AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“My brother and I. We were twins.”
The Duke’s eyes got very wide. “Where is he now, your twin brother?”
Letty opened her mouth and closed it, unable to get the words out. She closed her eyes, and swallowed the lump in her throat. “He died.”
Bertram nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry.”
She looked down, hiding her face from him as she struggled to compose herself. “It was a long time ago.”
“And yet it still affects you so.”
She nodded slowly. “Because I was responsible.”
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “How so?”
She exhaled slowly and closed her eyes. “I was a fairly mischievous child. I loved to go where I was forbidden and explore. It was the only escape I had from the misery of life.”
He nodded in understanding.
“One day my father told us not to leave the camp as there were English soldiers nearby. We were to stay near our tent or in it.” She lifted her lashes to glance shyly at him. “At first, I obeyed…”
She swallowed, as they sat in silent stillness so long that the creatures in the underbrush began to move and rustle about. The Duke didn’t say anything, just gave her time.
“But then, I got h-hungry.” She swallowed, blinking back the prick of tears. “I decided to go out into the woods to check the traps. If I could find a rabbit, I could make a stew. I already had a little bread baked.”
The Duke smiled. “So you learned to bake in the camps.”
She nodded ruefully, “Necessity.”
“Mmm. So did you find a rabbit?”
“No. I found something much bigger. An English soldier.”
He hissed, his face paling. “Did he hurt you?”
She shook her head, silky chestnut mane shifting from side to side in waves. “He did not. Both of us froze, each not expecting the other to be there. We just stared at each other for a moment, and then I darted away. I ran. He chased me, I think simply because I made myself prey. I don’t know if he meant…” she swallowed again, unable to continue.
“What did you not know—?”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. My brother showed up.”
The Duke nodded. “And what happened when he came?”
“He stood between me and the soldier before launching himself at the soldier as if he was a weapon. The man had his bayonet in his hand and by some bad luck, Etienne got nicked. The Englishman shouted at him to be careful but he was already bleeding.”
Letty’s eyes were wide and shimmering with tears. She could hardly see the Duke. “I grabbed him and dragged him away. The Englishman let us go, still shouting admonitions and telling us to get out of the wood. I brought my brother back to the barracks and cleaned his wound. I sewed it neatly, and made him lie down…” Her jaw worked as she tried to finish.
The Duke reached out and squeezed her hand.
“What happened to him?”
“The lockjaw It was terrible to watch him die…slowly, painfully…and know that it was my fault.”
The Duke squeezed her hand again. “You could not have known.”
“My father told us to stay within the camp. I disobeyed him and my brother paid the price.”
“I see. So your father is the one who wanted you to become a spy?”
