A War Within (Epic WWI Love Story) Read online

  A heavy sigh lifted her shoulders. Alexis was right. She was jumping to conclusions and shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. “You’re right. I’ll give him a chance.”

  Before Alexis could start squealing about their double marriage, Audrey slapped her on the shoulder, jutting a finger across the room. “Who. Is. That?” Audrey’s gushed.

  “Who? Who are you... oh my! Who is that?” Cecille chimed in. “He’s absolutely gorgeous!”

  Isabelle and Alexis craned to see who the girls were looking at, but the crowd kept cutting in the way.

  “Who? Where?” Isabelle asked, trying to squish in to see. The crowd moved in front of her again before she could make out the profile of a black-haired man.

  “I have dibs on that one, ladies! I saw him first!” Audrey squeaked as she grasped Cecille’s hand in excitement. “How do I look? Do I look okay?” she asked the girls, fluffing her blonde curls while they leaned in to examine her.

  “You can’t just run up and introduce yourself, Audrey,” Cecille warned.

  “I’m not going to just run up there. I’m not a trollop! Hopefully some strategic positioning will put me in his path and he’ll ask for a dance.” Her chin rose with confidence.

  “Good plan. And good luck.” Isabelle chuckled before turning back to attempt another look at the dark, mysterious man across the room, but he was gone.

  “Come on, Isabelle!” Alexis pleaded as she impatiently pulled on Isabelle’s arm. “I don’t want to miss my chance with Theodore!”

  “All right, all right let’s go,” Isabelle agreed, and followed her sister through the crowd. When they arrived at the top, Charlie was leaning on the banister wearing a charming smile. Returning it, she took the hand he extended to her. The two sisters followed him to the center of the balcony overlooking the party, where his brother and sister were talking with several guests.

  “Excuse me, Theodore,” Charlie said as he stepped into the group. “I would like to introduce you once more to the lovely Barouche sisters. This is Isabelle. And this is Alexis.”

  Theodore’s eyes went straight to Alexis and a wide grin stretched his face so tight it looked like it might tear. Hazel eyes, nestled beneath his wavy mop of sandy blond hair, sparkled with excitement when they clapped onto Alexis’. With flushed cheeks, Alexis smiled back at him and extended her hand. When he pressed it to his lips, Isabelle watched the soft flush in her sister’s cheeks deepen to a crimson red.

  “Alexis. I have been waiting to see you all night. Would you do me the honor of a dance?” Theodore asked as he held tightly to her hand.

  “Of course, Theodore. I would be very pleased to dance with you,” Alexis responded, barely able to contain her excitement. Theodore stepped next to her and held out his arm so she could link her own through. As he led her to the stairs, Alexis looked back over her shoulder at Isabelle and grinned.

  “Well, Isabelle. You promised me a dance earlier. Perhaps I could convince you to honor that promise now?” Charlie asked, offering Isabelle his arm.

  Taking a breath and reminding herself to give him a chance, she smiled and accepted it. With linked arms, he led her down the stairway and onto the dance floor. The band started up and Isabelle curtsied as Charlie bowed to her. They stepped toward each other and began dancing with the group.

  Even though this wasn’t the partner she longed for, she spun around the dance floor with him and enjoyed the twists and twirls while he moved her through the crowd. He was a talented dancer... she had to give him that. As she twirled across the floor she caught a glimpse of a dark-haired man walking through the crowd. Charlie spun her around and she twisted her head to keep the unidentified man in sight. It was him. The mysterious man in the crowd she’d been trying to see.

  Charlie continued spinning her, and she continued snapping her head around, struggling to keep the stranger in her sights. Something familiar about him tugged at her but the spinning and his movement made it impossible to get a good look. A sudden stop and a slow turn brought him into her line of sight. His chiseled jaw was tanned and strong. The mask covered the upper part of his face, but unmistakable ice-blue eyes peered out from behind the black mask and locked with hers.

  “Auguste,” she whispered.

