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Donaldson crouched by the soot-covered fireplace as he built a royal blaze.
“Have you nothing to add? No ideas to offer?” Samuel snapped.
The muscles in Donaldson’s jaw flinched. “What would you have me say, sir?”
Samuel plunked into the hard chair and ran his fingers across his scratchy face. What a nightmare. “Lieutenant, I want you to tell me again everything that happened.”
Donaldson pushed off his knees, his face shadowed. The pinch to his voice gave testament to a buried disdain. “I’ve said all there is to say, Captain, and you’ve heard it dozens of times—”
“I don’t care!” Samuel slammed his fist on the desk. “I’m missing something. Start from the beginning. And when you’re finished, you and I will come up with a plan on how to find that wretched Watson before the week is out.”
How could any woman be more charming?
Thomas turned weightless as he watched Eliza and Kitty walk side-by-side several paces ahead of him, whispering to one another. He’d never met a woman like Eliza. She wasn’t afraid to have fun and enjoy life, as the story of her playing in the leaves demonstrated. That alone made her increasingly alluring.
Her open nature, strength, and the fact that she had “fears” made her all the more real to him. In his past acquaintances with women, he had noticed they tried to be too perfect—in their manner, their dress. They denied any faults or impurities, trying to be something or someone they weren’t.
Not Eliza.
He tried not to stare at her, but where else would he look? And with her back to him, she wouldn’t be made uncomfortable, so he indulged his aching eyes. Several brown locks of hair bounced and danced around her neck as she walked. His appetite for knowing more about her deepened. They had to talk about something as they walked the last fifteen miles, why not her? Kitty would no doubt be all too pleased to comply.
“Miss Katherine?”
Both girls turned.
“Aye?” Kitty answered.
He stifled another playful grin as Eliza shyly turned forward again and kept walking.
Kitty stopped and fell in step with him. “What is it?”
“You have laid before us a . . . uh . . . lovely display of your sisters, well, weaknesses.” He coughed to clear his throat and peered at Eliza, hoping to see her reaction, but she kept her face forward. “Why don’t you expound a bit, and this time tell us her strengths. Her likes and dislikes.”
At that comment, Eliza tilted her head in a quizzical manner, peeking over her shoulder. Thomas could make out the distinct presence of a grin and he floated over the bumpy path as excitement flickered within him.
Kitty beamed at the request.
“My dear sister is talented at many things,” she said, lifting her chin. “But there are two things that stand out in my mind at which she is proficient.”
“Go on, please.”
“Her primary strength is recitation and readings.” Kitty stopped talking for a moment and released a soft breath as if recalling a precious mem
ory. “After our mother passed, Eliza would read and recite poems before bed to help me feel less lonely. She performed Shakespeare most of the time and would do all the parts for me, from all the plays—she’s incredibly gifted.”
Kitty no longer held even the slightest hint of teasing in her tone. Under her breath she whispered, “I miss those days.”
Thomas allowed a broad smile to cover his face—a smile that matched the hidden one in his heart. “Well, that is very impressive and I do hope your sister will pleasure us with her talents one day.”
“Eliza is also excellent with people,” Kitty said. “She understands them and always thinks of others before she thinks of herself. She can discern people in a way most others can only dream of.”
“Oh, Kitty, you flatter me,” Eliza announced over the gentle slope of her shoulder. “I’m not that good with people.”
Kitty lowered her head and tucked a length of hair behind her ear. “Well, you’re that good with me. And a few other people, I’ve noticed. If only you could have used those discerning skills before a certain handsome young man proposed.”
Eliza stopped mid-stride and whirled around to face her sister. Her fiery eyes were wide as she stared at Kitty, her lips pinched white.
Both Thomas and Kitty halted where they stood. Eliza’s gaze shot poisonous darts at her sister and Thomas stepped back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. Kitty’s features flattened and her shoulders dropped.
