His Counterfeit Condesa (Historical Romance)

by Joanna Fulford

  * * *

  They arrived outside Ward’s office a short time later. Albermarle spoke to the adjutant on duty and they were shown straight in. Looking round, Sabrina could not but remember the last time she had been here, a reluctant participant in a military scheme. It was no more than three weeks ago, yet how very different her feelings were now.

  Ward looked up in surprise as the group walked in. However, he made no remark on the matter and merely rose from his chair.

  ‘Ah, Major Falconbridge and Miss Huntley. Returned safe and sound.’ He paused. ‘Well, man? Did you obtain the papers?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Where are they?’

  ‘I no longer have them, sir.’

  Ward’s brows drew together. ‘I think you’d better explain.’

  Falconbridge summarised events, omitting nothing and exaggerating nothing.

  Ward heard him out without interruption but his expression was wintry. ‘So the documents are now in the possession of this man, Ramon?’

  ‘That is correct, sir.’

  ‘A partisan, I believe.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘What do we know about him?’

  ‘I believe him to be honest and reliable.’

  ‘I didn’t ask what you believe, Major. I asked what is known,’ replied Ward. ‘The documents in his possession are worth a great deal of money in more than one quarter.’

  Sabrina, who had been following the conversation closely, stared at him in disbelief. It was followed immediately by a surge of anger. Beside her Jacinta and Luis stiffened visibly. Suddenly events were taking a turn she could never have envisaged. Even so, she couldn’t let the imputation pass unchallenged. Striving to control her voice, she spoke up.

  ‘Ramon is both honest and loyal, sir. He would never do such a thing.”

  Ward glanced at her. ‘Men will do all manner of things for money, Miss Huntley.’

  ‘If he is not here now it is because something happened to prevent it,’ she replied.

  ‘Let us hope you are right, ma’am.’

  Her face paled but Ward had turned his attention back to Falconbridge.

  ‘The decision to let the documents out of your keeping amounts to a dereliction of duty, Major.’

  Falconbridge’s jaw tightened. ‘Had I not done so, the French would have found them when we were captured. I gave them to the one person who had a realistic chance of getting away and delivering them safely.’

  ‘What Major Falconbridge says it true,’ said Sabrina. ‘And every member of our party here will attest to it, General.’

  Ward surveyed her coolly. ‘Be that as it may, the documents are still missing. Of course, your friend Ramon may yet deliver them.’

  ‘If he can, he will,’ she replied.

  ‘Again, let us hope you are right, ma’am,’ he replied. ‘So much hangs on it, does it not?’

  The implication of the words was not lost on her and she was suddenly sickened. If Ramon did not come, all their efforts would have been for nothing. Her father would not be freed. Beside her she heard a faint hiss of indrawn breath and glanced at Jacinta. The woman’s face was a mask of cold fury, an outward expression of Sabrina’s own sentiments.

  ‘Major Falconbridge, you will return to your quarters and stay there. I shall want to talk to you again later. Lord Wellington will require a full report of course.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Ward favoured Sabrina with another chilly smile. ‘Your servant, Miss Huntley.’

  It was dismissal and there was nothing they could do about it. They trooped out of the office and into the corridor. Sabrina turned to face Falconbridge.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Robert.’

  ‘Thank you for what you said back there.’

  ‘It was the least I could do. I wanted to hit the old buzzard for implying those things.’

  He gave her a wry smile. ‘It is perhaps as well that you did not.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose it is, though it would have served him right.’

  Albermarle shook his head. ‘Damnable situation all round, but I cannot blame you for what happened, Major.’

  ‘Thank you, sir.’

  The Colonel turned to his goddaughter. ‘Will you walk back to your lodgings, my dear?’

  ‘Presently, sir.’

  ‘Then I’ll leave you for the time.’ He nodded to Falconbridge. ‘Let’s just hope your man, Ramon, turns up.’

  With that Albermarle walked away. For a little space they watched him go. Then Falconbridge looked at Sabrina. ‘I had hoped to call on you after you had rested, but I fear that may not be possible for a while.’

