Revolutionary Temptation

by Silvia Violet

  “I’m sorry, sir. We only have one room available.”

  Jack could not share a bed with Eli, but before he voiced his protest, Eli said, “That will do just fine.”

  Maybe they could conclude their business with Tallmadge quickly and return to New York before night fell.

  “Will you be taking dinner here, sir?” the innkeeper asked.

  “Yes. We are meeting an acquaintance.”

  “A tall man in uniform?”

  “That’s him,” Jack said.

  “He asked for a private parlor.” The man turned toward the door behind him. “Sally!” A serving girl appeared from the kitchen. “Show these gentlemen to the back parlor.”

  She curtsied. “This way, gentlemen.”

  Jack was pleased to discover a roaring fire in the parlor, making it far warmer than the main room. Ben Tallmadge sat at a rickety-looking table, scribbling in a notebook. Some bread and a cup of ale sat untouched in front of him.

  “Good day, Major,” Jack said.

  “Jack! It’s good to see you.”

  Jack hadn’t realized just how good it would be to see a fellow officer. “I hope you have been well.”

  “Tolerably so, yes.” Ben looked quizzically at Eli. “Would you introduce me to your friend?”

  “Of course, sir. This is Mr. Ashfield, an…acquaintance from the city. His ability to travel easily made him a necessary companion for the journey.”

  Ben nodded. “I understand.”

  Eli held out his hand for Ben to shake. “I’m most heartily pleased to meet you, sir. And I do more for Mr. West than serve as a travel companion.”

  “Keep your voice down,” Jack hissed. “You don’t have to announce your business to all and sundry.”

  “I’m simply expressing my willingness to be of further service to Major Tallmadge. I have no desire to make a spectacle of myself.”

  Jack huffed. “Your choice of clothing would belie that.”

  Ben looked back and forth between the two of them, amusement plain on his face.

  Sally, the serving girl, returned with bowls of stew and bread for each of them. “Miss, we’d like the use of this room for the next few hours.” Ben handed her some coins, and she curtsied.

  “I won’t let no one else in here, sir.”

  When she’d closed the door, Ben said, “Tell me why we’re here.”

  “We’ve discovered a possible traitor,” Jack said. “Captain Ames met with a British officer and gave him information about our army.”

  Color suffused Ben’s face. “Hell and damnation. Ames had such promise, finally gaining confidence in his leadership abilities.”

  “The thing is, sir, Ames was attempting to bargain for his brother’s release from prison, and the information he gave his contact was incorrect. It was unclear to me if he was intentionally misleading him. I’d hoped he was working under your direction.”

  Ben shook his head. “He’s not. It sounds like we’ll either have to hang him or recruit him.”

  Jack pushed the rest of his stew away. Thinking of Ames strung up to die ruined his appetite. Why had the boy been foolish enough to fall prey to Colonel Stephens?

  “You are absolutely certain it was Ames?” Ben asked.

  Jack nodded. “I saw him.”

  Eli scoffed. “He nearly got himself and me killed trying to confirm who the young man was.”

  Jack glared at him. “It was worth the risk. I recognized his voice, but I had to be sure.”

  “And you call me reckless.”

  Ben looked between them as if trying to understand all the things they weren’t saying.

  “Mr. Ashfield has been most helpful,” Jack said. “But I do not care for his methods.”

  “He also doesn’t care for the type of men I consort with, neither the officers nor the smugglers.”

  “He’s playing both sides.”

  Eli gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m on your side, but telling the loyalists and His Majesty’s army what I stand for isn’t a good survival strategy. I’ll have a lot harder time getting information to you from prison.”

  “Jack, I warned you about the need to sacrifice certain principles.”

  Jack did not need Ben and Eli joining forces against him. “You did, but I still don’t like it.”

  “I’d worry if you did. I’ll keep an eye on Ames. Perhaps we can use him one way or another.”

  They couldn’t just let a traitor continue to undermine their efforts. “If he’s guilty of treason—”

  “If he’s most useful in sending misinformation, then I need to do what’s best for all of us.”

