Whispering (12 page)

Caterina, emerging on to the next terrace down, had made a discovery. The wilderness ended here, but instead of the formal knot garden where she had played as a child, she had come out on to a well-tended vegetable patch. Onions, aubergines and tomatoes grew in neat rows dominated by a scarecrow in what she recognised as tattered French uniform. But there was no time to waste on admiring Tomas's peasant practicalness that was making the house pay its way. She hurried on down to the next terrace where the old vines and olive trees also showed signs of careful tending. The folly was one more level down, and her heart beat hard as she hurried down the last crumbling flight of steps. ‘Luiz?' Very softly. ‘Are you here?'

‘At last!' He came cautiously out from the shadows of the little temple and her first thought was how unlike him it was to be cautious. Her next was that he looked much older. ‘You're alone?' He hesitated, watching her, and she had time to see that his uniform was shabby, his dark hair ill-cut. But the deep-set black eyes held the old magic.

‘Of course I'm alone. Oh, Luiz!' The food she had brought was a nuisance now; she put it down on the temple steps and moved towards him, hands outstretched.

‘Provident as always, my little Caterina.' He took them, pulled her to him for a long, hungry kiss. ‘It's been so long, so desperately long. I began to be afraid I would never see you again.'

‘I too.' Her body trembled against his. ‘But, Luiz, we haven't much time; tell me quickly, what has happened to you? Why do they call you traitor?'

‘Straight to the heart of the matter!' He put her away a little to look down at her lovingly. ‘And I'm glad. I'm playing the most dangerous of games, my love. I can't tell you much; I'm not allowed to. They didn't want me to get in touch with you at first, but I showed them what a help you could be to us.'

‘They? Us?' She looked up at him, puzzled. ‘Who, Luiz?'

‘How should you know, my little darling? And the less I tell you, the safer for you. But there are deep, dangerous currents here in Porto. Have you heard of d'Argent on?'

‘Yes – something – I know, wasn't he in a plot against Soult?'

‘You are well informed.' Was he more surprised than pleased? ‘Yes, he and his friends were plotting to get rid of Napoleon himself. They thought that the army would mutiny when Soult declared himself King of Lusitania, as he meant to do. That would be their chance. D'Argenton risked his life to visit Wellington at Coimbra, to ask for his help, but the French caught him on his way back across the lines.'

‘But didn't he escape when the French retreated?'

‘Yes, that's why I went with the French. To contrive his escape on that wild flight through the mountains. A brave man, that, a French patriot, and a good friend to us.'

‘Us?' she asked again.

‘The Friends of Democracy, here in Porto. D'Argenton and his fellow conspirators wanted France for the French, not an Empire forged in blood. They were glad to let us Portonians plan for the future of our city, for our own free Kingdom of Lusitania. Free from both the French and Lisbon. No one but us gives a thought to what will happen here when the war is over. Your friend the Bishop has gone off to be a great man on the Council of Regency in Lisbon. As for the Prince Regent, the
word is he is very happy in the Brazils; they'll have the devil's own job to get him back across the Atlantic. It's going to be the great chance for a free independent state of Lusitania, and we mean to be ready for it. But to be ready, we must be informed. That is where you come in, Caterina, my little love. I cannot clear my own name without implicating my friends; I've resigned myself to that; I am happy to work in the shadows until the day of freedom comes. I'm promised great things then. So, you are to be my eyes and ears, here in Porto.' His arms were round her now, his hands tracing familiar, thrilling paths about her body. ‘Caterina! It's been so long. Come –' He was urging her towards the shadows of the temple.

‘Luiz, I can't.' She held back, against her will. ‘There's no time. Harriet – you know about Miss Brown, of course – she is up at the house, keeping guard for me; I can't stay.' Did she want to? Of course she wanted to. ‘How do you mean, your eyes and ears?'

‘There is so much we need to know. The boat you came on: what was on it? And the rest of the news. Is it true that Marmont has given Wellington the slip and is on the march this way? Old Tomas does his best, but he's not in the position you are for gathering information.'

‘Tomas is in it?' This was a relief; Tomas would be keeping her own servants busy eating and drinking.

