“Indeed it is. Now it’s time to return to Castelo Blanco,” Will said. “The supplies I ordered should be here in the next day or two.”
“Later to the castle, but as Señor de Sousa said, first we feast to celebrate rebuilding the mill,” Gilberto said. “See, coming down the castle road are carts and ladies. Such a celebration is traditional when many work together for the common good.”
Will looked back along the road that led to the castle. His pulse quickened when he saw Athena and the princess riding in front of the carts. There were a dozen other females, all dressed in their festive best. Thinking that Athena was a sight for hungry eyes, Will said, “I like this custom!”
When the cart reached the mill, both ladies and food were greeted with enthusiasm. Gilberto’s mother and sisters had come with several girls from the town. Amid much laughter, knee rugs were spread out on the shaded embankment and baskets of food and jugs of wine were unloaded from the cart under the supervision of Señora Oliviera.
Will skirted the crowd and headed to Athena, who was admiring the churning waterwheel from atop her horse. She used a sidesaddle today and her green riding habit made her complexion look like delicious cream. He wanted to lick her all over.
“Good day, Lady Athena!” He couldn’t stop himself from grinning. “I’m told this kind of celebration is customary. What a very civilized country San Gabriel is.”
“True, but don’t discount the lure of seeing a large number of handsome young men in their shirtsleeves and wet to the skin!” She was regarding Will with undisguised approval, and he was abruptly aware of how his wet white shirt clung to his shoulders and torso. Barely decent, in fact, but he liked the expression on her face.
“Behold an engineer in his native habitat,” he said with a sweeping bow.
“Is your current state typical of a military engineer?”
“Usually there’s more mud. I enjoy splashing around on a pleasant day like this one.” Freezing water and artillery fire had made such projects less appealing in places like Badajoz. But that was the past. Now was better. “May I help you dismount?”
She hesitated a moment. Athena was perfectly capable of dismounting on her own and they both knew it, but a gentleman’s offer to help a lady from her horse was an excuse to touch. Will was pleased when she nodded and slid down into his waiting hands.
For just an instant he continued to hold her slim waist. She had a delicious tangy scent of rosemary, and he saw in her eyes that she remembered their evening on the rooftop as clearly as he did.
As he stepped away, she said a little breathlessly, “I’ve realized that the relationship scale needs another category. Flirting. Enjoying each other’s company with a bit of romantic awareness, but no intention of going beyond.”
This was promising. “An excellent idea. Let us restructure the scale into four categories. Friendship, flirting, a love affair, and marriage.”
She tethered her mount. “Indifference and enmity are still possibilities.”
“I could never be indifferent to you,” he breathed. “And I’ll do my best to insure you never look on me as an enemy.”
She blushed and looked down to tie up the trailing skirts of her riding habit. “You are certainly flirting now, so the new category must be accepted.”
He smiled. “I am definitely flirting. I have been waiting all week for the opportunity to do so.”
“That goes beyond flirting to shameless flattery,” she said, amused. “Was your work this past week successful?”
“Yes, no one has forgotten General Baudin, so just about everyone liked the idea of strengthening their ability to resist marauders of various sorts.”
“Good! I want to hear details.” She turned to her horse and took a lightweight, coarsely woven knee rug from her saddlebag. “The custom at these informal celebrations is to sit on rugs and chat and eat. The ladies bring their own rugs and usually stay in one place while the gentlemen tend to move around. It’s interesting to watch.”
Will took the rug and shook it out in a patch of shade from a clump of spindly trees. The striped pattern was in natural shades of sheep wool with a few grass stains from prior usage. “Since many of the young men are recently returned home, I imagine there’s a great deal of flirting.”
Athena gracefully seated herself on one end of the rug, her knees tucked to one side. “I’m a chaperone and my job is to insure that the flirting stays within acceptable bounds. Gabrileños love a good time, and celebrating community efforts is a perfect excuse. Of course there’s also the exhilaration of the war ending.”
