The Duke's Alliance: A Soldier's Bride(21)

Perry raced back to the town and hammered on the door of Don Pablo. It was opened immediately by a serving maid. He ignored her and stepped in shouting for attention. Nobody got up early in Spain so he directed his yell up the stairs.

A few moments later the don appeared in his nightshirt with his hair unkempt. 'This had better be urgent, my lord, I do not take kindly to being disturbed so early in the morning.'

Once he had explained the urgency everything changed. 'I'll be with you in a moment, Perry, my son, I have a very bad feeling about this. She should have been back at first light as she never stays away so long that she worries her mother.'

'It's a damned nuisance the young men are already out as we could do with their help to search for her. Have there been reports of French activity nearby?'

'This is what my men have gone to investigate. The English army is moving forward and attempting to drive the enemy from our land as they did for the Portuguese. We are doing everything we can to assist. We have suffered enough over the past few years at the hands of those bastards and want our country back again.'

'I'll get our horses saddled. I have my pistol but I wish I had a sword.'

'Wait there, I can supply you with one. I shall be but a few minutes dressing, there is little point in you going ahead.'

Perry prowled around the entrance hall impatient to be off. Why was it that nothing happened for weeks and then everything changed? The priest would be here by lunchtime and they were supposed to be married soon after. His future mother-in-law was already in the process of arranging a second celebration. He had intended that he and Sofia would leave the following morning, hopefully with at least two or three of the fierce partisans if they had returned in time.

True to his word, Don Pablo clattered down the stairs a few minutes later. 'This way, my son, the armoury is at the rear of the house.'

He was handed a magnificent Toledo steel blade, the hilt beautifully engraved and the scabbard covered in emerald green leather. He held it reverently before buckling it around his waist.

'I thank you, sir, I shall take good care of it and return it in good order.'

'It is yours to keep, my wedding gift to you.'

Although his companion was twenty years his senior he appeared much younger and was able to move as fast as he was. Perry whistled for his horse and the animal cantered over.

'Now, that is a useful trick. I shall suggest that in future we train our animals to react in the same way.'

Marron was ready first but objected strenuously when he attempted to mount with his sword swinging at his waist. By the time he had calmed the beast and managed to scramble into the saddle the don was also mounted.

'It will be full light shortly, if anything untoward has taken place we need to have discovered it before then. Follow me, I know the route that she often takes on her dawn rides.'

They dodged and wove through the olives and the vines for what seemed like miles before eventually emerging onto a well-worn track.

'I am most concerned that we haven't seen any sign of her. I expected to find her injured somewhere with her horse beside her. This is where my land ends.' He pointed with his whip. 'If you continue in that direction it will eventually take you to the next town. In the other, if you travel far enough, you will come across the first of the villages the French have occupied and fortified.'

Perry stood in his stirrups and could see that the track divided a few hundred yards ahead in the direction that led to the French. 'Where does the other route go?'

'Eventually it will lead back to our town, but it climbs before it meanders in the right direction. I think we should investigate that before we try either of the other paths.'





Chapter Eight


Beau followed his guide for several miles and then he was looking down into a small valley between the foothills and saw the town. This was a relief as his shoulder was aching from being obliged to lead the spare horse. This place was bigger than he'd expected, more prosperous, and obviously hadn't been targeted by the French for some reason. Possibly this was because it wasn't on the direct route that the soldiers took and wasn't worth the effort.

As far as he knew the French army stole what they needed and from what he could see there was plenty of food available down there. He called out to the young man in front. 'I'm curious as to why the French have allowed you to prosper when they are constantly looking for supplies.'

Carlos reined in and swung round in his saddle. 'We are sufficiently far off the beaten track for them not to be aware of us. They have taken over or destroyed most of the villages an hour or so away but so far we've been lucky.' He smiled, his teeth white in his tanned face. 'It also helps that we have made sure we stay put when they are marching across the hills.'

'I assume there are several better tracks that they can use.'

'There are, sir, and the bulk of the Frenchies are now on the other side of the mountains, thank the good Lord for that. The next army that will pass will be yours and they don't strip the land but pay their way.'

There was smoke coming from several chimneys and he could hear goats bleating, dogs barking and children crying. The houses were stone built, looked sturdy, there was a small square with a well surrounded by the larger houses and then a second marketplace where the dwellings were less substantial.

Both the marketplace and the smaller square were dotted with people going about their business. He hoped Perry would be as delighted to see him… he winced inwardly. His younger sibling might never be able to actually see him. This was a tragedy for a young man who was so active, who had made his life in the military.