Chapter Twenty-seven

Elissa awakened to the sound of voices. Nestled in Adrian’s arms, she felt his body go rigid as he heard them, too. Quickly he came to his feet, drawing her up with him. His gaze scanned the thick stone walls, prowling the meager contents of the storeroom, searching as he had done several times last night for anything that might serve as a weapon. His final effort had uncovered a worn ax handle, the blade long missing, half buried in the hard-packed earthen floor.

The voices grew louder.

“Get behind me,” he commanded, pulling her protectively out of the way.

Her heart slammed hard. Fear jabbed icy needles into her stomach. Adrian gripped the heavy length of wood worn smooth by years of use and braced his feet apart, the muscles in his forearms straining with tension. The moment the door swung open, he slammed his makeshift weapon into the ribs of the corporal who had dragged him into the storeroom. The soldier screamed in pain and doubled over, gasping for air and clutching his ribs.

A second man appeared and Elissa sucked in a breath as Adrian shoved the long handle deep in the man’s flat belly, then brought it crashing upward, into the soldier’s chin. The corporal tumbled backward over a sack of grain.

“Let’s go!” Adrian grabbed Elissa’s hand and jerked her forward, out the door and into the early predawn light.

“Very good, Colonel Kingsland. I should have known you wouldn’t go down without a fight.”

Adrian stopped dead still and Elissa froze at the sight of the dozen uniformed soldiers surrounding them, bayonets fixed, muskets cocked and ready to fire. General Klammer stood beside them.

“Drop your weapon, Colonel,” the general commanded. “Unless you wish the lady’s life to end even earlier than I had planned.”

The ax handle shook with the fury burning in Adrian’s eyes. “Let the woman go. You have the letter. She no longer has proof of who you are. Even if she were to speak out, no one would believe her.”

The general laughed, a cruel, self-satisfied sound. “The woman is a spy, just as you are, Colonel Kingsland. Spies are dealt with swiftly in the midst of war. You are fortunate to have lived out the night. Now drop your weapon—such as it is—before I am forced to shoot you both right here.”

The muscles quivered in Adrian’s arms. Clenching his jaw, he let the ax handle fall from his hands.

Elissa spun to face the group of soldiers surrounding them. “We are not spies! General Klammer is the spy! For months, he has been passing secrets to the French. That is why the colonel and I came here in the first place. The English general, Ravenscroft, will tell you. If you will just—”

Klammer’s hand came down hard across her cheek, knocking her into the dirt. Adrian surged forward, but the barrel of a musket shoved into his chest stopped him before he could reach her.

“Turn around,” Klammer demanded. For several long moments, Adrian just stared at him, his chest heaving in and out with rage. “I said turn around.”

With a sigh of defeat, Adrian grudgingly complied. Two men held him while another man roughly bound his wrists, and Elissa’s were bound as well. “Line them up against the wall,” Klammer commanded.

Stumbling as a soldier shoved her forward, her heart beating frantically, her mouth as dry as the dust at her feet, Elissa walked beside Adrian. The regret and sorrow she read on his face made the tears rush into her eyes. A dirty-haired soldier prodded them viciously with the end of his bayonet till they came up against the rough stone wall of the farmhouse. Twenty feet away, soldiers formed a solid line in front of them.

“Well, Colonel Kingsland, the time has finally arrived. Do either of you wish for a blindfold?”

Elissa looked at Adrian, swallowed back her fear, and shook her head, barely able to see for the wetness blurring her vision.

“No,” Adrian said with a slight shake of his head. He edged closer, until their shoulders touched, turned and looked into her eyes. “I’m sorry, love. It seems all I’ve ever brought you is pain.”

Elissa smiled through her tears. “This isn’t your fault and I am not sorry. I am happy for the little time we’ve had.”

His gaze held a world of grief. “I wanted us to marry. Would you have said yes?”

Elissa’s throat closed up. The beating of her heart seemed to suspend. “You know I would. You were the husband of my heart from the first time we made love.”

“Ready!” Klammer shouted to the line of men. The rattle of muskets falling into position made the hairs stand up at the nape of her neck.

“Aim!”

She squeezed her eyes closed, turned her head into Adrian’s shoulder, counting out the seconds, all that remained of her life.

“Hold your fire!” The shouted words rose above the thunder of galloping hooves. Elissa’s eyes snapped open. Her heart raced with hope as three mounted riders slid to a halt just a few feet away. Joseph Becker swung down from his horse in a cloud of dust. She saw Jamison’s tall figure hurriedly dismount and the third man, General Ravenscroft, slid down from his horse as well.

“Lower your weapons, men!” Major Becker strode forward. “There has been a terrible mistake.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” Klammer demanded, his face puffing up in outrage.

“Righting a wrong I’ve unwittingly been part of for almost a year.”

Klammer turned to the line of men. “Fire! That is an order!” But the soldiers looked suddenly uneasy and the muzzles of their muskets began nosing down.

Ravenscroft spoke up. “Listen to me, you men. Major Becker has come to me for assistance, and I thank God he did.” He stared hard at Klammer. “Your general is correct—there is a traitor in your midst, but the traitor is a man you all believed in, trusted with your very lives. For at least the past year, General Klammer has been passing secrets to the French.”

Elissa sagged against Adrian, the hope that burned in her heart bursting into a full-fledged flame.

“I order you to arrest him,” Ravenscroft commanded. “The bloody bastard is a spy!”

With a glance at Becker, who nodded, the line of soldiers turned their guns in Klammer’s direction and his face went from angry to pale.

“Thank God,” Elissa said.

A smile broke over Adrian’s lips. “It wasn’t Becker at all. Last night when I arrived, the major must have realized what was in those notes he’d been passing and that Klammer had used him. He must have guessed that finding the traitor was the reason I’d been assigned to his regiment. Apparently he went to Ravenscroft for help.”

Jamison hurried toward them, a worried expression on his face. “Damned but that was cutting it close.”

“Far too close,” Adrian agreed as his friend sliced through the ropes that bound their wrists.

Ravenscroft moved forward, stopped in front of where the general stood. “You’re under arrest, General Klammer. For treason against your country and the murder of Captain Karl Tauber.”

Tears burned Elissa’s eyes. “It’s over,” she whispered. “It is finally over and we can go home.”

“Home,” Adrian repeated with soft reverence, hauling her into his arms. “I’ve never heard a word that sounded quite so good.”