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Benedict’s heart thudded painfully in his chest. He peered around the cabin again for the third time. She was definitely gone. Then he noticed the new curtains. Both sets. That calmed him a little. She couldn’t have been gone long and if her intention had been to leave him, then she would hardly have waited to finish them first.

Jumping down onto the ground, he forced himself to rationalize this. The dog was gone too. If she had been snatched by relatives, they would not have taken an animal that would plainly have been hostile to his mistress’s abductors.

Benedict looked at the pile of logs which he’d left her. It was only half-diminished. It was that point that he heard his name called. Looking up, he scanned around until he saw her in the distance just coming through the trees at the opposite end of field. It was undoubtedly Lizzie for the huge, shaggy gray dog was at her side. She waved.

He took off at a quick jog. “Where were you?” he shouted as soon as he was sure she could make out the words. She held up her arms wordlessly, and he noted the parcels done up in string. Shopping. She’d been shopping. He closed the distance between them and took the largest parcels from her. “What have you been buying?”

“Oh, just a few things I needed. Nothing terribly interesting. I got us some more sugar. Have you been back long? I rather underestimated how far I would have to walk to reach the nearest store.”

Benedict cleared his throat. “Not long, but long enough,” he admitted. He avoided her look of enquiry.

“I’ve bought supplies to make up toothpowder and rinse. I can make up a batch tomorrow,” she said brightly. “Did you see I finished the curtains?” He nodded. “I’m not sure I secured them terribly well. We might need some new string put up.”

“I’ll take a look at it,” he said grudgingly.

Lizzie seemed to notice something was amiss at this point and treated him to a long look. “Was everything alright at the boxing tent?” she asked dubiously.

“Fine,” he answered shortly. They had reached the wagon by now.

“I got a new bag of meat bones for Sebastian mmfff – ” Her words broke off as Benedict chose this moment to drop the parcels and drag Lizzie into his arms for a punishing kiss. Well, that was how it started anyway. He walked her back into the wagon and pinned her against the side of it, pressing into her and letting her feel just how riled up he was.

“Benedict!” she gasped as soon as she was able, only to find herself scooped up and slung into the wagon. She scrambled to her feet at once, her eyes flying to his.

“Take your clothes off,” he said, picking up the largest of the two packages. “Which one of these is his bones?” he asked, nodding toward Sebastian.

Lizzie pointed to his left hand. “That one.” Then she turned and washed her hands and face in the basin on the side.

He ripped into the parcel and threw a bone down for Sebastian, who pounced on it at once with savage enjoyment. Then he climbed into the wagon after her, shedding his waistcoat and neckcloth as soon as he was inside. The washing water on the side was cold, but he plunged his hands into it anyway and performed a perfunctory wash.

“Strip, Lizzie,” he said without turning. He knew she was still fully dressed for she was standing entirely still.

She took a steadying breath. “It only just occurred to me that I should have left you a note,” she began calmly. “But I didn’t think – ”

“No, you didn’t!” he agreed, stripping off his shirt and braces. “Though seeing a letter would likely have given me a heart attack too!”

Lizzie surveyed him a moment looking puzzled. “Why?”

“Because I would have assumed the worst,” he growled.

“The worst?”

“That you had taken off and left me!” He was entirely frank with her. It seemed the best way, going forward.

Lizzie’s mouth dropped open. “Why on earth would you assume that?” she faltered.

He unbuttoned his breeches. “Get on the bed.”

“What? Why?”

“So, you can console me for the nasty shock you gave me.”

“Console you?”

“Aye, console me. With that sweet little body of yours.”

He let his eyes travel over her deliberately. Lizzie’s mouth shut and she reached behind her to make a start on the bead buttons at the back of her neck. She had made precious little progress by the time he was down to his long underwear and flung her on the bed. Lizzie gave a squawk as she bounced, for if he had not followed her down, his knee planted between hers, she would likely have ended up on the floor.