“Am I allowed to share your rug?”
“If you are willing to align yourself with a staid chaperone, please do.” Her words were prim, but her hazel eyes danced.
He laughed and settled on the rug, which was large enough for two tall adults to sit without touching. He wished it were a bit smaller, but then he might be less welcome.
“Were the districts you tentatively sketched out workable?” Athena asked.
“Yes, Señor Oliviera seems to know every hill and field in the entire country, so his original estimates were accurate. In a couple of places, access to water meant adjustments might be made, but, overall, the organizing went very smoothly.”
“What is needed most?”
“More weapons and more food supplies that will keep indefinitely, like beans and rice,” he said promptly. “Bringing in food is easy and not very expensive, and I hope we have time to do it. Weapons are another matter.”
Her brow furrowed. “How well can the strong points be defended?”
“That depends on the kind of assault,” he said. “The Gabrileños’ traditional construction style of high stone walls around a house, a well, and outbuildings makes it very easy to lock out casual bandits who want to sweep in and steal what they can. But a larger, better-armed, more determined gang of brigands is much more dangerous, especially if they’re willing to lay siege.”
Athena frowned. “I hope your itchy feeling of trouble coming means casual bandits, not the more determined kind. The weapons situation will improve when Colonel da Silva and the rest of the troops return.”
“Yes, and that can’t be more than a few weeks off,” he said reassuringly. But his sense of danger suggested worse than casual bandits, and in the not very distant future. He’d like to think he was wrong, but his sixth sense had been very reliable in the past.
A laughing girl from the town approached and offered them a tray that held clay cups and a mound of warm little pastry pockets rather like English Cornish pasties. Will accepted wine and three of the little pies. “Thank you, señorita,” he said. “Rebuilding gristmills is hungry work.”
“Our thanks to you, Major Masterson. My mama was almost out of flour.” She bobbed a curtsy and darted away.
The pies had a spicy filling that was mostly beans, onions, and peppers with garlic and sharp, interesting herbs. Will demolished the first in two bites. “I gather this is the Gabrileño version of the empanada, but with different spicing? Tasty.”
Athena handed him one of several napkins she’d brought along. “Yes, though in more prosperous times there would be some meat, probably smoked pork, mixed in with the vegetables.” She ate her empanada more neatly, but with enthusiasm.
The red wine was cool and sweetly tangy with bits of chopped fruit. “And this is the Gabrileño version of sangria?”
“Yes, this particular wine is rather coarse, not the best quality, so adding fruit disguises its faults. It’s lovely on a hot day like this.”
Thinking how freely wine flowed in the valley, he asked, “How long till the wine reserves are exhausted? Existing supplies won’t last forever.”
“There were several years of very good grape harvests before Baudin’s invasion, so supplies were high,” Athena replied. “There isn’t a household in San Gabriel that didn’t have a few barrels of wine stored in the back pantry or cellar. But you’re right, reserves are running low. If the wine storag
e caverns can be opened, the barrels there will last quite a long time. Ideally, until the local wine production is back to normal.”
Exquisite in a blue-and-gold habit, Princess Sofia was moving among her people, thanking the men who had volunteered their time and chatting and laughing with everyone. Will’s idle gaze followed her. “Sofia takes her responsibilities seriously.”
“She does indeed. During the time you were gone, there were three days of open court at the castle. It’s another Gabrileño custom,” Athena explained. “Anyone in the kingdom can present a petition or bring a dispute to the ruler. Since Prince Alfonso is no longer capable of presiding, Sofia has taken over. She’s very patient and listens carefully before rendering her verdict.”
Will gave Athena a quizzical glance. “Surely, you’re there to help.”
“Sofia confers with me before rendering judgment,” Athena admitted. “She tends to be a little too soft, so I encourage practicality. But I stay well in the background. She’s the princess and she mustn’t seem to be overinfluenced by a foreigner.”
