Page 18 of The Rogue’s Embrace
Three days later
Off the coast of France
The yacht, which was poetically named Night Wind, was well provisioned. After Maria and Lisandro had enjoyed a supper of French cheese and bread, the captain brought them a bottle of burgundy and two tankards.
"The weather is fine tonight, so we could take these up on deck and enjoy watching the sun as it sets,"
said Lisandro.
Maria smiled. "Yes, that would be lovely."
She found herself smiling at him far too easily. Within the first day of their departure from England, they had settled into a comfortable, familiar routine.
During the day, if the sun was shining, they would sit up on the weather deck, talking to various members of the crew and, when he was not busy, the ship's captain. Maria still privately grinned at the memory of the man's face blushing bright red when she made mention of the yacht's usual purpose for sailing to the continent. Anyone would think the captain had been completely oblivious to the fact that Gus used his private vessel for smuggling contraband into England.
Maria stopped as she reached the top of the ladder and took in a deep breath. The sea air was salty and invigorating.
Being below was warmer, but it still made her uncomfortable. She doubted she would ever get used to the low roof and closed in space. Her tiny cabin was the worst.
On the deck, Lisandro had a quick word with one of the yacht's crew and they both grinned. He gave the man a friendly pat on the back. The sailor tipped his hat to Maria before moving away to carry on with his work.
Lisandro was so easy with people of all rank. The cheerful way he dealt with the crew added to her already well-formed opinion that Lisandro de Aguirre was indeed a noble man. When the exact moment had occurred in which she stopped thinking of him as being a villain and came to view him as an honorable, decent person, Maria couldn't recall. Every day she found herself liking him more and more.
The gentle affection she felt for him was growing, blossoming into something else. She treasured these moments, not wanting to think about the time when this would all come to an end.
A slightly sheepish Lisandro ushered her toward the rear of the yacht to the private spot which they had claimed over the past few days. It was behind several large crates and was one of the rare places on the deck where they could shelter out of the wind.
His skillful fingers soon had the cork out the bottle, and with Maria taking up her assigned role of cup holder, Lisandro poured them both a generous amount of wine. Resting the bottle between his legs, he raised his drink to her. Maria followed suit.
"A tu salud,"
they said in unison.
The first gulp of wine hit the back of her throat and she coughed. Lisandro reached out and rubbed his hand over her back.
We are so comfortable with one another. Like peas in a pod.
She didn't want to consider what lay ahead for them in Spain, but she knew the time would soon come when they would be forced to face the reality of their respective lives. Of the fact that Lisandro would eventually have to return her to her family.
He frowned at her. "Why the long face?"
She pointed her cup toward the land, which sat far off the portside. "France will eventually become Spain. This journey will soon be over. I am wondering what the coming days will bring."
He brushed his hand on her cheek. "Do not be afraid, Do?a Maria. I have sworn to protect you and that is what I will do."
"Will you tell me of your plans? I mean for how we are to make it safely from Bilbao to Tolosa. It is a long way by road,"
she replied.
He took a sip of his wine and stared out to sea for a moment. Maria valued the fact that Lisandro often took the time to consider a response to a difficult question. He could be impetuous in the right moment but never flippant.
"If we make it into port any later than first thing, I plan for us to stay overnight in an inn. I need to go and speak with the head priest at Santiago Cathedral. He may be able to shed some light on the people behind your kidnapping. Then, the following morning, I will hire a coach for us, and we can leave. It is not ideal, but I want to talk to the priest,"
he replied.
"Do you think people will be waiting for us in port? I mean, news of my escape will reach Spain eventually, but we must have some time on our side,"
she replied.
"Assuming there were other people involved in London, of which all our RR Coaching Company friends seemed certain, then we are probably at best a day or two ahead of anyone who might have in mind to sail after us to Spain. Where those people might make land is anyone's guess. We will need to keep you hidden as best as possible."
She had asked him to be honest with her about the risks and dangers. Now, she wasn't so sure she really wanted to know.
I just wish I could close my eyes and when I opened them again, I would be back in Villabona and this would all have been a long nightmare. But that would mean never getting to know Lisandro. I couldn't ever wish to lose those memories.
Taking Maria's hand in his, Lisandro shifted and turned to face her. "What is this really about, Maria? You know you can trust me."
I don't want our time together to end.
Maria shrugged, unwilling to give voice to her private thoughts. She put her cup of wine to her lips and took a long, deep drink. Hopefully the alcohol would soon have its usual effect and dull her senses. "I'm sorry. I am just unsettled at this time of night. Sleeping below is always a test of my nerves."
