Hearts Under Siege (Civil War Collection) (21 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Alexandra woke warm inside. She smiled. The experience came as a surprise. She stretched and snuggled closer to Thomas. Even as he slept, his arms tightened around her. She shifted her weight.

The birds sang in the trees above them as the sun sent its first hint of morning gold over the horizon. Waking in Thomas’s arms brightened her world. Yet something nagged at the back of her mind.

Thomas! She jumped to her feet, flinging Thomas’s arm off in the process.

“What’s wrong, ma chérie?” he asked, opening those infuriatingly beautiful blue eyes.

She glared at him and then stomped off, mumbling about taking advantage of people.

She made it only a few steps away when she dropped to her knees and hurled the contents of her stomach. Exhausted, she sat down, pressed her forehead against her knees, and cried.

She cried because of the beauty of the gentle morning sun washing over her. She cried because of her love for Thomas, nearly bursting her heart. Even in her sleep she drew next to him. A teardrop splashed onto the hand she placed over her flat belly.

“Alexandra?” Johnny’s voice penetrated her awareness, and she took deep breaths in an attempt to stop the sobbing.

“Alexandra, are you all right?”

“Yes,” she said between sobs.

“Are you sure? Are you ill?”

“No.
”
Go away
.
No, she may not be all right, but she was with child. Her heart swelled.

She laid back laughing so hard that her stomach cramped.

When her mirthful chuckling stilled, Thomas sat facing her, his hair damp from having washed his face. A lock fell across his forehead. He lifted one eyebrow as he studied her.

She sat up, annoyance returning with a vengeance. “What are you doing up?”

“Have you gone mad?” he asked.

She glared at him, taken aback. Only hours ago, she spoon-fed him, and now he walked around, insulting her. She didn’t know how to respond to him.

“Alexandra? What is so funny?”

“Nothing.”

“Then tell me what’s wrong.”

She didn’t answer.

“You saved my life, but you’ve barely spoken to me. We haven’t seen each other in weeks. I don’t understand.” He waved his hand.

“Oh, you don’t understand,” she said, spitting the words at him.

“No,” he insisted.

Her blood boiled. “You’re such a cad,” she said, and stood up.

Despite the effort it must have cost him, he shot up and grabbed her arm before she could stand.

His grip tenuous, she could have broken free easily, but something in his expression kept her feet planted where they were.

“We promised we would never do this again,” he said. “We said we would always talk about whatever bothered us, and not let anything come between us again. Do you remember that?”

“Of course,” she said, fighting a wave of humiliation.

He waited, as if giving her time to decide what she wanted to do.

“Why did you lie to me?” she asked, the pain in her voice raw to her own ears.

“Lie to you? Alexandra, I would never lie to you.”

She turned and looked into his eyes. “Even now you lie.”

“No.”

Her heart sank, and the strength went out of her muscles
.
Don’t cry
.

“What has you in such a turmoil? I want to set it right, but if I don’t know what it is, I can’t.”

“I found out about your betrothal.”

“My what?” He frowned.

“Your engagement to be married.” The words hurt even as she said them.

“What are you talking about?”

“I know that you’re going to marry Gabrielle Jarreau.”

“Gabrielle? Surely you don’t believe such horse rubbish?”

While Alexandra’s heart soared at his words, she kept her joy reined in. Could she believe him?

“Of course she thinks you’re dead. Everyone does. She’s heartbroken.” The words gushed from her now that she’d broken the dam. “But she’ll be ecstatic that you’re not. I don’t know why you didn’t just tell me. Even your mother didn’t tell me you were engaged. I suppose she thought I would fall apart. Well, I didn’t, did I? Just because I fainted when I heard about it, doesn’t mean anything. That isn’t even why I fainted. It’s because I’m—” She cut herself off before she said too much. She wasn’t ready to tell him about the baby, and at this point she wasn’t sure she would ever tell him.

“You’re what?”

“Nothing. Just tired, I guess.”

“Alexandra,” he said kneeling beside her, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her face to his. “I’m not engaged to Gabrielle.”

She shook her head, but he held her chin firmly.

“I don’t believe you. Everyone at the soirée talked about it.”

“And what was Gabrielle doing at the soirée if she was so upset?”

“Dancing.”

“Of course. Did she look heartbroken?”

“No, but that’s just how she dealt with it.”

“Have you ever met Gabrielle before?” He moved his hands down her arms and took her hands in his.

“No.”

“Gabrielle is deceitful. She lies at every turn. I’ve never even called upon her, much less proposed to her. It’s a thorn in her side that despite her best efforts at throwing herself at me, I haven’t swooned at her feet.”

