Free Fortune's Bride by Roberta Gellis Page B

went on reminiscently
as he sat down again, hoping that recalling a pleasant occasion would cheer her
up.
    “Yes, indeed it was,” Esmeralda replied, smiling. She
understood Robert’s intention and responded gallantly, knowing that he meant
well and was doing his best in an impossible situation. “But Governor Duncan’s
balls always are. After all, one cannot refuse the governor’s invitation, so
his balls are always the greatest crush.”
    “Were you ever tempted to refuse?” Robert asked curiously.
He had often wondered whether plain girls who knew they would not receive the
same attention as the pretty ones, exposed themselves voluntarily or were
forced by their parents to do so.
    “No, certainly not,” Esmeralda said. “I love to dance, and
in India where there were so few English girls, I was assured of a partner. I
am not so sure I would be equally eager in England where I might be… Well, but
we are talking great nonsense. We are not likely to be troubled by balls here,
and there are worse problems than those of finding a partner for me.”
    “Don’t be so sure of a lack of balls. Wherever Sir Arthur
sets up headquarters, there are bound to be…”
    Robert’s voice drifted into silence. His mention of Sir
Arthur had reminded him that it would be necessary for him to leave Oporto in a
day or two at most. The two satisfactory parts of his interview with the
bishop’s secretary had been the report that a surprisingly large number of
animals had come in already and that more were on the way. The combination of
French atrocities and the offer of coined silver had worked a miracle and
produced a good crop of oxen, mules, and horses from a seemingly barren
countryside.
    Had he been able to obtain sufficient funds to rent a house
for Esmeralda, provide her with servants, and leave her money enough to live on
for a month or two, he would have done so and dismissed her from his mind,
except for reporting her presence to the proper authorities. Since this was
impossible, he had to make other arrangements. He cleared his throat uncomfortably
and explained this to Esmeralda.
    “I would not have wished to remain in Oporto anyway,” she
said quietly, “unless there were some English family with whom I could stay…”
    The indefinite ending and lift of her voice made the
statement into a question. Robert shook his head. “I am very much afraid,” he
said slowly, “that you will have to come south with me. Unfortunately, I can
get no information about the roads except that they are dreadfully bad. I am
not sure a carriage could get over them, even if I could convince someone to
sell me one for pounds. I am very sorry, Miss Talbot, but—”
    “Good heavens,” Esmeralda exclaimed, her smile lighting her
face, and her eyes shining with joy. “Please do not apologize. That is just what
I would have wanted, but I did not dare ask. You have already done so much, I could not think of imposing myself on you still longer. But if you are willing to
take me—oh, I will be so grateful to you.”
    “Yes, but you know it is a good distance, over one hundred
miles, and the weather…”
    Esmeralda laughed like a bird singing. “But my dear Captain
Moreton, I am quite accustomed to a hot climate, and I am equally accustomed to
riding. Oh dear, I never thought I would be grateful to Papa for his meanness,
but I am. He would never buy a carriage, and quite often we had to ride from
Bombay to Goa.”
    She thought she would burst with joy. That invitation to
ride south was her salvation. Once Robert had brought her to a place where
there were other British people and introduced her as Esmeralda Talbot, her
identity would be established. Very likely Sir Arthur would send her back to
England on one of the ships that carried dispatches. Esmeralda was almost
certain that if Robert and Sir Arthur requested him to do so, the commander of
the ship would be willing to escort her to her father’s bankers and confirm her
explanation