  Her heart skipped a beat. He did want to see her after all. ‘Then I shall have to be patient.’

  ‘I fear you will.’ He sighed. ‘It’s a devil of a mess.’

  ‘But not of your making.’

  ‘You are generous. The consequences for you may be harsh indeed.’

  ‘You must not think that way. Ramon will come. I know he will.’

  ‘I pray he will. The thought of all your efforts being for nothing appals me.’

  ‘I am not the only one who stands to lose something. Your promotion—’

  ‘Is unimportant, compared with your father’s freedom.’

  The words brought a lump to her throat. ‘It may yet be well.’

  He hoped with all his heart that she was right.

  * * *

  After they parted Sabrina rejoined Jacinta and Luis and walked back to her lodgings. How different it all was from the way she had imagined it. Her vision of their triumphant return had been a fantasy indeed. When they reached the door, Luis paused.

  ‘I must leave you here, Doña Sabrina. Jacinta will look after you for the time being.’

  ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘To find out what has happened to Ramon.’

  ‘He could be anywhere, Luis.’

  ‘Then I must discover where that is.’

  ‘Will you not eat first and rest a little?’

  He smiled, revealing strong, white teeth. ‘The sooner I leave, the sooner I shall find him.’

  Jacinta frowned. ‘How do you know you will succeed?’

  ‘I will find him. Everyone must be somewhere, you see.’ He paused. ‘Besides, Ramon is my friend and I did not much care for the slurs of General Ward.’

  ‘None of us cared for them,’ said Sabrina. ‘When Ramon returns he can shove them back down the General’s throat.’

  ‘Exactly so.’

  ‘He may also wish to consider where he’d like to shove General Ward’s secret papers when next they meet,’ replied Jacinta.

  Sabrina choked back indecorous laughter.

  Luis grinned. ‘I will suggest it to him. In the meantime, I must find a fresh horse.’

  ‘When you get one, come back. I will have some provisions ready for you,’ said Jacinta.

  ‘Muchas gracias. Hasta entonces.’

  With that he bowed and left them.

  * * *

  Some time later, in the privacy of her room, Sabrina stripped off her travel-stained garments and climbed into a hot tub. She sank into the water with a sigh of real pleasure. It seemed so long since she had bathed properly or worn clean clothes. She scrubbed herself vigorously and washed her hair before leaning back to relax and let the heat unknot her aching muscles. The water was cooling before she felt ready to climb out. Having dried herself off she donned one of her older gowns, a rose-pink muslin that had remained behind in the wardrobe. When her hair was dry she brushed it out and tied it back with a ribbon.

  A close scrutiny in the mirror revealed that her appearance was at least acceptable, although her face and neck were lightly tanned from the time spent in the open air. The effect was not entirely displeasing though, for the colour enhanced her hair and eyes. Some hand cream would help restore the softness lost through outdoor living. As she began to massage the cream in she realised she was still wearing the wedding ring that Falconbridge ha
d given her when they set out for Aranjuez. She had grown so accustomed to its presence it had almost become part of her hand. It cost her a real pang to remove it, but to do anything else was totally inappropriate. She laid it carefully in the small jewel box on the dresser and closed the lid. That part of the adventure was really over.

  Satisfied that she was presentable again, she went downstairs in search of something to eat. She was met by Jacinta, also bathed now and dressed in clean garments.

  ‘I will make you a tortilla,’ she said. ‘It will keep the wolf from the door until dinner.’

  ‘Make enough for yourself, as well,’ replied Sabrina. ‘You must also be hungry by now.’

  Jacinta nodded. ‘It will be good to have some fresh food again, no?’

  ‘Yes, it will.’

  ‘And bread that is not the consistency of brick.’