  The realization of his identity made her lose her rhythm, and she nearly tripped and fell. Charlie caught her before her tumble turned into a fall and she grabbed his shoulders to right herself. The music came to a stop and applause for the band erupted while she struggled to stand, unable to take her eyes off Auguste.

  “Isabelle. Are you all right?” Charlie asked.

  She stood frozen in the middle of the dance floor, unable to look away. Auguste began walking toward her and her heartrate increased with every step that brought him closer. Audrey emerged from the crowd and stepped in front of him, flashing her charming smile, but his eyes never left Isabelle’s and he stepped around her, making his way onto the dance floor.

  “Isabelle?” Charlie asked again.

  He was here. Auguste had come. Though she tried to fight it, there was no denying the affect he had on her. Even hidden behind his mask, those eyes could unravel every strand of resistance and sensibility she had. They tore at her walls, shredding them to pieces, leaving her exposed and raw, desperate for him to finish what those looks had promised. When Auguste came to a stop in front of her, the air in her lungs refused to exhale. With breath held fast, she remained a prisoner of his frozen gaze.

  “Excuse me. Can I help you?” Charlie asked, irritation dripping off the words.

  “I’m sorry to intrude, but I’m cutting in,” Auguste calmly stated, his eyes still locked tight together with hers.

  Taken aback, Charlie scoffed and turned to Isabelle for her answer. Without a word, she extended her hand to Auguste and he stepped toward her, taking it in his. When their skin touched it set her senses on fire, a burning heat that scorched her from the inside out. She barely noticed Charlie turn on his heel and storm off the dance floor in a huff.

  Auguste looked down at her and stepped into her space, sliding his other hand behind the small of her back. With one powerful pull, she was in his arms, gasping at the sheer force of the power he exuded. The song started and her body submitted to his movement, swaying with him to the soft notes of the music that seemed to play for them and them alone. Two bodies blended into one, and the firm grip on her softened before he sent her out for a twirl. Instantly, she missed his touch as she spun away from him, and when he yanked her back against his body she closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh scent of his cologne mixed with the intoxicating smell of hay. It brought her back to the day he’d almost kissed her in the barn.

  For several minutes they danced together and the world around her seemed to melt away. The undeniable attraction between them flickered and burst into flames while he held her in his arms, whisking her around the floor with skills that surprised her. Everything about him surprised her. His sudden appearance at her farm. The way he behaved around her. The way just one look could undo all her good senses. Who was he? Where did he come from? But at this moment she didn’t even care. All she cared about was the way he made her feel while she was wrapped up in his arms.

  When the song came to an end her euphoric bubble threatened to rupture. She wasn’t ready to be done. As the crowd erupted in applause she remained locked in his arms, their eyes fixed together like two magnets refusing to release. Then his gaze drifted to her lips. This time she knew he wanted to kiss her. She could see her own desire reflected in his eyes. Pushing her body closer she lifted her chin, lips parted in silent expectation while he descended toward them. When his breath ghosted her lips, she closed her eyes, waiting to feel the softness of the kiss she desperately wanted... needed.

  While she waited for the explosion when their lips touched, the crowd applauded again. Like a startled colt, he bucked back and her eyes snapped open to find him stepping away, a new emotion replacing the desire in his eyes. Fear? Guilt? Why did he stop? Is i
t the crowd? Her mind searched for the answer, because this time she knew with certainty that her feelings weren’t unrequited.

  Struggling to regain her composure, she cleared her throat. “I thought you weren’t coming,” she finally managed to say.

  “And miss the sight of you in that dress? Never.” That fear in his eyes dissipated again and a flash of that cocky confidence returned. “And I thought that perhaps it was a good idea to show you that I do, indeed, clean up well.”

  Isabelle giggled, recovering from the shock of seeing him. It was still sinking in that he was here... and he was here for her. Until now she hadn’t been sure whether or not he was interested in her. Every time they got close he pulled away, just like he did tonight. It didn’t make sense, and she was now standing on the ballroom floor, staring at this complex man who was like a puzzle needing to be solved.