“We and our aid are warmly welcomed here,” Will said quietly. “You’ve been a godsend to San Gabriel. But ultimately we’re outsiders.”
“I’ve always been an outsider everywhere,” she said in an almost inaudible voice.
He wanted to wrap an arm around her shoulders and tell her that with him, she’d always have a place she belonged, but not yet. It was too soon. He said only, “But less of an outsider in England, surely.”
She smiled with determined cheer. “I hope so.”
Caught by movement in the distance, he shielded his eyes with one hand and peered along the road that led into Portugal. A slow smile spread over his face as he saw a compact, dark-haired man leading a well-loaded pack train. “I do believe our nails and beans and black powder have arrived.”
“Ballard is here already?” Athena almost bounced with excitement. “Wonderful!”
Will got to his feet. “Are there enough empanadas and sangria to refresh Justin and the men he brings with him?”
Athena laughed. “There is never a shortage of food at Gabrileño festivities.”
“I’ll bring him to meet you.” With a grin, Will headed to his horse. Real progress was being made; and the sooner he’d done what he could for San Gabriel, the sooner he could go home.
Preferably with Athena beside him.
Chapter 16
The road to San Gabriel was as rough as promised, and Justin and his train of workers and pack animals were grateful to be through the mountain pass and descending into the valley. It was a larger and greener place than Justin had expected. Perhaps some trick of the mountains brought them more rain than other areas. He studied the terraced hills where so many well-established vines had been destroyed, and was glad he’d been able to acquire plenty of good cuttings to restore the vineyards.
The road wound downward; and when Justin emerged from a sunken stretch, he saw the river not far ahead. A cluster of men and brightly dressed women was picnicking on the bank. It was a peaceful scene that made the war seem very far away.
High above and to the south, Justin saw a massive structure of pale stone that must be the Castelo Blanco. He was about to seek out Sergeant Murphy when he saw a horseman galloping up from the gathering on the river: a large man on a large horse.
Grinning ear to ear, Justin urged his mount faster. He and Will met halfway between the pack train and the river. Will pulled his horse up alongside Justin and shook his friend’s hand enthusiastically. “It’s been too long! Damn, but it’s good to see you.”
Justin laughed. “I can say the same! I’m glad you’ve survived long enough to return home, Will.”
He jerked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the long train of pack animals. “I reduced your Porto bank account to almost nothing, but you are now the proud owner of all sorts of hardware, grapevine cuttings, foodstuffs, and various other things, as well as the employer of a couple of dozen very capable, hardworking men.”
Will chuckled. “Would it surprise you to learn that a project dear to the hearts of the Gabrileños is clearing away the landslide that sealed off the wine storage caverns?”
“These are my kind of people,” Justin said with a grin. “I look forward to trying the local wines.”
“I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” Will said. “But I look forward to having a few pints of good English beer when I get home.”
“Beer is for peasants,” Justin said loftily. It was an old debate.
Will grinned as he turned his horse back the way he’d come. “Guilty!”
“What is the gathering by the river?”
“We repaired a gristmill this morning, so the ladies of the castle came down to feed us and celebrate,” Will explained as they resumed riding. “I’m told there should be sufficient empanadas and sangria for you and the men you’ve brought.”
Justin’s mouth watered at the thought. “That’s a good way to win the loyalty of everyone who came on this trek.” He turned in his saddle and made a sweeping gesture to indicate that everyone should follow them down to the river. The mules and donkeys would like it as well as the men.
“Where’s Tom Murphy?” Will asked.
“Acting as rear guard,” Justin said. “Keeping the stragglers from getting lost while watching out for trouble. A very competent fellow. We had no problems, though. The trek up the Douro and over the mountains was rugged but straightforward.”
“Does the road follow the San Gabriel River closely enough that you could see whether it might be made navigable?” Will asked.
“No, that will require a special survey,” Justin said. “But from the glimpses of the river I saw now and then, improving the channel might be possible.”