“That’s an awfully arrogant statement,” she said, but the fight drained out of her.

“Maybe it is. But why else would she concoct this insane fantasy about being engaged to me, especially when I’m not there to defend myself?”

“The only reason I could think of is that it must be true.” She turned her head, blinking back the tears that once again welled in her eyes.

“Well, it isn’t true, it never has been, and it never will be. I’ve never been engaged before, and there’s only one woman for me. And once I’ve asked her to marry me, I can assure you I won’t ask anyone else.”

Blinking, Alexandra stared at him. Part of her knew he spoke of her, and part of her didn’t dare even think it, much less believe it. So she sat there, her face streaked with dried tears, and her eyes moist from tears waiting to be shed. Her heart still tender from being shattered, hope began to form that maybe, just maybe, it would have reason to heal.

“Alexandra,” he said, moving closer to her. “I lov
e
yo
u
.” Then gently, tenderly, he placed his lips against hers.

She melted. He drew her against him, and she nestled her head against his chest. With a sigh, the tension drained from her. His lips caressed hers, deepening the kiss, and the world disappeared.

Someone said something in the distance.

Not no
w.
Go away.

The sound of a gunshot, however, jarred them apart. Thomas jerked to his feet, pulling her with him. They raced back to the campsite, breathing heavily.

Johnny writhed on his back, clutching his right thigh with his eyes clenched shut. The coffeepot and cups lay broken and scattered around the clearing. Alexandra ran forward and knelt beside Johnny.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know,” Johnny said, blinking rapidly then squeezing his eyes closed. “I saw a man just standing there. He said, ‘I got no quarrel with you, but you’re in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ Then he just shot me. He pulled the trigger and shot me.” He hugged his knee to his chest, rolling back and forth.

Alexandra looked at Thomas. Thomas stood at the edge of the clearing, his gaze scanning the area, looking for—she guessed—Jake.

Alexandra peeled away the cloth of Johnny’s pants from his blood-drenched thigh. Thomas went to retrieve the gun they left behind in their rush. He rummaged through the knapsack then lowered his hands and shook his head. Alexandra watched; then a gun pressed against her head. She held her breath.

Jake
.

Thomas turned around and froze.

Johnny stared, unmoving.

“What do you want?” Thomas asked, scowling.

“Shut up, and pick up that rope,” Jake snapped, and with a jerk of his head, indicated the coil of rope a few feet from them.

Thomas complied, moving slowly, keeping his hands in clear view. “Now, tie him up,” he said, looking at Johnny.

“I won’t do anything,” Johnny replied.

“Keep quiet,” Jake demanded, kicking Johnny in the thigh.

The boy screamed and grabbed his wound. Then he fell back, senseless.

“Never mind about him,” Jake said. “Tie her up.” He lowered the gun from Alexandra’s head and shoved her onto the ground.

“It’ll be all right,” Thomas whispered in Alexandra’s ear as he took her hands and gently pulled them behind her.

“I said, shut up,” Jake growled, waving the gun back and forth between them.

Thomas complied, watching him with narrowed eyes. Alexandra’s head whirled, and her vision fogged.

“What’s wrong with her?” Jake asked, glancing at Alexandra.

“She’s in shock,” Thomas said.

“Bitch,” he mumbled, and then hesitated, “well then, put her over there by the tree.” Jake said louder.

Thomas picked her up and laid her on the ground as if she were made of glass.

“Now you move over there,” Jake said, waving wildly with the gun.

“You have to let me tend her. She could die.”

“Like I care,” Jake said. “However, it isn’t time for her to perish yet. What do you have to do for her?”

“I need to heat some water to wash her face.”

“Then heat the water,” Jake snapped.

Thomas took his time rebuilding the fire and putting water on to heat. He went over to Johnny and began to pick the cloth of his slacks from the wound.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m tending the boy’s wound.”

“I didn’t give you leave to do that.”

“I know, but I didn’t think you’d want him to die, either.”

“I’m not falling for that. The boy’s fine. You’re pushing your luck with her.”

“You’re right,” Thomas said, lifting his hands away from the boy and backing away. “I need a cloth.”

Jake took a cloth from his own pack and tossed it to Thomas. It landed in the dirt. Thomas winced. He used most of the water to rinse out the cloth. He knelt beside Alexandra and wiped her face. Jake stooped across from him and watched.

“This best not be a trick,” he said.

“Does she look like she’s faking it?” Thomas asked. Anger exploded from his voice.

Jake didn’t react.

“Have you seen this before?” he asked.

