by Leigh Lee
Dread filled Eugenia. She had never before seen this side of Jeff. Who was he really, if he stood ready to beat another? Surely not the same man who—out of principle—had ordered an entire ward into confinement for this very type of behavior? A vigorous shake of her head caused it to ache more. “Please, Captain, I do not think—”
Jeff bristled. “Silence your concern.” Without the slightest hint of humor, he grinned. “The horse doctor wants to horse around, and I find that I am of a mind to oblige him!”
Horace had always been a pompous ass. Eugenia turned quickly to him praying that this time he had the wisdom to back down. Her hopes plummeted when Horace furiously tugged at the buttons of his jacket.
“Do not worry about me, dear Eugenia,” Horace said, tossing his jacket to her. “Doctoring horses is physically demanding. I am fully capable of handling this horse’s ass.”
Eugenia cringed as they danced around, fists in the air. Horace made the first swipe, his fist grazing Jeff’s chin. The hit knocked Jeff’s head back and darkened the already black scowl on his face. Recovering quickly, Jeff blocked Horace’s next punch and landed a jab to his abdomen.
The prospect of someone getting hurt was too much. Groaning, Eugenia pressed the back of her hand to her forehead. Feeling suddenly faint, she sank to the ground.
~*~*~
Thump.
From the corner of his eye, Jeff saw Eugenia wilt onto the grass. A brief moment of silence passed before both he and Sargent Davis shouted her name and rushed forward. Each man jostled for position, and in his haste to be the first to kneel at her side, they butted heads. Profanities exploded and drifted on the breeze. No doubt right through Mrs. Stewart’s kitchen window, for she appeared on the porch and rushed down the steps, advancing upon them with her broom swinging.
The plump woman was quick and managed to land a hard swat on each of them, amidst a blistering reprimand. Enraged, she continued to hover in a protective stance over Eugenia’s prone body, puffing angrily.
Eugenia’s eyes fluttered open, and she pushed herself up on her elbows. Seeing her recovering, Jeff darted forward even as Mrs. Stewart began barking orders. “Doctor, carry Miss Johnson back to her bed.”
“Perhaps I should have a look at her first,” Horace argued. When he tried to advance, Mrs. Stewart stepped into his path, her raised broom immediately halting him.
Picking up Eugenia and cradling her in his arms, Jeff countered, “I have this under control, Davis. As Miss Johnson is receiving treatment in this house, martial law places the dwelling under my command. Curfew is upon you, and if you hurry, it may not be necessary to place you under arrest.”
“Under your command?” Horace challenged. His eyes swept questioningly to Eugenia. “Surely that does not include Miss Johnson.”
“It does,” Jeff assured him quickly. “And time is ticking, Sergeant. You’d best be on your way. I do not expect to find you around here pestering Miss Johnson again. Am I clear? If I discover you’ve disobeyed my order, I will send you back to your commander with a report of your actions nailed to your behind.”
Scowling, Horace asked, “Eugenia, can he do this?”
Eugenia was still trying to catch up with what had happened, but the determined glance from Jeff left no doubt he was prepared to forcibly execute the threat if need be. “Horace, I have never known him to make idle threats.”
Horace snatched up his hat from the grass and hesitated, casting a murderous look Jeff’s way. “If Eugenia chooses to see me, Captain, not even your martial law will prevent us seeing each other.”
Jeff returned Horace’s aggressive look. “Tick-tock, Davis.”
Left with no recourse, Horace tipped his hat to Eugenia and Mrs. Stewart. “Ladies,” and headed to the stables.
Jeff carried Eugenia to the porch and waited while Mrs. Stewart retrieved his coat. Horace led his horse out of the stables, mounted and rode at a furious pace down the lane. They all paused to watch, but no one spoke until rider and horse were on the main road.
Mrs. Stewart, who had quietly been observing the captain, clucked her tongue. Her eyes twinkled. “Seeing that my home is now under martial law, I must beg your direction, Captain. Should I boil water for tea or pour brandy?
