The Duke's Alliance: A Soldier's Bride(19)

Immediately a ripple of something he didn't recognise travelled through the group. They all dismounted and one man, presumably the leader, walked up to him smiling broadly. He replied in the same tongue. 'You are the Duke of Silchester? We have your brother, Lord Peregrine, living with us. It's God's will that we have met you in this extraordinary fashion. I am Carlos, son of Don Pablo, and leader of this band.'

Beau gripped the man's outstretched hand fiercely and then embraced him. His throat was thick, he blinked furiously to clear his eyes and sent up a prayer to the Almighty for granting him his dearest wish.

'I knew Perry wasn't dead. Is he badly injured?'

Carlos laughed, the sound echoing off the cliffs that surrounded them. 'He is healthy, sir, but blind. He doesn't know who he is and will be shocked to discover he's an aristocrat.'

'Then how did you know it is he that I was looking for?' As soon as he asked he knew the question to be ridiculous. There was hardly likely to be more than one Englishman wandering about the place.

'The one thing he did know was that his name was Perry – so mystery solved. What was it you wish to tell us?'

He quickly explained about the French. 'Your man hasn't returned and we didn't any see French on our patrol. Only God Almighty knows where they might be hiding.'

'If you would kindly direct me to your village, I should like to go there immediately and be reunited with my sibling.'

'I shall do better than that, I shall take you myself. My men will go in search of the missing company.' He gave his orders briskly and all but one of them remounted and rode off. The remaining partisan was to wait and bring the cavalry to join the others wherever they might be.

Beau was not a fighting man, although he would do so if the lives of any of his loved ones or himself was at stake. He rather thought he had disappointed Carlos by not insisting on going in search of the French and joining in the attack that would follow.

'Tell me exactly how my brother came to be with you.' He listened and at the end of the story he knew that he and his family would be forever indebted to this man and his family. He was intrigued by the mention of the English girl and her mother who were apparently living happily in their midst.

'Why have they not returned to England?'

'They have nothing to go back to. They prefer to make their life with us and they are now part of our town. The Se?ora Appleby is to marry my father, Don Pablo.' He hesitated and when he spoke again there was sadness in his voice. 'I had hoped to marry Sofia, but she has set her sights on your brother and has no time for me.'

This was not good news. For Perry to have become entangled with someone who might be totally unsuitable could be a problem – but he was sure the matter could be smoothed over if sufficient money was involved.

*

Sofia scarcely knew what she had eaten that night, but all of it was delicious. She had drifted, always with Perry at her side, from one group to the next and everyone had congratulated her and wished her well.

He insisted on walking her home although she was quite capable of completing the journey without his assistance. She rather feared this was his nature, that by marrying him she would spend the rest of her life being taken care of, protected from the slightest injury, and not allowed to make decisions for herself.

'Perry, this is happening too fast. It's entirely my fault but could I ask you if we could postpone our nuptials for a while until we have had time to adjust to the new circumstances?'

'Absolutely not. You could be carrying my child – we shall be married at the earliest possible opportunity and I'll brook no disagreement on this matter.'

They had now reached her front door. 'Then I must just pray our priest does not arrive for several weeks as by then it will be clear if I am in the family way. If I am not then there is no necessity for us to marry at all. Good night, my lord.'

She skipped inside before he could react to her inflammatory statement and quickly slid the bolt across so he could not barge his way in. She stood quivering behind the door waiting for his assault. To her chagrin she could definitely hear him whistling as he walked away.

He was infuriating but she wouldn't be coerced into becoming his wife unless she chose to marry him. She unbolted the door as her mother would have to come in at some point, and turned to dash up the stairs forgetting she was wearing a gown. Her foot went through the hem and she stumbled to her knees. She turned the air blue with her language.

'Sofia Appleby, do not use such words in this house. In fact, my girl, do not use them at all. I can assure you that your future husband will not tolerate such behaviour.'

Her mother had come in and overheard her tirade. Sofia carefully extracted her slipper from the rent in her pretty gown and pushed herself upright. 'I apologise, Mama, as you see I have ruined this dress.'

'It's not spoilt, I can repair it easily enough. It will be dawn in an hour or two so we had better retire and try and get some sleep.'

She couldn't sleep, she tossed and turned and eventually abandoned the attempt. She quickly dressed in her usual masculine garments and quietly let herself out into the square. Perry's house was in darkness, he was having no difficulty sleeping.

There was sufficient light for her to find her way to the coral and call for her gelding. She didn't bother to tack him up, she often rode him bareback and without even a halter to guide him. They were cantering across the vineyard when a grey shape arrived at her side.