  Sabrina smiled sadly, recalling the meal she had shared with Falconbridge when they had sat by the creek together. The rations had been scanty and poor but his conversation had not. Just being in his company was sufficient compensation for stale bread and cheese. Would they ever have the dinner together that he had promised her? Circumstances seemed to be ranged against it. General Ward had made no secret of his displeasure. If Ramon did not return. She didn’t want to think about the consequences of that, for Falconbridge or for her father.

  Almost as if she knew her thoughts, Jacinta met her gaze. ‘If anyone can find Ramon now, it is Luis.’

  ‘I hope you are right.’

  ‘One does not suffer a friend to be insulted. You spoke up for Ramon before General Ward. Now Luis will do his part.’

  ‘Ramon is my friend, too,’ replied Sabrina. ‘My father also holds him in the highest regard. He would have been deeply angered had he been there today.’

  ‘Yes, I believe he would. For his sake, too, Luis will find Ramon.’

  * * *

  Later, when they had eaten, Sabrina went out into the garden, wanting some fresh air and some space in which to think. Without making any conscious choice she followed the path to the stone bench she had sat on with Robert Falconbridge the last time she had been out here. He had tried every means to dissuade her from accompanying him on the mission. Every detail was etched on her memory. Even then she had been aware of him, his sheer physical presence, his look, his touch. She could never have thought then that one glorious moonlit evening he would take her in his arms and steal her heart.

  She was so rapt in thought that she failed to hear the footsteps on the path until the visitor was close. She caught sight of a red uniform jacket and her heart leapt. Then she realised with a stab of disappointment that the newcomer was a total stranger. He bowed and smiled.

  ‘I have been charged to deliver this letter, ma’am. Compliments of Major Falconbridge.’

  Her heart gave another lurch. ‘Thank you for your trouble, sir.’

  ‘No trouble at all, ma’am.’

  When he had gone she sank back onto the stone seat and broke open the wafer with a trembling hand. The missive contained one sentence only: Since a Field Marshal’s baton appears to be out of reach for the present, I comfort myself with the slender hope that you might consent to dine with a humble Major, as soon as he can arrange it. F. Sabrina read it and felt laughter bubble up in her throat. He had meant it then. Suddenly all her earlier gloom lifted. All might yet be well. Having reread the note half a dozen times, she carefully refolded it and tucked it safely inside the bodice of her gown. Then she went indoors to find pen and paper.

  * * *

  Some time later an orderly arrived at the officers’ quarters. ‘A note for Major Falconbridge,’ he announced. ‘Arrived just now, sir.’

  Brudenell gestured across the room. ‘The Major is yonder.’

  Falconbridge took the letter and dismissed the man. Then he studied the direction. The handwriting was unfamiliar but it was unquestionably feminine in nature. Hope leapt. Taking a deep breath he opened it, eagerly scanning the contents. It contained just one sentence: Whilst the loss of a baton is deeply regrettable, the notion of dining with a lower-ranking officer is, on balance, to be preferred. There was no signature but it needed none, and his face lit with a grin.

  ‘Good news?’ inquired Brudenell.

  ‘Very good news.’

  ‘It’s about time.’

  ‘Yes, it is.’

  Refolding the paper, Falconbridge stowed it carefully inside his breast pocket. It was about time, he thought; time to draw a line under the past and get on with his life. At least now he knew what he wanted the future to be.

  His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of an adjutant summoning him to Lord Wellington’s headquarters in the Palacio de los Castro. He exchanged glances with Brudenell and then nodded.

  ‘I shall come directly.’

  When the adjutant had departed, his friend frowned. ‘What does the old man want now?’

  ‘To hear my report, I imagine. Unless of course he wishes to tell me himself that Ramon has returned with the papers.’

  ‘That would solve a few problems, would it not?’

  ‘Aye, it would.’

  ‘You did the best you could, Robert. Damned bad luck his getting delayed like that.’

  ‘It’s a pity Ward doesn’t see it in the same light.’

  ‘No, well, he wasn’t surrounded by hostile French troops wanting to carve him into slivers, was he?’

  ‘Even so…’ Falconbridge moved to the door ‘…I made an error of judgement. The trouble is that others besides myself will be made to pay for it.’

