“Don’t wake her, darling. She got in frightfully late from Ahern’s party.”

Elise glanced up from the newspaper. She couldn’t be hearing her mother correctly. “How did Cairstine meet Ahern? I thought he and Sophie—”

“Sophie introduced them over the holidays,” her mother said airily, then took another sip of tea.

“Did Sophie go to the party last night?” Unease niggled inside Elise on Sophie’s behalf.

“She was worried about one of the mares going into labor and stayed home.” Mother turned to Dad. “Roxbury, is it all right if we drop by the stables to say goodbye to her? She was awfully quiet last night. I think she might be sickening.”

Dad didn’t look up. He was busy checking his mobile.

“Roxbury?”

“What?” Her father lifted his head, his expression covered with guilt.

Elise peeked at his mobile screen to see what had brought that on. Word Search? She fought back a snicker.

“I asked if we could stop by the stables to say goodbye to Sophie.” Her mother huffed. “We didn’t see her last night.”

Her father checked his watch and rose from the table. “I think not, Janet. It will be tight as is. Sorry to rush off like this, lass,” he said to Elise and rounded the table to kiss her cheek.

“Think nothing of it. I’ll be here when you return.” Where else could she go?

The colonel’s aide escorted Harry inside the low-roofed building on Glenkinnon Base.

Two steps inside the interior and frigid air enveloped him. Harry braced himself. The white, cinderblock structure was positively arctic.

“This way, Captain Benson.” The young soldier in his camouflage Multi-Terrain Patterned (MTP) uniform led Harry to a desk not far from a door marked Colonel Kurtis Horwith.

“This will be your work station, Captain Benson.”

No cubicle. No office. Just a scarred desk with a missing leg upheld by a stack of boxes. Harry’s mouth twitched, and he fought to keep from laughing at the royal welcome the base had laid out for him.

Thankfully, not much desk time existed at a duty station like this. The bulk of his assignment consisted mainly of overseeing his men’s training exercises and managing the armory.

“Colonel Horwith is on a conference call and will be with you momentarily.” The aide made a smart turn and departed.

Interesting reception. Obviously, his arrival had not sat well with the colonel’s staff.

A burst of male laughter escaped from behind the colonel’s closed door. Harry waited a few more minutes, but the colonel didn’t venture out. Zipping up his jacket, Harry shoved his hands inside the pockets and hunted for the maintenance room to check out a space heater.