Love After Waterloo by Suzi Love.
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Captain Belling cleared his throat and turned to face Lady Melton. \u201cI owe you an apology for not personally seeing to your comfort. I\u2019ve not been at my most amicable recently. Our evacuation plans have changed five times in the past three days, because each messenger has brought worse news about conditions of the roads. Wellesley probably pictured us rounding up a fleet of comfortable carriages to transport the wounded to the coast, after which boats would magically whisk us across the Channel until, within a few days, the wounded would be under the care of a staff of competent physicians. Apparently, the first and largest batches of wounded soldiers managed that scenario and are, I hope, being loaded into the boats as we speak. Word is that the second group ran afoul of deserters on three separate occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBritish or French?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He shrugged. \u201cWho knows? Men probably went rogue from many forces as soon as the battle turned and we became the winners. Napoleon was so confident of victory that he didn\u2019t plan for retreat. So, retreating regiments were bottlenecked at the bridge at Sambre and soldiers ran away, rather than die during the chaos. Disenchanted soldiers from every country meet, form alliances, and will then kill without compunction, to stay free, or to appease their hunger for food and women. And every day, more will be on the roads.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When she stiffened, he said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry. Our messengers reported where they\u2019d seen large groups, and we\u2019ll avoid those roads.\u201d She sat still as a statue and listened. \u201cI\u2019d like to get to London without killing anyone else, because I\u2019m tired of the fighting, tired of wars.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shuffled a few inches back towards him and laid her hand on his knee. \u201cI\u2019m sorry that I\u2019ve added to your problems.\u201d She looked down at her sleeping son. \u201cSorry you have two more passengers to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur main problem is transport. The first groups needed the biggest wagons, so we must make do with inferior vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDaniel and I are used to cramped quarters. We\u2019re grateful for whatever you arrange.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHumph. I\u2019m glad to hear that.\u201d When she gave him a puzzled look, he pointed to a mattress set at a right angle to her cot but with their ends almost touching. \u201cI shall now be sleeping there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The small noise she made pleased him. She didn\u2019t scream like a virginal girl would if told that a man would be sleeping in such close proximity, but sounded surprised to find that she\u2019d pressed herself up against him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her hand flew to her mouth. \u201cOh, dear. I\u2019ve taken your bed. I\u2019ve forced you to use a mattress on the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He laughed softly. \u201cBelieve me, that\u2019s far better than propping against a tree and trying to snatch an hour\u2019s sleep before battle. Or squeezing between a sea of horses and men so you stay warm and don\u2019t expire from frostbite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow long have you been with Wellesley?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees. \u201cToo damn long.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo you\u2019re pleased to be going home?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPleased? No. Resigned, yes. My friends, my fellow officers, were ordered back to Brussels. I feel guilty that I\u2019m not with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBut surely they will return home soon, now that we\u2019ve defeated Napoleon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve thought the war finished several times before, and I fear this time may prove the same. Nobody can predict what the Corsican will do next.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She squeezed his thigh. \u201cYou\u2019re worn out, Gabe. Things will be better when you\u2019re in London once again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\nLove After Waterloo: "Word is that the second group ran afoul of deserters." Lady Melton asked, "British or French?" #HistoricalEroticRomance #MilitaryRomance #RegencyRomance #ReadARegency books2read.com\/suziloveLAW <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n![\"LAW_D2D_RetailerBuyLink_LAW_2\nbooks2read.com\/suziloveLAW\"](\"https:\/\/www.suzilove.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/D2D_RetailerBuyLink_LAW_2.png\")
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