Page 25 of Duty and Desire
Ros nodded and headed toward her quarters. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off, and she was in desperate need of a shower to remove the sweat and grime and wake her up.
Feeling refreshed, Ros smoothed her hands down her jacket, ready to face the colonel.
Opening her office door, Ros entered to find Hale sitting on a stiff wooden chair, his back as rigid as the seat’s. He looked mightily uncomfortable.
“Relax, Colonel. Whatever it is will be fine, I’m sure.”
“Well, I’m not so sure about that, ma’am.”
“Go on then, spit it out. Best to get it out there rather than have you sitting there stiff as a board.”
She waved him to continue as she poured herself a drink, she’d earned it today. The amber liquid trickled into the glass, filling the silence as the Colonel found his words.
“Very well. Certain rumors have been making their way around the base. Rumors about you, General.”
Shit
Ros’s heart sank. She’d known it was only a matter of time before the wrong person found out. She’d always known they’d never get away with sneaking around like teenagers.
Hale continued, “And I don’t mean to accuse you, General. But, well, there’s no smoke without fire. And I’ve been keeping an eye on the pair of you since I heard the rumors. I didn’t want to believe it, didn’t think it could be true. The looks between the both of you, though. You are my superior, General, but Bennett is my soldier and it’s my duty to protect her.”
“Protect her from me?”
“Uh, no, no, that’s not what I meant,” he stammered, the color draining from his face as he realized the implications of his accusation.
“At ease, Colonel. My apologies, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s a tricky position you’re in. I am, as you say, your superior, after all.”
“I could take it over your head.”
“You could,” Ros agreed. “Will you though? Will you destroy the careers of both me and Captain Bennett, just because of who we are attracted to?”
“It’s not that, ma’am. I couldn’t care less about you both being women. I’d be doing the same if you were a man. But, as you know yourself, General, there are rules.”
“There are indeed, Colonel. I’ll deal with this. There’ll be no need to go over any heads. Consider the matter closed.”
A relieved sigh escaped him. “Thank you, ma’am.”
“One more thing, Hale.”
“Yes, General?”
“I’ll thank you for quashing those rumors. Make something up, anything. Bennett’s career shouldn’t be destroyed over a mistake I made.”
“I’ll see to it, General.”
The door clicked softly behind him, and Ros’s head fell into her hands. How was she going to deal with this? She couldn’t trust herself; she’d broken rule after rule, promise after promise. She’d have to make sure they didn’t backslide again. Having another general on base should help to keep her on the straight and narrow. The insurgents being as dangerous as they’d recently proven themselves would be enough of an excuse. She’d call in General Talbot in the morning.
First, there was a much harder conversation she needed to have.
After sending a runner to find Scarlett, Ros remained frozen at her desk, her hands wringing with anxiety. The glass beside her had been emptied, refilled, and emptied again. The courage that had flowed through her earlier that day had fled, leaving behind a husk that had no spine for the internal battle ahead of her.
Ros had tried to plan her words carefully. What would she even say to Scarlett? Each time she began, the words left her.
An abrupt knock at the door startled her. Scarlett let herself in with a gentle, tired smile. Her hair was still damp, leaving wet patches on her shoulders.
God, this was going to be impossible.
“Hey. Why didn’t you just text me?” Scarlett asked, confusion showing on her face.