A War Within (Epic WWI Love Story) Page 8

  When her face appeared Auguste’s heart stalled out, returning with a deep thump that sent his stomach plummeting to the ground. The air trapped in his lungs refused to release while he struggled against it.

  It’s her.

  The dark hair he recognized from the picture was almost black and cascaded in waves around the face he’d memorized and saw every time he closed his eyes. Those vibrant eyes from the photo stared back at him, and the question of their color was finally answered. Green... as green as the emeralds he’d seen in the museum in Berlin. Though her eyes were far more beautiful than any jewel he’d ever seen. Lips the color of berries parted the moment she saw him and he wondered if they tasted as sweet as the fruit they resembled. It was her. The girl in his picture. She was even more beautiful than he’d imagined.

  Auguste sat frozen on Beau staring at her like he’d seen a ghost. She, in turn, seemed to be frozen and staring right back at him. The two remained locked in each other’s gaze for what seemed like an eternity before Beau snorted and startled him back to his senses. Finally releasing the breath trapped in his chest, he stammered over his words, trying to regain his composure.

  “Uh, sorry, I, uh,” he stuttered. Knowing he appeared the fool, he took a stilling breath like the one he took before an impossible shot in battle and settled his frazzled nerves. “Here, climb on,” he said, finally finding his tongue as he extended his hand.

  The way she remained frozen staring at him like he was a murderer or an idiot started to fray his nerves again. With one more gesture from his hand, she broke her frozen pose before slowly reaching out for him. Holding his eyes with her own, she slipped her hand inside his and he felt an electrical surge between them that nearly knocked him off his horse. His heart hammered in his chest so loud he worried she could hear it.

  Finally breaking their stare, she leaned forward and pushed her weight down onto his hand while sliding herself onto Beau’s back. When her hand pulled out from his so she could get settled, a pang of longing snapped him in the gut. He needed to touch her again. He had to touch her again.

  When she felt settled he clucked to Beau to move forward. With a groan, he rocked and grunted as he tried to pull his legs out of the cold, wet suction. The motion of his rocking sent the girl off balance and she instinctively wrapped her arms around his waist. When her arms closed around him, his eyes shut and he took a deep breath, and with it inhaled her sweet scent. The aroma of vanilla and lavender was more intoxicating than any garden he’d ever passed through.

  “Hold on,” he said as he encouraged Beau forward. With one last grunt, the horse freed his legs from the mud and began the slow walk out to dry ground. They arrived on the other side of the mud to the smiling and giggling red head.

  “Oh, thank you! You saved us!” she said through her laughter. “You must think us a couple of ninnies! Two girls held captive because they didn’t want to get dirty in the mud!” She continued laughing and Auguste managed to smile, still struggling to break the shock that paralyzed his face. He pulled Beau to a halt next to the girl and glanced over his right shoulder at the raven-haired beauty sitting behind him.

  “If you scooch back a touch I’ll swing off and help your sister up.”

  The girl behind him didn’t say a word but slowly let go of the grip she had around his waist and slid backward on the horse. That twinge of agony returned when she released her hold around him and her touch disappeared. Trying not to show his disappointment, he swung his right leg up over Beau’s neck and landed on his left with a thud.

  “How rude of me,” the redhead said as she came around the front of the horse to meet Auguste on his side. “I’m Alexis, and this is my younger sister, Isabelle.”

  Isabelle. Her name was Isabelle. All these months of looking for her and he finally had a name to go with the face he dreamed about at night.

  “My name is Auguste. It’s a pleasure to meet you,” he said, slowly turning around to look at the beautiful girl still sitting on the back of his horse. “Both of you.”

  They held each other’s eyes again but this time, instead of having a shocked look on his face, he managed to smile. The girl’s previously anxious look softened, and she returned it. The warmth of her smile almost dropped him to his knees, and he placed a hand on Beau to support himself.

  “Well, Alexis, let’s get you up there with your sister and I’ll get you girls home.”