  “Isabelle!” she heard Alexis shriek from across the room. “I have so much to tell you! Papa is drunk and we need to get him home. Come on! I’ll fill you in on the way!”

  Isabelle looked up at Auguste one last time. She didn’t want the night to end.

  “Isabelle! Come on!” Alexis yelled once more.

  “Goodnight, Isabelle.” Auguste smiled down at her. “I’ll see you at home.”

  With a soft smile, she turned and walked away. She looked back several times to see him still watching her, standing on the dance floor unmoving as the crowd danced around him.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  WHEN HE WATCHED ISABELLE walk away, his heart grew heavier the farther she got from him. Without feeling her pressed against him, he struggled to draw breath. When they’d moved to the music, for the first time in his life, he’d felt he had finally found where he belonged.

  In her arms.

  Auguste rode home in a daze. Never had he imagined a woman could have such a hold over him. He was helpless to fight it and helpless was not a feeling he experienced often. Feeling her in his arms had awakened something inside him he hadn’t even known existed. The fear he felt in battles while bullets whizzed past him paled in comparison to the fear he had considering a life without her. There had to be a way to have her and to keep her safe from his past.

  When he returned to his cabin, he walked to his bed and pulled out the letter hidden beneath the mattress. Leaving it undelivered was one weight that had held him back from letting his desire for her explode in the kiss her parted lips had invited. He’d made a promise to deliver it and even though he couldn’t tell her who, or what, he really was, clearing his conscious by delivering it would be one step toward redemption... or at least unburdening some of the guilt that clawed at his insides. Admitting his identity or where the letter came from wasn’t an option, so finding a discreet way to deliver it was the only way he could fulfill his promise and avoid destroying any chance he had of making Isabelle his own. After she read Pierre’s last words, he hoped the guilt would subside and he could unleash his desire for her and make his intentions known.

  Looking at her photo for the last time, he slipped it back into the envelope and tucked it shut. Tomorrow he would ask Henri for a few days off, ride to a neighboring town where he wouldn’t be recognized and drop it in the post, leaving the letter to arrive in the mail. By the time he returned she would have read it and he wouldn’t need to be here to see her distraught over word from her deceased fiancé. Though she would need some time to grieve again, when she was ready he would be waiting. Once the weight of this unfulfilled promise lifted from his shoulders, his honor would finally allow him to do the one thing he wanted more than anything... to kiss those lips he needed to taste. This plan allowed his promise to be fulfilled and his identity to remain safe... at least for now.

  The next morning he went to the barn for his usual start of turning out horses and mucking the stalls. Raulf beat him there and came out of the barn leading Le Vent to the special pasture with fences tall enough to hold him in when he had his morning run.

  “Morning, Raulf,” he said, patting the stallion on his neck as they went by.

  “How was your night?” Raulf asked with a perceptive glint in his eye.

  “It was fine,” Auguste responded coolly, but he was certain his expression relayed the evening had gone more than just “fine.” Holding her in his arms had been one of the best moments of his life.

  A smirk lifted Raulf’s thick mustache. “Fine, huh?”

  “It was fine.” Auguste held his ground, but the two exchanged a look and Raulf shook his head while he unclipped Le Vent’s lead and sent him galloping into the pasture.

  “I’ll take your suit to the cleaner and get it back to you this week.”

  “No need to rush. It will be years before I need it again.”

  “Listen, Raulf. I need to take a few days off. I should be back by mid-week. Think you can live without me until then?”

  Raulf furrowed his forehead but Auguste didn’t offer any more information. “I suppose I could do without you. Just run it by Henri and let him know you have my blessing.”

  “Thanks, Raulf. I appreciate it. I’ll get back as soon as I can. I promise I won’t run off and leave you hanging.”

  Glancing at the house that held Isabelle, Raulf arched a brow when he returned his stare to Auguste. “I have no doubt you’ll hurry home.”

