‘Forgive me, I did not mean…’
‘The act is unnecessary. Machart is not watching now.’
Suddenly there was tension in every line of his body. The grey eyes burned into hers. ‘An act? Is that what you think?’
‘What else should I think?’
She tried to disengage her hand but his grip tightened. ‘I’ll not deny that I kissed you first as an intended ruse, but it took only seconds to know that it was no ruse, that Machart was merely an excuse.’ He paused. ‘This time it needed no excuse. I kissed you because I wanted to and because I hoped you felt the same. Was I wrong?’
‘I would be lying if I said so.’
‘Then you fear I am not to be trusted. Is that it?’ When she did not answer his jaw tightened. ‘Well, I suppose I cannot blame you.’
‘It’s not that exactly.’
‘Then what?’
‘I…it’s hard to explain.’
He was almost certain now that it involved another man but he needed to be sure. ‘Will you not try?’
She took a deep breath. What would be his reaction if she told him the truth? Would the truth disgust him? There was more than one way to lose a man’s regard, such as him finding out that she had once been taken for a slut by a fellow officer.
He saw her hesitation. In the gathering dusk her face looked pale, the expression in her eyes almost fearful. Again he was reminded forcibly of her youth and her vulnerability and he regretted his earlier surge of anger.
‘Sabrina?’
The tone was soft and coaxing, the hand on hers warm and strong. If she succumbed, she was lost. She took another deep breath.
‘I’m sorry, but I cannot. Not now.’
‘I see.’ He gave her hand a last gentle squeeze and then released his hold. ‘Perhaps you are right. Some things are better left unsaid, are they not?’
‘Yes.’
‘I can only apologise for my behaviour and assure you that it will not be repeated.’
He made her a polite bow and withdrew. As she watched him walk away, a cold weight settled in the pit of her stomach. The last vestiges of sunset splintered through the water in her eyes. She had lost him, but at least she had not lost his respect.
* * *
Falconbridge took the first watch that night, wanting time apart from his companions. He found a suitable vantage point among the rocks and settled down to wait, his gaze searching the darkening trail. However, the evening was quiet save for the usual chirring of the insect population, and the occasional murmur of conversation from his men. As he watched, he tried not to let his mind dwell on the recent scene with Sabrina, but it kept returning unbidden. He blamed himself for what had happened, for letting what had been a business arrangement get so out of hand. Her private life was none of his business. Once again she had pulled things back from the brink. He grimaced. At his age he ought to know better. It was just that as soon as she was near, all his good intentions vanished like smoke in the wind. The knowledge made him angry. Had they not got enough problems without his complicating things further?
‘I shall conquer this,’ he muttered, ‘for both our sakes.’
* * *
The night passed uneventfully and at first light they saddled the horses and moved on. Now they made better progress but, although the open terrain offered that advantage, it also made them more vulnerable, since they could no longer conceal their presence. Falconbridge was keenly aware of that fact. Before they stopped for the night they needed to find a location that was at least defensible. During the ride that morning he made no attempt to single out Sabrina or to engage her in private speech, though his manner towards her was courteous and correct in every way.
She followed his lead in this. It should have been a relief but the feeling it engendered was quite different. This polite stranger was nothing like the man she had come to know, and she felt the loss keenly. However, pride forbade the utterance of those sentiments she felt in her heart.
Jacinta, riding alongside, cast surreptitious glances her way from time to time, but did not comment. When she spoke it was of general topics only, though the expression in her dark eyes was more knowing.
* * *
Only when they had paused for a brief rest at midday and Sabrina only picked at her portion of food did she allude to the subject at all.
‘You must eat to keep up your strength.’
‘I’m just not hungry.’
‘I think it is not the quality of the food which causes this loss of appetite.’ She glanced to where Falconbridge sat talking to the men.
Sabrina followed her glance briefly and then looked away. ‘No, I guess it’s anxiety about our situation.’
Jacinta nodded. ‘There is much to be anxious about, but that is not it either.’
Her companion sighed. It was pointless to deny there was anything wrong; Jacinta had known her too long for that. ‘You’re right, but I can’t talk about it.’
‘Time to talk may be running out. Perhaps you should speak while you can and,’ she continued, ignoring Sabrina’s attempt to interrupt, ‘I don’t mean to me.’
‘There’s nothing to speak about.’
‘No?’
‘No.’
‘If you say so,’ replied Jacinta. ‘After all, you best know your own heart, do you not?’
With that she resumed eating. Her companion shot her a sideways look but Jacinta’s gaze was fixed on the distant view. Sabrina sighed. Just then she was afraid to acknowledge what was in her own heart. She stared at the portion of stale bread in her hand. The other woman was right about that at least; she did need to eat. With a determined effort she bit off a lump and began to chew.
Soon after this, the party set off again. Sabrina mentally girded herself for the effort. The long hours in the saddle and the swift pace were tiring. Every muscle ached and flesh grew sore. She thought fondly of a hot bath and a soft bed but knew they were a fantasy, many days’ ride away. If they could not outrun the men who followed them she might never be afforded such luxuries again. It was a sobering thought and helped focus her mind on the task in hand.