  Kneeling next to Beau, he made a step for Alexis with his thigh. Isabelle slid forward into the center of the saddle to make it easier for her to swing up. Alexis stepped on his thigh and landed squarely behind her sister.

  “Are you ready, ladies?” he asked as he took the reins and made his way up by Beau’s head.

  “We’re ready, Auguste.”

  The sound of the new voice speaking startled him. It was her. Isabelle. It was the first time he’d heard her speak, and he wanted nothing more than to hear more of those soft, sultry tones come out of her mouth. Pulling on the reins, he started forward toward Chateau Cheval and tried to keep his eyes forward when all he wanted to do was walk backward and stare at her.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  WITH SWEATY PALMS, Isabelle clutched the pommel and stared down at the back of the man leading them down the road. It was him... the man from the bench across from her aunt’s. When she’d pulled back the curtains and saw that striking face she’d known in an instant... men that looked like him were impossible to forget. His chiseled face, almost black hair, and muscular build were unmistakable. She would have recognized him anywhere. Since seeing him that day, every night when she closed her eyes his visage appeared.

  The one thing she hadn’t been able to see from her window perch were his eyes, and when he’d looked at her today she’d nearly tumbled down into the depths of them. Translucent blue irises like ice over the family pond, contrasted by the black rings surrounding them. Since that day, she’d wondered about the color of his eyes and now that she’d seen them she knew she’d never seen eyes that shade of blue before.

  When they’d clapped onto her, she’d frozen like a drop of water on the coldest day in winter. It wasn’t just the shock of seeing the man on the bench that caused her to lose her senses, it was the intensity that brewed deep beneath the surface of those icy orbs. Being held in his gaze was like having the lights turned on in a room she never knew was dark. There was something about the way he looked at her that sent her stomach tumbling into an uncontrollable spin.

  A tumultuous spin she had yet to control.

  As they made their way down the road, she wondered if Alexis recognized him as well. But the fact she hadn’t mentioned it when they’d whispered behind the curtain meant it was unlikely. It was only Isabelle he’d affected so much in those minutes she’d spent staring at him. And now she was staring at him again, only this time he was right beside her.

  She saw the familiar stone pillars that marked the drive to her home. Isabelle wrenched her eyes away from him for the first time since she’d peeked out from the curtains of the carriage. After taking in the beauty of the early summer fields, her eyes drifted back to the more beautiful sight of the man leading the horse. As he kept his focus forward, she could take in her fill of his impressive physique without fear of being caught. Her gaze remained fixed on him while they crossed the bridge and approached the house until the sight of her father emerging from the doorway pulled it away.

  “Father!” Before the horse even stopped, Alexis yelled, slid off from behind the saddle and bolted into his waiting arms.

  “Girls! You’re finally here!” he said as he wrapped her up tight.

  Isabelle tried to slide off as effortlessly as her sister but the lace on her dress was entangled in the silver d-ring on the front of the saddle. When the horse came to a halt, she furrowed her brow and pulled at the fabric to dislodge it. While she struggled, a large tanned hand appeared above her lap and her breath hitched when her eyes shot over to meet his. Auguste looked up at her and smiled as he releas
ed the stubborn dress with ease.

  “Allow me,” he said in his deep voice as he raised his hands to her waist. Without waiting for her response, his hands wrapped around her and he lifted her from the saddle and placed her in front of him. His hands lingered for a moment longer as they stood staring, once again, in an unbreakable gaze.

  “Isabelle!” her father’s boisterous voice boomed and startled her from his stare. Auguste released her waist and dropped his eyes to the ground, stepping out of her way.

  Standing there blinking, she took a breath before turning away from the man who still held her gaze. “Papa! Hello!” she exclaimed while she tried to regain her composure. Isabelle gave one last glance to Auguste as she raced around Beau and landed squarely in her father’s waiting arms. “I’ve missed you so much, Papa!”

  “And I have missed you! How on earth did you end up riding home with Auguste? Is everything all right?”

