“As have I, Papa. The only small thing I remember is him speaking with the English Lieutenant Colonel Roberts. He stopped at the carriage just before the last part of the journey when the drivers changed over. However, that could have been simple and genuine responsibility for the prisoner’s wellbeing,” she said, reasoning as she spoke.
“Perhaps,” her father said, but she could see he was unconvinced.
Major Knight said nothing.
Chapter Nine
They reached the camp without further mishap and Felix was surprised to see the commander and Colonel Hill waiting for them. The rest of the caravan had already moved on, but they dismounted for a rest and a small meal was waiting for them.
Wellington gave him a look that seemed to express a great deal of relief and curiosity. It was almost as though he had known they would arrive for the meal. Wellington had an eerie sixth sense about things and Felix was too grateful to question it.
“Good to see you both alive and whole,” Wellington said. “Come and eat. I am certain there is a great deal of news to impart.”
The five of them sat at a small table and shared a meal of grouse, pease, olives and potatoes with some chacolí wine that was native to the region.
Felix gave his report to his superiors while General Mendoza and Lady Catalina listened quietly.
“I do not like this one bit,” Wellington commented after hearing the tale.
“We must hope my men will return with Dion. That would eliminate one variable,” Mendoza said.
“We have the driver of the carriage in confinement, but he will not speak,” Colonel Hill remarked.
“Have you spoken to Lieutenant Colonel Roberts?” Felix asked. “He looked in on Dion before we took off and the drivers swapped. Perhaps he might have noticed something.’
Wellington and Hill glanced at each other curiously.
They knew something, Felix was certain. Something they did not want to say in front of the general and his daughter.
“We are moving ahead with our plans. Everleigh and Owens have returned and reported that Joseph is fleeing north, back to the bosom of his brother, along with his troops. My plan should work,” Wellington remarked.
“With luck this delay will not disrupt anything,” Felix said.
“It could not be helped. If this is the only hiccup in the plan, then I consider us fortunate,” he answered. “I understand you broke your arm, my lady?”
“I did, but the major was very competent in splinting it,” Lady Catalina answered. She smiled at Felix. “We are even on our medical services to each other. Hopefully we will have no further need of them.”
“I do not like this at all, querida, perhaps it is time for you to return to Villa Blanca,” General Mendoza said quietly, obvious distress writ upon his features.
“I will see this to the end, Papa,” Lady Catalina replied, as Felix would have expected. He knew this was personal for her, which made it even more dangerous. Yet there would be no talking her out of it, he knew. If her father would not order her home, Felix would be wasting his own breath. He had enough experience with stubborn females to concede that fact.
Felix looked at Wellington, who was wearing an expression he knew well. It meant he was plotting something. Felix wished he had been sent with Everleigh and Owens instead. Reconnoitering seemed vastly simple compared to this.
“What do you suggest happens now?” Mendoza asked.
“I was just reflecting upon that myself,” Wellington admitted.
“What have you considered?” Hill asked.
“Whether it would be to our advantage to let everyone believe Knight and Lady Catalina perished.”
Felix understood the reasoning, but it would mean they would be separated together from the rest of the party until the rat was discovered.
“How would that be beneficial?” Mendoza asked.
“It could make our perpetrator relax a little. That was a very risky chance he took with the carriage accident,” Wellington explained.
“Most of the camp is aware of the accident,” Mendoza said, frowning.
“But very few know they are alive. We sent everyone else ahead,” Hill answered.
Felix could tell that Mendoza realized the ramifications. His face was very expressive.
“Where would they go? It is bad enough they spent last evening alone together. If that became widely known in society, Catalina would be ruined.”
“It does not matter, Papa.” She reached over and squeezed her father’s hand. “We must catch the traitor. What is my reputation when the sovereignty of Spain is at stake?”
Felix was impressed despite himself. Not many ladies would be so dismissive of their good name. He had misjudged her at the beginning, he had to concede to himself.
“I would like to keep them close,” Wellington said, coming back to the earlier question. “Perhaps in my own billeting. I appreciate it is not an ideal situation for a lady, but this must be kept as quiet as possible.”
Mendoza did not look pleased, but he said no more.
“This will only work if you trust the men who rode out with you earlier.”
“I do. At least I trust them as much as anyone. They have been with me a very long time. Longer than Dion,” Mendoza replied.
Felix understood how the man must feel. It was easy to see everyone as a threat when trust had been breached.
“Shall we travel together for a while until we reach the edge of the camp? That will allow us time to think some more upon this plan. Whoever is responsible has been told you are dead, but it is always prudent to be cautious. If you are discovered then we will form another plan.”
They finished the meal and packed up to ride on.
Felix felt much better after a rest and a meal, and that they were no longer alone while injured. The uncertainty of the plan disturbed him, but that was nothing unusual when at war. At least they had some information, even if they did not have Dion to pry information from. He did have the lieutenant’s haversack, and he would like to explore the man’s belongings.
“Now you are the one deep in thought,” Lady Catalina said as she walked towards him, leading her gray Andalusian mare.
