ering it with scars. The fact remained. If she told what she had done and what she knew about Cyprian, how could she ensure Eliza’s safety? Cyprian had made clear his intentions, and after Nathaniel’s attack, there was no doubt he would follow through.
She slumped her back against the open door of the dresser and clenched her eyes shut, rubbing her face into the fabric of her dress.
Trust Nathaniel. And trust Me.
The gentle voice of God overpowered the anguish.
Kitty hugged the fabric close and stared upward. A smile grew across her face and deep into her heart.
Today she knew the truth.
She could trust her God and the man who professed he would care for her no matter what secret she bore.
Today, God willing, Nathaniel would say that he loved her.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Kitty swiveled in her seat, her chemise sticking to her skin from the oppressive humidity that made drops of sweat trickle down her back. She glanced behind her and tapped her finger against her knee. No sign of Nathaniel, but he must be here. He was not one to miss church. Facing forward, she straightened her posture and breathed out through tight lips. What would he say when she told him, both of her horrid secret and of the sacred revelation God had gifted her the night before? A grin lifted her mouth. She imagined once more the mix of glee and surprise on his face when she declared herself a patriot.
She looked behind her again and grabbed the seat of the pew to keep from running to Nathaniel as he stepped in the door. Tall and commanding as ever she’d seen him in his dark brown jacket and breeches, he quietly took the only seat left open on the back row. Resting his hat in his lap, he stalled and must have sensed her vision, for he instantly found her gaze. Even from such a distance she could see his eyes brighten.
She mouthed, “I must speak with you.”
The love in his eyes swept across the room and caressed her cheek. He mouthed in return, “After church.”
Kitty turned back to the front, unable to focus on the sermon that had just begun.
After church. She smiled toward heaven and breathed a full breath unlike she had in months. After church, all the ugly and glorious truths would be borne and she would at last be free.
***
When the church service ended, the crowd shuffled into the stifling humidity outside the chapel doors. Waiting beside the flower gardens on the far side of the church-yard, Nathaniel reached out his hand, sure he’d felt a drop on his neck. He looked up. The thick gray clouds would soon release their flood. He stepped aside and tipped his hat at a family that passed on their way to the road. Chuckling to himself, he waved at the youngest boy who turned as he ran past, his father calling for him to slow down. Visions of the future flurried around him. Would he someday have a boy of his own? The pleasant thought made him spin back around to scan the murmuring group for Kitty’s yellow-ribboned hat. She had yet to exit.
Straightening his cravat he gazed across the sea of church-goers and rehearsed the words he’d practiced since the night before. After his encounter with Cyprian he’d decided no longer could he endure it. He and Thomas would sit Kitty down and make her tell them, no matter how much it frightened her, no matter how long it took. Her safety and well-being depended on it.
Just then a tall man in a red officer’s uniform exited the chapel, stealing Nathaniel’s concentration. His jaw tightened. What was a soldier doing here? The man motioned to a gentleman near the door and spoke something, to which the gentleman nodded and pointed in Nathaniel’s direction.
Nathaniel jerked back. The soldier gave a polite bow, placed his hat on his head and started in Nathaniel’s direction. His blood charged. Who was this soldier and what did he want with him?
The man locked eyes with Nathaniel, and instead of bayonetting him with a look of disgust, he smiled as if Nathaniel had waved him over for a chat.
With only feet separating them now, the soldier swooped off his decorated tricorn and offered a quick bow before replacing his hat. “Pardon me, but you are Dr. Nathaniel Smith, are you not?”
“Aye.” Nathaniel dipped his head in as much of an acknowledgment as his body would allow. “May I help you?”
The man laughed, his broad smile revealing straight teeth and a genuine nature that reflected in his eyes. Quickly his tone turned solemn. “I’ve just arrived to town and I’m looking for a particular woman with whom I believe we are both acquainted.”
It couldn’t be. Nathaniel stepped wide to keep from faltering. He pulled his shoulders back and examined the man in front of him. Never one to be impressed by one’s status, Nathaniel had to admit, the man had quite a presence. But still, perhaps ‘twas not the man he suspected.
Nathaniel flashed a quick, tight smile. “And you are?”
“Oh, forgive me, I am Lieutenant James Higley.”
Nathaniel kept his face even, despite the screaming that wailed in his head. He latched onto the lapel of his jacket to anchor himself in the rough seas of emotion he suddenly endured. This was James Higley. He cringed at the memory of how many times he’d called this man Pigley. There was nothing piggish about him. Tall, broad-shouldered, and a strong jaw that matched his commanding air.
The disbelief Nathaniel tried to keep from his face must have sifted past its well-crafted barrier, because James’s face lit with a jovial smile.
“Miss Campbell spoke very highly of you in her letters.” He looked over his shoulder, a dreaminess in his face that made Nathaniel’s stomach turn. “And since I haven’t been able to locate her, I thought you might be willing to assist me.”