  “Everything is fine,” Auguste said. “I was heading to town to pick up the delivery you requested and found these two stranded in the mud. I assumed you’d rather have your girls delivered than the package, so here we are.”

  “You’re a good man, Auguste. The best!” Henri exclaimed, and he linked arms with each girl and headed into the house.

  “I’ll go back and get those packages you requested.”

  “Thank you, Auguste. I’m so glad you found my daughters.” Henri smiled.

  Auguste swung up on his horse and headed back down the drive. Isabelle turned around to see him one last time as her father guided her into the house. While he rode his horse away, a backward glance collided with hers and her breath hitched in her chest. With a slight nod of his head, he kissed to his horse, and they cantered away, her heart beating in time with the quick strides of the grey gelding.

  After unpacking her things all afternoon and settling back into her home, Isabelle went downstairs to visit with her father. When she saw him sitting in the study with his nose inside a book, she leaned against the doorway and smiled.

  “I missed you,” she said after watching him for a few moments longer.

  Looking up, he smiled and shut his book. “Nowhere near as much as I missed you. Come. Sit.”

  She pushed off the doorframe and settled beside him on the sofa. He slid an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.

  “You seem better. Are you better?”

  “I’m better,” she answered, and this time she meant it. “I spent a lot of time crying. A lot of time grieving and being angry all winter, but now I’m ready to move on with my life.”

  “He would have wanted that, you know. Pierre would have wanted to see you happy.”

  “I know he would. I miss him, though.”

  “More than your fiancé, he was your best friend and he’s been a big part of your life since you two were children. Of course, you miss him. But you’ll fall in love again and I hope it’s with someone who makes your heart sing.”

  Isabelle nodded. She hoped so.

  “I have Haddie cooking up your favorite meal right now. It should be done any minute. What do you say we call Alexis and dine in the family room tonight?”

  “I’d say that’s perfect.”

  He stood and pulled her to her feet. “Alexis! Dinner!”

  They walked arm in arm into the informal dining room with a table built for four. It wasn’t as lavish as the formal room they used to entertain guests. That table could seat over thirty guests, but when it was just family, they usually ate at this one, so they could be close together and chat over their meals.

  Alexis popped into the room and closed her eyes, inhaling a deep breath. “I can smell it. Bouchées la Reine. Haddie is making Bouchées la Reine, isn’t she?” When she opened her eyes, they lit up with excitement.

  “Of course she is.” He smiled. “I know they’re my girls’ favorites.”

  Alexis clapped her hands, then promptly sat. Isabelle and her father joined her at the table and placed their napkins on their laps. Céline, the head of the house staff, came into the room and poured each a glass of wine and water before returning with their salads.

  When they finished their salads, the girls pushed their plates aside and stared at Henri with eager eyes while he took his time finishing the last bites.

  He looked up and glanced between the two of them. “Are we eager for the next course?”

  They nodded in unison. With a laugh he pushed his unfinished salad aside. “We’re ready, Céline!”

  A moment later she came around the corner with a serving tray of the little puff pastries the girls loved so much.

  “I have been craving these all winter!” Alexis said while Céline placed one on her plate.

  Isabelle’s mouth almost watered by the time Céline made it around to her. “Thank you, Céline,” she said after the housekeeper placed her favorite treat on her plate. When Céline left the room, they dug in. Desperate to enjoy her favorite treat, she shoveled a huge, unladylike bite into her mouth. Isabelle moaned her pleasure as she struggled to chew.

  They heard voices at the front door and all turned toward the sound.

  “Who is it, Céline?” Henri called around the corner and she walked back in the room.

  “It’s Auguste, Monsieur Barouche. He has a package for you. I’ll send him to the office with it.”

  “Oh, Auguste! Send him in.” Henri dabbed his napkin on his mouth.

  Céline waved her hand and Auguste stepped through the doorway. Isabelle’s eyes shot open at the sight of him. This was the third time she’d seen him and the strange effect he had on her hadn’t lessened one bit. Struggling to conceal the large bite of food still taking up most of her mouth, she chewed faster and her cheeks bulged along with her eyes.

