Part 19 (1/2)

”Justin? How are you feeling?”

Will's quiet voice drew Justin from his tangled dreams. He woke and blinked at the canopy over the bed. ”I ache,” he said muzzily. ”The blasted surgeon must have given me laudanum. I wish he hadn't. Sofia probably insisted.”

Will chuckled as he moved into Justin's line of sight. ”I have the same reaction to laudanum. It's nice the pain is reduced, but the scrambled wits are a nuisance.”

Justin glanced at the window. ”How long have I been asleep?”

”Only a couple of hours.” Will leaned against the heavy post at the foot of the bed, looking tired. ”Just long enough to miss the storm of horror and shock that blazed through the castle when people learned of the imminent invasion.”

Justin frowned, wis.h.i.+ng he could think clearly. ”How widespread is the news?”

”Mostly just the royal household. We don't want to risk the general population knowing too soon in case the news should somehow reach Baudin. Without the element of surprise, San Gabriel hasn't much hope of staving off the invasion.” Will moved to the table by the bed and poured a gla.s.s of water. ”You look thirsty.”

Justin downed the whole gla.s.s in one long swallow. ”I was and didn't quite realize it.” He held out the gla.s.s for a refill. ”That cleared my wits a bit, as well as removing the laudanum aftertaste from my mouth. I a.s.sume that you and Sofia's people have been working on more detailed plans?”

”Yes, we'll evacuate the farms near the Spanish road and move as many people as possible into the sanctuaries on Friday. Guards will be set on the road to Spain to prevent anyone from leaving the valley heading east, as well as to watch for Baudin.”

Justin drank the second gla.s.s of water more slowly, then cautiously pushed himself up to sit against the pillows. His head didn't seem bad except for a dull ache, and the knife wound was merely painful, not agonizing. ”I'll be ready to join your forces by Sat.u.r.day night.”

Will shook his head. ”You're not going to be part of the ambush.”

Before Will could continue, Justin's usually mild temper flared. ”I'm a tolerably good shot, and I've had enough experience with war and bandit attacks that I'm unlikely to break and run. You're going to need every steady soldier you can find, d.a.m.n it!”

”Yes, sorry, I know you'd be valuable,” Will said apologetically. ”But I have a more important task that you're best suited for.”

”What is more valuable than fighting off the French?”

”Getting Sofia out of San Gabriel and down to Porto,” Will retorted. ”If we fail to stop the French from overrunning the valley, the first thing they'll do is try to capture her and drag her to Baudin's bed.”

Justin gagged at the thought. ”The castle is virtually impregnable.”

”Yes, but if she's besieged inside, Baudin can take his time securing the rest of the country, and he may set up an ambush of his own to attack Colonel da Silva and his men when they return. If you take Sofia to Porto, with your help she can rally British and Portuguese support if that becomes necessary. I a.s.sume you know high-ranking Portuguese officials. You can also send word to our influential British friends to drum up support for the gallant and beautiful princess in exile.” Will grimaced. ”I hope it won't come to that, but it's best to be prepared.”

Justin hesitated. ”I see the value of helping her escape, but it feels like cowardice. You have even better connections with the British establishment, and you would be a bodyguard without equal to get her safely away.”

”If the situation gets that desperate, I'll be dead,” Will said tersely. ”You're the best hope for Sofia and San Gabriel. She won't want to go for the same reasons you don't want to go. She would die for her country. Your job is to persuade her to live for her country. Between you and Athena, you can convince her to leave if necessary.”

”That would get Athena away to safety also,” Justin observed.

”A thought that hasn't escaped my attention,” Will agreed. ”You'll have noticed that Athena is also an effective bodyguard. Along with a couple of Gabrilenos with combat experience, you'll be able to travel fast and light.”

”You've persuaded me.” Justin smiled wryly. ”To be honest, dying n.o.bly doesn't really appeal to me that much.”

Will laughed. ”Once I thought it would be n.o.ble, but no longer. Yet ever since I joined the army, I've a.s.sumed I'd die fighting. If my time has come . . .” He shrugged. ”At least it won't be a surprise.”

”A soldier's life produces a rather shocking degree of fatalism,” Justin muttered, trying not to show how rattled he was by Will's calm acceptance of likely death. ”I think you'll survive because you and your brother are both apparently unkillable.”