“I was thinking how to proceed. We will be spies in truth.”
“Why, in disguise, of course. I was pondering how best to accomplish this, and have asked permission to make a diversion to Villa Blanca.”
“Your home?”
“It is not so far from where the commander intends to camp. It will be much easier to find proper costumes there.”
Felix gave a nod and helped her to mount her horse. There was reason in what she said.
He mounted his own painfully and rode over next to Wellington on his new mount, Copenhagen. “A word, with your permission, sir?” he asked.
“Of course,” Wellington acknowledged as they began to canter north. “Mendoza told me of Lady Catalina’s plan. I think it is an excellent one.”
“And once disguised?” Felix asked.
“I will have Everleigh or Owens bring you instructions once I see the French position and determine how to act. I suspect the four of you will be most useful as eyes and ears. At least we are in friendly territory, but make certain you are not caught when not in uniform.”
“I do not need to be warned,” Felix replied. The grim reminder of his time in captivity was etched forever on his memory.
“You are succeeding in your task with the lady? If she is too much of a liability, I can put a stop to this.”
“My initial reservations about her have been found to be erroneous. She has shown herself to be competent.”
“Excellent. I had my own reservations, since she is Mendoza’s daughter, but it is deuced helpful to have someone from the Spanish camp on the inside. She is more pleasant to look at than Owens, to be sure!” Wellington laughed.
Felix tried not to scowl at his commanding officer.
“Do not tell me you are immune, Knight! Or have you lost your touch?” He shook his hea
d. “I have survived countless battles, and I am about to be flayed alive by one of my majors!”
Felix had to repress a twist of his lips at that remark and thought it best to swiftly change the subject.
“Are there any particular areas or persons you wish us to concentrate our efforts on, sir?”
Wellington did not answer for at least a mile. “I have Everleigh and Owens watching the Spanish camp. I fear our man will be too suspicious of Mendoza just now. Much though it pains me, I believe we must watch some of our own men. I will confess there are some I have been keeping an eye on. In fact, I had asked Knighton for information to be gathered on some of them, just in case, but I have not received any dispatches from him.”
“He said not a word of suspicion about anyone to me,” Felix replied.
“Perhaps there was nothing there for him to find. But I intend to rout this nuisance quickly and whoever is leaking information, for whatever purpose, will have to make a move soon. We will catch them. I can abide almost anything but a traitor, regardless of the reason.”
Felix could not agree more. “Now that we know Dion was leaking information from the Spanish camp, do you suspect anything more from there?”
“At this moment I suspect everyone and everything. It is what has kept me alive this long.”
*
Catalina and Major Knight left the comfort of her father’s and Wellington’s protection and branched off on the road to her home. Home, she sighed inwardly. At least she had the assurance of sleeping in her own bed that night, even if it was only a temporary reprieve. She could somehow sense that Major Knight would rather not go with her. No doubt he still felt like her caretaker, but she thought he had gained a little respect for her, even if begrudgingly. Nevertheless, he still treated her respectfully and she could not complain. Her father, she reflected, would never have agreed to her going alone if her aunt did not reside at Villa Blanca, although he probably hoped Catalina would decide to stay there and not return.
With every step they took—and drew closer to the estate—she grew more excited. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she could even detect a hint of sea salt in the air. They began passing more and more vineyards, which were in full bloom this late in the spring and filled her nostrils with the sweet fragrance of home. Summer was only a week or so away – Catalina had lost track of time altogether. She pulled up her mare at the top of the valley in order to survey everything below. Major Knight reined in next to her and did not even ask why she had stopped. It was a compulsion of hers and he seemed to understand.
“This is your home?”
She gave a nod and pointed to a wide expanse of vineyards and farmland. The crystal blue waters of the Mediterranean sparkled in the distance, and the familiar white stone mansion with a bright red tiled roof stood watching over everything around it.
“I see why you are fond of it. It is certainly one of the most beautiful places I have seen.”
She smiled. “Let us pray we can stop the French before it is destroyed. Many have not been so fortunate.”
“No,” he said so softly she barely heard it.
“It has been a long day since we awoke in that small cave of rock. Now the sun is setting. It is not often I see the sun rise and set in the same day.”
“Quite a day it has been, indeed,” he added.
Luna knew this path well and she needed no urging when Catalina allowed her to walk on. There was something in the air—a smell, a feeling, when you were home. Perhaps it was nostalgia, but Catalina did not think she could have appreciated it if she had never left home. The household would not be expecting them, but it would still be a luxury to be there compared to any lodging they had had in the past year. As they passed through the gates, all the familiar sights brought warmth to her heart. Even the gate was enough to make her giddy. Fig trees lined the road and the garden was in full bloom with bright Bougainvillea.
She slid from her horse in front of the house before Major Knight expected it and could come to assist. He quickly followed.
“This is Villa Blanca, my lord,” she said with pure happiness in her heart, allowing herself to forget, for a moment, why they were there.