* * *
In the mid-afternoon, as they walked to let the animals breathe awhile, Falconbridge called a brief halt so that he might find a vantage point from which to use the spyglass. What he saw did not please him. He made no attempt to disguise the truth from the others. In any case, his expression would have been enough to tell them.
‘They’re gaining,’ he said.
‘We cannot outrun them, sir,’ said Blakelock. ‘Not when we’re a horse down and the rest almost spent.’
‘No. We need to find somewhere to take cover.’ He did not add, and to make a last stand, but it was understood.
For this purpose they selected a knoll which, though set back some way from the road, permitted a clear view and afforded some large rocks which would give cover under fire. It also precluded the possibility of the enemy sneaking up on them unawares. They made their camp and secured the horses before setting a watch. The men had rifles and ammunition which, Sabrina knew, would at least give them a chance. It all depended on how many pursuers there were.
Falconbridge used the remaining daylight to study the oncoming force. Eventually he was able to give an accurate estimate of their numbers.
‘Twenty,’ he said, passing the glass to Blakelock.
The other confirmed it with a nod. ‘That’s the size of it, sir.’
He did not comment on the fact that their own party numbered only seven, or that two of the number were women.
‘We may be able to hold ‘em off for a while, sir, but not for too long.’
‘No,’ replied Falconbridge, ‘but perhaps for long enough.’
He returned and summoned the others. Then he told them the situation. They heard him in stony silence.
‘I cannot disguise from you the fact that capture is highly likely,’ he said then.
‘We can give a good account of ourselves first though, eh?
’ said Luis.
‘We can do better than that.’
‘How so?’
Falconbridge reached for the inner pocket of his coat and drew out the slim leather wallet that resided there. ‘Whatever happens, these must get to Wellington.’
Jacinta looked from them to him. ‘And what are they, señor?’
‘The documents that I went to Aranjuez to collect. They contain sensitive military information that could change the whole course of the war.’ He paused. ‘There is no possibility that all of us can get away, but one man might be able to. The rest will have to stay and keep the French occupied for as long as we can to cover his escape.’ He looked directly at Ramon. ‘Only you have the local knowledge that might enable you to succeed.’
Ramon stared back. ‘What you say is true, but how do you know I can be trusted with this? We have known each other only a short time.’
‘Miss Huntley trusts you. That’s good enough for me.’
Hearing these words, Sabrina felt her heart give a peculiar lurch and she threw Falconbridge a swift glance. However, his attention remained on Ramon.
‘Will you do it?’
‘I have a duty here, señor, and that is to protect Doña Sabrina.’
‘That’s right, and that’s why she and Jacinta must go with you. The rest of us will hold off pursuit as long as we can to buy you time.’
Sabrina shook her head. ‘We cannot ride as fast as Ramon could alone and we would only slow him down. We must remain and take our chances here.’
‘I applaud your courage, my dear, but—’
Sabrina shook her head. ‘There is no time to argue, Robert. Ramon must go. Those plans must be delivered or this whole mission will have failed.’
Ramon met her eye. ‘I promised your father.’
‘And I know what my father would say if he were here now.’
Hearing her reply, Falconbridge felt his heart swell with pride and pleasure. She had so much courage and spirit. Most of the women he had ever met would have been weeping wrecks by now. He would have spoken then, but Jacinta was before him.
‘Doña Sabrina is right. You have to go, Ramon.’
‘Si,’ said Luis. ‘Only you have a chance of success.’
Ramon’s dark eyes burned. ‘A chance to save myself and leave my friends to die, you would say?’
‘No, amigo mio, it is a chance to help drive the French from Spain. That is something worth dying for.’
‘We knew the risks when we came,’ said Sabrina. ‘Don’t let all this count for nothing.’
The silence that followed her words was deep. Ramon looked round but saw in every face the same resolution.
‘I will carry the documents to safety, but I will not leave you to die.’
Falconbridge frowned. ‘I don’t follow.’
‘You are right when you say I have local knowledge, señor, but it is not confined merely to the geography of this region. I know its people, too.’ He glanced back down the trail. ‘People like Valdez, for example—and also El Cuchillo.’
They stared at him in slack-jawed astonishment for all present knew the name of the guerrilla leader.
‘You know El Cuchillo?’ said Luis.
‘Our paths have crossed before.’
‘You never told me this.’
‘You never asked.’
‘That is not the point.’
Blakelock frowned. ‘What has El Cuchillo got to do with anything?’
‘His camp is in these hills, and not so far from here, either,’ replied Ramon. ‘If I can find it I may be able to bring reinforcements.’
‘Why would he help us?’
‘He has helped the British before.’
Falconbridge nodded. ‘That’s true, but even if you found him and he agreed to come, time is not on our side.’
‘Then the sooner I leave the better.’
‘Agreed. But do nothing to jeopardise the safety of those papers.’
‘I give you my word.’
They watched Ramon stow the leather wallet inside his jacket. Jacinta prepared some rations in a small bundle and then they went with him to the horses. He mounted and raised a hand in salute.
‘Hasta luego.’
