“I’m not going to the field hospital,” Marty said, still gazing at the chateau. “I mightn’t have accreditation but I’m staying here too.”

“You’re assuming I’ll be welcome,” Jess said as she drove forward, adding her jeep to the long row parked down one side of the chateau.

She was certainly welcomed by the men. Sparrow clapped her on the back and Jennings offered his usual shy hello. The ruckus drew the attention of those inside the chateau, and some of the WACs came out to see what was going on, before Dan appeared.

“Jess,” he said, obviously surprised.

“Lieutenant Colonel Hallworth,” she replied, determined to behave impeccably. “Can I have five minutes of your time?”

He frowned, but at least he said, “Come in.”

Jess followed him into a magnificent entry foyer that made her head tip up, and then into a huge room—a former ballroom, surely—paneled with gray, the wood inset with faded paintings. Judging by the tables lined up in rows, it was now the mess.

“Coffee?” he asked.

She shook her head. Thankfully it was quiet and there were few people around. She didn’t even wait until they were sitting before she spoke. “I’m sorry about what happened last time I saw you. I promise I won’t yell at people like that again. At least not in front of you and your men—I might yell at them more privately next time. I’ve finally been allowed out of Paris.” She thrust her papers at him. “And not only that but I’m allowed to go wherever I want and I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I attached myself to your battalion—but I understand if you would rather I didn’t.”

He didn’t even look at the papers. Instead he grinned at her. “I was wondering why your greeting was so formal. You know why I invited you over for dinner that night?” he said.

She shook her head.

“To remind us all what it’s like to laugh,” he said. “I almost behaved in a very un-CO-like manner and laughed at Stone in front of everyone because he absolutely deserved it and nobody could have said it better than you did. Sorry if I looked angry; I was actually trying to keep it together. And I didn’t drive you back because I didn’t want to add any fuel to Stone’s idiotic fire; I know it’s hard enough for you already without me giving anyone cause to gossip.”

Jess finally smiled. “Well, I’m glad that I keep everyone’s spirits up. In exchange for my special skills at that, will you let me have a room in this grand chateau?”

“Jess, you can have a room without needing to provide anything in exchange. I’ll get one of the WACs to organize it; there’s plenty of space and a spare bed or two in the attic. And the champagne at dinner tonight to celebrate this,” he pointed to her letter, “is on me. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, but you might want to take all of that back when I tell you that Marty is here with me and she still doesn’t have her accreditation papers back and she wants to stay too.” The words came out in a rush and, as she said them, she felt sure Dan would have to turn them both away but he just smiled again.