Once A Soldier Part 17

As Athena applied brandy along the knife slash, Justin jerked before forcing himself to calm. "Can I have some of Sofi's brandy?" he asked in a strained voice.

"You're a brandy sn.o.b," Will said as he opened the Alcantara flask and carefully poured a small amount into Justin's mouth.

Justin swallowed. "It's my job. Just like yours is remaining vigilant as you're doing now." He took the flask from Will's hand and sipped more.

Athena realized that Justin was right. Though Will was relaxed enough to banter, at the same time he was keeping sharp watch on everything around them.

As she finished bandaging Justin's chest and spread a blanket over him, she asked, "Will, do you know how many attackers there were? Were they all wearing French uniforms? If so, don't they know the war is over?"

"All the men I saw wore shabby, battle-worn uniforms. My guess is that not everyone in the army wanted to surrender, so this lot turned to banditry," he said with a frown. "As to how many, there are five dead men that I know of, but I found six saddled horses back along the track and I see that you collected a French rifle. What happened?"

"One came after me when I took cover behind that boulder," she said. "My gun was empty, so I bashed him with the stock. He went down hard, but I don't think I killed him." She hoped to G.o.d that she hadn't. Shooting Sofia's captor was more than enough death dealing for one day. "I'm sorry, I forgot all about the fellow."

"I hope he didn't wake up and run off. It's time we got some answers." Will rose and went in the direction indicated, returning a few moments later hauling Athena's victim with a strong grip under the fellow's arms.

The French soldier was groaning and starting to move. Will propped him against a boulder in a sitting position, then tied his wrists with a handkerchief. He was skinny and underfed, more boy than man. Athena gave silent thanks that he was still alive.

In fluent French, Will asked, "Who are you and why are you in San Gabriel?"

The boy groaned again and didn't answer. Across the clearing, Sofia rose and claimed the basin, scooped it full of cold spring water, then dumped it over the French soldier's head. As he sputtered and swore and thrashed about, Sofia withdrew and watched him with narrowed falcon eyes.

Will gave Sofia an approving nod. "Now that we have your attention, I ask again. Who are you and what brought you to this remote area to attack innocent people?"

The Frenchman stared at Will hopelessly. "Why should I talk? You will kill me anyhow."

"Not necessarily," Will said calmly. "Let us begin with names. I'm Major Will Masterson. And you are . . ." When the Frenchman hesitated, Will asked, "What harm can it do to tell me your name?"

Reluctantly the boy said, "Jean Marie Paget."

"Thank you. Your uniform has the markings of a corporal. Is that accurate?"

"I was to be made a sergeant after . . ."

When Jean Marie stopped, Will asked, "After what? I have a powerful desire to find out why French soldiers are so far from home. Or do you no longer consider yourself a soldier of France?"

"Always!" the corporal spat out.

"Even though your emperor has abdicated and disbanded his forces?"

"Why should soldiers accept the command of a leader who has surrendered? One who sent countless Frenchmen to death and then made a cowardly escape to safety. A true emperor would have died first!" The words sounded like the boy was quoting someone else.

Will's intuition sharpened. "So because he was angry at Bonaparte, your commander decided to turn his men into bandits."

"Not bandits!" the corporal said hotly. "The general has a plan. The valley of San Gabriel has only a weak, helpless princess as heir with no man to care for her. The general will marry the princess and give the valley the strong leadership it needs. All of us who have loyally supported him will receive land and women. I can be a man of consequence as I never could have been if I had stayed in Bordeaux!"

As Sofia gasped, Will said acidly, "How very generous of the general. Did it not occur to him that the Gabrilenos have plans of their own?"

"Half the women in the valley are widows from the wars," Jean Marie retorted. "They will welcome having real men in their beds and a strong leader on the throne. Once General Baudin marries the princess, all will be legal. Even she will surely welcome a real man to care for her and her country."

The name Baudin electrified the clearing. The Frenchman's plan made d.a.m.nable sense, Will realized. Baudin had seen this safe, remote valley and recognized that it would make a good retreat if and when Napoleon surrendered. By removing the king and hereditary prince and leaving San Gabriel in the stewardship of an ailing old man, he'd left the country ripe for conquest. If Baudin married Sofia, no other country would bother to interfere, not when all were busy binding the wounds of war.

