The Woman at the Front
“Eleanor had a kind of restless energy, something to prove to the world. Even when she sat still, he could still tell her mind was moving a hundred miles an hour. Did she ever allow herself to be languid? He couldn’t picture it. He suspected that if she was ever properly set alight, the intensity would burn a man to cinders. He’d caught a glimpse of that fire when the brash sergeant demanded she help with the wounded. It was as if a trumpet had sounded. Eleanor had mounted her chariot like Boudicca and rushed away to meet the challenge, purposeful and sure, her eyes bright. She mucked in, got dirty, and saved lives.”