“My lord?” he asked with an amused, sideways glance.
“We are not officers at the moment, are we?”
A surprised groom came to take their horses, and they walked stiffly up the steps to the front entrance.
“My lady!” Zubiri, the butler, came running to greet them when it came to his notice someone had walked through the front door.
“Good evening, Zubiri. His lordship and I will be spending the night here… if a light supper and a room for him could be prepared? We might remain longer; that depends on the commander’s wishes. Please inform the servants that no one is to speak of our presence here.”
“I will ensure that is understood, my lady.”
“How is my aunt?”
“She sleeps a great deal, but is well. She has already taken a tray in her room.”
“Of course. I will show his lordship to the azul room, if you will have some hot water sent up. The sheets may be aired and the room prepared while we dine.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Catalina directed Major Knight to follow her up a winding stone staircase with an intricately designed iron railing. Familiar statues and paintings greeted her, along with the scent of fresh Etxeko Biskotxoa which was Aunt Esmeralda’s favorite treat.
“This is a lovely home,” Major Knight said from behind her. She had almost forgotten he was there, she was so lost in the pleasure of familiar surroundings.
“You must have grown up in a grand house yourself, being the son of a duke.”
“Indeed I did, but I cannot say I am not grateful to have escaped the inheritance of it all.”
“I can understand that. It is a great responsibility.”
She stopped before a large, carved wooden door and opened it to a suite of rooms. “I hope you will find it satisfactory.”
“It does not take much to make me comfortable,” Major Knight remarked and their eyes met. Her thoughts turned to where they had spent the previous night, and she was wondering if he was thinking the same when she remembered he had not slept at all. “You must be exhausted. Dinner will be ready shortly and then you may retire if you wish. Do not feel the need to entertain me.”
Catalina almost laughed out loud at her words, but he had been a gentleman even when they were in adversity, and old habits of polite behavior were hard to break.
A door opened and the sound of paws clicking across the marble came to her ears, followed by the butler shouting, “No Toro! Heel, Toro!”
Catalina should reprimand her beast, but he was already climbing the stairs and bounding towards her. It had been too long.
Toro was taller than she was when he stood on his hind legs, and the instant he reached her, he put his front paws on her shoulders and licked her face. His tail wagged as though she had been away forever. It felt as if she had been.
A winded Zubiri came up and stopped at the top of the stairs to catch his breath. “Forgive me, my lady.”
“He has a mind of his own, Zubiri. I have been gone far too long.”
“I cannot tell how he knows, but he came charging in from the fields, he did. Shall I send him off?”
“He would not go if you tried. Thank you, Zubiri.” Catalina laughed as the butler left and Toro fell to the floor, his paws in the air. She began the obligatory belly rub without thinking. When she looked up, Major Knight was watching the whole scene with an amused expression.
“He is not much of a guard dog,” he remarked. “He has not even noticed me.”
“He senses you are safe.”
“Am I?”
“Just try to hurt me when he is nearby.” Their gazes locked, and his eyes darkened. It was the first time Catalina had detected any hint of desire in him. Toro grew impatient with her lack of attention and finally stood up to acknowledge Major Knight.
He held out his hand. Toro sniffed it for a moment and then butted it with his head to indicate he wanted to be stroked.
“Pleased to meet you, handsome fellow.” He was a giant, brindled mastiff, and very friendly.
Toro’s hind leg shook with pleasure as Major Knight scratched the best places, and won him over, as if there had been any doubts. Toro had not displayed the least sign of wariness about the major. That should reassure her, but Major Knight unsettled her more than any man before.
Several servants appeared, carrying cans of hot water for baths and Toro whimpered outside Major Knight’s door when he went inside.
“Traitor,” Catalina whispered affectionately to her dog as she went inside her own room. He lay down between their chambers as if guarding them both.
The bath felt heavenly. Although it would be better for a good scrubbing, she dared not put her broken arm under the water, so that part of her had to remain uncleansed. Afterwards, she dressed simply in one of her old, comfortable muslin gowns that she could fasten for herself. Besides, she mused in vindication, she loved them too much to throw them away.
She brushed and arranged her hair as best she could, and then went to the adjoining room to show Major Knight the way down to dinner.
Zubiri had set up a repast of Tigres, Talo and Porrusalda on the back terrace, overlooking the valley. The little corn cakes, mussels and soup were simple but comforting. It was Catalina’s favorite place in the house and she was grateful the old retainer had thought to put them there. Somehow, sitting formally in a room alone with Major Knight was too intimate.
It was a warm evening with a soft breeze, a nice contrast to the cold mountain air from the night before. Catalina should probably be embarrassed by her informality, but Major Knight had seen her thus on the mountain. She had caught an appreciative gaze in his eyes when he had first seen her, so she tried to dismiss any bashfulness.
“This is most pleasant,” he remarked, once they were seated before their meal which had been laid out on a small table with folding leaves. “It is hard to reconcile this with what is soon to come.
“Do you think this will truly be the end?”
The Dark of Knight Page 9