The Winding Stair (46 page)

The moon had set. A pale glow of light along the horizon heralded the dawn, and still Juana walked like an automaton between her two companions. They were planning together in low voices, but she was beyond caring, beyond listening, numb with exhaustion and accumulated shock. Vasco … Miguel … even old Mrs. Brett … How tight the web of treachery had been about her. Miguel – of course.

‘Gair?'

‘Yes, love?' How naturally he said it.

‘I've just thought of something. Uncle Miguel is one of the inner circle. That night I listened, I thought I recognised another voice besides Vasco's, but couldn't place it. Now, I'm almost sure it was Miguel. Will that help?'

‘Immensely. It's what we need.' And then: ‘Look!'

They stopped. Behind the hills, the sun must have risen. Almost before their eyes the sea had turned to silver and they could see a majestic row of battleships, all sails set, taking advantage of the dawn breeze to head down toward the promontory that hid the mouth of the Tagus.

‘The English?' asked Roberto.

‘Yes,' said Gair. ‘I must lose no time. Lord Strangford has received his passports already; he'll go aboard the moment he can.' And then, at Juana's exclamation. ‘Of course, you don't know what's been happening. England and Portugal have been almost in a state of war since Dom John signed his last set of edicts. Will your friends at Guincho have horses, Roberto? There's not a moment to be lost.'

‘Undoubtedly. But this won't change our plans?'

‘Not if I can catch Lord Strangford before he leaves. I'm sure when he hears my story he'll stay to meet Dom John at Queluz and make one more effort at persuading him to escape to Brazil. Whatever happens, I'll meet you at Queluz tonight. You have the Moniteur safe? The one with Napoleon's statement that the House of Braganza no longer reigns in Europe?'

‘Yes, thank God. I wonder if de Mascarenhas has realised yet that in the confusion he never got it back.'

‘Lucky for us he didn't sooner,' said Gair. ‘He might well have come back for it.'

Juana was counting again, footsteps this time. Five hundred and five, five hundred and six … They were down off the cliff now, approaching the wind-tormented sands of Guincho.

‘Nearly there,' said Roberto.

When had Gair put his arm round her? Would she be able to keep going if he took it away? Six hundred and three, six hundred and four … They had turned away from the coast road … There were trees at last, shading her from the morning dazzle of the sun.

‘Here we are.' A cool courtyard, the sound of a fountain … voices … Gair was explaining something. She made a great effort to take it in. ‘Safe here.' he was saying. ‘Rest. I'll come for you as soon as I've made arrangements to get you out to the English squadron.'

Now she was awake with a vengeance. ‘You're not staying?'

‘We can't, Juana. The fate of Portugal may be settled today. Roberto's going to Queluz to meet Dom John who is due there, at last, from Mafra. I must get to Lisbon as fast as I can to catch Lord Strangford before he leaves. But I'll be back for you, my heart.' He kissed her hand, as he had done so many times before, pretending passion. Now it was real. How could the same gesture be so different? But there were people all around them. He let go of her hand. ‘You'll look after her, senhora?'

‘Of course.' A strange voice. ‘She's asleep on her feet, the poor child. Come,
menina
.'

Sleep came in a flood, like happiness, like despair. It seemed no time at all until she was being shaken awake, gently at first, then harder. She fought her way up from the depths: ‘What is it?'

‘He's come for you,
menina
. It's almost dark. You must lose no time, he says.'

Gair was waiting in the courtyard beside a closed carriage. He was white with fatigue, the bruise showing dark on the side of his face. ‘Juana!' His voice was a caress. ‘You're ready? Thank God.' She could feel his impatience to be gone, but he joined her, just the same, in the necessarily ceremonious thanks to her hostess before helping her into the carriage.

It was dark inside. ‘Juana—' The carriage moved heavily forward out of the courtyard. He was holding her hand in both of his. ‘It was real, wasn't it? You'll laugh at me, I hope … Do
you know how I love you to laugh at me? Only – last night – down in the cave – you were afraid, distraught … I had no right to ask you then.'

She smiled at him lovingly in the darkness. ‘Well, if you're worried, Gair, ask me again.'

‘Juana! I adore you.'

Now she could laugh. ‘That's precisely what you've been saying for a year, and not meaning a word of it.'

‘But I did, don't you see? I just didn't know I did. Oh – what a fool you must think me!'

‘I think you a very able secret service agent.'

‘Oh, God, if I only were.'

‘What do you mean?'

‘That I've resigned.'

‘Gair! But why?'

‘There was nothing else to do. When I got to Strangford's house, he was ready to go. I couldn't persuade him to change his mind. He said it was too late for talking; time for action. He wouldn't even wait while I fetched you. He's aboard Sir Sidney Smith's flagship by now. He expected me to go too.'