Eyes raging, Sofia joined Will and stared down at the French soldier. "The royal princess of San Gabriel will never welcome a swine like Baudin into her bed," she spat out. "If he tries to force her, she'll slit his throat. I guarantee it!"

Chapter 25.

Jean Marie stared, entranced by Sofia's glossy dark hair and exquisite features. "The general said the princess is just a weak, silly young girl," he said uncertainly. "He told us she will welcome his strength."

"I am Her Royal Highness Princess Sofia del Rosario de Alcantara," she said in a steely voice. "If your general tries to lay a hand on me, I will cut it off. He devastated my land once before. I will not allow that to happen again!"

"You can't be the princess!" the Frenchman gasped.

"Because I am not weak and helpless?" She smiled sweetly. "I was once, but that is no longer true. Your general is responsible for turning me from a b.u.t.terfly into a lioness. And we lionesses protect and defend what is ours."

"He said that the princess lives in a great palace in the valley," the boy faltered. "And . . . and princesses wear crowns!"

"I have several tiaras, and at my coronation, I will wear the royal crown of San Gabriel. My people managed to hide the crown jewels from your general when he invaded my country last year." Her brows arched delicately. "Normally, I live in the Castelo Blanco, but now my advisors and I are studying ways to strengthen my land."

Jean Marie's eyes widened with horror as he realized that he and his fellow soldiers had attacked the royal princess and her advisors, and whoever commanded the French party had wanted to make her a camp wh.o.r.e. "N-no insult was meant, your highness," he stammered. "General Baudin has the greatest respect and care for you. He would never want a hair on your head harmed."

"Then he should not have sent murderous scouting parties to my country. That is what you are, yes? Scouts?" When he nodded, she commanded, "Tell me your general's plans for invasion."

White-faced, the corporal said, "I have already said too much."

Having watched Sofia with pure pleasure, Will said in a voice of command, "On the contrary, you have said too little. How far behind you is General Baudin? How many men does he have?"

Jean Marie swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. He stared at Sofia with hopeless worship, but his conflicting loyalty to his general was obvious.

Changing her tactics, Sofia laid a gentle hand on his arm. "Corporal Jean Marie Paget. Your parents gave you the middle name Marie to invoke the special blessing of the Virgin Mother, yes?"

When he nodded weakly, she continued, "San Gabriel is a land where the Blessed Mother is honored. Your General Baudin ravished my country last summer. He stole the sacred, beloved statue of the Queen of Heaven. Were you part of that a.s.sault?"

He shook his head. "His brigade suffered many casualties and I was sent as a replacement after he rejoined the main army. Men who had been in San Gabriel told me what a pleasant place it was, how much they had enjoyed visiting. They said the country was ours for the taking."

"Visiting! I'm sure they liked that we could offer no resistance and we had plenty of food to steal," Sofia snapped, unable to keep anger from her voice. "Did they tell you of the death and destruction they brought? The innocent Gabrilenos who were killed? The burning of the vines and fields and homes? Why in the name of all that's holy would they think they would be welcomed back?"

He shrank back from her fury. "The men who had come through the valley made it sound like paradise. They said we would be greeted happily. We . . . I . . . wanted that. My family is dead, so I have nothing to return to in France. If you released me so I could go home, I'd be butchered by Spaniards who hate all Frenchmen." He closed his eyes, saying bleakly, "Nothing. I have nothing. No life, no hope. Go ahead and kill me now as payment for the sins of my comrades! A British officer will surely kill more quickly than a Spanish guerilla."

Yes, very young, Will thought. And melodramatic with it. While he considered what approach to take, Sofia ordered, "Corporal Jean Marie Paget! Look at me!"

When the young man's eyes opened, she caught his gaze and said, "If you will give San Gabriel your loyalty, you can indeed have a life here, but only as yourself, not as part of a conquering army. You will have your freedom and I will find you work on the Alcantara estates. In time, you may win a wife and have a home and family of your own. In return, you will swear allegiance and tell us what you know about Baudin's planned invasion."

