War of Hearts, A Historical Romance Read Online Free PDF Page B

city. Stately
some would call it, with its large homes and sturdy brick
buildings.
    The wagon creaked as the horses moved
restlessly. Sarah turned her attention to them. They were as ragged
as any horse she had ever seen. She doubted if they would even last
the trip. She glanced at Pearson wordlessly and he shrugged a
shoulder. What choice did they have?
    He let out a yip to get the horses moving
and they soon were off. They made their way toward the gate they
had entered. There was much scurrying around the gate and she
recognized the soldier that hit Pearson. She grabbed his arm in
warning and slightly shook her head.
    His mouth set in a grim line as he expertly
guided the load down a side street. They would need to go through
town and exit to the north. It was longer, but less risky.
    Sarah, remembering her part, repeated the
mantra in her head. My sister has fallen ill, and we are heading
to New York.
    She held her breath as they arrived at the
next waypoint. The solider walked up to question them and Pearson
held up his papers. Just as the soldier went to grab them, the sky
opened up and a freezing rain drenched them all.
    Glancing at the sodden mess, he waived them
through, hurrying back to shelter. Sarah said a silent prayer,
pulling her cloak tightly around her and leaned into ‘her husband’
for warmth. The horses protested, and Pearson lay heavy on the whip
until they were out of sight.
    Cold rain ran down her neck, but they
pressed on. Before long they were forced to stop and rest the
horses. Sarah offered them some sugar cubes she had taken from the
house. The horses greedily ate them as she patted their thin necks.
She wasn’t sure whose horses these were, but she silently cursed
the owners for letting them become so emaciated.
    The trip home, if you could call it home,
seemed to take even longer. The rain kept up a steady deluge and
thankfully kept most people off the road. By the time they arrived
home, Sarah’s teeth were chattering and she could barely feel her
hands. She barely recalled being lifted down from the wagon and
wrapped in a blanket.
    She awoke to the sound of a crackling fire.
Robert was sitting on the side of her bed with a worried expression
on his face. She looked around at the cabin, wondering where she
was.
    “You’re in the General’s quarters,” he
spoke, answering her silent question. “He requested I tend to you
and Pearson.”
    At the mention of her partner she sat up,
looking around until she spotted his large frame on a mat by the
fireplace. His snoring almost made the walls shake. She smiled in
spite of herself.
    “I’m fine,” she replied
    “You are lucky.”
    “Look at the supplies we brought back.”
    He guffawed, “What? A dozen blankets, some
dried beef, bandages and rum? Is that worth risking your life?”
    Her eyes narrowed angrily. “Yes, if my
journey brought comfort to just one man it would be worth it.”
    Robert leaned toward her, his voice low and
husky. “I would give anything for you to comfort me.” He pulled her
close and kissed her soundly on the lips.
    Sarah’s eyes widened in shock, she had never
kissed a man before. The only other time she had been kissed was
when Billy Johnson, a neighbor boy, had tricked her into meeting
him behind his barn. He got a black eye for his trouble.
    But this was different; his arms crept
around her back and pulled her close. So close she could barely
breathe. Everything was in slow motion as she put up her hands to
push him away. Her still sleepy mind was struggling to make sense
of these new sensations.
    Pearson grumbled in his sleep and broke the
spell. Sarah turned her head to break contact, pushing desperately
at his chest.
    “What are you doing?” she spat in an angry
whisper. He reluctantly released her.
    “I was showing you my feelings.”
    “Your feelings? What about mine? Or your
wife’s?” Sarah retorted.
    “She was not truly a wife, which is why I
left.”
    “Indeed? And here I thought you left