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knew that Katie was still lying beside him. He could feel her there, the slender shape of her body pressed
against his side, her head pillowed on his outstretched arm. He could smell the warm, en-ticing female
fragrance of her skin and hear the soft, even cadence of her breathing. She loved him.
He opened his eyes. The candle was out, but the soft gray light of early morning filtered in around the
shuttered windows. Turning his head, he saw that Katie was still asleep, eyes closed, lips slightly parted,
and the sight of her sent lust coursing through his body. Her profile in the dim light was exquisitely
beautiful, and yet it was not her beauty that reignited his desire, it was memories of the night that came
flooding back at the sight of her beside him.
Those memories overwhelmed his senses: the taste of her mouth, the touch of her hands, the feel of her
skin, the sounds of her passion. Most of all, the sweet, erotic admission she had made. She loved him.
Lust rocked through him, and he moved toward her, intending to kiss her awake.
The sound of a raised male voice and frantic footsteps on the stairs gave him pause, and the tap on the
door told him that his intentions for Katie would have to wait. He lifted his head and saw the maid, Janie,
peering timidly into the room. Their eyes met, and she blushed crimson at the sight of him in her mistress s
bed. She lowered her gaze with a bobbing curtsy.  If you please, sir, she whis-pered.  A gentleman by
the name of David Munro is below and says he has to see you at once.
Ethan did not ask why. If David had come to Katie s house in search of him, it had to be impor-tant. He
rolled out of bed, causing Katie to make a soft sound of protest in her sleep, but she did not awaken, and
Ethan decided it would be best to let her sleep. He dressed quickly, but he did pause long enough to lean
over the bed and press a kiss to her lips before he left her.
The owner of the Mermaid was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.  Do you want to talk here?
David asked, glancing through the open doorway into the parlor, where Stephens was busily polishing
silver.
 Not if it s important enough to bring you here at dawn to find me. Ethan pulled his dusty cloak from
the coat tree and started toward the back door of the house.
 Glad to see you re back from the country, David commented as they left Katie s house and began
walking toward the alley and the Mermaid Tavern beyond.
 How did you know I d returned?
 Nothing s ever a secret for long in Boston. Joseph came to see me this morning. He also saw Joshua.
He told us both that the two of you rode back together late last night. With all that s been happening this
morning, I sent Daniel to your house, but your servants told him you had not returned. I guessed you
might be with a certain pickpocket we both know, but I didn t know for certain until her little maid came
scurrying down the stairs red as a beet to confirm it.
They crossed the alley and entered the tavern.  What has you in such a stir, David? he asked, giv-ing
Molly a nod of greeting as they passed through the kitchen.  What has been happening this morn-ing to
cause so much urgency?
 A great deal, David answered as they crossed the taproom, empty at this hour of the day.  Adam
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Lawrence is here. He returned from Virginia yes-terday. Joseph is also here, as I said. I ll let them tell
you.
When they entered the tavern s private meeting room, Adam cast only one glance at him and
im-mediately grinned.  You look like hell, he said, taking in Ethan s dusty, rumpled clothes and
un-shaven face.  What happened to your head?
He touched the side of his face with a grimace.  It s a long story. He glanced at Joseph.  Did you tell
them the troops did not march on Sunday as we d thought?
Joseph smiled.  How would you know? he joked.  You slept through the whole day.
 What do you mean, he slept all day? Adam glanced from one man to the other.
 It s a long story. Suffice to say I ve been in Con-cord for a week helping move ammunition. Joseph has
been doing the same in Lexington. From all the activity we were seeing among the regiments and in the
harbor last week, we assumed the Regulars were coming out to confiscate the powder, and the rumor
was they would march to Concord on Sun-day. They did not.
 But they will, David said.  That s why we fetched you. They are going to march. We just got the date
wrong.
Ethan sat down at the table, and the others fol-lowed suit.  How do you know this? he asked.
 People have been coming in and out of the Mermaid for the past hour with reports about the behavior
or Gage s troops. They are doing just what they did last week, only more of it. They aren t being very
subtle about it.
 They don t have to be. They think they have all the power, and by showing it, they hope to intimi-date
us. But do we know it s real this time? Ethan asked.  We could be jumping the gun again when it s
nothing but a sham. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]