door of the cabin opened. His gaze flicked to his pistol a foot away on the chair and he moved his hand towards it.
Louisa stepped in stealthily and closed the door behind her quietly, keeping her back to it as she looked around the room.
When she saw Stratton lying in the tub looking at her she broke into a giggle. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said in a soft voice. ‘I didn’t knock because I didn’t want the guards to see me.’
‘Did they?’
‘I don’t think so.’
‘Some guards.’
‘They’re not meant for you.’
‘I’m not worth protecting any more?’
‘You don’t need protecting. Anyone with any sense would be afraid to come in here.’
‘You’re here.’
‘There’s nothing in here that I’m afraid of.’
Stratton smiled at the innuendo.
‘Can I lock the door?’
He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
Louisa ignored him and drew the bolt across. ‘How’s your back?’ she asked, walking over to him.
‘I neglected to change the dressing. I’ve been a terrible nurse.’
‘I understood that was because you’d moved on from nursing.’
‘We have to win the revolution first. Let me see it,’ she asked, walking behind him.
Stratton leaned forward in the tub as she crouched down. He felt her fingers on his back, touching him gently. Then her palms spread out and covered an area much larger than the wound. ‘You heal well,’ she said as she dipped a hand in the water. ‘You like your bath hot.’
‘Not usually. But it’s been a while.’
‘Can I wash your back for you?’
‘You’re very kind.’
Louisa was about to pick up the large slab of brown soap on the chair next to his pistol. Then she gave it a dismissive look. ‘You can’t wash your skin with laundry soap,’ she said. ‘There’s a box of shampoos and gels somewhere.’ She stood up and walked away.
Stratton listened to her rummaging through some boxes.
‘Victor looked disturbed tonight,’ she said.
‘He seems to have a lot on his mind.’
‘Did he tell you?’
‘No.’
‘He’s having a private talk with my father, just the two of them. That’s unusual for him. The ambush has changed him - made him more daring, perhaps.’
The sounds of Louisa searching through the boxes ceased and Stratton waited for the sound of her boots on the floor as she came back. But there was nothing other than the crackling noise of the fire. He heard a soft sound close by and remained still, wondering what she was doing.
He looked down to see her bare foot dipping into the water.The other followed and she lowered her naked body into the tub behind him, stretching her legs out either side of him. She held his lower back tightly between her thighs.
Gently, she took hold of his shoulders and guided him until his back was resting against her breasts. She placed a hand on his forehead and pressed his head back until it was nestling on her shoulder. Then she laid her cheek against his.
‘That was pretty sneaky,’ Stratton said.
‘It’s called strategy. It’s not just used in war, you know. I was told that you can use it in anything. Even love.’
‘That’s a wise teacher you have there.’
‘Well, he knows his stuff on the battlefield. I don’t know what else he might be good at, though.’
It was the most delicious gauntlet that had ever been thrown down before him, Stratton thought.
‘There’s something I have to ask you,’ Louisa said.
‘What?’
‘Did your grandmother really want to be a Gurkha?’ she smiled.
‘No. Of course not. Not after three years in the Foreign Legion.’
‘Idiot.’
‘I don’t blame her, really.’
‘Stop it,’ she laughed.
They lay in silence, bathed in the orange glow from the fire, both of them staring at it and lost in their thoughts.
Finally Louisa spoke. ‘Let’s not talk about anything beyond this moment. No futures. No dreams.’
‘I can’t control my thoughts,’ Stratton said.
She kissed his cheek. ‘Maybe I can, for a little while.’ He turned his head to look into her eyes and their lips met softly. He reached an arm behind her waist and lifted her around to sit on him. Their kisses grew more passionate, more urgent.
The entrance to Hector’s camp looked more threaten - ing than Sebastian’s. A tree-trunk wall filled the long gap between two rocky outcrops. It had an immense gate in the middle with a smaller entrance to one side. As Victor approached, looking as haggard as his horse, he saw two earth-and-sandbag machine-gun emplacements, with others on top of the rocky hillocks. Half a dozen heavily armed guards stood outside. One of them recognised Victor and sent a runner to deliver his message to Hector.