Lisandro studied her for the longest time before finally turning away. The expression on his face told Maria everything she needed to know about what he really thought of her last comment. He didn't believe her in the slightest.
She paused, summoning up her courage. "No, that is not all. I just find myself valuing these moments when we are together."
When their gazes met once more, there was a sparkle in Lisandro's eyes. The soft, playful smile on his lips had her heart skipping a beat. "I like spending time with you, Maria. I like it very much."
"But you barely know me,"
she replied.
He nodded. "Then tell me more about yourself. For instance, what was happening in your life just before you were kidnapped? Diego mentioned the Count of Bera."
Maria sighed; she had done her best not to think about the arranged marriage her father had been trying to negotiate with the Count. It was an odd thing for Lisandro to bring up, but it sparked hope in her heart. Lisandro had been thinking about her and who she was going to marry.
"When we were in Zarautz, my father and Don Delgado Grandes were in discussion about a possible betrothal between him and me. That's where they were when I went for my ill-fated walk on the beach."
"And are you looking forward to this union? I mean, Don Delgado is someone with influence in Spain. He is a close confidante of King Ferdinand. I expect that in the years to come he will become a powerful man,"
he replied.
I don't want to marry for power. I want to marry for love.
"I am not particularly interested in marrying Don Delgado. To my mind, he is a lesser man than my father . . . and yourself. You are both concerned with your estates and your people, while he seems only motivated by money and influence," she said.
The longer the negotiations over the betrothal dragged on, the happier she was. The Count of Bera's stipulations for Maria's dowry were outrageous—almost tantamount to what the kidnappers had asked for in their demands for her release.
Her father might wish his daughter to marry well, but he would most certainly not bankrupt himself in the process.
Especially now that he has already paid a goodly sum of money to see me released, only to have it fail.
"So, what will happen when you return home to Castle Villabona? Do you think the marriage will go ahead?" he asked.
If she had not been stolen away from her family and country, then perhaps in time Maria might have reconciled herself to a life of being the Countess of Bera. But the past six or so weeks had changed the way she viewed many things and what she wanted for her future.
If there was a chance that she and Lisandro might be together; if she could win his heart, she would take it.
"Considering that the betrothal negotiations have been going on for months with no sign of agreement in sight, I think the chances of me ever marrying Don Delgado are now slim,"
she replied.
"And if your father continues to remain out of favor with the king, I expect you will soon become less of an attractive prospect in the Count's mind," he said.
Maria narrowed her eyes at him. No woman liked to be told she wasn't attractive, no matter the context under which it was noted. Lisandro had the good grace, or sense, to flinch.
"I don't mean you are unattractive, Maria—far from it. You are a stunningly beautiful woman. Why else would I have tried to make your acquaintance at the wedding celebrations?"
She let him stew in his discomfort for just a moment before offering a forgiving nod.
"Could Don Delgado possibly have been behind the kidnapping? He was dragging the betrothal negotiations out."
If he was seeking to curry favor with the king, punishing the Duke of Villabona might be a good way.
"No. Don Delgado is not that sort of man. He would think such a thing beneath him. I do, however, think that hurting your family was the reason for your abduction. If you disappear, then it serves as a potent warning to others who may seek to take a stand against King Ferdinand,"
he replied.
Lisandro had promised to speak about her father once they were on the boat. Maria was keen to know what information he had in his possession. "Why has the king shut the door on my father?"
A long and uncomfortable silence followed.
"Maria, we are still not safe; and I won't tell you all that I know just in case you fall into the hands of men who might seek to interrogate you. What I can say is that your father has been working with others to restore the constitution that Ferdinand rejected and took away when he came back to power. The king doesn't wish to publicly denounce him for fear of stoking the fires of resistance."
"Which is why he seeks to strike at his enemies through surreptitious means, such as having their daughters abducted,"
she replied.
Unmasking the people who had stolen her was the only way to show the king that he couldn't strike out at his subjects with impunity and not run the risk of it coming back to hurt him.
"Men such as the Count of Bera will seek to step into the void created by your father's removal from the royal court."
Perhaps that's the real reason why Juan Delgado Grandes was dragging his heels at settling on the terms of our betrothal.
"I expect when I get home all discussions about me becoming the Countess of Bera will be off the table. Not only am I now the daughter of a man in royal disgrace, but Juan Delgado won't want to marry me after I have spent so many weeks away from home in the company of other men," she said.
Their gazes met. In the fading light, his dark brown eyes took on the appearance of two pools of inky blackness. Yet behind them she could still see the warmth of this man. And his honesty. He smiled at her and murmured, "I cannot begin to tell you how much it pleases me that you won't be marrying Don Delgado."