Epilogue – Secrets

A couple days later, Tessa was back on her feet and anxious to leave her house. She wasn't used to being so cooped up, and Marta was hovering like when she was a little girl. Robert came to visit in the evenings but had the rest of the town to care for during the day. He had conveniently spread word that Tessa had fallen victim to a fever to keep any meddling visitors away. Her only other visitor was Don Alejandro, who was too concerned for his sick niece to stay away. Fortunately, he wasn't one to question a lady's illness.

It was after noon when Tessa found her way to the kitchen, where Marta was peeling potatoes and humming to herself. "Marta, I want to go into town today," Tessa started without preamble. Marta set the paring knife down and started to protest, but Tessa cut her off. "Please," she implored. "Help me dress."

Marta sighed and followed Tessa back to her bedroom. "No working, though," Marta cautioned as she tightened the stays as gently as possible. "You can practice being a doctor's wife another day."

Tessa gave Marta a scornful look over her shoulder. Marta just smiled impishly in return. "You don't have to worry about that," Tessa said with chagrin. "Robert seems to have forgotten my alter ego entirely and has been treating me like some fragile flower."

"I always knew I liked the doctor. Even when you called him every name in the book!"

Tessa blushed at the recollection and kept quiet while Marta helped her into a loose white blouse and royal blue skirt.

Tessa pushed the door to the doctor's office open with a large basket looped over one arm. Doctor Helm sat at his desk, head bent over a notebook. He looked up at the sound of footsteps and immediately stood up to take the basket from Tessa, who rolled her eyes in response. He set the basket on the desk and took her hands in his.

"What are you doing here? Are you okay?" he asked with concern, looking for signs of illness.

"I'm fine," she said in exasperation. "I was tired of staying home. I'm just not cut out to be a lady of leisure." That finally elicited a smile from Helm, but his expression soon sobered.

"There's been some bad news. Grisham escaped from the jail last night."

"Is Vera okay?" Tessa immediately started planning how best to track them, but Helm's voice brought her back to the present.

"No need to ride off to her rescue. I saw her just this morning at the cantina. I think señora Hidalgo is far more clever than anyone gives her credit."

"And that's one of her secrets," Tessa confided. "Speaking of which..." She advanced on the doctor, and with a bewildered look, he took a few steps back, nearly bumping into the desk. Tessa gestured that he should sit and opened the basket. She withdrew a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"On more than one occasion you've said if I tell you my secrets, you'll tell me yours," she said, pouring the wine.

He took the offered glass from her and stared at it a moment. "I suppose I did," he said warily. He knew he would have to tell her sooner or later.

Smiling, Tessa sashayed around the desk to stand next to him. "You now know my biggest secret," she whispered in his ear, "so it's time to tell me some of yours." Sitting on his lap, she draped her arm across his shoulders and leaned in for a kiss, successfully distracting him for a moment. Tessa leaned back and looked at him expectantly.

"Maddening woman," Helm muttered under his breath. "What would you like to know?"

Tessa looked thoughtful for a moment as she took a sip of her wine. "Let's start with how you learned to pick locks."

He wrapped his arms around her and began the story. "About ten years ago, during the war, I was recruited for His Majesty's Service..."