A War Within (Epic WWI Love Story) Read online

  After a quick bow, he ducked back into the car. She stood in the driveway waving until the car disappeared. Isabelle watched Alexis grab her dress and spin in ecstatic circles.

  “I take it things went well?” Isabelle teased from the porch. Alexis looked up with a start and her face lit up as she ran toward her.

  “Isabelle! He’s wonderful! WONDERFUL!” She threw her arms around her sister’s neck. “It was like magic. We went to a dinner party, walked in the gardens, he took me shopping downtown. It was like heaven. He was an absolute perfect gentleman. I think he really likes me, Isabelle! I think this could be it!”

  Isabelle was thrilled her sister was so happy. She shared a similar happiness, but hers would be kept to herself. The two girls headed upstairs to Alexis’ room and settled onto the bed.

  “Tell me more, Alexis!” Isabelle probed to hear all the details.

  “It was just wonderful, Isabelle. We laughed and talked. He held my hand.” Alexis’ eyes grew wide with excitement. The more traditional sister, she didn’t intend to follow in their aunt’s footsteps like Isabelle had. Everything would be done according to tradition and that meant saving herself for her husband.

  “Just your hand?” She arched a brow.

  “Isabelle! You’re terrible! Of course, just my hand!”

  “I’m just asking, Alexis.” Isabelle teased.

  The girls lay in bed for an hour as Alexis poured over every detail of her time spent with Theodore. Isabelle’s mind kept wandering out to the barn, and then back to the cabin. She remembered the feeling of Auguste’s body pressing down on hers, the cool water caressing her skin in contrast to his warm tongue. Just the thought sent a shudder down her spine.

  “What do you keep thinking about over there? You seem so distracted,” Alexis asked as Isabelle had completely ignored the question she had just been asked.

  “What? Oh. Sorry. Nothing, Alexis. Just thinking how happy I am for you!” Isabelle lied as Alexis squealed and rolled over onto her back, continuing on about what flowers she wanted at the wedding.

  When Alexis finally talked herself to sleep, Isabelle snuck out and paced her room trying to decide what she would say to Auguste when she saw him. Watching out her window, she waited until she saw Raulf leave the barn. Hoping she had enough time to catch Auguste alone, she raced down the stairs and out the front door.

  Realizing how unusual she looked running through the yard, she slowed down and took a deep breath, forcing her feet to walk. She continued having to stop herself from breaking into a run until she found herself safely in the dark aisle of the barn. When she saw Raulf was still out in the far pasture with Le Vent, she hurried down the aisle to the stall where she heard the scrapes of the pitchfork.

  Her nerves frayed the closer she got. What if he changed his mind again? What if it was just a tryst to him and he wanted nothing to do with her today? It wouldn’t be the first time his emotions seemed to turn on a dime. Trying not to lose her nerve and preparing for the worst, she stepped into the doorway to see Auguste spreading the last of the straw around. He stopped and turned around to see her standing there.

  Before she could say anything, he closed the distance between them. His hands grabbed her waist, and he pulled her against him, pressing his lips down onto hers and crushing any doubts she had about his feelings. The power in his kiss weakened her knees, and she slid her arms around his neck, leaning into him for support. His kiss softened, and his breath ghosted her lips when he paused and pulled away. Struggling to regain her senses, she panted and raised her eyes to meet his.

  “I missed you,” he breathed, pressing his forehead into hers.

  “I missed you, too. I was waiting for you to be alone in the barn, so I could sneak out here to see you. But Raulf will be back shortly. Meet me down by the creek under the bridge this afternoon. I’ll be waiting for you!”

  Isabelle heard Raulf whistling as he closed in on the barn. She stood on her toes and pecked Auguste one last time, then ducked out of the stall and disappeared around the corner.

  AUGUSTE TOOK A DEEP breath and fell backward against the cool stall wall.

  “No time for napping, Auguste,” Raulf jested as he passed by.

