Free Vidal's Honor by Sherry Gloag Page A

retribution. So who else in that scene remains with Wellington’s troops? Did they march all the way to Madrid with your earl, or were they part of the divisions sent to hustle Marmont’s withdrawal? If the latter, then they knew they’d find cover within the retreating army. If they marched towards Madrid with the earl, they had plenty of opportunities to peel off any time without drawing attention to themselves when everyone’s concentration was focussed on capturing the city.”
    Juan leaned against the trunk of a spindly tree and dug one hand into his pocket, pulled out some tobacco, and paper as if to roll a cigarette, then with an oath changed his mind.
    â€œOnly someone close to Beaumont had the opportunity to betray him so successfully.” Juan let the words drop into the nightly silence.
    â€œWhat are you saying?”
    Vidal reeled away, stupefied by Juan’s implications. Was he insinuating Honor had betrayed Dev? Would she? Could she? Surely not! His heart contracted so painfully he thought he was suffering a seizure.
    The two people he loved the most in his world… Surely one wouldn’t betray the other?
    No!
    For a moment Vidal thought someone had shouted the denial out loud, but Juan, hawk-eyed, stood watching him, waiting.
    The silence stretched between them. The pain in his chest receded and his brain began functioning again.
    Who else was so close to betray him without discovery? Who else did he know of that could leave the camp undetected?
    â€œYou are putting the pieces together, I think.” Juan’s tone held neither sympathy nor derision. Perhaps an understanding of the shock pummelling him right now.
    â€œIf you are right, why did he let Mrs. Beaumont leave? Why not turn her over to the French?”
    â€œAccording to his wife, Beaumont extracted a promise from his batman that she is returned unharmed to England.”
    â€œThen why are we being followed?”
    â€œThere are many reasons. I have my own idea, but for the moment it is safer I do not share it with you. In a day or two I will know for sure.” Juan studied the two women, both now sleeping.
    â€œWe must wake them and move on.” He pointed down the path they’d travelled earlier. “We will not evade our enemies, but we can make it difficult for them to discover our new trail.” He shoved away from the rock and started back to their bivouac. “There is a stream about a mile up the track. It will not be easy at night, but it is the only way to lose them for even a short time.”
    * * * *
    Befuddled from lack of sleep and the struggle to don her ever-damp garments, Honor let Vidal hoist her onto her mule.
    â€œWhy the urgency to move on in the dark? I thought Juan declared this an ideal spot to spend the night.”
    â€œI told him of your belief we are being followed and that afterwards I spent the rest of the journey checking and am almost certain you are correct.”
    â€œIf this is the result, I wish I’d kept my mouth shut.”
    Vidal’s chuckle, low though it was, warmed her heart if nothing else.
    â€œNo, you were right to mention it. If we thought it safe enough, one of us would hold back to see if we can identify them, but it’s not, so we move on under the cover of darkness.”
    From her perch on the back of the mule, Honor found herself eye-to-eye with Vidal. “Won’t the sound of our movements alert them to our intentions?”
    â€œWe have to risk it. Juan is sure if we go now we can gain enough ground to keep them guessing for a day or two.”
    â€œWell, I hope he is right.” She tugged at the shoulder of her jacket in an effort to persuade the sleeve to line up more comfortably, and winced at the sharp stab of pain in her neck. “At least it has stopped raining, which will give our clothes a chance to dry.”
    She swung round when Juan coughed on her other side. Even in the night-light Honor saw