Will grinned. ”Would that were true.”

Justin threw back his covers. ”Pull out the chamber pot. I may need help not to keel over. d.a.m.ned laudanum!”

Will caught his arm as Justin slid from the bed. ”I'll tell Jean Marie to make sure no one gives you any more. He's appointed himself your personal attendant. The only reason he's not here is because I sent him off to find some food and a.s.sured him I wouldn't let you die on my watch.”

”I'm becoming fond of the lad,” Justin said, swaying a little. ”I may keep him.”

One of his laudanum dreams slid across his mind. An image of a pet.i.te woman who reminded him of Athena. He blinked and considered the image. ”I've been thinking about friends back in England, and I may know who Athena's father is. . . .”

Chapter 28.

The day had been long and tiring and it might already be too late, but Athena couldn't delay any longer. She might not have another chance. She undressed and donned her long night robe, then unpinned her hair and brushed it loose over her shoulders and back.

Quietly she stepped from her room into the long corridor that led from one end of the floor to the other. The castle was silent, and enough moonlight entered the windows at both ends of the pa.s.sage that she didn't need a candlestick to light her way.

Soft-footed as Sofia's cat, she made her way to the far end of the corridor and tapped on Will's door to alert him, since she was sure that startling an experienced soldier wasn't a good idea. When she got no response, she tried the handle. The door opened easily and she stepped into the bedroom.

A wide swath of moonlight splashed across the bed, limning Will's bare, powerful torso with silver light. He lay on his side, one arm over a pillow and the lower part of his body covered by a blanket. ”Will?”

He came awake instantly. ”Athena, what's wrong?” He pushed himself up to a sitting position. As the blanket slid lower, it was obvious that he was quite gloriously naked. ”It's too quiet to be the French invasion come early.”

Her lips twisted ruefully. ”A different kind of invasion.”

She stepped forward into the moonlight, wis.h.i.+ng she had a tenth of her mother's allure. ”We could easily have been killed on the trail. It made me recognize how foolish my doubts and fears are. I discovered that I don't want to die without . . . without sharing your bed.” Her voice faltered. ”That is, if you still want me. I wouldn't blame you if you've lost interest. . . .”

”Want you?” His smile lit up the room as he extended his hand. ”My dear girl, I can't imagine a day when I won't want you. Come to me.”

Weak with relief, she stepped forward and clasped his hand with her shaking fingers. Unsure what he believed about her, she said uncertainly, ”I'm not a virgin.”

”Neither am I.” He pulled her down onto the bed and embraced her, his arms enfolding her with strength and tenderness. ”Please tell me this isn't a dream.” He buried his face in the loose waves of her hair, his warm breath teasing her throat. ”No, if it is a dream, don't tell me. I don't want it to end.”

She laughed a little, relaxing in his welcome. ”This is real. You're very real. I have trouble remembering why I resisted you so intensely when I wanted you so much.”

”From what you've said about your childhood, your doubts were understandable.” He pulled back a little so he could study her face in the moonlight, his gaze probing. ”Danger has a way of stripping away lesser concerns, but when danger has pa.s.sed, it's easy to regret actions taken when death seemed imminent. If you think you might have regrets later, now is the time to retreat.” His mouth twisted. ”I don't want you to go, but neither do I want you to have any regrets.”

”The only regrets I'll have is that I've waited so long,” she said honestly. ”Don't hold anything back, Will.”

His brows arched. ”Maybe you should clarify what you mean by that?”

With difficulty, she said, ”I told you that I would never want to bring an illegitimate child into the world, but I've realized that I want rather fiercely to have your baby.” Her smile was self-mocking. ”In other words, I'm as selfish as my mother. Though I think what she craved was any child, and I want only yours. That's unlikely when we have so little time, but I will rejoice if it happens.”

He sucked his breath in. ”That's the greatest compliment I've ever received. If you're sure . . .”

”I'm sure.” Growing impatient, she rolled forward and pressed her lips to his.

He responded as if she was a spark and he was tinder. ”Athena,” he breathed. ”G.o.ddess . . .”

He kissed her more deeply, drawing her against him so that their bodies pressed together and his great, warm hands roamed over the curves and valleys of her back and sides. ”So elegant and strong,” he murmured. When his exploring hand slid under a fold of her robe, his voice changed. ”And you are most interestingly naked under your robe!”