“Yes,” Thomas answered. “Soldiers get it sometimes.”

“Humph. Women soldiers you mean.”

Thomas didn’t answer.

“It’s not working,” Jake said, insult returning to his voice.

“It takes time,” Thomas said.

“Well, you’ve got three minutes.”

Thomas hurried back to Alexandra’s side. “Alexandra,” he whispered. “Come back to me.”

She barely made out his words.

“Two minutes,” Jake said.

“Ma chérie, please.”

Alexandra mumbled and gazed at him.

“It’s more severe than I thought,” Thomas said. “I need to go to the next step.”

“And that would be?

Thomas looked past Jake and nodded. Jake looked in the direction of Thomas’s gaze. Thomas leaped up and kicked the weapon from Jake’s hands. Alexandra gasped and watched as the gun hit the ground. Thomas swung and landed a punch against the side of Jake’s nose. Blood trickled out.

Jake cried out and launched himself at Thomas. Thomas lost his balance and landed on the ground, taking Jake with him. Jake straddled Thomas and grabbed him by the neck, wringing his hands.

Thomas struggled unsuccessfully against him. A gunshot rang out.

Alexandra heard herself scream. Using all her strength, she pushed Jake aside and knelt over Thomas, checking for breath. Time stood still, but his breath caressed her palm. She pulled away and, her eyes meeting his, sobbed out his name.

She lay there with her cheek against his and gave up fighting with him. Their tears mingled and flowed as one to the ground.

****

Alexandra experienced a plethora of emotions simultaneously, leaving her confused and dazed. Relief that the ordeal with Jake had ended merged with shock that she had been the one to kill him.

Yet despite this, her heart swelled. No matter what happened next, Thomas lived.

“Are you all right?” Thomas uttered.

She nodded, leaning her head against him.

“Look at me,” he said, gently nudging her head off his shoulder.

She pulled back and looked at him. His expression nearly took her breath away. A depth of feelings to match her own reflected back at her.

“I owe you my life,” he said, “again.” “It hardly repays you for mine.” He smiled. “Then why don’t we call it even?” She nodded. “Then what would we do?” she

asked, trying to keep the desperation out of her voice. Did being even mean being finished?

“I think there is only one thing we can do,” he answered, running his hand through her hair.

She shivered. “And that would be?” she asked, as the heaviness drained from her muscles.

“Oh, I can think of a few things,” he said as he caught her bottom lip between his lips.

She settled into the kiss, touching his top lip with her tongue.

“What are you doing?”

Johnny! Alexandra and Thomas jerked apart and looked at each other. How could she have neglected the injured Johnny? Alexandra got to her feet and crossed the short distance separating them, ignoring the lightheaded feeling that swept over her.

“Who shot him?” Johnny asked, indicating Jake with a tilt of his head.

“I did,” Alexandra answered, disregarding the wave of remorse for the man she had killed and so promptly forgotten about.

“Thank God,” Johnny said.

Thomas joined them. “How do you feel?” he asked.

“I think the bullet just grazed me,” Johnny said, standing up. “How are you feeling?” he asked Alexandra.

“I’m fine,” she said, “thanks.”

“My mama had a rough go of it, too. She wouldn’t let my pa near her once she found out,” he said, glancing at Thomas. “It’s a wonder there are nine of us.”

Thomas looked perplexed. “What are you talking about?”

“Never mind,” Alexandra rushed out, looking at Johnny with disapproval. “Let’s get your wound cleansed and figure out how to get out of here.”

Johnny opened his mouth, but when Alexandra looked askance at him, he closed it and kept quiet.

“You and I can ride together,” Thomas said. “Johnny will be fine on his own horse. By the way, where did you find healthy horses?”

“Oh, some of my grandfather’s horses wandered home,” Alexandra said absently, still concerned about Johnny’s comment. If Johnny, barely out of childhood, recognized her pregnant state, how could Thomas not figure it out?

She should just tell him. But she wouldn’t try to trap him that way. She would wait. Perhaps if she could get enough distance from him, he wouldn’t have the chance to notice her condition.

“I’m surprised someone didn’t pick them up,” Thomas said.

“Hmm?”

“The horses. I said I’m surprised they had the opportunity to return home without someone claiming them.”

“Oh, yes. I suppose everyone gets lucky at some point,” Alexandra said, distracted.

Thomas raised his brow. They gathered up the supplies, and after some discussion decided to leave Jake where he had fallen. They had no shovel, no way of digging a grave. After helping Johnny onto his horse, Thomas turned to Alexandra to assist her, but she already sat on her horse, waiting for him.