  Pressing his lips together to hide his smile, Auguste nodded and dropped his eyes. Heading into the barn, he escaped the all-knowing gaze of Raulf. When Henri said Raulf knew everything that went on around here, Auguste had thought he meant the estate. But it turned out Raulf was as perceptive as the spies who had trained Auguste, and it wasn’t just the horses the older man could read. Auguste tossed himself into his work, hoping to get the chores done early to beat the incoming storm and get out of town so he could deliver his letter and fulfill his promise to the boy... and free his heart to go after the one thing it really wanted. Her.

  “ISABELLE, CAN YOU BELIEVE it?” Alexis said, her excitement from last night still exploding from within her. “Theodore is coming to call today! And I get to spend a weekend at their family home in Paris. I can’t even believe it! What am I going to wear today? And for the whole weekend? I need to finish packing. Help!”

  “Deep breath, Alexis,” Isabelle soothed. “You have one of the most extensive closets in France. Just pick out your favorites and you’ll be fine.”

  “He was so wonderful, Isabelle! I could swear I love him already! He’s so smart and handsome and funny. Did I tell you he was funny?” She sighed and twirled around, stars sparkling in her eyes.

  The one thing Isabelle knew about him was he was as hopeless a romantic as her sister. After only minutes in his arms on the dance floor he’d invited her to join his family for the weekend. Without hesitation Alexis had agreed. Papa had been drunk enough last night to say yes, but this morning he expressed regret over allowing his eldest daughter to disappear for the weekend with a family they barely knew. But crocodile tears and threats that her life would be ruined swayed him once again to agree. The Cosgroves were a respectable family, after all, and Alexis would always be well chaperoned.

  Isabelle laughed. “Yes, Alexis. You’ve told me he’s funny... only half a dozen times. I’m so very happy for you. You deserve someone wonderful and if Theodore is that man, then I couldn’t be happier for you. Now go pick out a dress and come back when you’re ready so I can make sure you’re prepared for your debut.”

  Alexis skipped out of the room and Isabelle exhaled a relieved sigh. She was having a difficult time focusing on what Alexis was saying as her mind wandered back to the ball and being held in Auguste’s arms. She could have danced with him all night. Just the thought of him made her stomach do flips, and it had barely stopped.

  His eyes. His touch. The way he smelled. The way he looked at her. She’d never known this feeling before. There was an undeniable safety she felt in his arms, like he would stop at nothing to keep the rest of the world at bay. Isabelle still couldn’t believe that he had come t
here. For her. She felt her stomach flip again. What was she going to do the next time she saw him? She desired to run straight into his arms but knew she couldn’t indulge that urge. Him showing up at the party and the way he’d looked at her when they danced... she had no idea what it all meant, but the one thing she did know was that she wanted more.

  After they went over countless outfits and Alexis finally felt she had everything she needed, she kissed Isabelle on the cheek and ran outside when she heard the car putter up the drive. Isabelle watched from her window as Theodore held out a hand and helped Alexis up into the seat. She smiled at how happy he made her sister. He did seem to be the perfect man for her. Isabelle hoped that the two would become engaged soon so Alexis could finally start the family she so badly wanted.

  “Isabelle?” she heard her father call.

  “Yes, Papa?” she called back to him. He popped his head in her room.

  “I’m heading over to Albert’s house. I just got a message saying he’s having trouble with a foaling mare. I should be back in a day or two depending on how things go. Your sister will be staying with the Cosgroves for a few days, so Raulf and the house staff will be here to look after you. Stay close to the house and don’t ride off. There have been more reports of deserters less than a few miles from here in the woods.”

  “Okay, Papa. I won’t. I love you and I will see you soon!” She blew him a kiss before he disappeared from the doorway. The next few days she would be home alone. Well, not entirely alone. The staff would be milling around and Raulf was just outside... and Auguste. Her heart stopped for a moment as her mind flew back to the night of the ball. To being in his arms.

  Isabelle sighed. Right there in the middle of the dance floor for everyone to see, he’d almost kissed her. Something had changed his mind, but she was sure of his true intentions this time. He wanted to. She could practically feel his lips capturing hers. She had relived the moment a hundred times since last night.