Aiding the Enemy (War Girls) (6 page)

Relief turned her bones to butter and she relaxed against him, her hands clutching at his shoulders for support. “You’re not angry with me?”

He hugged her with equal fervour. “Oh, I’m angry, but not for the reasons you think. We don’t have much time. Come with me.”

He released her with a slow preciseness that told her he was aware of how frightened she was. He slid one hand down to hers and took it in a firm grip, pulling her down the garden path.

The moon was barely a sliver in the sky, making the stars seem brighter than they should be, intensifying the darkness of the night. His hand was her only link to the rest of the world and yet she felt as if she weren’t connected to the world at all.

He guided her off the path and through heavy shrubbery that grabbed and clung to her dress and apron. They walked for several minutes, passing through a wooded area before emerging in a graveyard. Herman stopped long enough to look about before they headed for the church on the other side of the sea of dead. He let go of her hand when they reached the rear of the church and leaned down. When he stood, he was holding a bundle of cloth in his hands.

“Here, put this on.”

She unfolded it to reveal her dark traveling cape. “Thank you.”

“Hurry. We can’t be seen.”

She took off her apron and handed it to him then put on the cape.

He folded the apron, stuck it in a hole and covered it with dirt. He handed her a bag with a long shoulder strap. “A few things I thought you might want.”

“Oh, thank you.” Thank you seemed too small a statement, too little a reply to what he’d done for her.

He threw the strap to another bag over his shoulder then grabbed her hand again. “Let’s go, and if we’re stopped let me do the talking.” He pulled her towards the street.

“What are you—”

“Rose, I’ll explain everything once we’re safe. I promise.”

“Safe? What do you mean?”

“I’m getting you out of Belgium.”

“But you can’t. You’re a German doctor, in their army. If they catch you, you’ll be executed.”

“Yes.” One word, nothing more, but his whole life was contained in it.

She tried to drag him to a stop. “No. No, you can’t do this. Don’t throw your life away so needlessly.”

He turned and she nearly stumbled, but once again he caught her. He put his face close to hers, close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. “It is
done
. There’s no going back. Not for either of us.”

She swallowed a sob and nodded. “All right.” But she could not stop the shaking of her body.

He seemed reluctant to let go of her. “Are you able to continue?”

“Yes.”

He took her hand again and led her down the dark street. They walked for some time before entering a neighbourhood full of large houses. Palatial houses.

“Where are we?”

“Near the Royal Palace.”

Good grief
. “The palace has a commanding German army presence.”

“Undeniably.”

“But—”

“Rose.” Herman glanced over his shoulder with a half smile. “Enough.”

They walked openly on the street for several minutes then veered off on a garden path to approach a house from the rear. Herman opened a door and they walked into a kitchen. He guided her through it and up a set of stairs. The hallway was dark, but he unerringly found a door, pulling her in and closing it behind them.

A match flared. He lit a candle. They were in a bedroom.

“Where are we?” she asked, keeping her voice quiet.

“My uncle’s home here in Brussels.” Herman went to the door and locked it. “This is my bedroom.”

“Your uncle? The general-major?”

“Yes.”

Her mouth opened and closed, but nothing came out.

“Don’t panic, Rose, we’re safer here than anywhere else.”

“Until someone,
anyone
, finds us.”

He removed his overcoat and hung it in a wardrobe. “What happened to your ability to look on the bright side?”

He wasn’t behaving at all like she expected. “I can’t imagine. I’ve been arrested and questioned, and until a short time ago, I thought I would be punished for the crime of compassion.”

“I think you’re tired, frightened and confused.”

“I...you...” He was a lunatic. It was the only explanation for what he’d done. “Stop it, just stop. I made a conscious decision to help those men—British, Belgian and French soldiers—knowing the consequences. I won’t allow you to commit treason because of my actions.”

A pirate’s smile stole across his face and his arms crossed over his chest. “Try and stop me.”

She whirled and went for the door. He caught her before she could reach the knob, wrapped her in his strong arms and pulled her into his body, her back to his front. “I chose this path after careful consideration of all possible actions. I’ve worked with you for months. I
know
you. You don’t have a deceitful bone in your body.”

“But I lied...”

“Was it lying when you let that dying soldier believe you were his wife? When you comforted him in his last moments and allowed him to pass peacefully?” He gentled his hold, stroked her arm. “Was it?”

“Yes, but...”

“You’d do it again?”

“I would.”

“So would I.” His lips brushed the tip of her ear as he whispered, “You’re not alone anymore.”

“I believed...” A sob shook her. “I thought I could live through anything and remain certain and strong, but I was so afraid.” Tears blurred her vision and she began to cry.

