Words Heard in Silence (42 page)

He regarded her then nodded.

"If you let Dr. Walker look at your throat I will take you to the kitchen and we will find you a couple. I think I remember seeing Sarah tucking a few away."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

But it was too late. The moment he opened his mouth, Elizabeth stuck the depressor in and had her look. When she was finished she smiled as she snapped the stick in half. "Now that was not too bad, was it?"

"No, Ma’am."

"All right, young James, my prescription for your ailment is two horehound drops and some hot tea. I think Miss Rebecca can take it from here." She helped him out of the chair and handed him over to Rebecca.

"Anything serious?" The blond asked Elizabeth while holding his hand

"No, just a little raw from the influenza that everyone had. He will be fine."

"Good."

Once Jamie was settled, Rebecca then tended to everyone else, making sure that the chores were getting done and that nothing was being left undone. She joined a few of the ladies in the washroom and spent close to two hours helping with the washing of linens. She took a basket outside to the line and had just started hanging them when she looked up to find Charlie walking toward the house from camp.

"Hello, love. Why, pray tell, are you out here hanging laundry? Do I need to get more servants?"

"No, you do not, my dear. I am hanging laundry because it needed to be done and everyone else is occupied with runny noses and chamber pots. Considering my options, I chose laundry." She gave him a little grin.

"I just spent twenty four hours sitting up with you because you worked yourself to collapse. I will not have that happening again."

She straightened up from the laundry basket and smiled at him. "My, my, Colonel Redmond, you certainly are solid in that opinion. What would you have me do, let these people sleep on dirty linens?"

He swept her into his arms in a very protective embrace. "I would have you tell me when the work is too much and let me get you more help. You, my dear, are the mistress of this house. Your job is to supervise."

She chuckled, running her hands over his shoulders and giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, Charlie, but the fact remains that right now we do not have a spare pair of hands and the laundry still needs to be hung. So unless you want to do it," she gave him a wink, "you had better let me get back to it so I can wash up before supper is on the table."

Charlie pulled his riding gloves off, stuffed them in his belt, grinned and started pinning linens to the line. "As I said, I will do it myself rather than have you back in bed from exhaustion."

She laughed and pulled the linen from his hand. "Charles Redmond, you are the master of this house and I will not have you doing woman’s work. Good Lord, Charlie, what would your men say if they saw you hanging laundry? Sergeant Jackson would never let you forget it." She gave him a playful look that dared him to challenge her. Then she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "You need a haircut. I will tend to that after supper. Now really, Charlie, I promise this will be the last thing I do today and I am yours for the rest of the evening. Perhaps we can see if Colonel Polk and Elizabeth would like to play whist this evening."

Charlie smiled down at her. "A haircut, humm. All right, on one condition."

"Yes?"

"We let Richard and Elizabeth entertain themselves tonight and spend a little time just the two of us."

"Will you hold me in your arms and read poetry to me?" She looked at him with total adoration

"I will. And stroke your back and tenderly kiss you, as well. A right, proper romantic evening."

"Why, Colonel Redmond, you do know how to turn a simple country girl’s head. Sounds wonderful. We have a date. I think the haircut can wait until tomorrow."

To set the mood, Charlie immediately launched into quoting one of his favorite poets, the English cavalier, Phillip Sidney.

C
harlie was preparing the fire in the rear parlor, having just dismissed Beulah after giving her authorization to bring another three members of her family up to work at the farm. Colonel Polk knocked, and then entered the room. "Charlie, do you have a minute?"

The commander’s shoulders slumped; he had promised the evening to Rebecca and really did not want to go back on that promise. "What do you need, Richard?"

"I promise you it will only take a minute or two. I have reports that you need to see before I dispatch them."

"All right," Charlie joined him at the door just as Rebecca came in. "Dear, I have one small thing to tend to then I will be right in, I promise."

She smiled and caressed his cheek. "All right, Charlie." She then looked to his friend. "Do not keep him too long, Colonel Polk."

"No, Miss Rebecca, it will only take a minute."

"Very well. You know, Charlie, I think I will meet you upstairs." She told him with a twinkle in her eye that gave him great pause.

"All right. I will be up directly." Trying not to think about it, he turned to his second in command. "Come on, Polk."

O
nce the men had left, Rebecca adjourned upstairs. She found her orders had been followed precisely and by the fire in their room sat a tray with hot tea and sweet rolls. She finished preparing the room and when she was finished she had a rather nice little spot created by the fire.

Spreading a couple of heavy army blankets, she covered them with the quilt from the bed, to take some of the hardness from the floor. Then she changed her clothes and slipped into her robe. After that, she took her hair down and gave it a quick but thorough brushing so it flowed freely over her shoulders. Then she sat down near the fire and waited.

C
harlie and Polk adjourned to the office for a brief review of Polk’s reports to the Quartermaster General.

Charlie shook his head. "I swear I believe these idiots are using the war just to get rich. The quality of some of these woolens is such that I would not give them to slaves. Flaws, holes even. How do they expect us to keep an army moving on this garbage?"

"I do not make the stuff. I just complain about it."

"Well then, keep complaining." Charlie signed the documents, then said, "If there is nothing else?"

"No, Charlie. Go spend time with your lady. I would say she has something planned for you."