  “Yes, sir.” He laughed and returned to fluffing the straw. His heart still raced from their kiss and he couldn’t wait to do it again this afternoon. Now he just had to come up with an excuse.

  Auguste told Raulf he was running low on fish and needed to take some time this afternoon to catch dinner. He’d spent many afternoons down by the river catching himself dinner, so the story wasn’t too far-fetched. Raulf agreed, so Auguste rushed to finish up the last of his chores and took off for the river.

  “Forgetting something?” Raulf asked and Auguste turned around, furrowing his brow. “Your fishing pole? It’s going to be hard to catch fish with your bare hands.”

  “Oh! Yes! How stupid of me.” Auguste laughed and shook his head as he spun the other direction and headed to his cabin. Blowing out a breath of relief he hadn’t been busted, he ran to his cabin and emerged with his pole and a pail of worms in hand. He cut through the fields until he heard the rushing of the creek and saw the bridge appear. With a heart pounding faster the closer he got, he searched for Isabelle but didn’t see her. Deciding to wait, he pulled off his shoes and rolled his pants up, letting his feet dangle into the cool water. It felt wonderful after another hard day’s work, so he closed his eyes and indulged in the moment.

  Two hands slid across his face and covered his eyes. He could smell the lavender in her hair as it brushed against his cheek. Giving her no time to react, he grabbed her hand and pulled her down into his lap. She giggled when she landed with a thump.

  “Hi,” she said, batting those thick lashes that drove him wild.

  “Hi.” He smiled, pushing a strand of hair from her face.

  “I’m glad you got away. Fishing excuse?” she asked, gesturing to his pole and bucket.

  “Yep. Then I started here without them and Raulf almost caught me.” He chuckled when her mouth dropped open.

  “Oops!”

  “Oops.”

  “Well, I’m glad you came. I just wanted a moment with you.”

  “I’m yours anytime you want.”

  Her happy sigh warmed him from the inside out.

  “You are so beautiful, Isabelle,” he said as he touched her cheek. “Everything about you is beautiful. Your face, your smile, your hair, your body, your laugh and your spirit. I have never known a woman like you.”

  “Ask me again, Auguste,” she said.

  “Ask you what?” He scrunched his brow trying to think what she was referring to.

  “Ask me what I want with my life.”

  “Very well. What is it that you want to do with your life, Isabelle?”

  “Love. I want love. Passionate, burning, undeniable, consuming love. Like my parents had. That’s it. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

  A shiver snaked down his spine when she stared into his eyes. He’d never known love before. Until he met her, he wasn’t even sure he would know what it felt like if it happened. He’d never even had it as a child, an orphan left to grow up cold and alone. But the first time he’d looked into those emerald eyes, he had no doubt he was capable of the emotion. He felt it then like he felt it now. Consuming, burning, irrational and undeniable love. And now here she was and those emotions he had for her were reflected in her eyes. For the first time in his life, he felt loved.

  Auguste leaned forward and kissed her forehead and then pulled her into his arms, resting his head on hers. “I think we can manage that, Isabelle,” he said, fighting the urge to tell her he loved her. Fear wasn’t something he felt often, but the thought of those words coming out of his mouth paralyzed him. He had never uttered them to another human being before and they stuck on his tongue, refusing to come out.

  After a few silent minutes snuggled in his arms, she looked up, resting her head on his shoulder. “Tell me more about you, Au
guste. I feel like I know nothing about you still.”

  He closed his eyes in dread. It would be impossible to start a life with her without telling her the truth, but what if he confessed everything and she didn’t understand? What if she threw him off her farm and he never saw her again? He was technically a German soldier, her sworn enemy. Would she believe him if he told her he had switched sides? Would she hate him for deserting? Even if he never told her about Pierre and sent the letter instead, so much about his life could send her running. But one look from those searching eyes and he knew he had to tell her the truth. She deserved it. All he could do was be honest and pray that she would forgive him and that love in her eyes wouldn’t fade away.

