discomfort.
“Did he stop?”
“No, I suspect he just got better at not being caught.”
“What happened to the girl?” Finn asked. “Sam had mentioned a girl he loved when he was very young on their way back from the fort. Maybe she had been the one.
“You don’t want to know.” Abbie’s shoulders started to shake as she dissolved into giggles, snorting with mirth.
“Oh, now you have to tell me. Please, Abbie.” Finn started tickling her to get it out of her , enjoying her squirming against him.
“Oh, all right. Just stop tickling me.” She took a moment to compose herself, no doubt to draw out the suspense.
“Well?”
“She married the minister,” she announced.
“What? Mrs. Greene is the girl Sam had been with? Does the minister know?” Finn had to admit that he was shocked. Mrs. Greene was about as right and proper as they came, so the thought of her frolicking in the barn with Sam was a little hard to countenance.
“I highly doubt it, but Pa never was able to look her in the eye , considering how much of her he had seen when he found them. I’m worried about Sam, Finn,” Abbie said, the laughter fading away from her face. “He almost died because of that girl at the tavern, and now there’s this Diana. I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“So do I, sweetheart, so do I.” Abbie had vocalized his own concerns, reminding him of how close Sam had come to being executed two years ago. Finn hoped he’d learned his lesson.
“Get some sleep, Abbie. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” He kissed her tenderly, brushing away a stray curl. “I love you.”
“Me too. Goodnight, Finn, and God help you if I ever find you in a brothel,” she added before closing her eyes.
August 1624
England
Chapter 20
Louisa carefully removed the food from the basket, laying it out on the blanket. There was some crusty bread, cheese, cold chicken, and a bunch of grapes. Theo had already taken out the bottle of ale and was pouring it into cups. The spot he’d chosen was perfect; far enough from the house to give them privacy, but still sufficiently exposed to prevent any malicious talk. They were seated on the grassy bank of the pond, shaded by the interlaced branches of the trees above their head, shafts of sunlight creating patterns on their faces as it pierced the canopy of rustling leaves overhead. Birdsong and the incessant buzzing of insects filled the air, reminding them that the meadow was teeming with life.
Theo took a sip of his ale and reclined on the blanket, his face shadowed by the leaves overhead. Louisa took in his long legs stretched out before her, and allowed her gaze to travel up his body toward his face before finally meeting his eyes, so intense on her own.
“ Why don’t you remove your doublet?” Louisa asked innocently. “You must be stifling under all that velvet.”
“I am , actually. Would you mind terribly?” He was already unbuttoning the heavy garment and breathing a sigh of relief as he pulled it off, remaining in a linen shirt and breeches.
“Why should I mind? I hate being hot. Is it always this warm in July?” She reclined close to Theo, making sure the hem of her gown rose just above her ankle, giving Theo a glimpse of her leg. “I can hardly wait to peel off my gown once I get back to my room. It’s so liberating to get undressed.” Louisa gave Theo a moment to enjoy the image she just planted in his mind before looking at him expectantly.
“Not usually. This summer is the hottest one I can recall. Summers in England are usually quite pleasant, especially if you have a country home. Whitehall is near ly empty at this time of year with everyone going to the country for fear of the plague.”
“How frightening,” Louisa breathed, putting her hand on Theo’s chest as if by accident. She could feel the beating of his heart underneath her palm, steady and
“Did he stop?”
“No, I suspect he just got better at not being caught.”
“What happened to the girl?” Finn asked. “Sam had mentioned a girl he loved when he was very young on their way back from the fort. Maybe she had been the one.
“You don’t want to know.” Abbie’s shoulders started to shake as she dissolved into giggles, snorting with mirth.
“Oh, now you have to tell me. Please, Abbie.” Finn started tickling her to get it out of her , enjoying her squirming against him.
“Oh, all right. Just stop tickling me.” She took a moment to compose herself, no doubt to draw out the suspense.
“Well?”
“She married the minister,” she announced.
“What? Mrs. Greene is the girl Sam had been with? Does the minister know?” Finn had to admit that he was shocked. Mrs. Greene was about as right and proper as they came, so the thought of her frolicking in the barn with Sam was a little hard to countenance.
“I highly doubt it, but Pa never was able to look her in the eye , considering how much of her he had seen when he found them. I’m worried about Sam, Finn,” Abbie said, the laughter fading away from her face. “He almost died because of that girl at the tavern, and now there’s this Diana. I hope he knows what he’s doing.”
“So do I, sweetheart, so do I.” Abbie had vocalized his own concerns, reminding him of how close Sam had come to being executed two years ago. Finn hoped he’d learned his lesson.
“Get some sleep, Abbie. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” He kissed her tenderly, brushing away a stray curl. “I love you.”
“Me too. Goodnight, Finn, and God help you if I ever find you in a brothel,” she added before closing her eyes.
August 1624
England
Chapter 20
Louisa carefully removed the food from the basket, laying it out on the blanket. There was some crusty bread, cheese, cold chicken, and a bunch of grapes. Theo had already taken out the bottle of ale and was pouring it into cups. The spot he’d chosen was perfect; far enough from the house to give them privacy, but still sufficiently exposed to prevent any malicious talk. They were seated on the grassy bank of the pond, shaded by the interlaced branches of the trees above their head, shafts of sunlight creating patterns on their faces as it pierced the canopy of rustling leaves overhead. Birdsong and the incessant buzzing of insects filled the air, reminding them that the meadow was teeming with life.
Theo took a sip of his ale and reclined on the blanket, his face shadowed by the leaves overhead. Louisa took in his long legs stretched out before her, and allowed her gaze to travel up his body toward his face before finally meeting his eyes, so intense on her own.
“ Why don’t you remove your doublet?” Louisa asked innocently. “You must be stifling under all that velvet.”
“I am , actually. Would you mind terribly?” He was already unbuttoning the heavy garment and breathing a sigh of relief as he pulled it off, remaining in a linen shirt and breeches.
“Why should I mind? I hate being hot. Is it always this warm in July?” She reclined close to Theo, making sure the hem of her gown rose just above her ankle, giving Theo a glimpse of her leg. “I can hardly wait to peel off my gown once I get back to my room. It’s so liberating to get undressed.” Louisa gave Theo a moment to enjoy the image she just planted in his mind before looking at him expectantly.
“Not usually. This summer is the hottest one I can recall. Summers in England are usually quite pleasant, especially if you have a country home. Whitehall is near ly empty at this time of year with everyone going to the country for fear of the plague.”
“How frightening,” Louisa breathed, putting her hand on Theo’s chest as if by accident. She could feel the beating of his heart underneath her palm, steady and
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