A dozen little things had given her away. There was that voice for a start – although it might be a pleasant pitch for a girl, it was far too high for a sixteen-year-old boy. And then there was her habit of crossing her ankles every time she sat down. Not to mention that ear-splitting scream she was prone to. Luke had never heard a male scream like that. Even if she had managed to give a perfect performance, Victoria and Adam were hopeless. Both of them slipped several times a day. Luke couldn’t count the number of times they’d referred to Alex as ‘she’. And then there was this morning in the wagon, when Victoria had said it outright. Even though he’d suspected as much, it was a shock to hear her say it. Just because you’re dressed as a boy is no reason to act like one. His mind ran back over his encounters with the runt. No wonder Victoria had torn a strip off Alex that first night, when she’d tended to Luke’s bath. Good Lord, if she was his little sister he would have bent her over his knee and tarred the hide right off her for a stunt like that.