  “I’ll tell you what. Let’s plan a day we can get away for a while and I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Deal?”

  She nodded. “Everything? I feel so close to you, so safe with you, but I know nothing about you.”

  Auguste nodded. “Then I’ll tell you everything.”

  “Even the thing that you are hiding from me you think I don’t notice when you change the subject?”

  He struggled to hide the shock from his face. Of course, she’d figured it out. She was too smart not to. Even though he was certain nothing could prepare her for the truth, if they had any chance of a future together, she deserved to know his true identity.

  He nodded, “Everything.”

  Auguste stood up and pulled Isabelle to her feet.

  “I’ll see you soon. I hope.” She rose on her tiptoes and kissed him on the lips before turning and racing up the hill that hid the river from the house and barn above. He watched her go and hoped that this wouldn’t be the last time he would see her so happy, after he told her his secret. The next time he saw her he would tell her everything, and he wished with all his heart she would forgive him and accept him for who he was.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  TWO DAYS HAD PASSED since Isabelle and Auguste had been able to sneak off together. Seeing him in the barn and having a casual hello while Raulf lurked nearby had been torture for her. She survived now on memories and stolen glances. Her desire for him grew by the hour and she didn’t know how much longer they could keep up the charade. If they couldn’t get free time soon, she’d have no choice but to tell her father and put their relationship out in the open even though she wasn’t ready yet.

  Her father had long ago given up any desire to see her make a society match. He cared more about seeing her happy. The stable boy might be a bit of a pill to swallow, but she knew he would accept it quickly and wish them well. He cared for Auguste. She could see that when they spoke together. Now she could only hope he would accept him as a son as well.

  Isabelle giggled at herself and shook her head. She was already planning a wedding to Auguste, and it had only been a few days. “Slow down, Isabelle,” she whispered to herself. She was starting to sound like her sister.

  “Isabelle!” Her father called from downstairs.

  “Yes, Papa?” she answered as she walked into the hall and looked down the stairs at him.

  “I’m taking your sister to town to meet Theodore, and Raulf is going to come along to stock up on feed. Would you like to join us?”

  She knew her sister was meeting Theodore today. He’d sent a formal invitation yesterday, and she hadn’t stopped talking about it since, but if Raulf was leaving too, it meant she and Auguste could be alone together. The thought got her heart racing.

  “Thank you, Papa, but I’m not feeling very well today. I think I’m going to stay in and take a nap if that’s all right.”

  “Of course, dear. Do you want me to have some soup sent up?”

  “No, thank you. I’ll be all right.”

  “Very well. I hope you’re feeling better soon. We’ll be back in a few hours,” he said and then disappeared through the house.

  Isabelle paced around in her room while she watched them loading the carriage to leave. Grumbling, she cursed her sister who had spent entirely too long getting ready in preparation for her date. She watched as Alexis finally climbed into the carriage and they started off down the drive. When the carriage had gone over the hill by the bridge she took off racing down the stairs and out into the barn.

  She rushed down the aisle and darted in and out of the barn but couldn’t find Auguste. When she saw Beau in his stall, she realized he must be in his cabin, so she took off across the field to his little cabin on the outskirts of the property. The anticipation of being in his arms again sent the blood rushing through her body and her feet picked up the pace the closer she got.

  When she reached the door, she rapped on it while she struggled to catch her breath. The door opened, and Auguste’s eyes widened at the sight of her. He grinned, and that charming smile started the fire inside her again. With no warning she flung herself into his arms. The force of her lunge sent him backward, and he wrapped his arms around her, kicking the door shut behind them.

  “Isabelle! What are you doing here?” he exclaimed between wet kisses. “I thought you were going to town!”

  “I faked being sick so I could stay here and see you,” she said, pausing their kisses for only a moment to waggle her eyebrows at him.

  “You sneaky little minx.” He beamed at her, then pushed his lips back onto hers.

