It was well past midnight, and Noah and Joshua shared the shuttered room in silence. After they had eaten earlier, Joshua had made several attempts to engage Noah in conversation, but Noah had been so filled with despair at the thought of being parted from CC that he had been unusually curt in his replies. Frustrated in his overtures, Joshua had lapsed back into his usual taciturn manner. They had remained silent from then on as they waited tensely for word from Ryan.

The hours since CC’s departure had passed with maddening slowness for Noah, and his mood was black as he paced the small chamber. Never before had he known such an all-encompassing love for anyone. It was as if a vital part of him had been cut away, and he was at a loss to deal with it.

Though Noah had been honorable in his original intention of leaving CC behind, the more he thought about never seeing her again, the more impossible it became. How could he possibly exist without her now that he knew the true sweetness of her love? The answer came to him easily…he couldn’t. No matter how noble he had tried to be in sending her away from him, Noah knew he couldn’t live with that decision. Somehow, some way, he was going to see her one more time. When he did, if she still wanted to accompany him, he was going to take her with him. His thoughts were interrupted then by the sound of riders in the alley below.

“Joshua?” Ryan called out as he entered the house and started upstairs to find them.

“We’re here, Ryan,” Joshua answered, coming out into the hall to meet him, “and we’ve had no trouble.”

“Good.” The leader sounded slightly breathless.

“What’s the word? Do we travel tonight?” Joshua asked, leading the way back into the room where Noah was waiting.

“As soon as we mount up,” he told them as he handed Noah a bundle. “Here…I brought a dark cloak and hat for you. Hurry! We’re to rendezvous near Long’s Wharf as soon as possible.”

“What about patrols? Aren’t they still searching for him?” Joshua wondered how Noah was going to be able to get out of town undetected.

“Trust me.” Ryan gave him a half smile. “All we have to do is get there. The rest should be simple. Let’s go.”

Noah was glad that things were going so smoothly, but he knew that he could not leave without seeing CC one last time. “There’s just one problem, Ryan.” He spoke up determinedly, causing the other men to pause and look back at him questioningly.

“Problem? What kind of problem?”

“I have something I have to do before I leave.”

“What?” Ryan frowned at the interruption in his schedule.

“There’s someone I have to see.”

“I’m sorry, Kincade, but there’s no time. We’ll be lucky to get you out as it is without making a stop along the way.”

“Either we stop at the Demorest house on our way to the rendezvous, or you can forget about me going along with your plan.”

“The Demorests’?” Ryan looked at Noah as if he’d just lost his mind. “You’re crazy! Edward Demorest is an ardent loyalist. We’re not going anywhere near his house.”

“Edward Demorest may be a loyalist, but CC isn’t. I’m not leaving town until I’ve had the chance to speak with her again.”

“Again?” He glanced at Joshua and then back at Noah.

“CC was here earlier. We’re in love, and we’re going to be married,” Noah informed him. “I thought I would be able to leave her behind, but I find I can’t. I want her to travel with me.”

“CC go with you?” Ryan was surprised. “But it’s impossible! I don’t know if there will be room for another person.”

“CC and I go together or I don’t go at all.”

“You’re crazy!”

“I may well be.” He shrugged off the comment. “Now, do we stop at the Demorests’?”

“All right, all right,” Ryan told him in exasperation. “Let’s just get out of here. Our connection will be waiting for us, and I don’t know how long they can remain where they are without drawing attention to themselves.”

Joshua listened to the exchange in silence and then smiled when Ryan finally gave in and agreed to Noah’s plan. He had always liked CC. She was a spunky one and right smart, too. She would be getting herself a fine husband in this man.

Within minutes the three men were on their way. Traveling by the back streets, they finally neared their destination and reined in a short distance away from the Demorest house.

“Is CC going to meet you outside somewhere?” Ryan asked.

“No. She doesn’t even know I’m coming for her,” Noah answered, leaving him astonished.

“Then how the hell are you going to get her out of there? Go up and knock on the door and ask her to come out?” Ryan snapped as his gaze nervously combed the deserted streets and alleys for some sign that they were being followed. Luckily, he noted no one in the vicinity.

“Do you have any idea which room is hers?” Noah asked, ignoring Ryan’s exasperation.

“I do.” Joshua spoke up for the first time. “CC told me once that she had to sneak out to come to the meetings and that she had to climb down a tree outside her window to do it. There’s a big tree on the far side. Why don’t you see if it’s the one?”

“Thanks, Joshua.”

The older man nodded and gestured for him to hurry. “There’s very little time. Go get your woman.”

Noah cast him a grateful glance as he dismounted and then hurried toward the secluded grounds.

When her father had left her, CC had been too overwrought to sleep. Memories of Noah and the glory that could have been theirs had haunted her every thought, and once the shock of the confrontation with her father had faded, the tears had come. Heartbroken, she had sobbed out her torment until finally there had been no more tears to shed. Not only had she lost her love this night, she had also been stripped of the one other thing she cared about…her involvement with the rebels. She longed to flee but knew that there was nowhere to go. She was trapped, and unless some miracle happened, she would be shipped off to England, probably before the week was out.

Feeling miserable, CC got up from the bed and went to the armoire to select a nightgown. She had been so upset earlier that she had not bothered to change out of her trousers and shirt. Now, however, she felt wretchedly unkempt in the wrinkled, sorry outfit. She hoped that getting cleaned up and changing into a gown would help her feel a little better. Clutching a warm winter-weight nightgown, she moved to the washstand and poured herself a bowl of water. Her movements were lethargic as she unbuttoned the shirt and slipped it off.

It had been many a year since Noah had tried his hand at climbing trees. Gingerly testing each limb for strength as he went, he slowly made his way up through the maze of bare branches toward the lighted window on the second floor. He prayed silently that luck would be on his side and that the room with the light would be CC’s. He breathed a deep sigh of relief when he finally maneuvered himself close enough to look in.

His view was unimpeded, and he stopped all motion at the sight before him. There within the warmth of the room was the woman he loved. He watched as if mesmerized as she poured a bowl of water and then began to undress. When she slipped out of the shirt and let it fall, the lamplight bathed her pale flesh in a golden-honey glow. Desire flooded through him, and his grip on the tree limb tightened until his knuckles shown white. The beauty of her bared breasts enthralled him. Though he wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of his days admiring her loveliness, he knew regretfully that now was not the time. As quietly as possible, he reached out, pried the window open, and climbed inside.

CC went about her ablutions mechanically. She felt drained, emotionally and physically, and she hoped to get some rest when she’d completed her toilette. A good night’s sleep always managed to make even the worst situations seem less dire.