The Soldier's Rebel Lover

‘I wasn’t being serious about you coming with me,’ Isabella said, who had actually never been more serious in her whole life. ‘The Duke of Wellington might very well be persuaded that El Fantasma has been killed, since it is what he fervently hopes to hear, but his Jock Upstart leads a charmed life. He would know it was a ruse if you did not return.’

‘Aye, like as not.’ Finlay tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, and kissed her forehead. ‘I’m sorry. This morning I was a bear with a sore heid, and now I’m having a fit of the blue devils. You’ll be glad to see the back of me.’

‘Aye,’ she said, ‘like as not.’

He was forced to laugh. ‘I’m thinking, once we leave Vitoria, it will be a hard and dangerous push to the coast. The boat will be waiting on standby at San Sebastian. She’s a fishing boat. The captain is one of Jack’s connections. A fine sailor, he assures me. He’ll take you on to Lisbon, where you’ll pick up a cargo ship bound for the New World. I’m afraid I don’t know the detail—that has been left in the hands of the fisherman. You can trust him with your life, Jack says...’

‘Finlay, you need not worry about me. I am perfectly capable of looking after myself. Trust me.’

‘I do. I have every faith in you. But I wish...’

‘No.’ Isabella put her finger to his lips. ‘Wheesht, now,’ she said. ‘You have saved my life. You have given me the chance of another life. That is a priceless gift, Finlay. I promise you, I will make the most of it in return.’

‘I know you will.’

‘So let us have no more of it.’ She looked up at the lowering sky. ‘It’s going to rain. We should think about finding somewhere to camp for the night.’

‘We’ll not be camping rough. Tonight you’ll have the bath and the feather bed I promised you.’ He shook his head when she made to protest. ‘It’s the last chance you’ll get for quite some time. Like I said, the authorities are likely to be hot on our tail all the way to the coast.’

‘Then they are likely to be here, in Vitoria, Finlay.’

He smiled at her. ‘One advantage I have, of having been in this place before, is that I made a few trustworthy acquaintances, and one of them just happens to be an innkeeper. You shall have a hot bath and a comfortable bed, and you shall be quite safe.’

‘Will you share it with me?’

He raised a quizzical brow. ‘The bath?’

‘I meant the bed, but you are welcome to share both. More than welcome. Very much more. It will be our last chance. I would like...’

‘Yes.’ He caught her in a tight embrace. ‘Yes. I would like that. More than like that. Very much more.’

* * *

Alesander Gebara, proprietor of the Hosteria Vasca, greeted Finlay like a long-lost brother, and seemed not at all surprised when informed of the need for discretion. ‘They are looking for an Englishman, the soldiers. You,’ he said, poking Finlay playfully in the chest, ‘are Scottish. So when they come again tonight, I can say no, no, I have seen no English. But it will be best, I think, if I serve you dinner in the privacy of your chamber.’

The inn was ancient, a veritable warren of narrow corridors and rickety staircases, but it had a charm all of its own. The bedchamber Señor Gebara ushered them into was low ceilinged, the heavy, dark oak exposed beams ran at odd angles and a massive stone fireplace dominated one wall, while an imposing tester bed took up most of the floor space, leaving room only for a small table and two chairs set in the window embrasure, and a chest of drawers tucked into a corner.

The innkeeper set about a flurry of activity, summoning a chambermaid to air the bed and set the fire. Another maid was put in charge of the bathing arrangements while Señor Gebara himself brought refreshments from the taproom. ‘The finest Rioja in the region,’ he said, pouring a glass for each of them.

Isabella took a sip and smilingly informed her host that it was indeed the best she had ever tasted, but she could not help thinking of her brother as she did so. Xavier would be safe as long as the Spanish soldiers were searching for her, but when they were forced to admit defeat, what then? Would the influence her brother wielded really be sufficient to keep him safe from harm?

She would never know. The knowledge gave her a sickening jolt. She would never know. A mixture of panic and fear made her feel faint. She couldn’t do this. She had thought herself so strong; she had prided herself on her courage and her daring. What a fool she had been. She was absolutely terrified. She couldn’t do this. She simply couldn’t.

A warm hand slid around her waist, pulling her up against a strong, solid body. Finlay’s smile was warm, too, his sea-blue eyes reassuring. He believed in her. When she had told him how worried she was about letting him down, he’d said she could not. The mist of her panic began to recede. She wouldn’t let him down. She would never let him down. Isabella smiled back. Finlay settled her more firmly against him, and returned to his conversation with Señor Gebara.