  Isabelle slid her hands up his torso, pushing his shirt up over his head while she backed him toward the bed. When he emerged from underneath it, the stunned expression on his face from her fervor only encouraged her on. Letting the fire inside her loose, she pushed him backward until he fell back on the bed. Excitement burned in his eyes while she climbed on top, straddling him and settling down onto the manhood that grew underneath her.

  In one swift move, he flipped her onto her back. Isabelle gasped as he towered above her, excitement illuminating his azure eyes. He stared down at her, working his hands down her body until he grasped the bottom of her dress. Inch by inch her dress rose up, exposing her body until he gathered it at her waist.

  “No underwear today?” His eyes grew wide and he drank her in while pushing down his trousers. After he tossed them on the ground, he brushed between her legs with his fingers.

  The touch made her explode with the need to have him back inside her. She rose up and grabbed him behind the neck, pulling him down on top of her while she sucked his lips into her mouth. He pushed her legs apart with his muscular thighs and in one thrust he plunged himself inside her. They both gasped in pleasure as he impaled her again. Pushing against him with her hips, she struggled to control her breathing when his thrusting quickened, and the tension built between her legs.

  While she scraped at his back, she felt the excitement rising in her body. She panted and bit into his shoulder to keep from screaming. They moved together in an unspoken dance, their bodies melting into one. Grabbing her hands, he pulled them over her head and pinned them down to the bed. His lips caressed hers as his pace slowed, deepening his presence inside her. Unable to contain her passion any longer she threw her head back as she screamed and convulsed around him. The sound of her ecstasy sent him over the edge. He pushed deep inside her and moaned and she felt his body release with a shudder.

  They collapsed into a tangled heap of limbs. Panting, they lay in each other’s arms, unmoving and clinging to one another for dear life. When her breathing returned to normal, she kissed his cheek as he rolled over and pulled her into his arms.

  “Wow! Where did that come from?” he asked, looking over at her with dazed eyes.

  “I missed you,” she said with a sweet smile.

  “I need to make you miss me more often,” he teased.

  Isabelle closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest. She couldn’t remember a time in her life she had been happier. That little twinge of guilt over Pierre returned, but she pushed it aside. She’d loved him and thought of him daily. Not a day went by that she didn’t miss his infectious laugh or the way he’d teased her since they were children. He’d been her
best friend and eventually so much more. It was difficult not to feel guilty being with Auguste after losing Pierre, but she’d spent her whole life looking for this kind of raw, unbridled passion. In her heart, Isabelle knew Pierre would give her his blessing.

  “Isabelle. I can still barely speak. I can’t even explain what it is that you do to me,” Auguste said, staring at the ceiling.

  “The feeling is mutual. Although, what I do know is that I have worked up quite a thirst. Any chance you have water in here?”

  “I just drank the last of it before you arrived. Give me a few minutes and I’ll head out and fill up the bucket.” He smiled as he stood up, bending over to kiss her. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. Nothing. I’ll be right back,” he whispered and then pulled on his trousers and headed out the door.

  Isabelle smiled as she rolled over in his bed and pushed her skirt back down. Auguste’s bed. She couldn’t believe her luck today in being able to sneak over here. With a big yawn she stretched out as she rolled over onto her stomach. Exhausted from their lovemaking, her arm dropped to the floor like a heavy weight. Pressing her face into his pillow, she took a deep breath and inhaled his scent that still lingered.

  Something sharp poked her dangling arm.

  “Ouch!” she said, yanking her arm up. “What was that?”

  Isabelle peered over the edge of the bed, looking for the offending object. It was the sharp edge of an envelope sticking out from under the mattress. Curious as to what he had stashed under his mattress, she glanced at the door. The well was a few hundred yards away, so she had a few minutes before Auguste would be back. Knowing she shouldn’t pry but being so curious about this man she adored and his hidden past, her curiosity got the best of her and she pulled the envelope out from under the mattress.