  * * *

  When he arrived at Wellington’s door a short time later it was to see Ward and Forbes there as well. His heart sank. Schooling his face to a neutral expression he halted in front of the desk.

  ‘You wished to see me, sir?’

  Wellington looked up from the letter he had been writing and leaned back in his chair, surveying his visitor coolly. The stern lines of his face gave nothing away but the piercing eyes missed nothing. Under their fixed scrutiny his visitor felt the knot in his gut tighten.

  ‘Damned bad business, Falconbridge.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  Ward nodded and interjected, ‘You should not have let those papers out of your hands.’

  ‘I believed I had no choice, sir, with capture imminent.’

  ‘You should have brought the documents yourself.’

  ‘That would have meant leaving my companions to die, sir.’

  ‘All soldiers know the risks of war.’

  ‘Miss Huntley is not a soldier.’

  ‘No, but she also knew the risks.’

  Falconbridge’s eyes became steel grey. ‘Not a good enough reason, in my opinion, for leaving her to the mercy of the French.’

  Ward glared and made to reply but Wellington was before him. ‘The situation was an unenviable one and I have no doubt you did what you thought right, Major. Nevertheless, the fact remains that a third party now has in his possession the most sensitive of information.’

  ‘Information that our man in Madrid went to great lengths to obtain,’ said Forbes.

  ‘I believe that Ramon will deliver it if he can,’ replied Falconbridge.

  Ward snorted. The sound drew a swift quelling glance from Wellington but just as quickly his attention returned to Falconbridge.

  ‘You appear to have great faith in this man.’

  ‘I do, sir, and so does Miss Huntley. Ramon was a good friend of her father’s.’

  ‘Well, we’ll see soon enough whether your faith is justified.’

  ‘Touching the matter of John Huntley, sir…’

  ‘Well?’

  ‘His freedom was the condition that caused Miss Huntley to agree to go on the mission in the first place. She has performed her part in exemplary fashion, sir, and kept her side of the bargain.’

  ‘But you did not return with the papers you went for,’ said Ward.

  ‘That is not her fault. It is mine, and she sh
ould not be punished for it.’

  Wellington lifted one eyebrow a little. ‘I should have thought there was no question of her being penalised in any way. Major Forbes, have not negotiations already begun for the release of prisoners?’

  ‘They have, sir.’

  ‘John Huntley among them?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘Good. You will keep me informed of how things progress.’

  Falconbridge breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least that much might be salvaged from the affair. Before he could pursue the thought any further he became aware that Wellington was addressing him again.

  ‘For the rest we can only wait and hope. In the meantime, in the absence of information, I must try and outguess the French. You may return to your duties, Major Falconbridge.’

  Being thus dismissed he walked back to his quarters with the words ringing in his ears. Waiting and hoping were indeed the only options available to him just then, on the career front anyway. On a personal level, he felt a different kind of hope. Sabrina’s face drifted into his mind and he recalled a promise he had made. That at least was a matter he could do something about.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The following morning Sabrina received a courteous letter from Major Falconbridge inviting her to dine with him and Brudenell that evening. Her face lit with a smile as she read the invitation. He had kept his promise, and done it with tact and sensitivity. The occasion coincided with ladies’ night in the officers’ mess. Moreover, as Colonel Albermarle was also invited to join the party, she would have a highly respectable escort. For all sorts of reasons it promised to be an enjoyable occasion and she lost no time in returning a note of acceptance.

  However, it threw up another difficulty. Her boxes still had not been returned to her and the choice of gowns remaining in her wardrobe was slim. In the end she selected one of her newer muslin frocks. The gown was fashioned in a simple but becoming style and, when combined with a silken shawl, a fetching hairstyle, a necklace and earrings and a pair of long gloves, the effect was of simple understated elegance.

  * * *

  Heads turned as she and Colonel Albermarle made their entrance, and Falconbridge felt the first stirrings of pride that she was to be his guest that evening. Beside him, Brudenell was following her progress, too.