‘All we ask is the protection of your company until we reach England.’
‘England! Now, look …’
‘I have a married sister who lives in Hertfordshire. She will help us, only first we have to get there.’
‘I’m not going to England, Elena, not for months yet.’
‘Of course not. First we will help you to discover the truth about your brother. Then we will go.’
‘Elena, you must see that it isn’t possible.’
There it was again, the familiar use of her name, yet it didn’t seem in any way disrespectful on his lips. Rather it afforded a glimmer of hope.
‘I will not go back, my lord.’
‘I wasn’t suggesting that you should, but nor is it fitting that you should attempt such a journey.’
‘If you do not help us, then we shall go on alone and face what comes.’
‘It’s too dangerous. Quite apart from the vagaries of the weather and the numerous natural obstacles you are likely to encounter, the mountains are full of brigands.’
‘It would be less dangerous with four,’ she replied. ‘Concha and I both shoot well.’
Harry felt winded, as though he had fallen from a great height and then landed between a rock and a hard place. Desperately he tried to marshal his thoughts. Elena wouldn’t go back and he didn’t blame her for it, but neither could he let her go on alone. Every masculine instinct forbade it. Yet the implications of their going on together were fraught with difficulty too. No matter what she said to the contrary, he would be responsible for the two women. It was a burden of care he could do without. Besides, his track record in that area was abysmal. Had he not already failed the woman who had trusted him most? Had he not also failed the man who had been his best friend? Their trust in him had been misplaced and both were dead. His jaw tightened. If he abandoned Elena and Concha now he would be adding two more to that score because they would likely perish before they ever saw Seville, never mind England. Conscience dictated that he couldn’t let that happen.
‘All right. You travel with us, but it will be on the condition that you take orders from me.’
‘Of course.’
‘I mean it, Elena. All our lives may depend on it.’
She nodded. ‘Very well.’
‘You will take your turn to keep watch, gather wood for the fire and cook when necessary. You will also look after your own mounts. Is that understood?’
Her expression was the epitome of meekness. ‘Clearly, my lord.’
‘Good.’
‘I’ll help Concha unsaddle our horses, then.’ She turned away and then paused, glancing back over her shoulder. ‘Thank you. You won’t regret this, I swear it.’
Harry wished he could believe that.
As the two women led the horses away, Jack came to stand beside his master, regarding the scene quizzically.
‘They’re not leaving right way, then, my lord?’
‘They’re not leaving at all.’
Jack stared at him. ‘Does that mean what I think it does?’
‘Yes.’
‘Er, right.’
Harry’s eyes glinted. ‘You have some difficulty with that, perhaps?’
‘Oh, no, my lord, none at all.’
Chapter Five
Elena lay on her back looking up at the stars. For the first time in weeks she felt a real sense of optimism and contentment. She and Concha would get to England and they would have a future. Life was looking better than it had for a long time. They were going to have to tread warily around Lord Henry Montague for a while though. As she had hoped, he had done the gentlemanly thing. In that respect she had not mistaken her man. All the same it was clear that he wasn’t overjoyed about having two women along. No doubt he feared they would be a burden. He would learn the error of such thoughts in due course. She smiled to herself in the darkness.
Now that his face had imposed itself on her mind she was in no hurry to dismiss it. He was unlike any man she had ever met and he aroused her curiosity. Although he had told her a little about his home and his family there was so much more she would have liked to know. Was he married? Was there a wife waiting for him in England? It seemed likely. Such a man could have his pick of all the noble ladies in the land, but he did not seem to be a womaniser. His heart would not be easily won, but the woman who succeeded in doing that would have it for ever. She sighed. Once she had dreamed of something similar but the dream was ashes now. Her former betrothed might have had one of the oldest and most respected names in Spain but he had turned out to have feet of clay as well. With hindsight she suspected he could never have made her happy no matter how prestigious their marriage. Happiness now was not concerned with such things, only with reaching England and finding some pleasant spot where she might live in peace.
Harry leaned against a tree, listening, but apart from the gentle chirring of cicadas and the occasional rustling sound that betrayed a small animal in the grass, he heard nothing to disturb him. Having relieved Jack of the watch some time ago he could have expected a lengthy period of tedium. As it was he had plenty to occupy his mind. When he had set out for Spain he had anticipated difficulties, but nothing of this magnitude. All his concerns were centred on the past; never in a thousand years would he have imagined the advent of Elena Ruiz or the thoughts her presence would evoke. Since Badajoz his contact with women had been restricted to polite social intercourse and that by choice. All thoughts of romance were gone along with Belén. War lent intensity to love; since the future was uncertain there was always a sense of wanting to make the most of the present. At the same time was the hope that there would be a future, a home, a family. They’d made so many plans …
A twig snapped behind him, jerking him out of thought. He swung round, pointing the rifle in the direction of the sound. Then a familiar figure stepped out of the darkness.
‘Elena. What are you doing here?’
‘I have come to relieve you of the watch, of course.’
‘Oh.’ For a second or two he was completely taken aback. Then, as the recollection of their earlier conversation returned, he felt a twinge of guilt. Temporary consternation had caused him to speak rather more harshly than he’d intended. Besides, leaving a woman alone in open country in the middle of the night went right against the grain. ‘There’s no need.’
‘I think there is.’
‘We can discuss it tomorrow. You must be tired. You’ve had a long ride today.’
‘So have you,’ she replied. ‘Besides, we made an agreement, did we not?’
‘Well, yes, but …’
‘Then I think we should start as we mean to go on.’
For a moment he was silent, then reluctantly nodded. ‘Very well.’
‘Concha will take over from me later.’
In spite of himself he smiled. ‘You seem to be well organised.’
‘I have always found it helpful. Then everyone knows where they stand.’
‘Yes, quite.’ He paused. ‘I’ll leave you to it, then.’
‘Goodnight, my lord.’
He turned to go, then checked mid-stride. ‘Since we’re going to be spending a lot of time together we can dispense with formalities. My name is Harry.’
With that he left her. For a moment Elena stood staring after him,