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.It seemed to Gabby that they followed a winding trail forever before finally coming onto a road.Only then did Rob speak to her.“Are you cold, darling?” he asked solicitously, pulling her body snugly against him.“A little,” Gabby admitted, welcoming the warmth his arms offered.“Thunder will get us to New Orleans soon,” he said, affectionately patting the animal’s sleek flanks.“By the way,” he added, eyes twinkling mischievously, “you make a fetching boy.” Gabby blushed furiously but was grateful for his light-hearted mood.“Is Thunder your horse?” she asked.“Yes, Lafitte’s men cared for him while I was on Barataria.”They rode in silence for a while longer before Gabby asked, “How much farther to New Orleans?”“Not too far now.My rooms are in the vieux carre on Rue Royal.We’ll spend the rest of the night there.I’ll sneak you up the back stairs, then tomorrow look for different lodgings after I deliver Lafitte’s letters to General Jackson.”“Will Lafitte join the Americans?”“I am convinced of Lafitte’s sincerity in his desire to aid us.He asks only that his men be released from jail as well as a full pardon tendered for him and his men.”“Will General Jackson go along with that?”“I’m sure of it after he gets my full report and reads Lafitte’s letters.”Lights of the city soon guided their way as they rode through the silent streets.They entered a gate into an inner courtyard and Rob walked Thunder to a stable where he dismounted, lifting Gabby to the ground.Putting a finger to his lips, he took her hand and guided her from the stable to an iron stairway that took them to a second floor of a two storied building where Rob stopped before a door and produced a key, pulling Gabby inside the moment it was unlocked.Rob lit a lamp and Gabby gazed around with interest.The room was immaculate, but sparsely furnished.She looked with longing at the bed, it had been a long night, but quickly turned her eyes from it when she caught Rob staring at her with a strange look on his face.“Gabby, you must be exhausted,” Rob said, taking the bundle from her arms.“Come, you must rest.”Giving her no time to protest, he swooped her into his arms and laid her gently onto the soft surface of the bed.He removed her concealing cap and watched entranced as long, silvery locks cascaded over her shoulders.He took the silken strands in both his hands and lifted them to his face, breathing deeply of the clean, lemony smell.“Gabby, I…” he began hoarsely.“No, Rob,” Gabby breathed, aware of the emotions surging through him, “Do not say it.I beg you.We are good friends; we can be nothing more.” Hurt immediately clouded his clear blue eyes but he did not dispute her words.“I’m sorry, Gabby.Truly I am.I love you and want you desperately, but I will not force you.When the time is right I’ll make you mine and marriage vows be damned.But for now, sleep.” Then he pulled a quilt from the bed and prepared to make a pallet on the floor.Gabby was stunned by his easy acceptance of her wishes.If only Philippe had displayed a little of Rob’s patience and love.Gabby blinked awake to a roomful of sunlight.It took only a moment to remember where she was and another moment to realize that Rob was not in the room with her.The quilt he slept on had been neatly folded and placed at the foot of the bed.On top of the quilt lay a piece of paper.Reading Rob’s note Gabby learned that he had gone to see General Jackson.She was to wait for his return and not venture out alone.Spying a pitcher of water on the washstand, thanks no doubt to Rob’s thoughtfulness.Gabby washed and dressed in a simple gown she had brought along with her.Marie had made sure that she had enough clothing to get her by until she found employment.Then she sat by the window studying the scene below with rapt attention.The city that had been so silent the night before had come to life.Vendors, hawking their wares, raised their voices above the din of mule-drawn drays.Gabby could even hear the sing-song voices of Negro longshoremen coming from the direction of the levee.Concentrating-on her immediate surroundings, Gabby marveled at the beauty of the little courtyard they had entered the night before.It was beautifully landscaped with stables in the rear.Hibiscus rioted beside oleanders and palms.A bougainvillea sent a shower of blood-red blossoms up beside and over the lattice work iron balcony that ran the length of the second floor overlooking the narrow cobblestone street.When the small enclosed carriage entered the courtyard Gabby paid it little heed until she recognized Rob as the driver.Her obvious joy on seeing him as he entered the room made his face light up with pleasure.He cared little that she was another man’s wife, he was determined to persuade her to go to his plantation in South Carolina and wait for him, especially since he had just learned he must soon leave the city on yet another mission for Andy Jackson.“I brought you some croissants,” Rob said, setting a small sack on the table.“Eat up while I pack my belongings
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