dropped now or at any time. All of it could be left behind and she could go on with a perfectly normal life with Bryce. He could be a sheep farmer and she could be his wife and mother to his children. Visions of baby boys and girls danced through her head, only to be crowded out by scenes of death and destruction.
The information she passed along protected men of influence. They were a group of people who by their nature changed the world for the common man. These were people determined to make it safe for those of differing faiths.
In her heart, Lucy knew that to walk away might doom someone to death. That would weigh on her for a lifetime. One way or another, the messages had to be sent. There was no alternative.
That morning, she had another surprise upon entering the kitchen. There in the middle of the room stood Bryce. From head to toe he appeared as an English gentleman. Breeches, tunic, and cloak rested handsomely upon his frame. She squelched the sudden urge to laugh as he twirled around in a circle, modeling his new clothes.
“What do we have here?” she asked, hiding her grin behind her hand.
“The list says today your contact would retire to the park.”
She raised her brow at his put-on English accent.
“Aye, needs work, but as long as I speak sparingly, maybe I’ll go unnoticed.”
“You could never go unnoticed,” she whispered.
The comment sent a pink hue to Bryce’s cheeks. The simple action made him seem all that more handsome. The tunic stretched taut across his chest, the sleeves reached the limit of their capacity. His thighs pushed against the breeches’ material. Lucy looked away, hiding her growing feelings of affection.
“I must ready myself,” she said.
Bryce nodded.
When she returned, she wore a light blue gown covered by a thick cloak. She twirled, and held her breath in anticipation of his reaction. As time passed, Bryce’s opinion had come to mean much to her. He walked to her, removed the hood, and cupped her face. As he bent his head close to hers, Lucy rose on tiptoe. The lightest of kisses from him flitted across her lips, leaving her breathless and wanting more.
“We must hasten. The itinerary gives us but a brief window of time. And since ye don’t know who ye are looking for, it will no doubt take longer than we have.”
Although saddened that the moment was over, she agreed with Bryce.
“Do they know what ye look like?” he asked.
“Nay. In fact, they only know one thing — L.L. Those initials belonged to my father. It was his code name. After he retrieved a message, he would leave those letters somewhere behind. This way they knew he’d acquired the parcel.
“Not only do they not know what I look like, but I don’t believe they know I’m a woman. Father told me secrecy of identity was the only way to survive. I have maintained that.”
Bryce whispered, “Lucille Lombard.”
“Aye, L.L. does stand for me as well.” Lucy waited for the accusations of her lies. No doubt the twins next door had filled Bryce in on his mistake with her name. Breathless, she waited, but the words she expected never came.
Instead Bryce held out his arm in an invitation as he said, “Shall we go? The park awaits.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
The feel of her hand wrapped around his arm sent fresh tingles along his skin. His heart raced as her chin tilted upward, displaying lips which spread into a beautiful smile. Bryce moved his free hand. The back of his knuckles grazed the fresh, soft skin of her cheek. Her eyes closed and her lips parted. He leaned forward and felt the blood rush between his ears. His palms grew sweaty.
Their lips were a hair’s breadth from connecting when they heard a loud banging and jumped apart. Now his heart raced for a different reason.
“Who is that?” asked Lucy. Breathlessly and with a smile, she added, “Because I think I want to kill them.”
Bryce laughed under his breath while heading for the vibrating door. He released his pent-up frustration as he opened the wooden door with a rough jerk.
A stranger stood on the landing. “Pardon me, sir. A thousand pardons, but my wagon threw a wheel. I need assistance in repairing it.”
Bryce didn’t speak but followed the man into the street. Bryce inspected the apparatus. Indeed the wheel lay crookedly against the base. The top covering of the wagon was pulled aside and several tiny heads