Herman turned her, folding her in to his embrace, guiding her head to rest on his shoulder. “You have more strength than any man I know.”

She relaxed in his arms. They were warm and steadfast, and his heartbeat under her ear reminded her he was as human as she. “Should I take that as a compliment?”

“Yes.”

She put her arms around him and held him as tightly as he held her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

They stood there silently for several moments before she pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and blew her nose. “What now?”

“We sleep. In the morning we’ll leave for the Netherlands.”

“It’s gotten very difficult to cross the border.”

“Don’t worry, I have a plan.”

“What is it?”

“I’ll explain everything tomorrow. Now it’s time to get some rest.”

She pulled away from his warmth reluctantly. “All right. Where can I lie down?”

“Here.”

She stared at the lone bed in the room. “Where are you going to sleep?”

“With you.”

“With...me?” It came out a squeak. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.

He put his bag on a chair. “Yes.”

She watched him remove his the scarf from his neck and couldn’t help imagining him removing his shirt...his trousers. Her hands shook and she pressed one to her breast. “I don’t understand.”

He turned around, looked at her and froze. “I’m not going to hurt you, Rose.” He came towards her slowly, as if she were a frightened doe, and gently took her hand. “I promise.”

“I...we...can’t.” Why then could all she think about was what he would look like without his clothes?

He sighed. “I was going to wait until tomorrow morning, but perhaps now is the time to discuss it.”

“Herman, for the sake of my heart, I think you should.”

He smiled. “Your sunny outlook is something I admire about you greatly.”

“It’s taken a beating in the last weeks.”

“Indeed.” He took in a deep breath and nodded. “So. You and I are going to leave the country, but the authorities will be looking for a doctor and nurse. Therefore, we will not be those people any longer.”

“What do you mean?”

“My second cousin was a rector. He died a few months ago, falling off a horse. I managed to obtain his identification papers. We’ll say yours were lost in a fire.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Rose, will you marry me?” Out of his pocket he produced a plain gold ring. “And become Mrs. Anton Humphrey?”

Chapter Six

She stared at the ring as if it were a live bomb. “This isn’t necessary.”

Of course she would say that. “Yes, it is. On the road, we’ll be together for an undetermined period of time. Sleeping in the same room...the same bed.”

She looked from the ring to his face and back to the ring again. “Is this marriage an act or...”

“Our marriage
cannot
be an act. We’re going to be hiding in plain sight. We have to be what we appear to be, a rector and his new wife, both of whom are very good at caring for the sick and injured.”

“It’s not fair to you. You didn’t ask for this—”

“Nor is it fair to you,” he interrupted. “You made a choice to follow your oath, to save lives. I am making the same choice.” He owed her. She’d given up everything—her nursing skills, her life—to help countless German soldiers, to help him without question or thought of her own safety.

Would he have been able to operate on Rodney without collapsing? No. Rodney’s injuries and her arrest had broken his faith in his country’s military leaders. Even his uncle. They had crossed a line he hadn’t even known existed inside him. Herman loved Germany, but something was terribly wrong with the men who guided it.

He
owed
her.

“But your family, your brother and uncle, will they suffer as a result of you saving me?”

“There is nothing anyone could do to hurt my brother more than he’s hurting now, and my uncle is too high an officer for the actions of his tender-hearted nephew to bring him down.”

She stared at him, misery turning her face pale and downcast.

“I promise to be a good husband to you.”

Tears spilled over and rolled down her face. She wiped them away with her free hand, straightened her back, lifted her chin and cleared her throat to say, “I cannot in good conscience accept your proposal.”

He frowned. “Really? Why not?”

“It’s offered under duress.”

“We’re in the middle of a war, Rose. Our whole lives are under duress.”

“No, I meant that circumstances alone are the reason you’re asking me to marry you.”

He paced away then turned. “And if I’d gotten you pregnant, would you marry me then?”

She gasped. “Oh, well I...of course, we would...would have to marry in a situation like that, but—”

“That’s
duress
, isn’t it?”

“Herman, it is not at
all
the same thing.”

“Sounds the same to me.”

She stamped her foot. “No. One is the result of passion. The other is not.”

So stubborn. So rational. He paced back and forth, moving from one end of the room to the other. “Passion makes a difference? You surprise me. You’ve always been logical, practical and not given to emotional excesses.”

“Of course, I strive to behave properly in public or in the course of my duties. But I’m still a woman.”

“So your argument against our getting married isn’t based on logic?”

“Not...entirely.”

“Do you hate me?”

“No! Never...I simply refuse to trap you in a loveless marriage.”

“You’re refusing to marry me because you care too much for me and you want to spare my feelings?”

