Page 14

Of course, there was no such thing here in Spain. “It is when you are made responsible for a child who has been orphaned.”

“You are a trusted man by this ward?” she asked, fear still in her eyes as another bolt of light cracked across the sky.

He sat next to her, the thought of tea all but forgotten. “I suppose so, but I should have sorted out her future. I thought I had time. It feels ridiculous now.” He changed the subject. “You have not spoken of your mother before. How long since she passed?”

Elena wrapped the blanket more tightly around herself and shrugged. “She is not dead. At least, I don’t think so. My mother left us. Fell in love with a rich trader and never gave us another thought. I was only seven. I thought she left because of me. I must have done something to make her leave. I clung to my father after she left and that is how I became his assistant. He couldn’t leave me on my own, and my brother was going to school so…I went everywhere with him. He taught me to read and write.”

“That must have been hard on you and for your brother, not to mention your father.”

“My brother was furious and burned everything that remained of hers in a rage one night, but Papa was heartbroken and never spoke her name again. My father once told me that the beauty of a woman can blind a man to their faults. That my mother was the most beautiful woman in the village and that he had fallen in love with her the minute he had set eyes on her. She was young, but my father had assured her papa that he would take good care of her. I cannot say if he did or not. He told me that my mother was like a star in the sky, and stars cannot be held.”

“Your father was a most philosophical man by the sounds of it.”

“He had plenty of women vying for his attention, but he never indulged them from what I saw. Perhaps he just loved her so much he had to let her go if she was unhappy.”

“You might be right, but she is the one who missed out.”

“I don’t think she missed us at all. As far as I know she never left a note for us, never sent us a letter. She simply vanished as if she had never existed at all. Do you have a mother?”

“I do. And a sister, June.”

“June? As in the month?”

He laughed. “Yes. In England a girl can be called April, May or June. Even August, but that is usually a boy’s name.”

“Why? So they do not forget what month the child is born?”

He smiled. “I cannot say, but if I get back to England, I shall certainly ask my mother. What month were you born?”

“September. Would I suit it? Should I change my name?” she asked in a comical tone.

He shook his head. “Elena suits you just fine.”

“I’ll have that tea now please.”

Thomas used the wall for support as he got to his feet, pressing his back up against the wall and levering with his legs. It was the best method he had found so far. “Certainly, my lady.”

“Just two scoops of the mixture in the jar.”

“As you command,” he said, as he left through the doorway and into the corridor.

The rain was still coming down, but it looked like the worst of the storm was heading out to sea. As he got the tea ready, he thought about what she had revealed. He had lost his father when he was a young man. That loss had left its mark on him, even then. The loss of a parent was never easy, and she had lost both parents and her brother. She was alone. She was resourceful and clever, but a lone woman would always be in danger in a war-torn country with no relatives to protect her.

Elena had protected him, planned and plotted and used her knowledge to ensure he lived. If the French had even the smallest inkling of what she had been up to, they would have killed her, and she would have died protecting him. Cursing under his breath, he realized he could not leave Spain for England knowing she was alone. There was no way he could wave goodbye from a boat as he abandoned her. So, he was going to have to make sure she was safe before he left this country. He would not let her down, as her brother had.

Thomas brought in the tea and handed her a cup. “Do you have any relatives?”

“I must have somewhere I suppose. I know the village where my mother comes from, but I know nothing about my father’s side of the family. He never spoke of it to me.”

“And what is the name of this village?”

She took a sip of her tea. “It is near La Barossa on the coast.”

“How far is it from here?”

“I do not know. All I know is it is near Cadiz.”

“Near Cadiz,” he repeated before looking at her. “I will make sure you are safe there before I go on to my rendezvous point.”