‘How do you know I volunteered? That I wasn’t assigned to be a nurse?’ she asked, becoming more curious about the handsome soldier. She wished she hadn’t sat so far away from him now, now that she was feeling a pull towards him that wasn’t easy to ignore.
‘If your family’d had a say, and they’d made you volunteer before you were forced to do a job you didn’t want to, you would have ended up doing something cute and easy close to home. Not this.’
‘Sounds like you have me all figured out then,’ she said, shaking her head.
‘Don’t I?’ His eyes locked on hers again, not letting them go, and she felt the heat rise again, her skin simmering. This soldier was something else – and she knew he was dangerous company, that she didn’t need to be around him when all her energy should be focused on Thomas.
‘Want to take a stroll?’ he asked.
Scarlet leapt up. ‘Yes.’ Walking meant not looking at him. It meant keeping her distance, thinking about putting one foot in front of the other.
He placed a long piece of dry grass between his lips, drawing her gaze there. Why had he done that? When he held out his arm, she shook her head; she wasn’t about to be lured into getting too close to him again. He shrugged and she walked alongside him.
‘Tell me, what do you miss most about home?’ he asked.
Scarlet sighed. ‘So many things,’ she said honestly. ‘My bed, food, not having to get up so early! Honestly, there are so many things, everything even, that I’ve always taken for granted. I won’t ever again, but I’m ashamed to say I did.’
‘We’re all the same. We don’t think about what we’ve got until it’s taken away.’
‘Do you have a wife or girlfriend you’ve left behind?’
James slowly shook his head, a grin kicking up one side of his mouth. ‘I didn’t strike you for the forward type. How wrong I was.’
‘No!’ She clamped her hand over her mouth, mortified. ‘I’m not, I mean . . .’
‘I’m teasing,’ he said, raising an eyebrow and taking the grass from his lips, which only made her look at his mouth again.
‘Well, it’s not funny,’ she huffed. ‘I was simply trying to make conversation, enquiring about how you are faring without your—’
‘There’s no one special waiting for me. You?’
‘Yes,’ she said quickly as they turned back in the direction of the house, the little loop they’d walked taking them around in a misshapen sort of circle. ‘My fiancé. He’s serving.’
‘Ah, I see.’ He slowed his walk, gave her a look that she wasn’t sure about. ‘Well, he’s a very lucky man.’
‘Scarlet!’ Ellie’s call broke their connection, made Scarlet turn away from the deep brown gaze that had so easily captivated her.
‘Coming,’ she called back.
‘Go have your bath, and then I’ll take you both to find some real food,’ James said.
‘The water is heavenly!’ Ellie was waving at her, gesturing for her to come over. ‘If you don’t get in quickly, I’m going to get back in.’
Scarlet walked towards her friend, pausing only briefly to look back over her shoulder at James. He hadn’t moved: his head raised, eyes still trained on her, his smile kind. There was something about the man that unnerved her, that rattled her in a way she’d thought she’d be immune to.
‘So? Tell me what you think? He’s gorgeous,’ Ellie whispered as she linked arms with her.
Scarlet leaned into Ellie, needing her touch. ‘He’s lovely. I mean, if I were single . . .’ Scarlet didn’t even know what she was trying to say. ‘I have Thomas, though, Ellie. Please don’t forget that.’
‘Oh, for God’s sake, just enjoy a harmless flirt!’ Ellie said with a laugh.
Scarlet glared at her, not liking being teased.
‘Come and meet Colonel Wright,’ Ellie said, giving her a weird look and rolling her eyes. ‘He’s divine, and he’s said we can come for a hot bath whenever we like.’
But even the thought of her impending bath couldn’t take Scarlet’s mind off James.
The water was luxurious, and she didn’t want to think about how long it might be before she had another interlude with hot water. But it was cooling down now and she’d already taken too long.
Scarlet quickly dried herself and got dressed, and then fixed her hair as prettily as she could, thinking about their last lodgings and how she’d hardly been able to stand at all in the tiny cubicle. Thomas. Why wasn’t she thinking about Thomas? Why was she trying to make herself look pretty for someone else? Because it was the man outside that her thoughts kept turning to, and it was making her feel every bit the unfaithful fiancée, even though she’d done absolutely nothing inappropriate. But the way he’d looked at her and the way she’d felt trapped in his gaze . . . it had stirred her and shaken her and knocked her way off balance. He was too charming, too charismatic not to be drawn to, and she hated how fast her heart had raced when she’d been with him.
She looked around, wondering what the old man’s story was. It must have been a lovely home once upon a time, but given how everything could use a good dusting she had a feeling that he was a widower. Scarlet stopped in the hall, dressed and ready to head back out, and bent to look at an old photograph in a frame, sitting amongst a collection of knick-knacks.
‘What a beautiful woman,’ Scarlet murmured.
‘She was.’
‘Oh!’ Scarlet leapt back, embarrassed at being discovered looking at someone else’s pictures. ‘I’m sorry, she just caught my eye, and I couldn’t help but take a closer look.’
‘She was a beauty, my Ivy,’ the colonel said, rubbing his moustache as he spoke. ‘Gone almost two years now.’
Scarlet reached out to touch his arm, seeing the tears shine in his eyes. ‘She certainly was beautiful. I’m so sorry.’ No wonder he was offering nurses hot baths; the poor old man was probably lonely as anything and liked the company.
‘I’ve told that fella of yours to go pick some fruit. There’s a bit left in the old orchard out there, though it’s most likely bruised or bird pecked.’
‘Oh, he’s not my . . . I have a fiancé,’ Scarlet stuttered. ‘But you’re ever so kind, thank you. And you’re so generous firing up that hot water for us. You’ll never know how desperately we’ve been dreaming of a bath.’
‘You ladies will be back home soon, but for now, you come and see me whenever you get a break. I’m an old man with nothing better to do.’
‘You’re in uniform here,’ Scarlet said, pointing to another photo, set further back. She wished she had more time to spend chatting with him.
‘It was a long time ago,’ he said, his smile disappearing. ‘A long, long time ago.’
Scarlet hesitated, not sure what else to say. But he took the lead, gesturing for her to walk ahead of him towards the front door.
‘Thank you again,’ she said, hand on the doorframe, turning one last time to smile at him.
‘Let’s hope it’s not goodbye yet. They might keep you girls here a bit longer. Keep you safe and out of harm’s way.’
Scarlet could only wish. It wasn’t exactly a hardship being based in Sussex, even with all the training. Not compared to where they could be.