“Good.” Will chuckled as he saw a pair of riders moving toward them. “Ladies are as curious as cats. Two of them are riding this way.”
Justin saw a very tall woman in green, and next to her a petite girl in blue and gold. “Surely, the woman in green is the tall English lady I’ve heard about?”
“I suppose Murphy couldn’t resist telling you,” Will said dryly. “Yes, that splendid creature is Athena Markham, but don’t admire her too much. She’s mine.”
Justin shot his friend a startled glance. “Really?”
“It’s more accurate to say that I’m working on it,” Will explained. “We’re good friends, and I’m trying to lure her into becoming more.”
Will would never speak of a woman like that unless his intentions were honorable, which made Justin eager to meet the lady. Will’s friends had worried that the devastating loss of his young wife might have broken his heart forever, but apparently time had worked its healing magic.
Justin himself had no reservations about marriage, though he had yet to meet a woman who would fit well into his complicated, two-nation life. Now that the war was over, it was time to start seriously looking, perhaps on his next journey back to Britain.
Athena Markham and her young companion both rode superbly. Justin supposed that was necessary in this mountainous land with rough roads and few if any carriages.
Athena looked strong and graceful and competent, an Amazon well suited to Will Masterson. Though not a striking beauty, she was very attractive, with intelligence and humor in her expression. Justin looked forward to getting to know her better, but his first impression was that she was good enough for Will.
The ladies arrived and reined in their horses. “Welcome to San Gabriel, Mr. Ballard!” the young woman in blue said in fluent English enhanced by a slight, charming Gabrileño accent.
Justin had barely noticed the girl because he was studying Miss Markham, but now he turned his full attention to her—and felt as if a giant wine cask had just rolled over him, squashing him flat and rendering him unable to breathe. She was petite and beautiful, and under the shadow of her elegant riding hat, she had exquisite features, a sweet, direct expression, and a smile that scrambled his wits.
Will spoke before Justin’s silence became noticeable. “Princess Maria Sofia, allow me to present my friend Justin Ballard of Edinburgh and Porto. Miss Markham, Justin Ballard. Justin, meet the leading ladies of San Gabriel.”
Princess Maria Sofia? Justin swallowed hard. So this was the royal princess and heir presumptive to the throne of San Gabriel. Princesses were only supposed to be stunningly beautiful in fairy tales, not real life.
He bowed forward in his saddle. “Your Royal Highness, I am honored to meet you.” He barely remembered to add, “And you also, Miss Markham.”
“The pleasure is mutual, Mr. Ballard. We have been awaiting your arrival with great anticipation.” There was amusement in Miss Markham’s eyes. She was probably used to seeing men struck witless when they met the princess.
When Maria Sofia’s gaze met his, her eyes widened for such a brief instant that he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it. Then the polished manners of a royal princess took over and she offered her hand. “On behalf of San Gabriel, I give thanks for your willingness to help us.”
Her gloved hand was delicate, but her grip was firm. This was a girl who had learned to be more than a demure maiden of no opinions. He supposed that princesses learned early to deal with whatever and whoever came their way.
How old was she? Seventeen, perhaps eighteen? Too young for him. And a princess, for heaven’s sake! The Ballard family was well-off, but not remotely royal.
Putting inconvenient attraction aside, he released her hand and said seriously, “The war has cost so many people so much. I’m glad to contribute to San Gabriel’s recovery in some way.”
“Your men can be accommodated in the military barracks, but you must stay at the castle. We have a great deal of space, and I’m sure you and Major Masterson have much to catch up on.”
“Indeed we do.” Could he sound any more vapid if he tried?
Thankfully, Will said, “Empanadas and sangria await. Later we can determine which projects to undertake first, now that the supplies have arrived.”
“The grapevine cuttings must be planted as soon as possible,” Justin said, glad to have a subject he was knowledgeable about. “It’s already rather late in the season for planting. The sooner they’re in the ground, the sooner they can begin to grow.”
Once a Soldier Page 12