  Jack slammed his fist on the table. “Damn it to hell, I hate this.”

  Ben laid his hand over Jack’s. “Don’t waste your energy. Hating it won’t change anything.”

  Jack didn’t care for this advice. He wanted to get away from both of them, to be alone to wrestle with his contradictions. “Is our business concluded?”

  “Not quite,” Ben said. “I need to discuss methods for getting information to me. Meeting like this carries a great deal of risk. Relying on passes to move in and out of New York makes our operation vulnerable. And as you pointed out, Mr. Ashfield isn’t exactly a subtle figure.” Eli nodded in acknowledgment of this truth. “If he travels frequently, questions may be asked.”

  “Pardon me, sir, but I doubt that,” Eli said. “I’m Turner De Lancey’s nephew.”

  Ben’s eyes widened. “Yet you’re on our side?”

  “My father married beneath his station. When he died, my uncle took my mother and me in, but he hated us. I’d support the rebels simply to avenge myself against him. As it happens, I also believe in your cause.”

  Ben looked at Jack, and Jack sighed. “I trust him.”

  Ben gave a curt nod. “Then I’ll show you both what I have for you.”

  ELI POURED THEM all another round of ale from the pitcher. He liked Tallmadge. From what he’d observed, the major was an honest man who’d likely been brought up in a family that loved him. He wasn’t as confident as he pretended to be, but he got things done and took orders seriously. In other words, he seemed to have much in common with Jack, which meant it wasn’t for Tallmadge to bend his morals or sully himself with spying. They both needed a man like Eli, whose morals were quite a bit more flexible. Following rules and orders wasn’t going to win this war, not when the British had triple the men and—at least from the American perspective—unlimited funds for weapons, ships, and supplies.

  Tallmadge reached into his bag and extracted a rectangular piece of metal about the size of a sheet of paper with long narrow openings cut into it at haphazard intervals.

  “What is that?” Jack asked.

  Eli already knew. “A stencil cipher.”

  Tallmadge’s eyes narrowed. “How did you know that?”

  “I’ve heard some of the king’s officers refer to them. They use them for communications with England or the rest of their army.”

  “And you didn’t bother to mention that,” Jack said, his disgust obvious.

  “I haven’t access to any of them, and I assumed you knew basic techniques of spying.”

  Jack scowled at him. “You can’t withhold information from me.”

  “I know a lot of things; how am I to know which of them are relevant?”

  Tallmadge interrupted their squabble. “Could you get access to one of these ciphers?”

  “Steal it, you mean?” Eli said.

  Tallmadge nodded. It was adorable how unwilling he was to suggest thievery.

  “Possibly. It would be easiest if I had an invitation to the home of one of the men I know use them. Mrs. Sullivan is introducing me around, so that may happen in the near future.”

  “How do they work?” Jack asked.

  “You lay the cipher over a piece of paper and write your actual message in the holes.” Tallmadge demonstrated by laying it on the notebook in front of him. “Then you fill in around it to create an innocuous letter. W
hen your correspondent—myself in this case—receives the missive, he uses his matching cipher to discover the critical information.”

  “Ingenious, isn’t it,” Eli said.

  Jack nodded. “So we’ll use this to communicate with you?”

  “Yes,” Tallmadge said, “but send all letters by special messenger. We can’t chance the regular post as it takes far longer.”

  “What if the message is extremely urgent?” Eli asked.

  “A messenger can reach us as fast as you can.”

  “But not as reliably.”

  “If the fate of the entire army rests on you getting to us, then you come in person,” Tallmadge said.

  Jack tucked the cipher away in his bag. “Understood.”

  Tallmadge polished off the last of his ale. “Good work on Ames. Use the cipher if you learn more.”

  “How long will I be expected to remain in the city?”

  Was Jack that eager to get away, to run from what he knew he wanted? Eli wished he didn’t feel so disappointed.

