She shook her head and looked as though she was about to burst into tears—as utterly preposterous as that seemed. Elise never cried, not even when she’d been injured six months ago and had re-smashed her pelvis.

Harry had never cared much for tears—or secrets between himself and his close connections. He’d always leaped into the fray and followed his gut. But her over-bright eyes successfully did what nothing else could—made him pause. If Elise couldn’t open up to him, he didn’t see his way clear in pursuing her. Disappointment, sharp as a dagger thrust, pierced his soul.

“Let’s take this one day at a time, shall we? I’m not fond of games, not with the people I care about. If you want to tell me what’s troubling you, I’m here.”

He took in her pale eyes, filled with longing and sorrow, and a flicker of hope reignited. She had opened up, at least marginally. That was surely a step in the right direction, wasn’t it?

Chapter 12

Harry entered the whitewashed pub, where two roads converged in Clovenfords’s tiny village. The scent of draft beer and roasted meat greeted him when he ushered Sammy inside. A fire burned in the grate. Lath-and-plaster walls nearest the kitchen screamed late nineteenth century in direct contrast to the adjoining ones built from local stone of several centuries past.

After a quick scan of the interior, Harry claimed a table facing the darts game on the far side of the room and hung his and Sammy’s coats over the back of their chairs.

The spectators clustered around tables applauded occasionally while the competitors warmed up. A crowd of military men dressed in MTP kits gathered by the darts game, sharing good-natured insults.

Harry casually scanned the room, mentally cataloging faces. He had come for one specific purpose—to put eyes on Privates Hughes and Matthews, as well as Lance Corporal Thompson. Due to shift rotations, he had yet to meet the three men in his unit. According to their files, all three soldiers were young, single, and far from home. They also frequented this pub when not on duty.

Leaving Sammy to mind their table, Harry ordered their meal at the counter. A cheer went up at the far end of the room. Harry swung around and blinked when he caught sight of a tall redhead among the competitors.

His heart skipped a beat, and his eyes narrowed. What was Elise doing here, chumming it up with the locals? Of course, she had every right to visit the local pub, and darts seemed a natural outlet for her competitive nature. Her attendance tonight could be an innocent action on her part, but innocent and friendly were not words one associated with Elise.

He smelled a rat. Willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, he rejoined Sammy, tilting his chair to observe the game without appearing to do so.