Jeff acknowledged Maddie’s mischievous gleam with a brief glance as he then focused his attention on Eugenia. “If I did not feel like wringing a particular neck right now, I might oblige you. Please proceed as you normally would. What I need to do is have a word alone with Miss Johnson.”
“Of course, Doctor,” Mrs. Stewart replied.
~*~*~
Eugenia studied Jeff’s face in disbelief as he carried her inside and up the staircase. Was she back to being Miss Johnson? She could only guess from the hard expression on his face that he was not going to be satisfied until they discussed Horace Davis. However, after three years of looking after herself, she did not need him hovering. She could have handled the situation well enough if given half a chance. Now the man stomping up the steps acted as the slighted one. Well, she would set him straight on that score as soon as they were alone.
In the room, with the door securely closed, he set her on her feet. With a swish of her long skirts, she whirled to face him. Her temper flaming, she pressed her fists into her hips. “How dare you?”
Chapter 19
Jeff stared blankly. “Your ill-tempered insinuation that I have somehow offended you is surprising. I refuse to acknowledge this fit of temper as reasonable. Indeed, I am the one who should be insulted.” Standing only a few feet away, he glowered at her. “Engagement to Horace, Miss Johnson?” he tossed irately her way.
“Martial law, Captain?” she quipped, arching a waspish brow.
He spun on his heel, presenting her his back in obvious dismissal. “I suggest you cool your temper.”
Inflamed, Eugenia stared at the broad shoulders, blinking. If it was the last he ever heard from her, he would hear what she had to say. “Me? Where was the unflappable, level-headed calm with which you usually handle every situation?” she taunted. “How dare you act as if you are the wounded one?”
His tone grew contemptuous. “If you are waiting for an apology, madam, it will be a long day coming.”
The rude comment had Eugenia marching around the captain to confront him face-to-face. Cross-armed, she glared up at him. The twitching of the muscles in his jaw was warning enough he fought for composure, but it was her anger that demanded attention. “I was handling the situation just fine. Yet, you had the gall to demand my silence. Hence, I did not get the chance to offer my opinion!” Her chastisement ended with a snap of her fingers beneath his nose.
The intrusion into his space narrowed Jeff’s eyes. “It might not have been such a shock meeting him had I known beforehand of this engagement.” His pointed index finger jabbed in front of her face emphasizing the last word.
“I did not mention him because he was not worth mentioning!” she informed him hotly.
“I saw enough. You seemed to enjoy his advances. Deny it if I’m wrong,” he boomed, leaning forward with conviction.
The accusation, flung with such venomous regard, fanned Eugenia’s ire hotter. “Captain, you do not own me any more than Horace does! I might still be under your command, but that does not give you the right to dictate whom I may kiss and whom I may not!”
Her remark seemed to pierce him deeply. “I caution you, answer carefully. Do you relish the man’s attention? Are you to marry Horace Davis?”
Caution involved a bit more restraint than Eugenia was capable of right then, and despite how much she loved Jeff, vexation ruled. “What will you do if I do not care to answer your ridiculous question?”
Many emotions flickered across his face before he answered, but when he did, it was with avowed certainty and increased volume. “My God, woman. Within minutes, you kissed two men. As one of them, I would hear your answer now or else.”
Eugenia’s voice trembled, heated infuriation stiffening her body.
“Or else what? Do you threaten me now? Will you just toss me in prison? Or perhaps you prefer to beat me senseless as you tried to beat Horace?”
The taunt hit its mark. Jeff’s rage grew to a sizzling crackle spitting through the air between them. Every fiber of his being seemed ready to pounce. “Miss Johnson, regardless of what you might like to think, you have not yet been discharged, so at present I do own your every moment. Therefore, I ask you one last time. Will. You. Marry. Horace Davis?”
Refusing to be intimidated, Eugenia challenged his right to pry into her personal life. “That, sir, is none of your business. And to think I once trusted you.”