  “Several more weeks, maybe until the spring thaw. It all depends on how our other agents fare, and if we need you elsewhere. We’ve got to learn what Howe is going to do come spring.”

  “When you do, I want to be there, with my regiment,” Jack said.

  Tallmadge frowned. “Your leg is still—”

  “I can fight. Men have gone into battle with far worse injuries than mine.”

  “For now, information is key. It’s Washington’s primary focus.”

  Jack’s impatience was obvious. He truly hated the confines of the city. “It’s winter, and we aren’t in the midst of a campaign, but once we are—”

  “We’ll see what happens and what we know.” It was clear that was Tallmadge’s final answer.

  “We’ll find the information you need, sir,” Eli said.

  Tallmadge eyed him like he wasn’t sure he trusted him. What was it with these military men? Eli was the one who found out about Ames, after all.

  “We can’t be sure of that,” Jack said.

  “I have a plethora of resources. I’m confident we’ll know Howe’s secrets by spring. The problem is—at least according to his mistress’s best friend—Howe can’t decide what he’s going to do. He’s arguing with Gage and Clinton, and he can’t decide whether to disobey orders.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d talked to a friend of Mrs. Loring’s?” Jack asked.

  “I learned nothing of value, so I saw no reason to tell you.”

  “How did you get information from Mrs. Loring’s friend?”

  “I asked her what she knew about Howe’s plans,” Eli said.

  Tallmadge sputtered.

  “I told you he’s reckless,” Jack said.

  Tallmadge turned to Eli. “If you get yourself caught, anything you might have found for us is lost.”

  “No one suspects me.”

  Jack huffed. “No one does now. That doesn’t mean they won’t if you can’t continue to appear like—”

  “A toad-eater loyalist ass.”

  “Yes,” Tallmadge said, obviously holding back laughter.

  “I have different methods.”

  Jack sighed. “He charms people. Every single person he meets.”

  Tallmadge did laugh then. “Thank you, gentlemen. It’s been a pleasure dining with you, but I should get back to camp now.” He rose, and Eli and Jack followed suit. “Take care, but do what it takes to get us what we need.”

  “We will,” Jack said. “God help us all.” The last was muttered under his breath, but Eli heard it plainly. He would make certain this mission succeeded, and he would get Jack to relax and enjoy himself. He was damn well determined.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  After they said good-bye to Tallmadge, Jack considered the sun’s position. “I’d rather we didn’t tarry here. We should start for home.”

  “Even if we rode full out, it would be a three-hour ride. We don’t have nearly that much daylight left. You know what the roads near the river are like. We’ll be robbed at best, murdered more likely, or worse.”

  “Worse than murdered?”

  Eli raised a brow. “I’m sure you can imagine torments that would make you beg to die.”

  “Spending the night here with you is high on that list,” Jack said.

  “Ha! I suppose you’ll have to suffer then, because I’m not risking my life for nothing. I can’t always bribe my way out of trouble.”

  Jack hadn’t given him credit for such humility. “I’m shocked to hear you admit it. If rebel soldiers get a hold of us, I’ll say you’re with me.”

  “You won’t be in uniform. And what if British deserters capture us?”

  “You have money.”

  Eli shook his head. “They’ll take it and murder us.”

  Jack hated to admit it, but Eli was right—it was much safer to start out in the morning. “Fine, we’ll stay.” He pulled open the door of the tavern. “I’m getting another drink.”

  “I’ll join you.”

  They stayed downstairs, drinking and listening to the talk of the locals. Some were patriots. A few were loyalists. But the majority were disgusted with both sides.

  As it grew fully dark, the crowd became rowdier. Jack drained his cup and stood. “I’m heading upstairs.”

  Eli followed him. When Jack entered their room, his gaze went straight to the narrow bed.

  Seeming to understand the direction of his thoughts, Eli said, “You can have the bed tonight. I intend to seek company elsewhere.”

  “You just lectured me on taking foolhardy risks.”

