

Kirk gazed at the full mouth he’d been longing to kiss. Ever since he’d discovered the soldier he’d thought of as a lad was in fact a young woman, he’d wanted to protect her and learn more about her background. He couldn’t talk freely when they were around others, so this was his only chance to learn who she really was.

Her lower lip trembled as she stared wide-eyed at him. “What do you need to speak to me about, sir?”

He sighed. “I need to know why you disguise yourself as a man. It’s not a usual thing for a lovely young woman to do.”

She glanced away. Had he embarrassed her by calling her lovely?

“Here...” He took the lantern from her hand and set it on a crate. “Let’s sit down and have a talk.”

He took her small hand and led her to a bale of hay, then sat opposite her. When their knees touched, she jerked away.

“Are you afraid of me?” he asked.

“Afraid?”

He cleared his throat. “Afraid I’ll take advantage of you.”

“Oh, no, sir.” She vigorously shook her head, sending her short curls bouncing. Clasping her hands in her lap, she glanced away.

“I wouldn’t presume to touch you,” he reassured her. “I just want to talk.”

Glancing back up at him, she frowned. “About what, sir?”

His gaze roved over her, trying to gauge her feminine form beneath the male clothing. “About why you dress and pretend to be a man.”

“Oh, that. I was pretending to be a man long before I joined the army.”

“But why?” He couldn’t imagine why she would do that. And how did no one know?

“My family’s poor. Dirt poor.” She shrugged as if that explained everything.

When he didn’t reply, she went on. “I had to work to help support them, but all I could do as a woman was sew, take in laundry or hire out as a domestic.”

“And you didn’t want to do that?” He folded his arms over his chest.

“It doesn’t pay all that well.” She scowled. “I took some of my brother’s clothes, cut my hair and got a job as a canal worker. It paid real well.”

“And your family didn’t object to you doing that?”

“Why would they?” She shrugged. “The farm income wasn’t enough to support all of us. If I could make better money pretending to be a man, why would they care?”