“Yes.”

Ha!
He had her. He stopped pacing right behind her and asked in a soft voice, “Do you care enough to help me then?”

She whirled around, the hem of her dress brushing his legs. “I would do anything to help you.”

“Except marry me.”

“There has to be another way.”

“It’s simple, quick and the most likely thing that will allow us to slip away unnoticed.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “Stop arguing and listen. Do you trust me?”

“Yes, but I think this is mad.”

He put his hand under her chin, urging her to look at him. “Mad is the only thing that’s going to work.” His fingers stroked her cheek and he moved closer still. “We have to discard our old identities and become different people. The military police will be hunting us, but they’re looking for a doctor and a nurse. Not a newlywed couple who only have eyes for each other.”

Her breathing became erratic, just like his own. “You mean we’ll have to...kiss in public?”

He nodded, distracted by the living silk under his fingertips. “You have the softest skin,” he whispered, his fingers brushing her ear and neck. “We need to show the world that we’re married. We can’t do that if you’re skittish around me. His other hand pressed against her back, pulling her body into full contact with his. He was hard where she was soft, and he wanted to soak her up.

“We shouldn’t.”

The words were barely out of her mouth, then his lips were on hers. She was welcoming and warm, and she responded with surprising sensuality. His nurse, with her prim and proper exterior, hid a tigress inside.

Her reaction enticed him to deepen the kiss. His lips pressed harder and she parted hers. His tongue stole inside her mouth. She tasted wonderful.

She grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him closer. He obliged by holding her close and insinuating one thigh between her legs.

She made a surprised sound as her knees gave way.

Herman caught her, lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed. “Just one more,” he whispered as he laid her down.

He leaned over her and she gazed up at him, eyes glittering with some emotion he couldn’t define. “Just one?”

He nodded and stroked her cheek with a lingering palm and fingers. He couldn’t stop touching her soft, pale skin.

“This is a bad idea.” She sucked in a deep breath.

“Very bad.” He kissed her again, her scent, her flavour seeping into his pores, his heart. He came down over her, one knee between her legs, and she squeaked in surprise. He trailed his lips down to her ear, teasing the lobe with his tongue and teeth.

Instead of pushing him away, she pulled him closer. “H-Herman?”

“Shh, it’s alright. I don’t want you to panic if I touch you.”

He held her head still for another kiss. He petted her, allowing his hand to graze the lower slope of her breast.

She gasped.

He pulled back and buried his face against her neck. “I’m sorry.”

She said nothing for a moment then whispered, “I didn’t know kissing could be so pleasurable.”

He raised his head and looked down at her. “Neither did I.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh.” Her gaze slipped to the top button of his shirt as one of her fingers played with it. “I suppose that’s good?”

He grinned at her. “It’s going to kill me.” Then he enfolded her in his arms and slipped into the first real sleep since she was taken from him weeks ago.

* * *

Rose lay awake for a long time.

She knew what was going to happen in the morning. Herman would marry her. A woman who had committed treason against his country.

She wasn’t about to marry the man just to get him shot.

There had to be another way for them to travel together. Marriage was too drastic a step, too permanent a statement.

He would argue that there wasn’t. Would insist it was his duty to get her to safety. To look after her, to protect her, to get her out of Belgium.

She’d embarked on her mission to save British and Belgian soldiers because it was her duty and hidden her activities from him on purpose. Had he known, he would have been forced to choose between his loyalty to her and their working relationship and his country.

Despite all her efforts, he’d still had to choose.

It was her fault. Her responsibility to ensure he didn’t pay for her actions, and he would if she didn’t act quickly.

Exhaustion nibbled at her, but she couldn’t succumb. It was up to her to fix the situation.

Carefully, to keep from waking Herman, she slipped from the bed. Her body, tired and sore, protested movement, but she ignored her aches, grabbed her cape and the bag he’d given her earlier, and eased out of the room.

Rose stood and listened for several long moments, but the house was quiet. The stairs were a dark well she descended by feel alone. At the bottom of the stairs she paused to try to remember which direction the back door was in.

A pain-filled moan floated out of the darkness. Years of experience had taught her agony had a sound. It rose from the throat as if torn and ripped from the flesh housing it. Agony resided in this house. Was it Rodney?

Indecision held her hostage. Escape or offer comfort to the pained soul? A second tormented moan ended her internal struggle.

Light wavered, weak and diffuse, from under a doorway. Rose knocked twice then turned the knob and opened the door.

A man rolled side to side on a bed. Rodney. His blankets twisted about his body and sweat glistened on his brow in the candlelight. She put her things down on the dresser near the door, then went over to him and put the back of her hand against his forehead.

