Dennis Wheatley - Vendetta in Spain

Her relief and delight at his safe return were unbounded. They had been separated for a week so in the hours that followed the ardour of their passion for one another reached new heights and, since between their embraces de Richleau had to tell her the long story of his doings in Barcelona, they did not sleep a wink.

Next morning the Duke waited on Don Alfonso and was received most kindly by him. After the King had listened to his report, he said that all the parties of the Left would make so much capital out of Ferrer's execution that a very difficult time lay ahead. But he fully agreed that they had done the right thing; adding that if the people desired reforms they must bring them about in a constitutional manner, and that in the meantime it was the duty of the Government to protect the innocent from violence by criminal fanatics such as Ferrer.

That night de Richleau rode out to the villa again. Once more the two lovers took their joy of one another, but their transports of the preceding night had taken toll even of their seemingly insatiable desire, and during it they had hardly closed their eyes. In consequence, as they had often done before, at about three o'clock in the morning, clasped in each other's arms, they first fell into a blissful doze, then slept.

With a soldier's trained ability to wake at any hour, a little before dawn the Duke opened his eyes, freed himself from Gulia's embrace and sat up. He had just lit the bedside lamp so that he could see to dress, when he heard the sound of someone coming up the ladder. Next moment a cloaked figure scrambled in through the window.

As de Richleau stared in that direction it flashed into his mind that, naked as he was, he was at a considerable disadvantage in tackling a burglar. But at that moment the intruder turned towards the bed and the light from the lamp shone full on his face.

The Duke drew a sharp breath. For a few seconds he thought he must be seeing a ghost. But it was no wraith from the dead that stood scowling at him. It was a man of flesh and blood; and he was Gulia's husband, Jos6 de Cordoba.

23

Sunrise in the Bay

During the course of his thirty-odd years de Richleau had found himself in many dangerous situations and a certain number of embarrassing ones, but none more embarrassing than the present. Occasional contretemps with the husbands of lovely ladies were the hazards which had to be accepted by a virile man who had spent nearly all his life as a bachelor and was so fastidious in his choice of mistresses that he had never kept a demi-mondaine. But never before had he been caught naked in bed with a woman; much less the wife of a friend whom he had believed to be dead.

Temporarily bereft of speech, he stared at the stalwart, bearded figure. Then, finding his tongue, he exclaimed, 'I thought. . .'

T can very well guess what you thought,' de Cordoba burst out, his face convulsed with rage. 'You thought that I was not returning from South America until the end of October. You would have been right, and free to continue to practise your vile treachery, but for the threat to the peseta brought about by the war in Morocco. Ruiz cabled me three weeks ago asking me to return and resume control here. I was three hundred miles up the Amazon when his cable reached me, but I started for home at once.'

As the Conde paused for breath de Richleau began again. 'But I thought . . .' then he checked himself. It had suddenly dawned upon him that if Ruiz had sent that cable towards the end of August he could not possibly have received news at the beginning of the month that his brother was dead. Therefore Gulia had lied. She must have invented the whole story about her husband's death.

Turning his head he shot a swift glance at her. She was sitting up in bed beside him, with the top of the sheet held up in front of her to hide her superb breasts. Her long Titian gold hair hung about her in disorder, her big eyes were wide and shining, her breath was coming fast; but on her beautiful face there was an expression of defiance as she looked straight before her at her husband.

Swiftly the Duke grasped the fact that he was in a cleft stick. Either he must reveal the deception she had practised on him, or allow de Cordoba to believe that he had deliberately seduced his wife during his absence. De Richleau had never been a man to kiss and tell. Within seconds he decided that, wicked as Gulia's trickery had been, he could not give her away. Feeling that his only course now was to carry the war into the enemy's camp, he began again, more firmly than before.

'Very well. I understand. But you might have spared yourself this unpleasant discovery if you had not returned like a thief in the night. It seems you must have been spying on us to. arrive here at this hour and by way of the ladder.'

'I've done nothing of the kind,' de Cordoba retorted harshly. 'And it is you who are the thief. My ship docked at Bilboa yesterday evening. I thought that by hiring an automobile I could easily get home by midnight. But the cursed thing broke down and it was six hours before I reached a town where I could hire another. When I did get here, not wishing to wake the whole household I went round to the back of the villa to see if I could find a way to get in. I found one. Yes, I found a ladder leading up to my wife's bedroom. And what then? What a welcome home! I found a man whom I regarded with affection and respect in my wife's bed.'

'I sympathize with you in the shock you sustained,' replied the Duke calmly. 'What more can I say? That which is done is done. In such a situation an apology would only sound insincere.'

'Apology be damned!' the Conde exploded. 'By God, you're going to give me satisfaction, and that before you are much older.'

De Richleau sighed. 'Since you demand it, I am entirely at your service.'

'Demand it! Of course. What else would you expect? Now collect your clothes and get out of here. You can dress in the bathroom.'

'No,' the Duke shook his head, and his jaw became aggressive. 'That I will not do. I refuse to be humiliated by getting naked out of bed in front of you. And unless you wish to lower yourself by entering on an unseemly brawl you cannot make me. It is you who will leave this room while I dress at my leisure.'

For a moment de Cordoba glowered at him, then he sneered, 'One would hardly expect to find such delicacy in a man base enough to seduce the wife of a friend. But let it be as you say.

You'll find me down in the hall. Be quick about it. I'll stand for no delay in making our arrangements.' Turning, he marched from the room, slamming the door behind him.

As his footsteps faded away down the corridor, Gulia and de Richleau took their eyes from the door and looked at one another. 'Well,' he asked coldly. 'What have you to say?'

Two great tears had welled up into her eyes and were running down her magnolia-petal cheeks. Sadly she shook her head. 'Oh Armand, my dear love, I never dreamed that things would end for us like this.'

'Nor I; which is less surprising since I believed him dead,' de Richleau replied bitterly. 'But you; you lied to me. You made up that story about his having been mauled by a puma, and that Ruiz had asked you to keep his death secret because if it became known there would be a run on the bank. It's obvious now that you knew him to be alive all the time, but did not expect him back until the end of October.'

'Yes,' she murmured. 'It's true. But I beg you not to think too badly of me because of that. We have had such a wonderful time together. Think of the happiness I have given you. And your conscience, at least, is clear.'

'My conscience!' he burst out. 'Yes, but not my reputation in your husband's eyes. Do you not realize that whatever may happen now he will regard me with contempt - as a man who has sullied his honour?'