  Eli sighed. “I’m not as insensible to the dangers of fucking men as you seem to think. I find women equally enjoyable, so I’ll seek a woman’s bed; no risk in that except maybe the pox, but I got myself ‘covered.’” He patted his bag and winked at Jack.

  Jack shook his head. “Why did I agree to bring you?”

  “Don’t tease. You relish every moment in my company.”

  Jack made a disgusted sound. “I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone as arrogant as you.”

  “You should meet my uncle.” When Eli pulled open the door, Jack grabbed his arm.

  “Don’t go.”

  Eli scowled at him. “Take your hand off me.”

  Jack released Eli, but Eli didn’t leave. He closed the door and stood there, watching Jack. “What were you going to do? Fuck me and then send me to sleep in the stables?”

  “No! I… I don’t know.”

  “I’ve made no secret of what I want,” Eli said.

  “That’s the problem.”

  Eli rolled his eyes. “Contrary to what you think, I don’t go shouting my enjoyment of men around town. I do have some sense of discretion.”

  “Less than you need.”

  Eli locked the door and took a few steps into the room. “I don’t mean to flaunt my desires, but I’ve always had a hard time keeping a lid on my passions. As a boy, I spent my life trying to hide how I feel from everyone around me. It’s exhausting.”

  “How well did you succeed in keeping your family from knowing how you felt?”

  Eli tilted his head as if considering the question. “It depended.”

  “You either won them over, or they eventually saw what you wished to hide?” Jack asked.

  Eli nodded.

  “You’re going to get caught one day and then… Eli, I don’t want to be the cause of that.”

  “And yet you seem unconcerned that I’m far more likely to be caught collecting information or writing essays than taking pleasure in another man.”

  “That’s different. We’re fighting for something we believe in.”

  “Maybe I believe I should be able to fuck whomever I damn well please.”

  The image of Dominic lying in the road, blood pooled around his body, was stark in Jack’s mind. He remembered his own helplessness—he couldn’t do a thing, couldn’t even find out if Dominic still lived, because someone would see him, and the
n Jack would die too.

  “I’m sorry, Eli. For the way I behaved the other night, sending you away like I did. That was unconscionable. Please forgive me.”

  “Thank you,” Eli said. “You’re forgiven.”

  “I admire how you’re brave enough to have what you want. I shouldn’t have called you back. You should just go.”

  Eli shook his head. “I’m no braver than you.”

  “I don’t feel like arguing anymore. Go have your fun.”

  “Jack, what do you want?”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Stop listening to your fears and just tell me.”

  Jack looked up, and the desire in Eli’s eyes made it impossible to deny him. “I want to touch you, to taste you, to fucking possess you.”

  “Then do it.”

  Jack pushed Eli up against the wall and drove his hands into Eli’s hair, jerking his head back.

  Eli gasped, and Jack swallowed the sound as he kissed him. He pushed his tongue into Eli’s mouth, and Eli opened for him, sliding his tongue against Jack’s. Undaunted by Jack’s aggression, Eli seized hold of Jack’s ass as if trying to fuse them together.

  Fuck, Jack’s prick was hard as rock. He wanted Eli so bad. “Need to get you naked,” he said against Eli’s lips.

  Eli nodded, but then he chased Jack’s mouth, kissing him again, and Jack forgot his goal, forgot everything but the taste of this infuriating man.

  Eli wrapped a leg around Jack’s hip so they could fit together more easily, and Jack ground against him, their members rubbing along each other. He had to get rid of the clothes that separated them.

  Finally, Jack found the will to break the kiss. As he rested his forehead against Eli’s and tried to catch his breath, Eli stroked his hair with one hand and used the other to undo the buttons of his waistcoat. The combination of tenderness and desperation might just do him in.

  He was going to give in to what he wanted. He was going to fuck Eli. But he couldn’t let it be more than a satisfying tumble. Never again would he let his emotions take charge like they had with Dominic. Eli was beautiful, alluring, and willing. Jack would avail himself of that, but—