When he hesitated, Athena approached with a tumbler of wine and the last two toasted ham-and-cheese sandwiches she'd made earlier. "Will, untie his hands so he can eat while he considers, because this is a great decision that will determine his life. You won't try to hurt anyone, will you, Corporal Paget?"

"No, ma'am," he said meekly. "Not when you've been so kind to me."

Will sat back on his heels and watched in amus.e.m.e.nt. He had been prepared to do whatever was necessary to get vital information from the prisoner, but he much preferred the charm offensive of Sofia and Athena.

Paget was clearly as dazzled by Athena as by Sofia, though in a different way. The young man almost inhaled the first sandwich. Even cold, it was probably the best meal he'd had in weeks.

Then he took a swallow of wine. After a startled moment, he took a second swallow. "Your wine is very fine, Princess! As fine as the Bordeaux wines of my home, but with its own soul."

"Indeed it is fine," Sofia said. "We are developing a means to transport our wines to Porto and then to Britain and beyond. When that happens, new lands higher in the valley will be cultivated. Men who know how to make good wine and work hard may become owners of their own vineyards."

"That could happen to me?" Jean Marie whispered.

"It might," Sofia said judiciously. "As heiress to the throne, I swear you will have opportunities to better yourself. But only if you pledge fealty to San Gabriel with a whole heart. And then work very hard. These are the same opportunities native-born Gabrilenos have."

His resistance collapsed. "Forgive me for my sins against your country, Princess," he whispered as he made the sign of the cross over his heart. "I swear loyalty to San Gabriel and to you. I will help you in any way I can."

Now that Sofia had won the young man's heart and soul, it was time for more military matters. "How many men does General Baudin command?" Will asked. "How well armed are they? Do you have field artillery?"

Jean Marie frowned. "Less than a battalion. Between five and six hundred men. General Baudin commanded a full brigade, but the casualties were heavy at Toulouse, and when he decided to head west to San Gabriel, he had to move out very quickly and he could not wait for more men to join him."

He paused to bite into the second sandwich. This time he ate more slowly, savoring the smoky taste of the cheese and ham and the crunch of the toasted bread. "All the troops are armed with rifles and there is a good supply of ammunition, but the field artillery pieces were lost fording a river in Spain."

That was a definite plus. Will asked, "When does Baudin plan to invade?"

"In . . ." The corporal paused to calculate. "Five days. At dawn on Sunday because the general thinks the Gabrilenos will be at church and easily caught unaware."

Every fiber in Will's body tensed. Five days until the arrival of the doom he'd been sensing. "How does he plan to enter the country? The main road from Spain?"

"Yes, we scouted the mountain pa.s.ses and that is the only route that will allow us-him-to march in fast enough to take the country by surprise."

Will had come that route himself. His mind spinning with possibilities, he said, "It's time for a council of war. Corporal Paget, I do not wish to suggest that I don't trust your solemn oath. But you need time to adjust to becoming a Gabrileno. I will not ask you to fight against your comrades."

Jean Marie breathed a sigh of relief. "I thank you for that. My loyalty is now to San Gabriel, but I do not want to shoot at men who were friends."

Will glanced at Sofia. "a.s.suming her royal highness agrees, you are no longer a prisoner. You may leave if you wish, but you'll go without your horse, your rifle, or any other weapons."

"I agree," Sofia said firmly. "If you stay, it must be of your own will, Corporal."

The young man grimaced. "The Portuguese are no fonder of the French than the Spanish are. San Gabriel is my best chance for life. I will not betray my vows to you."

A sensible young man, Will thought. He guessed that in six months, Jean Marie would be fluent in the Gabrileno dialect. He was also good-looking, or he would be when he wasn't all bones. When the time came, he should have no trouble finding a wife and creating the home he longed for.

"While we discuss our plans," Will continued, "scout around the area to see if you can find a place that can be easily used to bury your fellow soldiers. I don't want to leave their bodies to be eaten by wild beasts, but neither have I time for digging graves. Find something suitable for their final resting place."