‘Of course. He has good cause to hate the French, and not much reason to love his employers, come to that, left here alone to fend for himself as he has been. He welcomed me with open arms, a great weight lifted from his shoulders, poor faithful, stupid fellow. If any disaster were to befall my cousins the Fonsas I am the next heir, you know. It gives me some authority with him, and he is glad of it. And glad to run my errands, in so far as he is able. But, Caterina, my questions, they are important.' His busy hands were telling her a more important tale.

She made herself concentrate on what he had asked her. ‘The ship's cargo? Heavy stuff; I didn't take much notice of it; it was hidden under tarpaulins and they didn't start unloading until we were all on shore.'

‘But you could find out. That cousin of yours who brought you over, he would know. And which way did it go?'

‘Oh, I know that,' she said. ‘Upstream. I watched from the terrace.'

‘But you can't see the landing stage from your terrace.'

‘No.' Surprised. ‘But I could see the whole downstream reach, and there was no extra traffic there, so whatever it was must have gone upriver.'

‘My clever little love! I am sure you are right. How I longed to be there, that day, in our secret place, to greet you. But I am under orders, just as much as any soldier. Only they are deadly dangerous ones, never forget that. My life is in your little hands.' He kissed them, one after the other.

‘Harriet knows.'

‘The devil she does!' She had forgotten his sudden frightening rages.

‘You're hurting me.' She pulled away the hand that was savaging her breast. ‘I didn't tell. I kept my promise. Harriet worked it out for herself. She's no fool, and safe as houses; a friend in a million. She'll help. She is helping, up there, this minute.' It reminded her. ‘I must go back.' She had been relieved to feel the dangerous tide of fury ebb away in him as she talked. For a moment, she had been frightened. For herself? For Harriet? ‘We've been away as long as I dare. Father Pedro has been hurt. He likes Harriet to read to him.'

‘He is conscious then?'

‘Oh yes, the doctor said he was lucky; it might have been much worse. But he is lying there, in bed, listening to everything that goes on in the house.'

‘Damnation! Too soft a blow! But, Caterina, my other question. Marmont.'

‘I know nothing about that. I've been tied to the house, looking after Father Pedro. And my cousin has left us, he is staying with the Wares now.' She was talking almost desperately as his hands became more insistent and she felt her body begin to betray her, melting towards him. So easy to give way, to lose herself in the old ecstasy. ‘Mrs Ware's giving a party for me;
there will be talk there, but how shall I see you? I can't come here again. Will a message to your house reach you?'

‘No!' Explosively. ‘The old bitch, my grandmother, is in her dotage, believes everything they say against me. The servants love me, of course, would do anything for me, but it's not safe. I dare not go near the place.'

So that was the real reason why he had not been able to come to their old meeting place. Disconcerting to realise this. ‘Oh, Luiz, she loved you so much. I am so sorry. She must really be out of her mind.'

‘Oh, she is that all right, and dangerous with it. I'm told she seems to make sense some of the time, poor old hag. But you won't be seeing her, that's one thing certain. I hear you've not exactly been welcomed with open arms by the nobility and gentry of Porto. Never mind it, my little love, it will all be changed when we come into our own. In the mean time, I've found a dressmaker for you.'

‘A dressmaker?' She was amazed at the sudden change of subject.

‘Where we can meet, child. A safe house, on the edge of town. She is a true friend of liberty. Here's her direction.' His questing hands left her body at last and she shivered with a strange mixture of disappointment and relief. ‘Here. Put it away safe and be sure and visit her tomorrow with news for me. Late afternoon, like this. I'll try to be there, but I'm not entirely my own master. The cause I serve is greater than any of us. Hush!' He put a finger to her lips, but all she heard was a bird's cry. ‘That's Tomas. We must part, my darling. It breaks my heart.'

‘Did you tell him?' asked Harriet when they were safe in the carriage, rumbling back towards town.

‘There was no time. So much to say …' She was sorting through their brief, tense talk in her mind, trying to make sense of it all.

‘And now you have to decide how much to tell me,' said Harriet, startling her. ‘Not a word more than you want to; there's no need; I'm your friend whatever happens. You know that. And what I don't know, I can't betray. Are you going to see him again?'

