Dennis Wheatley - The wanton princess

'But what happened later?' Roger asked quickly. 'How did Rockhurst and Jose come to die and you escape?'

'We had been on the island just on a year,' she replied, 'when the French frigate you found me in anchored off shore to water. A party of sailors from her came upon us. Little Jose had been taken with a fever and was lying in his own hut, so was helpless and must have died shortly after. Seeing me skinless and half-naked the sailors thought mc fair game for a rape. Rockhurst endeavoured to defend me but they were too many for him and he was struck down. Luckily for mc a young officer appeared at that moment and called his men to order. He took me aboard the ship and I told my story to Captain Fournier. The gallant Captain was much taken with me.'

'And then?' Roger prompted her.

Georgina giggled, 'Surely you can guess the rest. Although something of a martinet he is a handsome fellow, and after a few days at sea I made a bargain with him. I agreed to become his mistress if he would take me back to Europe. The frigate lay for some while at Port-au-Prince, then sailed down to Martinique, joined Admiral Villeneuve's fleet and recrossed the ocean.

'After the battle off Finisterre we put in to Vigo. I asked Jules Fournier to put mc ashore and give me sufficient money to journey down to Gibraltar, so that I could get back to England. But he had become quite besotted about me and behaved most ungenerously, declaring it to be his intention to keep me with him indefinitely. There have been occasions since when I could have escaped; but I dared not land penniless in a foreign port; and though I watched him like a hawk he was too clever to give me an opportunity to steal money from him.'

By this time they were approaching the 'Inca Queen', and even while listening to Georgina's story Roger had been giving half his mind to considering what it would be best to do in this most unexpected situation. Drawing Georgina into the shadow of an arch that led into the stable yard of the inn, he said quickly:

'Listen, my sweet. We are not yet out of the wood. Fournier will be coming ashore at any moment to hunt for us. If he finds us you may be certain he will force a duel upon me. I'm a good enough blade to back myself to get the better of him, but duels are tricky things and did he chance to wound me severely that would spell disaster for us both. For mc because I have information of the utmost importance that I must get to England; for you because you would be left stranded here without money or anyone to turn to. That we dare not risk, so we must get out of Cadiz as swiftly as we can.'

'Gibraltar is no great distance from here, is it?' Georgina said.

'Stap me!' Roger exclaimed as an idea suddenly came into his head. 'I have it. To Gibraltar you must go. Though I cannot.'

'But why?' she cried. 'Oh Roger, having found one another again must we part so soon?'

'Alas, beloved, I fear we must. I cannot go there because the place is besieged and the Spaniards would not let me through their lines. But they are chivalrous people and, unlike Napoleon, do not interfere with civilians from enemy countries caught in theirs by a war. You have only to tell some story to the Spanish officers at La Linea. Say that your husband is a merchant on the Rock and that when war was declared you were staying with friends in Madrid; that you have recently heard that he has met with a serious accident and wish to rejoin him. I am confident they will let you through.'

'But, Roger,' Georgina was in tears now. 'Since... since you cannot go to Gibraltar, I've no wish to go. We'll go to some other place. Anywhere as long as I can remain with you.'

'Hush, dear heart, hush,' he pleaded. 'Stop crying, I beg, and listen. In this we must think not of ourselves but of our country. It is of the utmost importance that I get a message to the Governor of Gibraltar as swiftly as possible. And you can take it for mc.'

He then told her of Napoleon's orders to Villeneuve to leave port and join Gantheaume's fleet from Brest which, unless Villeneuve could be intercepted, would make the French masters of the Channel.

Georgina realized at once how vital it was to get the information through and that by taking it to Gibraltar she could get it there perhaps as much as a week earlier than Roger could himself. So she dried her tears and made no further protest about being separated from him again so soon.

While they had been talking in the shadow of the arch several people had passed them, and back in the big yard of the inn a team of horses was being harnessed to a coach while it was loaded up. Glancing in that direction, Roger said:

'Wait here one moment, dearest, while I enquire of an ostler where that coach is bound for. It is most probably going to Seville, as that is the main road into central Spain; but he will be able to tell me the hour at which the one for Algeciras leaves in the morning, then we'll find some small inn at which Fournier is unlikely to enquire for us, and there pass the night.'

Two minutes later he returned to her and said huskily, 'My sweet Georgina, I've bad news for us; but good in that we'll not have to take the risk of Fournier running us to earth during the night and forcing a duel on me that might ruin everything. That vehicle about to start is the overnight dil­igence for Algeciras. And you must take it.'

'Oh, Roger! If I must, come with me.'

'Dearest, I dare not. I have to deliver my despatch to Villeneuve and it is already overdue. Besides, if you were seen in Algeciras with a French officer, since the French are the bitterest enemies of the English the Spaniards might sus­pect that I was an Englishman in a French uniform. It is, too, essential that you should play the part of a woman alone and in great distress on account of her injured husband.'

While he was speaking he had undone his tunic so that he could get at his money belt. From it he took a handful of Spanish gold pieces and gave them to Georgina. As she was stowing them away she said:

'Should the Spanish officers not after all prove as gallant as you expect and refuse to let me through, what am I to do?'

'I should have thought of that.' He paused a moment to consider, then went on. 'As soon as you have gone I shall set out for Jerez and pass what remains of tonight there. You should be across the frontier tomorrow, but we'll allow an extra day, and it is no more than a day's journey up from Algeciras to Jerez. Tomorrow is the 24th. Although it means still further delay in delivering my despatch I'll bide at the best inn in Jerez until the morning of the 27th. Should you not have joined me by then I'll take it as certain that you have got through to Gibraltar. And now, most beloved of all beloveds, you must leave me to get a place in the diligence.'

For a good three minutes they embraced while he kissed her eyes, her neck, her mouth and felt her tears wet on his cheeks; then she tore herself away and walked resolutely to­wards the coach. He remained under the arch until ten minutes later the diligence clattered past him.

Immediately it was out of sight he had his horse saddled, paid the livery and bait fee, and set off for Jerez. Just outside the city he passed the diligence at a canter but he did not give it a glance. He dared not, for fear that his resolution would break down and he would, after all, accompany her to Algeciras.

He reached Jerez soon after one o'clock in the morning, knocked up the inn and went to bed. For a long time he lay awake, his mind filled by the miracle that Georgina was alive and that sometime, somewhere, he would again hold her lovely naked body in his arms. Then he slept soundly until well on in the morning.

When he awoke the events of the previous evening flooded back to him, but he thought they could have been only a vivid dream. Then the strange room brought home to him that they could not have been. He really was in Jerez and Georgina alive and well and on her way to Gibraltar.