Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
The last time I’d seen Salvador, it had been sans clothes.
I now sat next to him at Moran’s dinner table, both of us acting as though nothing had passed between us.
My feigned nonchalance was a thing of beauty – and I hoped no word of what had occurred in Vigo had reached anyone here.
The other guests, three in number, were all nobility. I observed them one by one and gauged their characters from the little they revealed of themselves.
General Hernandez, the stocky gentleman who sat beside me, was Salvador’s commanding officer.
Hernandez’s rugged features indicated a man who’d seen many a battle and wasn’t shy about getting down and dirty with the troops, thus earning their respect.
Yet Hernandez’s unsteady eye indicated his need for approval.
Perhaps such insecurity had been a catalyst for his desire for promotion into the highest ranks.
Countess Miranda Ebro, with her painted face and tight bodice, her attractiveness enhanced by her confidence, was a lady in her thirties. A widow no doubt, revealed by the sadness in her eyes and the way she sighed distractedly throughout the evening.
Lady Rosalie Ambrith, with her hooked nose and small mouth, had a fixed expression of disapproval. A lady eager to offer criticism, her way of making the world a better place ensured her strict, moral legacy continued unabated. Even I couldn’t win her over.
All the guests warranted a good, long stare.
And Salvador… His dashing good looks and captivating smile, along with his bravery, warranted the title I held. He was a fine officer who showed a deep respect for his men, and a willingness to hear both sides of a story before sharing his opinion. When he focused on me, arousal soon followed.
Senor Moran proposed a toast to Spain’s new Knight of the Realm. I accepted the honor, hoping to convince them I’d earned it. As the alcohol flowed, so did the camaraderie.
Salvador enthralled me. I found it difficult to define the cause of the numerous frissons my body experienced – the fine wine or Salvador’s firm hand brushing my thigh.
He leaned in closer and whispered, “Rumor has it that the flamenco dancer is a guest at your estate.”
“And what else do the rumors say?” I asked.
“That you’ve found favor with the king for your Andalusians.”
I nodded. “His Highness has acquired several of our horses.”
“I’m delighted to hear it.”
“I’ve selected yours from my finest stock.”
Salvador beamed at me.
I sipped my wine, trying to show confidence. “Tell me what you know of Senator Grenaldi.”
“He’s ambitious.” Salvador’s gaze held mine as if to emphasize his point. “A man not to be crossed.”
“In what way?”
“He uses questionable tactics.”
“He likes to win?”
Salvador raised an eyebrow. “Always.”
“And you want to work for him?”
“He gets things done.”
I looked away briefly. “What about his wife?”
“The king’s cousin. That’s a marriage of alliances.”
“To further his political career?”
“Felipe blatantly keeps a lover.”
I nodded casually. “Doesn’t his wife complain to the king?”
Salvador shooed away a waiter and topped up my glass. “The king has more mistresses than you can count.”
“So Felipe’s wife is powerless?”
“She knows that affair won’t last.” Salvador shrugged. “Felipe believed his wife to be barren, so he took a mistress and fathered a bastard.”
“A son?”
Salvador nodded. “Now Felipe’s wife is pregnant.”
Alicia’s and her child’s days under Felipe’s roof were numbered. Though not knowing why I frowned, Salvador offered me a reassuring smile and I followed his gaze.
“The countess is very wealthy,” he whispered. “She’s declined many an offer of marriage.”
“The widow?”
“Yes. Have you met her?”
“No, never.”
“Well, she’s good friends with the senator. Insatiable appetite.”
I arched an eyebrow.
He burst into laughter. “Not me, her.”
My thoughts flew to Annabelle, recalling her sweetness, her innocence, and I wondered how long she might stay.
The countess blinked her long lashes at me.
I grimaced as I considered Salvador’s words. I found no amusement in having the countess flirt with me.
Salvador and I found the opportunity to withdraw from the other visitors. We sauntered outside into the cool evening air. The stuffy dinner party wasn’t to my liking, and when Salvador loosened his necktie, I assumed it wasn’t his, either.
The garden possessed a lush assortment of greenery and the well-tended flowers sprung up around us. I avoided treading on them as we crossed the stony pathway and leaned against an ivy-covered wall. I weaved a plan – one that demanded only a single sacrifice.
My thoughts burned with vengeance as I considered Felipe, the man who had tried to kill me.
He would learn soon enough that I had survived his assault, and before he could strike again, I would make the first move.
But before that reckoning, I had to get my sister and her son away from him before he used her pain as retribution for mine.
“You seem pensive.” Salvador gave me a quizzical look. “I think you know me well enough to trust my discretion.”
I turned to face him. “Perception is reality.”
“For some, yes.”
“The Pope has received a royal warrant to purify the kingdom of Spain.”
He nodded. “The Church has sanctioned an inquisition.”
“What are your thoughts?”
“The king’s word is final.”
“I’m happy to hear that. I knew you were a royalist.”
Salvador gestured for us to continue walking. “Your knighthood, it has something to do with this?”
I followed him farther into the garden. “We have reason to believe that we have a heretic amongst us.” I gazed off at the dramatic landscaping.
“You found evidence of his dissent?”
I nodded. “But we need more.”
“A task I’m qualified to take part in.”
“We plan to infiltrate his estate.”
“Send in a spy.” He gestured to himself.
I liked Salvador, but I loved my sister and with every passing day the threat that loomed over her worsened. And there was now the matter of her son.
“Come for dinner tomorrow night,” I said, leaning against the wall. “And bring the countess.”