‘Oh,
yes
! He's found us a dressmaker.' She pulled out the scrap of paper and read it for the first time. ‘Good gracious. It's Madame Feuillide! Now, how in the world am I going to manage about that?'

‘Easy,' said Harriet. ‘Tell Mrs Ware you have changed your mind. A woman's privilege. No need to say more; she'll be delighted. I have no doubt she'll be getting commission from Madame Feuillide.'

‘Yes, but I don't like it.' She could not think why it made her uneasy, but it did. ‘He wants me to go tomorrow; I'll have to send a note to Mrs Ware as soon as we get back. And I think maybe I'll suggest a date for the party at the same time.' It would
be a chance to get the information about the
Anthea
's cargo that Luiz wanted.

‘Why not?' said Harriet. But it was with a sharp look for her friend.

The streets were emptier now and they got back more quickly than they had come, but the servant who opened the big front door told Harriet that Father Pedro had been asking for her impatiently. ‘And the Senhor Ware is on the terrace waiting for you,
minha senhora
.'

‘Tell him I'll be with him directly,' said Caterina, exchanging a quick glance with Harriet. This at least made things easier. He could take a message to his mother.

Frank Ware was standing at the edge of the terrace, watching the busy traffic on the river. ‘There's talk of a ship at the bar, in from England,' he told her. ‘The first since you arrived; I wonder what news she will bring.'

‘Will she bring mail?' Eagerly.

‘Oh, bound to. Do you find yourself missing your friends at home, Miss Gomez?'

‘I'm afraid I haven't many. It is Miss Brown who longs for news of her mother, who was not well when we left. I do hope there is something for her.' Here was a chance. ‘I wonder if this ship is as heavily loaded as the
Anthea
was. Do you know, someone was asking me what she carried, and I was ashamed to have to admit that I had no idea.' And, oddly, as she said this, she remembered for the first time that Jeremy had told her it was war material.

‘I'm glad of that,' said Frank Ware. ‘If I may give you a piece of advice, Miss Gomez, don't ever dream of answering that kind of question, and look a little askance at the people who ask them. This is a military base, remember, and information like that might be invaluable to the enemy. Who was it asked you, I wonder?'

‘Oh, nobody. A stranger. We got talking at the linen drapers'. Harriet and I had thought we would try our hand at our own dressmaking, but I am afraid we have made a sad botch of it. I'm so glad to find you here, Mr Ware. I had been meaning to write
a note to your mother to ask if I might take her up on her kind offer of her own dressmaker's services. A French lady, I believe. I had not much liked the idea, but I am afraid needs must …'

‘When fashion drives? I know my mother will be delighted to let you have her direction,' he said. ‘And she told me to ask if you were ready to name a day for the party.'

‘Just as soon as I have made my arrangements with the dressmaker,' she told him. ‘And my kindest regards to your mother, Mr Ware. And say something friendly to my cousin for me. How is he getting on with Miss Emerson, I wonder.'

‘He comes back from visiting her with a spring in his step,' said Frank Ware, surprising her. He turned back to look at the river. ‘Look, there comes the ship now, she'll just make it with the tide.'

‘And heavy loaded,' said Caterina.

‘Like the
Anthea
.' He smiled at her. ‘And remember, Miss Gomez, if any other friendly ladies start asking you questions in the shops, get their names and tell me about them.'

‘You?'

‘I'd know where to report it. And how to keep your name out of it. I mean it, Miss Gomez.'

‘I know you do, and I'm grateful. It's hard to believe, with everything seeming so ordinary here, that blood is being shed up on the border. I can't tell you how glad I am to have your mother's assurance that you will let me know if there should come a time to think of escaping to England. Even if I should feel it my duty to stay with my father, I think I would have to take up your kind offer and send Harriet home with you. But I take it there is no need to be thinking of that yet?'

‘Not the least in the world, and I am sure there won't be. I have the greatest confidence in Lord Wellington. I am sure this talk that Marmont has outmanoeuvred him will turn out to be just that, talk. And seditious talk at that. But where is your friend Miss Brown? Not worn out, I hope, with attendance on Father Pedro?'