That last viperish spewing snapped the last thread of Jeff’s patience. He grabbed her arms and drew her so close that the heat of his chest penetrated her cotton blouse shirt. “You doubt me?” he asked with a softness that belied the crazed mixture of emotions crossing his features. “I have endured ridicule from my peers at the discovery of a woman hidden amongst my men. Even still, it was I who pled your case with the military authorities. And yes, woman, I flew to your sick bed every night already exhausted from my duties at the field hospital, to care for you—to hold you while you were delirious with fever. You go too far.” As if needing to inflict further punishment, he yanked her into a brutal kiss.
Eugenia’s eyes widened as his lips came crushing down upon hers bruising her mouth against her teeth. At first, she struggled, but all too quickly, her anger was replaced by intense desire rushing to every fiber of her traitorous body. Without further thought, she yielded to him with parted lips.
Her prompt surrender seemed to propel Jeff from anger to passion as he deepened the kiss. His hand gently cradled her head while he tasted the soft depths of her mouth. When her arms encircled his neck and her curves pressed against him, he spiraled out of control.
With their mouths clinging to each other, Jeff placed an arm behind her knees and lifted her. In one fluid movement, he laid her on the bed. His usually confident surgeon’s hands fumbled with the buttons of her blouse and once bared lips found the rapid pulse in her throat.
Delicious thrills rendered her helpless as he unlaced her chemise. He spread it wide causing her nipples to peak in the cool air. Jeff paused and drew in his breath sharply. As if fascinated, he carressed each mount with the utmost tenderness.
Eugenia moaned in sheer ecstasy as Jeff’s palms glided over her bosom. No man had touched her like this, and she floated with each caress. Yet when he teased a peak with his tongue, she was catapulted into wondrous ripples of pleasure. When at last his lips returned to hers, she kissed him back with shocking fervor.
With trembling shyness, she ran her hands down his back, feeling his muscles flexing through his shirt. The need to feel his skin beneath her palms became paramount, and her fingers unfastened the buttons of his shirt. Briefly, their gazes locked as she opened his shirt and stroked from his chest to his flat belly. Desperate desire for her flashed in his eyes.
They kissed repeatedly, soaring higher into the delicious throes of yearning. His hands wandered Eugenia’s body, softly caressing and teasing her skin. Slowly he drew her skirts higher, and her legs trembled when his fingertips trailed feather-like touches on her thighs, finally stopping at the apex of her legs.
His intimate strokes took Eugenia to the edge of euphoria. Teetering on the brink of yet unknown ecstasy, she longed for more. Instinctively, her body arched—her softness pressing against his hardness. There was a sharp intake of breath—but she knew not if the gasp was his or hers.
If he urged her further, she knew she would surrender, willingly offer herself to him. When his lips bore down on hers, she had but one deterrent. To protect her heart, she needed the assurance that Jeff returned her love. Placing a shaky palm to his chest, she fought for control of her awakened passion as tears sprang to her eyes.
The gentle pressure of her palm on his chest was all it took to make him release her. With an anguished groan, Jeff rolled away and onto his back flinging an arm over his eyes.
Eugenia rose on her elbow to stare at him. Instantly, she wished to be back in his embrace. Her fingers traced the contours of the face she had come to adore. Shame over the words she had spoken in anger swept through her. She studied the handsome man who had never given her a single reason to doubt him. The tears ran unchecked down her cheeks as she stroked her fingers through his dark hair. “Please. Forgive me. I was angry. I did not mean it, truly I did not. I trust you beyond doubt.”
Jeff lifted his arm and looked at her troubled face gazing down at him. Little did she know how her breasts tempted him from behind her hastily tied chemise. With a moan, he dragged her soft body to him. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he cradled her on his lap and kissed the top of her head. “I was blinded by jealousy and must ask your forgiveness as well.”
Eugenia gave him a mournful look. “We both said things we did not mean.”
Jeff nodded. “I am relieved you do not doubt me. I trust the passion between us is real?”
The adoration on his face was evident. However, until he professed his love, how would she know if what they shared was true affection or simply lust? Hesitantly, she asked, “I do not know. You taught me the rules of decorum, yet I am uncertain as to where this leaves us?”
Jeff’s brows shot up. “My dear, trust me, we have done nothing yet to breach any rules of decorum.” He turned her on his lap so he could better study her face. Her sad expression made him smile in sudden understanding. “Ah, are you asking if I am in love with you?”
