Page 42 of Devoted to the Spanish Duke
Spain was changing, and she feared it was not for the better. What if she had given her heart to a man who fought to maintain the status quo when all the world around them was shifting?
“I did what I did because I am a loyal Spaniard. But since his return, Ferdinand has proven himself unworthy of being king. I would suggest your father has come to the same conclusion. All I ask of you is that if we discuss these sorts of matters that it is done in the privacy of our home, and even then, not in front of the servants,” he replied.
She caught the warning in his voice. Who was to say that one of Lisandro’s trusted household members wouldn’t turn against him in the same way as they suspected Señor Perez had done with her father?
Lisandro would be branded a traitor and publicly denounced. She couldn’t bear the thought of him being taken away to Madrid and having to face the royal inquisitors.
“Agreed. We will only talk about this when we are alone,” she said.
He was a part of her life, and she would do anything to keep him safe. Maria rolled over and placed a tender kiss on Lisandro’s lips, then whispered, “I trust you to do what is right for this country, and I will always stand beside you. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
The first glimpse of Castle Tolosa’s tallest tower had Lisandro reining in his horse. He let out a heavy sigh. He was almost home.
Relief coursed through him. Just a mile or so more and they would have made it. The long weeks since he had set out for Zarautz seemed an eternity ago.
The gentle clip of horse’s hooves on the dry, hard road had him turning as Maria pulled her mount up alongside his. She held a hand to her face, shielding her eyes from the dying rays of the setting sun.
“Is that it?”
Suddenly caught up with emotion, Lisandro could only nod in response. He had been on edge for so many days that the tide of utter relief threatened to overwhelm him.
She leaned over and patted him on the knee. “You did it. I am so proud of you—and so very grateful.”
He swallowed the large lump in his throat. “We did it. You. Me. And those rogue friends of mine in England. Everyone played their part.”
With a touch of his heels, he urged his horse on. One of the first things he would do once he got home would be to instruct the master of his stables to ensure that his and Maria’s horses were given a full rubdown and housed in the very best stalls with plenty of hay. A fresh apple or two was also on the list.
As they rode slowly through the gate which led into the Aguirre estate, Lisandro stopped and pointed to the town of Tolosa, which was nestled at the bottom of the nearby valley some six miles away. Castle Tolosa itself was situated at the top of a mountain near to the village of Bidania.
Maria clapped her hands together. “And there is the Oria! Oh, Lisandro, I feared that I may never see it again.”
The dark waters of the Oria, which flowed through both Tolosa and Villabona on its way to the Bay of Biscay, cut through the countryside like a winding ribbon. It shone brightly in the final light of the day.
When things were settled and safe, he would take Maria to Tolosa and introduce her to his friends and family. He also had in mind to pay a visit with her to the church of Saint Mary and give prayers of thanks for their safe return. While they were there, he intended to have a quiet word with the priest about arranging a wedding, one which would bind the Aguirre and Elizondo families together forever.
But that was for the future. There were still many obstacles in their way. Apart from the as yet unidentified kidnappers, there was also the not so insignificant issue of the Duke of Villabona. Lisandro could just imagine how his first conversation with Maria’s father might go.
Don de Elizondo, I rescued your daughter. Oh, and I fell in love with her, and I am going to make her my wife. What was that about an old feud?
They continued on toward the castle proper and passed under the enormous wrought-iron gate. He grinned as Maria glanced up at the heavy barrier which hung overhead.
“Don’t worry. The chains that hold it are strong,” he said.
Men and women flooded out from the main castle and surrounding buildings. By the time Lisandro and Maria had finally reached the front door, almost one hundred people were following in their wake. But he only had his sights set on one person—the woman dressed in black standing on the front steps.
His mother.
After throwing a leg over the saddle, Lisandro dropped to the ground. He glanced at Maria, intending to help her down, but she shooed him away.
“Go and see the duchess. Don’t you get me into trouble with my future mother-in-law before I have even had the chance to meet her,” she said.
He knew better than to question Maria in front of the all too observant servants. They were all standing wide-eyed, staring at her. As he made his way toward his mother, the whispers began.
“Who is she?”
