Redemption of a Fallen Woman Page 0,30

as to think his tolerance extended so far?

Harry shook out his bedroll with unwonted vigour and then climbed in. Despite his weariness though, sleep eluded him. Anger continued to smoulder too, only now it was directed inwards. Being unprepared for her question he had snarled at Elena like an injured wolf. And in truth it had been a defensive response, albeit a churlish one. She had been open with him, after all. He sighed. He had never discussed the subject of Belen with anyone: he'd never told his family about their engagement, even Ross and Giles didn't know about it. It wasn't because he had anything to hide - although her birth was not of the highest her family was respectable. He hadn't intended it to be a secret but events had overtaken him so fast he'd never had time to communicate the matter to his own relations. By the time he could there was nothing that he wished to communicate. He never spoke of it to anyone. Only Jack knew the truth. And then, out of the blue, Elena had unwittingly touched the wound and he'd bitten her head off. She'd tried to apologise and he hadn't even listened. What must she be thinking now?

At some point amid these reflections he must have dozed off because the next thing he knew was Jack's hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him. Like most military men he came to at once, alert and ready for action. Hefting his rifle he glanced towards Elena and saw her get up. She paused only to exchange a few quiet words with Concha and then came to join him.

'Ready?' he asked.

She nodded and they set off, taking up their position atop a small knoll hard by. Although it wasn't particularly high, it afforded a good view of the countryside around. In this respect they were aided by the light of the waxing moon. Elena listened intently but the only sounds were the cicadas and, once or twice, an owl. Nothing else stirred.

Finding a convenient boulder she sat down in its shadow so that she was out of sight. If anyone were to approach they would be on top of her before they became aware of her presence. She saw Harry take up a position a few yards off. However, she made no attempt at conversation, guessing it wouldn't be welcome. In any case she had no wish to get her head bitten off again.

Instead she let her gaze range over the hills whose tops were now silvered by the moonlight. Overhead a million stars filled a velvet sky and the air was scented with wild thyme. It was a romantic scene. She sighed, wondering what on earth had put that thought in her head. There was nothing remotely romantic about the situation: she had been foisted off on a man who had unwittingly become embroiled in her family's sordid affairs, and she had now added insult to injury. Glancing across the intervening space she looked at Harry but his attention was firmly fixed on the land in front of him. No doubt about it, he was still angry. It saddened her to know that she had offended him; his opinion mattered rather more than she had expected. However, the fear of another rebuff held her silent.

A shooting star flashed a trail of radiance across the heavens and she caught her breath, smiling in spite of herself. Then she heard Harry's voice, quiet on the night air.

'You saw it too.'

Her pulse quickened a little. 'Yes. This is an ideal place.'

'Far from ideal from your point of view, I imagine,' he replied. 'You must be wishing me at Jericho. I can only apologise for my foul temper.'

'Well, I should not have asked so impertinent a question and I'm sorry for it.'

'Forget it. It doesn't matter.'

Elena strongly suspected that it did, but she wasn't about to reject the offered olive branch. 'All right. Let's just pretend it didn't happen.'

'Yes, let's.'

Hearing him fall in so readily with the suggestion, she wondered then what other pretences they would have to maintain in this relationship: the pretence that he was content to be married to her; the pretence that he wasn't still in love with another woman? Yet she could hardly criticise him when she had not faced and conquered her own demons. What future could there be for them if they did not confront the past?

Chapter Nine

There was no further sign of the bandits who had attacked them so