The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them. “I would never be so presumptuous as to wrestle a declaration of intent from you; however, if there is something you wish to tell me, I would be a most receptive listener.”
Jeff howled in laughter. “You conniving little minx! Would you like to know if my heart beats faster whenever or hear the sound of your voice or I am close to you? Or would you rather learn of how I suffer every time you speak to another man? Or perchance, would you have me confess the torment I feel when we are apart?”
Her eyes danced as she clutched at his shirt, pulling him closer. “I would.”
“Yes, damn it, all of it is true,” he growled laughing. “My sweet love, I am not ashamed to admit you have captured my very soul. So, what of you? Do you return my love? Or will you toss me aside for that pompous ass, Horace Davis?”
“Horace?” Eugenia’s eyes sparkled. “Horace is the last thing on my mind.” This was her dream, the answer to her most fervent prayers. It was impossible to contain her joy and to prove her devotion, she lavished kisses over his face. “I do, I do love you! I think I have since the first day I met you,” she exclaimed before finally pressing a passionate kiss on his lips.
Capturing her face in his hands, Jeff’s emotional timbre, contained a hint of humor. “I wish I could say I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you, as well. I was somewhat at a disadvantage. You were but a scruffy lad, who insisted on pestering and torturing me. Trust me. I am most relieved you turned out to be female.”
“Oh, you think it was hard for you? Imagine my plight. My part was much more grueling to bear, especially when you demanded I watch you and Miss Winfred together,” she pointed out quickly.
“And the hell you put me through that day.” he scolded. “Ah, and let us not forget the uniform I had worn less than an hour before you caused its ruin.” Abruptly, Jeff’s voice trailed off, and his mouth dropped open. “That brings to mind the night when someone led me on a merry chase through the woods, naked as a jaybird.” He growled, recalling details of that night. “Well, I’ll be damned—” He held her away staring at her in disbelief. “Near the pond—that night—was that you?”
The remorseful turn of her lips confirmed his suspicions.
“It was you in the woods! Do you have any idea how close I came to doubting my own sanity that night? And my uniform, you hid it! It took me hours to locate my garments! Now as I think of it, your escapades
have been raining torment upon me ever since I met you. Instead of kissing you, it might better serve my purposes to apply my hand to your shapely bottom!”
Eugenia hid her face in her hands, her chagrin unbearable. “I am not proud of that night. It tortured me knowing what trouble I caused you, trust me. When you came to question me about it, and I saw the anguish on your face, my heart nearly broke. I longed to come forth and confess everything to you. But I was too afraid.”
Jeff grinned. “Miss Johnson, you hid my clothes. I was of a mind to have vengeance. If you had confessed, I surely would have discovered your secret, for I would have stripped you of your shirt to give you the lash.” In wonder, he lifted her chin and gazed at her. “In fact, I was certain it was the sergeant, uh—you, until I saw the horror my accusation brought to this face.”
Eugenia assured him quickly. “The horror was real, sir. I was terrified. Surely, a dull routine will now be more to your liking, with the lad forever gone.”
With an incredulous laugh, Jeff shook his head and drawing her back into his arms, he gave her a squeeze. “Dull routine? Nothing has ever been dull around you, my little hellion, and I doubt it ever will be.”
Chapter 20
The following day Jeff could not escape his duties to visit Eugenia. As usual, his day began at four o’clock, attending the surgeon’s call and seeing many of the orderlies and medics who suffered from the same illnesses as their patients. By 6 AM, he was making rounds through the wards, attending to the injured men. With the late Indian summer, breakouts of scurvy and cholera were mounting in the field hospital. Flies, mosquitoes, poor sanitary conditions, and lack of proper food all made treatment and recovery difficult.
By afternoon, he was on his way to the train station with a few men and a wagon to pick up medical supplies. It took hours to load the goods and then transport them back to the field hospital. It was another two hours before he managed to distribute the medicines to where they were needed. In a quiet moment, he completed paperwork requesting a replacement for Sergeant Eugene Adams.