Sabrina summoned a smile. She thought that the chances of them meeting again were remote, in this life anyway, but it served no purpose to say so. Instead she watched in silence as he turned the horse’s head and rode away.
‘I pray he may succeed,’ murmured Falconbridge.
The sound of that voice jolted her from her thoughts. For the first time it sounded less than completely confident, and in that moment she glimpsed the strain he must be under, being answerable for their safety and for the success of this mission. He had always seemed so self-assured and so impervious to doubt or fear. It was oddly touching to discover that he was as human as the rest of them underneath that cool exterior.
‘If anyone can do it, I think it is he,’ she replied.
‘You have great faith in him.’
‘He has never let me down yet. Whatever happens, he will ensure the plans get to Lord Wellington, somehow.’
‘Then this mission will not have been in vain.’
‘I know it will not.’ Her eyes met his. ‘In the meantime, we must do as Luis says and give a good account of ourselves.’
‘You have never done anything else.’
The words were quietly spoken but the tone was unmistakably genuine, like the look in his eyes. A look that caused her heart to beat faster. A look that must be resisted at all costs. Besides, she had doubts of her own which she needed to voice.
‘If…when…Ramon delivers those papers to Wellington, will my father still be freed? Even if I do not return, I mean?’
‘When the papers are delivered, the mission will have succeeded. The agreement will be honoured.’
He saw her smile then, a sad and wistful smile that tore at his heart. Just then he would have given anything to have her safe, to have her a thousand miles from here in some haven where nothing could harm her again.
‘I am glad,’ she replied, ‘and all this will have been worthwhile.’
The words reminded him with force about why she had come on this mission in the first place. Her decision had had nothing to do with him per se, though when they were thrown together, she seemed to find his company agreeable enough. It was he who had overstepped the mark, and she who tried to keep their relationship within professional bounds. He had no right to make things harder than they already were.
He smiled. ‘All may yet be well.’
‘Yes.’ She hoped, rather than believed, it to be true.
Chapter Nine
The French force came into view in the early evening. They were riding slowly, no doubt having pushed their horses before. From her position on the knoll Sabrina could see the blue uniforms and distinctive grey shakos. At their head was a rider on a dun horse.
‘The man, Valdez,’ said Luis, and spat into the dust.
Blakelock smiled grimly, lining the distant figure in his sights. ‘Shall I blow his brains out, sir?’
‘No, he is mine,’ replied Luis.
‘Don’t fire yet,’ said Falconbridge. ‘Let them get closer.’
Sabrina glanced at Jacinta and received a faint answering smile. She wished they, too, had rifles. Pistols were only of real use at closer range. Once they were discharged would there be time to reload before the enemy reached the top of the hill? After that it would be hand-to-hand fighting. Her stomach knotted. The encounter with brigands she and her father had once experienced was vivid still in memory, and there had been far fewer of them. Brigands were bad enough. Trained soldiers were another matter entirely. Even if Falconbridge and the other men could pick off some of the French contingent, they would still be badly outnumbered.
She turned again to Jacinta. ‘I’m so sorry to have got you into this.’
‘It was the French who got us into this, not you, Doña Sabrina.’
‘It’s
true,’ said Luis. ‘We were involved from the moment they invaded our country. We will make them bear the consequences.’
Sabrina looked down the hillside and saw that the troop had halted. The figure on the dun horse was riding ahead alone at a slow walk, his attention on the ground immediately in front of him.
‘The bastard’s looking for sign,’ muttered Blakelock.
Willis nodded. ‘Aye, and it’ll not take him long to work out what’s happened.’
Luis bared his teeth in a feral smile. ‘Good. It means I shoot him all the sooner. That will teach the scum to betray his countrymen.’
A few minutes later the dun horse stopped and its rider looked directly up at the knoll. Then he turned back and rejoined his companions. Evidently words were spoken, and they saw him point towards their place of concealment. The troop dismounted. Leaving their horses they began to fan out, moving slowly forwards towards the slope.
‘Here they come,’ said Falconbridge. ‘Get ready.’
Sabrina’s heart hammered in her breast and in spite of the heat she felt cold sweat start along her skin. Just feet away Blakelock’s finger squeezed the trigger. There followed a loud report and a French trooper cried out and fell. Almost simultaneously a second shot rang out and the tracker dropped like a stone.
Luis smiled with grim satisfaction. ‘Bueno!’
Blakelock threw him a sideways glance. ‘Not bad shooting—for a Spaniard of course.’
‘Keep watching, Englishman. I’ll show you how it’s done.’
Seeing two of their number go down, the rest of the French force dived for cover among the rocks. Moments later they began to return fire. Luis darted a glance at the two women.
‘You must stay down.’
‘Thank you for that,’ replied Jacinta. ‘The thought would not otherwise have occurred to us.’
He returned her a pointed look but had no time to reply because, just then, the answering fire intensified. Lead shot whined around them. The higher ground afforded the defenders an advantage and two more French soldiers fell. Then some of their comrades advanced, dodging among the rocks and bushes, while the rest gave covering fire.
His Counterfeit Condesa (Historical Romance) Page 14