Much too hot.

Fevered eyes met her gaze. “Who are you?”

He didn’t remember? “I’m Rose, a nurse.”

A small frown wrinkled his forehead. “Herman’s Rose?”

“Yes. What’s wrong? Are you in pain?”

He closed his eyes and swallowed. “Cold, so cold.”

“You’re burning up.” She placed her hands on either side of his face then put a hand on his shoulder. His clothes were soaked through. She pulled the blankets away and discovered all the bed linens were damp. “How long have you been like this?”

“So c-c-cold.”

“Jesper says a few hours,” said a strong masculine voice behind her.

Rose spun around. Herman stood in the doorway.

“He’s fevered and wet. We need to get him into dry bedding and clothing,” she said as she took off her cape and rolled up her sleeves.

He glanced at her cape and bag. “Going somewhere?”

“Not now I think,” she said, staring at her patient. “Infection?”

Herman walked over to stand next to her. “Let’s have a look at his arm.”

She nodded and helped calm his brother while he unwrapped the bandage. Now she could smell the rot, the beginning of it, but it was there.

Agony twisted Herman’s face. “Damn. I thought I had gotten it all. I’ll have to amputate some more.”

A fly buzzed past and inspiration took hold of Rose’s tongue. “What if we tried maggots?”

“What?”

“The young Brit who came in with the horrible leg wound that should have gone bad, but didn’t. You said you thought the maggots were the reason. Why not try them here?”

“It was a guess. I don’t know if they really helped or not.”

“What do you have to lose?”

“Rodney’s life.”

“The rot hasn’t set in yet, not really. You can always amputate more later. Why not try it now?”

Herman ran a hand through his hair. “Where am I going to find maggots?”

“A butcher shop.”
Where
,
where else?
“A fresh grave? Or the other hospital in the palace? Perhaps there are patients there with maggots.”

He rubbed his hands over his face. “I’m so tired, I can’t think straight.”

“Don’t think, do. Does anyone know you helped me escape?”

“Only the young guard and he had his own reasons for helping.”

“Then go and find some. There’s no reason for anyone to think I’m here. They’ll think I’ve run off to the border.”

He stared at her without moving. “As long as when I go, you stay here.”

She stood a little taller. “When have I ever left the side of a patient in need?”

“I’d rather you didn’t leave mine.” He walked to the door. “I’ll send someone up with clean linens.”

“Thank you. Now hurry.”

He disappeared and Rose turned back to her patient. Rodney was thrashing about with his injured arm and she had to speak softly to him to get him to settle down.

She began pulling the wet blankets off the bed and piled them on the floor, then she checked his body for other wounds, but none needed care besides his arm.

Jesper appeared at the door, arms loaded with blankets and loose clothing. “Good morning, ma’am,” he said with a slight inclination of his head. “Master Herman sent me.”

“Excellent, please come in.” She indicated the chair. “You can set those down there and help me strip this bed and get Rodney into some dry clothes.”

“I can manage Rodney,” he said, setting his pile down. “A lady such as yourself need not—”

“I’ve seen more horror and death than you can imagine.” She glanced at the butler’s shocked face. Perhaps he was old-fashioned. She softened her tone. “But I would be grateful for some assistance. I doubt he’s going to be completely cooperative.”

“None of the members of this family ever are, ma’am,” the elderly man said. “I’ve served this household for the better part of forty years.” He gifted her with a half grin so fast she wasn’t sure she saw it. “You’ll fit right in.”

“Will I?” How interesting.

Jesper cleared his throat. “Master Herman mentioned marriage.”

“Good heavens,” she muttered at the wall. It seemed Herman had talked about her quite a bit. The German authorities might have reason to suspect she was here. She rolled Rodney to one side. “Can you help me sit him up?”

Jesper pulled Rodney into a seated position and Rose managed to wrestle his nightshirt off.

“Let’s wrap him in a blanket and put him in the chair for now.”

They did, then she stripped and remade the bed. The two of them got Rodney back into bed and covered up.

“He seems less feverish now,” the old man observed.

“Getting wet made it worse. We’ll probably have to repeat this again in a few hours.”

“Very good. I will prepare more linens.” He turned to go, but Rose stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Thank you, Jesper. You’ve been very helpful.”

“It’s a privilege I hope to repeat.” He nodded at her and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Rose spent the next hour sponging Rodney with cool water and talking to him, when he was conscious enough to understand she was in the room and not a figment of his fevered mind. Dawn was lighting up the morning sky when Herman returned, a cloth bag in one hand.

“How is he?”

“No change. Jesper and I changed his bedding and clothes, and I’ve stayed with him the entire time.”

“His fever?”