  “I’m so sorry to intrude. I didn’t realize you were dining.”

  “No need to apologize,” Henri said. “You’re always welcome here.”

  “I just got back with those packages you wanted.” Auguste gestured to the boxes in his arms. “I’ll just take these to your office and leave you to your meal.”

  “Thank you for getting those, and no need to rush off. Girls, you remember Auguste?”

  “Yes, hello, Auguste. Good to see you again. And thank you for the rescue on the road today,” Alexis said.

  “Good evening, Alexis. Isabelle.” His gaze swept to her.

  Isabella kept chewing, struggling to make progress on shrinking the giant bite of food in her mouth. They all stared at her, awaiting her greeting as she tried to force it down while cursing herself for momentarily abandoning her eating etiquette when she took such a big bite. When she attempted to swallow, she felt the food lodge in her throat and she choked. Gagging and coughing, she grabbed her napkin and covered her mouth.

  “Isabelle! Are you all right?” Henri asked, starting to his feet. Auguste dropped the boxes he held and flew across the room. Positioning himself behind her, he pulled her to her feet and gave her a swift smack to her back. The piece of food dislodged, and she spit it into her napkin.

  Gasping for breath and coughing, she blinked through watery eyes and turned back to see Auguste staring at her with deep worry lines in his face.

  “Are you okay?” he asked while she continued coughing.

  “Yes, fine. Thank you,” she answered, her coughing subsiding. What hadn’t subsided was her horror at choking in front of him.

  “Are you sure you’re all right, Isabelle?” Henri asked.

  “I’m sure.” She sat back down and dropped her gaze to the floor.

  “You nearly choked, Isabelle! We’re so grateful you were here, Auguste.”

  “Indeed, we are. You must join us for dinner,” Henri said.

  “I couldn’t intrude.”

  “I insist. It’s the least I can do after you brought my girls home and saved Isabelle from choking to death,” Henri said, gesturing to the chair beside Isabelle.

  Her father bringing attention to her embarrassing episode caused the heat to rush
back to her cheeks.

  “If you insist,” he said, and then pulled out the chair and sat.

  “Céline, would you please grab Auguste a table setting and a Bouchées la Reine?”

  “Of course,” she answered, and hurried off.

  Reaching for her water to soothe her irritated throat, Isabelle looked up and caught his penetrating stare. The intensity inside those eyes impaled her once again and she missed her glass, bumping it with her hand. It tipped over and she gasped when the glass teetered and toppled to the side. With a quick snatch that shocked her with its speed, Auguste scooped it up before it hit the white cloth and only a few drops spilled over the edge.

  “Oh my, I...” she started, but her words seemed to have left with her senses.

  “Here you go.” Auguste smiled, and he set the glass back upright in front of her.

  “Did it spill? Do we need to get some rags?” Henri asked, peering around at the tablecloth.

  “Only a few drops,” Auguste answered.

  “Good. At least it wasn’t the wine. Even a few lost drops of good wine is reason to mourn in this household.” Henri grinned and took a swig of his own.

  “What on earth is wrong with you, Isabelle? You’re never clumsy,” Alexis said, taking a sip of her own wine.

  “Nothing. I think I’m just tired from the trip today,” she lied. The beautiful man from the bench in the city is sitting next to me at the table. That’s what’s wrong with me.

  “Yes. I’m a bit tired myself,” Alexis said. “Auguste, you are going to just die when you try these Bouchées la Reine that our cook, Haddie, makes. They are the best thing you’ll ever eat. When we were children, our mother used to serve them as hors d’oeuvres at parties. Isabelle and I would sneak into the kitchen and steal them from the tray. Now on special occasions, father has them made for our meal. They are divine.”

  “They look and smell wonderful,” Auguste said, gesturing to hers. Céline walked in with a plate and quickly set him up. She placed a pastry on it and filled his water and wine before smiling and leaving them to their meal.