Dennis Wheatley - The Rising Storm

In due course they were received by one of the gentlemen who assisted Count Florida Blanca in the transaction of foreign business: the Caballero Heredia. It transpired that the Caballero had served for some time in the Spanish Embassy in Paris, so he spoke fluent French. He made Roger gravely welcome, examined his credentials and assured him blandly that the Prime Minister would be most happy to grant him an audience at an early date. He added that he hoped that in the meantime Roger would avail himself of the amenities of the Palace, and that the next day being Sunday there was a Court, at which no doubt he could arrange to be presented.

Having thanked him, Roger said: "It is my misfortune, Senor Caballero, to have few Spanish friends, but while in Naples I made the acquaintance of a charming couple, the Conde and Condesa Sidonia y Ulloa; and they are, I think, now in Spain. I wonder if you can tell me anything of them?"

"Why, yes," replied the Caballero, with a smile. "I knew the Condesa when she lived at the Court of France, before her marriage; and I am happy to be able to give you good news of her. She presented her husband with an heir some three weeks back, and they arrived here to pay their court to Their Majesties only two days ago. No doubt you will see your friends tomorrow night."

Enormously relieved, Roger said how pleased he would be to see them again; then, after some further polite conversation with the Caballero Heredia, the two Englishmen withdrew.

Relieved as Roger was he found the next twenty-four hours drag interminably. For a while he occupied himself with an evening walk round Aranjuez with Mr. Merry, but there was nothing to see there except the people. There were few women in the streets; they sat in the deep embrasures of open ground-floor windows which were raised some feet above the street level. Every window was heavily barred; in the better houses with an elaborate iron scrollwork that bellied outward in a graceful curve. The men lounged in the street outside. The smarter of them were most colourfully clad, with bright sashes round their waists and scarves round their necks, tight trousers, short jackets and little black hats with pom-poms, beneath which their dark hair was caught up in a net. Many of them carried guitars, and strummed upon them as they softly serenaded their favourite senoritas.

As the season of the Sunday bull-fights did not begin till May, Roger whiled away most of the day as best he could, thinking over what he would say to Count Florida Blanca when he obtained an audience. The mission he had been given was, he felt, his great chance; but it was no easy one, for if the Spaniards attempted to procrastinate, as they almost certainly would, he had strict instructions to stand no nonsense from them. So peace or war hung by a thread, and his triumph would be all the greater if he could maintain the high tone required by Mr. Pitt and yet prevent war breaking out.

At last it was time to go to the Palace; and at six o'clock he was ushered with Mr. Merry into a vast reception-room on its first floor. There were already some hundred ladies and gentlemen present and Roger knew that the same formality would be gone through as he had witnessed at Versailles. When the whole Court was assembled the approach of Their Majesties would be announced, the company would form into a human lane, and the Sovereigns would slowly pass down it. In this case, however, Mr. Merry having been to see the Grand Chamberlain earlier in the day, that functionary would attract the Monarchs' attention to them, and he would be given the opportunity to present his new colleague.

But Roger had no thought for his coming presentation; he was swiftly scanning the crowd for Isabella. After a moment he caught sight of Don Diego, and then of Isabella beside him. With a murmured apology to Mr. Merry, he quickly made his way towards the couple.

At sight of him Isabella's tanned face paled, but she covered her confusion by dropping him a low curtsy in response to his bow. Don Diego also recognized him at once and greeted him very civilly. Roger said that he had heard of their happy event and was delighted to congratulate them upon it; then they began to talk of their mutual friends in Naples.

After a few moments another gentleman claimed Don Diego's attention, so Roger was able to move a little apart with Isabella. "My love," she breathed. "My love, I can hardly believe it true that it is really you I see."

"Or I, that I am with you again, my own," he whispered, as he took in all the detail of the thin, fine, dark-browed face that had caused him such an agony of love those last days in Naples.

They were standing opposite the main doorway and some distance from it. People were still arriving and at that moment a couple entered. The man was in his sixties, of medium height, and with a thinnish, clever face. The woman was in her early twenties. She had dark hair, black eyes, a faultless complexion, a determined chin and a full, red mouth. Her figure was well rounded for her height and in perfect proportion; her beauty was so dazzling that she eclipsed every other woman in the room.

Isabella touched Roger on the arm, and her whisper came almost in a hiss. "Look! That is the English woman to marry whom my husband plans to poison me!"

Roger's only reply was a gasp. The superbly beautiful creature, round whom a court of bowing men had instantly gathered, was the woman he counted dearer than any other in the world—Georgina Etheredge.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

INTRIGUE AT ARANJUEZ

ISABELLAhalf-turned to whisper again behind her fan to Roger; but, seeing the expression of astonishment on his face as he stared at Georgina, she exclaimed: "Why do you look so surprised? Is it that you know her?"

"Why, yes," Roger answered in a low voice. "She is my dearest— my oldest friend."

"Madonna mia!" Isabella passed the tip of her tongue over her suddenly dry hps. "Rojé! You cannot mean that you, too, have been ensnared by her? Yet from the way you speak . . ."

"No, no! I mean only that we have known one another since childhood. I—I regard her as a sister."

Isabella's dark brows drew together. "A sister! Only as a sister? Do you swear to me she has never been more to you than that?"

"Hush!" whispered Roger. "I beg you to control yourself. We are observed. But I can assure you of one thing. You are entirely mistaken in your estimate of her character. She is the kindest and sweetest creature; she would harm no one willingly."

‘Yet she would have me poisoned, so that she may marry one of the greatest fortunes and titles in Spain."

Roger turned and looked straight into Isabella's eyes. His voice was suddenly hard. "Have you one scrap of evidence that Lady Etheredge has knowledge of this fell design of which you accuse your husband?"

"No," Isabella faltered. "No. Yet 'tis rumoured here that she killed her own husband some two years ago and narrowly escaped hanging for it."

" 'Tis true that she killed him; but by accident. I was a party to the matter and know every detail of it. Her innocence was vindicated at the trial." His voice took on a more gentle note. "I see now how it is that you have been led to think such ill of her; but I swear to you that you do her an injustice. I beg you, too, .to believe that my love is entirely yours, and that now I am here I would die rather than let harm befall you."

Georgina had just caught sight of Roger. Excusing herself from the gentlemen who surrounded her, she waved her fan in delighted recogni­tion, then took her father's arm, and they came through the crowd towards him. When the two women had exchanged curtsys Roger kissed Georgina's hand and shook that of Colonel Thursby heartily.

They exclaimed with surprise at seeing him in Spain, and he explained his presence by saying that he had been asked to negotiate some questions regarding shipping with the Spanish Government. He then learnt how they came to be at the Court of Madrid. They had meant to spend two months in Naples, but they had met the Sidonia y Ulloas there and Don Diego had persuaded them to be his guests in Spain for a few weeks before returning to England.