Jean Marie looked stricken. "You alone killed all the others?"

Will glanced at Athena. "I had help. I'm sorry if they were your friends, but they attacked us without warning and sought to kill us out of hand. Except for the princess, whom your leader wished to capture and . . . dishonor." Will gestured to where Justin was resting a few feet away. "My friend was injured saving her."

Jean Marie paled. "I was circling your camp and did not hear that. The lieutenant who commanded our squad was a . . . a coa.r.s.e man."

"Justice was visited on him and the others," Sofia said coolly. "As children of G.o.d they deserve a proper burial, but I will shed no tears for them."

"You are generous not to leave their bones for wolves to gnaw on." The corporal stood. "I will find a decent burial place. With your permission?"

Will nodded and the Frenchman left the clearing, his face determined. Sofia asked quietly, "Do you think he will return?"

Athena said, "Yes, with nowhere else to go and on his own and without a horse or weapons, he'd never survive the trip across Spain to France. It was wise of you to offer him new hope, Sofi. You turned him from an enemy into an ally."

"I did not want to see him executed, and we needed that information," Sofia said practically. "But Holy Mother of G.o.d, Will! What can we do against hundreds of well-trained and well-armed enemies? Our militias are small, we haven't enough firearms, and we have only a handful of seasoned soldiers."

"Since we know the when and where of their invasion, we'll ambush them," Will replied. "I came over the mountains on the road from Spain, and there is a sizable stretch of sunken road at the crest of the route into San Gabriel."

Seizing on the idea with relief, Sofia said, "That sounds like an excellent plan! Will, may I appoint you commander in chief of San Gabriel's military forces? I can make you a general if you like. Or a field marshal-that's an even higher rank, isn't it?"

Will smiled a little. "I never had the ambition to be a general, but I will accept the temporary appointment of commander in chief, since I'm best qualified. I'd like to make Gilberto Oliviera and Tom Murphy brevet captains, since they're both experienced and very capable."

"Do as you think best, Will." Sofia smiled ruefully. "My contribution to the defense of San Gabriel will be prayers. First to give thanks that you're here and willing to help, and then even more fervent prayers for victory."

"What are the chances of success?" Athena asked quietly. "We have at best half the men and less than half the weapons, and only the veterans you led back from Toulouse have faced combat."

Will hesitated, not liking what he had to say, but Sofia and Athena needed to know the truth. "The odds may be about even." At best.

Sofia asked hopefully, "Might Colonel da Silva and the rest of the Gabrileno army return by then?"

"It's not impossible," Will replied. "But they must march the full width of Spain with men recovering from wounds. I don't know how much they'll be slowed down."

Sofia raised her chin. "I shall pray for their swift journey home, and I'll remember Will's instructions on the best way to knife a man in case Baudin tries to bed me."

"It won't come to that, Sofi," Athena said. "You are the golden prize that would legitimize Baudin's conquest. If he gets close, you'll be out of the castle by tunnel and hidden safely away in a cave." She laughed a little. "All the work that was done to clear the wine caves! We did it too soon."

"Speaking of swift pa.s.sages home," Will said, "will Justin be in any shape to ride hard back to Castelo Blanco tomorrow?"

Before Athena could answer, Justin replied in a thready voice, "He will. Tie me to the d.a.m.ned horse if you must. There is no time to waste. If I bleed, I bleed."

"We'll ride as fast as we can without actually killing you," Will promised. "San Gabriel needs you alive for shipping Gabrileno wine."

Sofia winced, but Justin gave a laugh that turned into a cough. "I've always liked your common sense, Will," he managed when he regained his breath. "But don't make me laugh again! It hurts."

With her brow furrowed, Sofia suggested, "Perhaps you should ride ahead, Will, since you're vital for San Gabriel's defense. The rest of us can follow at a slower pace."

He shook his head. "We travel together. None of us can be spared, and as we found out today, this country is more dangerous than we thought."

To his relief, no one argued the point. He'd had quite enough combat for one day.

Chapter 26.