Charlie smiled contentedly, as he walked back to the rear parlor. Rebecca was no longer there and the fire was banked. Smiling in anticipation of spending quiet time alone with his lady, he mounted the stairs to their room. Opening the door, he looked into the sitting room. No Rebecca. But the door to their bedroom was cracked and there was a soft light coming through. He stepped into the room and was confronted with the most beautiful vision. There she was, dressed in a soft robe, her hair loose and shining around her shoulders. His chest went tight; his hands itched to touch her. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to get a little control over his suddenly pounding pulse. "My love, you are beautiful."

She smiled and ran her hand over the blanket. "I dare you come over here and tell me that, Charlie." She gave the floor next to her a pat. "I have something sweet over here and you did promise me a romantic evening."

Charlie ran his finger under his collar to loosen it a bit, then walked over and settled onto the quilt next to Rebecca. "My love, you are beautiful." He lifted her hand to his lips, then turned his head and caressed it with his cheek.

"And you are the most charming and handsome thing I have ever seen." She leaned over and gave him a tender kiss.

Her lips left his, and, for a moment, he remained immobile, his eyes closed, savoring and memorizing the silken warmth that had touched him. When he did open them, Rebecca was looking into eyes that were the silver of the moon on a summer night.

"Would you get out of your uniform, Charlie? We should both be comfortable this evening." She ran her finger down his cheek. "I have plans for you, dear man."

"What would you like me to put on, dear? You know I am yours tonight, and every night for the rest of my life."

She tugged in the button of his tunic. "I do not care what you wear, but this," she tugged again, "is far too much cloth between us."

Charlie choked a little at her suggestion. He needed to know more of what she wanted. "Just the jacket or should I put on my nightshirt and robe?"

She chuckled at his apparent nervousness. "Get ready for bed, Charlie. I promise I will not bite."

Unlike their normal routine, where Rebecca afforded him some privacy as Charlie transformed from man to woman, he could feel her eyes burning into his shoulder blades. A blush started at the tips of his ears and burned its way down his body. Slowly, he removed his cravat and unbuttoned his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders. The wrappings around his chest came off, freeing both his breasts and the woman under the disguise. The transformation from man to woman was almost complete.

She slipped her britches and underwear off, and pulled a clean, white nightshirt over her head. Donning the robe, she tied the belt. Charlie turned to look at Rebecca's face, unsure if the woman by the fire wanted who she was now.

Rebecca held her hand out. "My beautiful Charlie."

Charlie let go of her breath in a soft sigh, retrieved a little book from the pocket of the tunic and returned to sit beside Rebecca. She was feeling a little shy and a lot hopeful.

"Charlie," Rebecca dipped her head just a bit before looking back to her companion, "I am not really in the mood for poetry at the moment." She gave Charlie a beguiling smile.

Very gently, Charlie covered Rebecca's hand with her own much larger one. "What are you in the mood for, sweetheart?"

Her blush deepened and her smile grew wider from embarrassment. "I was hoping, maybe we could, well……" She looked up. "Well, I really want to explore a few things with you."

Charlie's blush matched Rebecca's, but she moved gamely forward. In a voice made husky with sudden wanting, she responded, "I am always here, always open to anything you want. Ask, and if I am capable, it is yours."

"Are you sure? I do not want to make you uncomfortable, but I think it is time for me to learn more about the feelings I have when I am with you. Feelings I have never felt before."

Rebecca felt a fine tremor pass over Charlie's body. What Charlie wanted was to take Rebecca in her arms; to make Rebecca scream with pleasure; to hear her own name cried out in that moment when the universe exploded into a myriad of crystal rainbows. "Darling, my heart, my soul and my body are all yours to do with as you wish."

She nodded her understanding. "I have a confession to make. Before I got sick, there was a night when you came to bed. You thought I was asleep, but, well I was not……" Rebecca leaned in and kissed Charlie again. "It was that night that these feelings began stirring and I have had them everyday since and they only get stronger with each passing day." And yet again she kissed her. "I am told it is because you excite me, Charlie."

Charlie drew a deep breath, in part to quell the embarrassment at knowing that Rebecca had listened as she eased the ache between her thighs that night. Then Rebecca's words soaked into Charlie's brain.
I excite her?
Charlie drew Rebecca into her arms and gently returned the kisses. "And you excite me beyond words, my love."

Rebecca’s breath caught in her throat as she felt Charlie’s hands on her body and the sensations started in her body with a vengeance. "I want to explore a little." She tentatively ran her hand over the outside of Charlie’s thigh. "I need to touch you, Charlie."

The tremor ran deeper; Rebecca could feel it under her fingers. "I am yours." It was just a breath against her ear, and she could hear it down to her soul.

"I am not sure how far this will go, Charlie, you do understand that? And I certainly do not want to tease you, so if you would rather not, I will understand." She stilled her hand on Charlie’s leg until she received an answer because she really had no desire to make Charlie miserable.

At the moment, Charlie did not care where the exploration went. All that was important was that Rebecca was touching her. Her
.
She swallowed convulsively and repeated, "I am yours. However you want me."

Rebecca smiled and took another kiss. She slid her hand up Charlie’s side then to her shoulder until she started back down the front of her robe. She paused in her movements just as her hand reached the slight swell of Charlie’s breast. She broke the kiss and looked to Charlie for permission.

Charlie's eyes were silvered with desire; she could not control her body's reactions. Still she looked at Rebecca and shyly smiled and nodded.

The small woman let her hand travel slowly the rest of the way. Touching Charlie’s body was delightful and she was truly glad she decided to explore her desires more. Her hand lingered at Charlie’s breast and then slowly closed over it, feeling it and learning the feeling of her body. She moved her hand and slid it under Charlie’s robe, needing to get still closer.