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Portia nodded. It was what she’d expected. “I have to go,” she said abruptly. “I’m glad you’ve got Phoebe here, Olivia. Goodbye.” She slid past them before they had fully grasped that she was leaving so suddenly. Then with a quick wave, she plunged onto the ice, racing across the moat to disappear into the bushes on the far side.

Portia clambered up the hill. She heard the jingle of bridles, the low murmur of voices, just before she broke from the grove of trees onto the open hillside where she’d left Paul sleeping. She slowed her step and crept forward, her heart banging against her ribs. She must have been away for at least an hour. Had Paul been ambushed?

What she saw, however, made her curse under her breath. Will and his group had arrived earlier than expected. They were all still mounted except for Will, who was deep in conversation with Paul-an agitated conversation judging by the waving arms.

She braced herself for questions and sauntered out of the trees. “It wants an hour to sunset,” she observed. “You made good time. Did you have good fortune?”

Will spun round. “Where’ve you been? Paul said you’ve been gone for hours.”

“Paul was asleep,” Portia said, taking a calculated risk. “I’ve been and gone several times.” A quick glance at Paul reassured her. He was now looking uncertain.

“Where did you go?” Will was frowning.

“I must have eaten something that upset me,” Portia said. “Surely you don’t wish me to go into details.”

A couple of weeks ago, Will would have blushed to his ears, but no longer. He was as comfortable with Portia now as he was with any of his comrades and found it perfectly possible to ignore her relationship with Rufus. His rank within the militia gave him authority over her, and since Portia didn’t question it and Rufus clearly upheld it, matters between them had become easy and friendly. He merely retorted, “Well, I hope we don’t have to keep stopping for you on the way back. The countryside is crawling with Roundheads.”

Portia swung herself into Penny’s saddle, bringing the mare up beside Will’s mount. She could tell that Will was upset about something other than her disappearance. “Did you find more than you bargained for with the Granville men?”

Will was silent for a minute, then he said reluctantly, “We had them on the run, but a battalion of bastard rebels came over the ridge. We were hopelessly outnumbered, so we had to abandon the chase.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Portia leaned over and touched his gloved hand in a fleeting gesture of sympathy. She had guessed how much this expedition had meant to him. “But you did have the first lot on the run.”

Will’s expression cleared. “Oh, you should have seen them go, Portia! They turned tail like so many rabbits before the reaper. We could have taken ‘em all prisoner.”

“There’ll be another time,” Portia comforted. “And a good commander knows when to pull back from battle. Rufus is always saying so.”

“Aye, he is, isn’t he?” Will looked much happier. “Paul told me you took dispatches from those couriers.”

“Did he tell you what was in them?”

“No… we were too busy wondering what had happened to you.”

“As I said…” Portia raised a speaking eyebrow, then leaned sideways to unfasten her saddlebag. She fumbled inside for a second, then withdrew the rolled parchment. “See for yourself.”

Will eagerly scanned the parchment, then he let out a low whistle. “Troop movements. This has to go to York immediately.”

“That’s rather what I thought,” Portia said. She could tell by the gleam of excitement in his eye that he’d forgotten his earlier disappointment in the prospect of bringing such a vital document back to his commander.

It was full dark when they passed the sentry fires and came to a weary halt in the stable yard. Will dismounted and Portia, handing Penny to one of the lads on stable duty, said, “Are you coming to the cottage, Will? I expect Rufus will be there.”

Will hesitated. Portia had been responsible for acquiring the priceless piece of information, but he, as leader of the expedition, had the right to take the credit for it. “You take it if you like.” He reached inside his jerkin.

“No, you go. I’ll go and find the boys. I expect they have Juno with them. It’s past their suppertime and I’m sure they’re not at home yet.” It was an educated assumption. Luke and Toby were only ever to be found at home when they were asleep, and not always then. Rufus didn’t seem to feel the need to instill routine in their lives, and Portia couldn’t see that it was any business of hers.

Will watched her go, feeling ungenerous and almost childishly petty in the face of Portia’s considerate restraint. He knew how anxious she would be to greet Rufus. She always became fidgety as they approached the village after an absence, and he sensed how she was longing to gallop ahead instead of trotting in decorously as part of the troop. And now for his sake she’d postponed the moment she’d been anticipating for the last hour.

But his own excitement soon overcame conscience, and he found himself running toward Rufus’s cottage. Rufus was standing in the open doorway, looking down the street, when Will came racing up.

“Where’s Portia?”

Will heard the sharp edge to the question and understood that Rufus had been anticipating her return as eagerly as had Portia. He flushed and said, “She went to find the boys and Juno. She said she’ll be along in a few minutes.”

Rufus frowned, then stepped back into the lit cottage. “You had a successful day?”

“We intercepted couriers.” Will handed over the parchment, trying to conceal his bursting excitement. “Details of troop movements!”

Rufus ran his eyes over the message. “How did you get this?”

Will’s hesitation was barely perceptible, before he said, “Portia and Paul did.” He explained the events of the day and the decisions he’d taken in meticulous detail and with total honesty.

Rufus listened gravely. Once or twice a quick frown flashed across the calm blue gaze, but at the end, he smiled and said, “A thoroughly successful expedition, Will. I congratulate you.”

Will beamed with pleasure. “We’ll be sending the information to the command in York, then?”

“Yes, it needs to go tonight.” Rufus turned to the table to pour ale for them both.

“I’ll take it.”

Rufus shook his head. “Nay, lad, you’ve been riding hard all day. George can carry it.”

Will looked disappointed but resigned. He drank his ale and set the tankard on the table. “I’ll be off, then.”

Rufus nodded. “Before you go off duty, take the dispatch to George and give him your instructions.”

Will looked gratified. He’d expected Rufus to take over this matter of such vital importance. “He’s to leave immediately?”

“Immediately,” Rufus affirmed. He leaned over and clapped him on the shoulder. “You did well, Will.”

“Yes, didn’t he?” Portia’s voice chimed in from the doorway. She stood regarding the two men with a slight smile that did nothing to hide the sensual glow in her eyes as they rested on Rufus. “The boys have gone downriver with Silas… to visit some friend of his, apparently. And they’ve taken Juno with them. There’s no knowing when they’ll be back. I can’t help feeling it’s late for them to be out.”

“Oh, Silas will look after them,” Will said airily. He brushed past Portia with a word of farewell.

Portia continued to stand in the doorway, motionless, her eyes still fixed upon Rufus. “Don’t you think it’s very late for them to be out?” she said.

“I think the absence of both dog and boys is very fortuitous.” He came toward her slowly, investing each step of his advance with silent promise. Portia shivered in anticipation, wondering how it was he could do this to her. How just being in the same room with him could cause such a melting in her loins, such a weakness in her thighs, such a jolting current of lust in her belly.