Part 23 (1/2)
Chapter 33.
It was dark by the time Athena returned to Castelo Blanco, and she was beyond fatigue and wore the blood of multiple men. Ignoring both fatigue and blood, she headed directly to Will's bedroom on the far end of the family floor.
”How is he?” she asked Sofia, who sat outside Will's room, her face drawn.
”Athena!” Sofia went into Athena's arms, not crying but shaking.
Athena went cold to the bone. ”Dear G.o.d, is he . . . ?”
”No! No, Will is still alive.” Sofia collected herself. ”Alive and coherent, but very, very weak. The surgeon said he wouldn't have survived long enough to reach the castle if not for your bandaging him up, but he's lost so much blood!”
She studied Athena's face before saying softly, ”If you have anything you want to say to Will, say it now. Dr. de Ataide couldn't say how much time he has left. San Gabriel won, but at what price?”
Athena closed her eyes, feeling like her heart was being cut from her breast with a dull blade. She'd prayed for a miracle, and it wasn't going to happen. Or perhaps the big miracle of defeating the French renegades meant there could be no smaller miracles.
She opened her eyes and said starkly, ”Will deliberately chose to sacrifice his life to end the battle before it could be lost. Yes, the price was too high, but Will and the others who fell today paid it willingly.” Reminding herself of that, she opened the door and moved quietly into Will's bedroom.
A single lamp showed him as a broad, still shape in his bed. The bed where they had become joyous lovers for a few brief hours.
Though he was a ma.s.s of bloodstained bandages, his face was peaceful. ”Will?” she asked in a low voice.
His eyes opened and he turned his head toward her and said in a rasping voice, ”Little owl! I'm so glad you made it here in time. The French haven't regrouped and returned?”
”No, with Baudin dead and so many wounded, they lost the will to fight. When last seen, the survivors were fleeing back into Spain. We had surprisingly few casualties on our side. Your ambush was brilliantly successful.” It seemed d.a.m.nably unfair that Will should be one of its casualties.
”I presume my captains are maintaining a guard on the road.” When Athena nodded, he said weakly, ”Will you lie down beside me?”
She hesitated. ”I don't want to hurt you.”
”The surgeon was very free with the laudanum, so I'm feeling surprisingly little pain.” He patted the mattress beside him. ”Please?”
The bed was wide and there was room, so she stretched out on her side, very carefully, and took his hand. Lying there, touching him . . . such peace as she'd never know again. But she mustn't cry, she mustn't. ”Do you have any last messages you want me to send?”
”Before we headed out, I wrote several letters to friends.” He paused for an alarming fit of coughs. ”Over there on my desk. Can you see they get back to England?”
”Of course.”
He clasped her hand without much strength. ”I have one other request, Athena.”
”Anything,” she said simply.
”Don't be too sure,” he said with a ghost of humor. ”Will you marry me before it's too late?”
She jerked up on her elbow and stared at him. ”You don't have to do that!”
”Perhaps not, but I want to.” His gray eyes were clear and determined despite his weakness. ”Not just so that you and any possible child will be taken care of, but because I want to have you for my wife, even if only for a few hours.”
Her throat hurt so much that at first she couldn't talk, so she just nodded her head. ”I'll have Sofia call in the priest,” she managed. ”I expect he'll be willing to waive the usual formalities and banns for the hero of San Gabriel.”
”Heroes. Plural.” His smile was radiant before his eyes drifted shut. ”You were magnificent, my lovely little owl.”
Terrified he might not have enough time for her to fulfill his last request, Athena rolled from the bed and darted into the corridor. She found Justin holding Sofia in his arms for mutual comfort. His face was stricken, for he and Will had been friends for most of their lives.
Not wasting words, Athena said, ”Sofia, Will wants to marry me. How quickly can you get the priest up to the castle?”
Startled, she said, ”Father Anselmo is already in the castle. He came to perform the last rites for several of the other soldiers. He'll probably welcome a different task.”
Athena sighed. ”The reasons for a swift ceremony aren't happy, but at least he won't have to perform the last rites for an English Protestant. Will you and Justin stand witness for us?”
”Of course.”
While Sofia sent for the priest, Athena returned to Will's room and sat beside the bed, holding his hand. ”The priest is on his way.”
”Good,” he murmured without opening his eyes.
She studied his face, wanting to memorize every detail. The lines of humor around his mouth, a faint scar on his temple, the whiskers that hadn't been shaved. His dear, dear face.
Father Anselmo arrived with Sofia and Justin behind him. He was a tall, lean man, and his kind face reflected the gravity of the occasion. Sofia brought a small bouquet of wildflowers from the castle garden for Athena to hold.
With her other hand, Athena gripped Will's hand as if she could hold him back from the night. She whispered her vows, but Will's voice was surprisingly strong as he said his. ”'Till death do us part. . . .'”
When the time came for the ring, he said, ”Athena, take the signet right off my hand. It's all I have to offer.”
Tears stinging her eyes, she carefully worked it off the third finger of his left hand and let him slide it onto her finger. ” 'With this ring, I thee wed.'” She wanted to howl. Instead, she bent and touched her lips to his. ”I never thought I'd ever have a husband, Will, much less a man as splendid as you.”
He smiled up at her. ”And you have the advantage of not having to put up with my bad temper when I have to get up too early.”
Her tears threatened to overflow. ”Please don't joke. I can't bear it.”
He patted her hand. ”Sorry. Now that we're officially married, the rest of you can go away. I want to sleep with my wife.”
Sofia wordlessly kissed his cheek; Justin shook his hand; then they followed the priest out, leaving the newlyweds alone together. ”A good thing we antic.i.p.ated our vows, or you wouldn't have much in the way of memories,” Will observed.
This time Athena did cry. ”I'm sorry,” she said as she dabbed at her eyes. ”I never thought to be wedded and widowed within a day.”
”Better than not to be wedded at all.” He patted the bed beside him again. ”Let's not waste what time we have.”
She stretched out beside him and inched up against his side. ”Strange how even in these circ.u.mstances you bring me peace.”
”And you bring me joy,” he whispered. ”Sleep well, little owl.”
She didn't mean to sleep, but she was so exhausted that consciousness slipped away. She drifted off with her palm resting over his heart. The slow, steady beat was rea.s.suring. Still alive, still alive, still alive . . .
She awoke to find the sun had risen and Will was still alive. In fact, he was propped up on one elbow watching her. ”You sleep very charmingly,” he said.