‘But you're here.'

‘Of course I'm here, my heart. Where else?'

‘You resigned for my sake?' She regretted the question the minute it was out.

‘Partly,' he said. ‘Juana, I love you too much to lie to you. Of course, nothing would have made me leave you behind, but I think I resigned as much for Portugal's sake as yours. You've not asked me where we are going?'

‘Why, nor I have. Where are we going, Gair?'

‘To Queluz, of course, to see Dom John. Since I can't make Lord Strangford see the danger Vasco represents, I must help Roberto persuade Dom John.'

‘I see. I'm glad you think me worth telling the truth, Gair.' She thought of adding ‘at last', but did not.

‘ “At last”, you nearly said? Bless you, love; you've every right to reproach me, but believe me, I only kept you in the dark for your own sake.'

‘Yes, just like Vasco. The less a woman knows, the better. And very dangerous to me it turned out to be. Gair, promise you'll never keep me in the dark again.'

‘I doubt if I'll be able to. But, Juana, you've not answered my question.'

‘That, darling Gair, is because you have not asked it.'

‘Juana! Will you marry me?'

‘Oh, my darling, of course I will.' Safe in his arms, there were a thousand questions she wanted to ask him, but she could feel his exhaustion. ‘Rest, love, while you can,' she said.

‘It seems such a waste—' She could feel him droop against her. It seemed the most natural thing in the world to settle his head on her shoulder. ‘Cesario,' he said, and slept.

She had to rouse him when the carriage slowed down outside the palace of Queluz, where ranks of flaring torches lit up a scene of indescribable confusion. The royal cortège must have just arrived and sweating servants were busy unloading chairs and stools and ornate four-poster beds from waggons and carrying them into the elegant pink-fronted palace that was the Braganzas' Versailles, as Mafra was their Escurial.

‘Keep well back in the carriage,' said Gair, as their coachman drove on past the main entrance and round the side of the rambling palace to what was obviously a servants' entrance. ‘We dare not be seen here, either of us.' He helped her to alight and led her out into a moonlit formal garden. ‘No one knows how many of the Sons of the Star are about the Court,' he went on as they approached the foot of a branching ornamental flight of steps.

‘And to meet one of them would be enough,' agreed Juana. ‘Do you think they know yet?'

‘That we have escaped? I think we must assume so. Hush, there's someone coming.'

‘Roberto,' Juana said with relief as he approached them down the graceful stairway, the torch he carried held so as to light up his face.

‘You're punctual, thank God.' Roberto wasted no time on greetings. ‘Dom John will see us now.'

‘Alone?'

‘Yes, it took some persuading, but I managed in the end. I think, at last, he has realised how he is surrounded by treachery. I showed him the
Moniteur
. That shook him. That so many people should have known about it, and no one told him.' He was leading them back up the flight of steps as he spoke. ‘Keep your veil well over your face, Juana, and you, senhor? Ah, I see …'

Gair had produced a large handkerchief from his pocket and held it in front of his face as they threaded their way quickly through a maze of corridors. At last, Roberto opened a door, looked inside, spoke briefly, and ushered them into a small withdrawing room, still entirely devoid of furniture, where Dom John, unmistakably ugly, was standing by a window gnawing on a grilled chicken bone. At sight of them, he put it away in a small enamelled box, tucked that into the pocket of his brocade coat and came forward with a sudden and rather moving assumption of dignity. The fate of Portugal might lie in the balance, but the full ceremony of presentation, the bowing and curtsying must be gone through just the same. At last: ‘Senhor Brett – Alvidrar tells me you can substantiate this wild tale of his?' The Prince Regent fixed his pop-eyed, anxious gaze on Gair.

‘Sire, in every detail, and so can the senhora.' Juana had never respected Gair so much as now, listening to him describe the plot at once simply and dramatically so as to appeal to the limited intelligence of his royal auditor.

‘
Meu Deus
.' said the Prince, and again, ‘
Men Deus
.' and, at last: ‘But what can I do?'

‘Sire, send for Lord Strangford. Believe that the English are your true friends, the only ones who can save you. And, in the meanwhile, order the arrest of Vasco de Mascarenhas and Miguel Brett. Without de Mascarenhas, the conspiracy may be scotched. And the senhora here is sure that Brett is one of the inner circle of the Sons of the Star. Put him to the question and, if I know him, he will give you the names of the others. Arrest them, and you can breathe again. At least the domestic threat will be removed.'

‘I wish you could deal with the French one so easily.' Dom John walked up and down the room, cracking his knuckles. ‘What do you advise there, senhor?'

‘I am sorry to say it, sire, but I think you have no alternative to flight to the Brazils. But, I beg you, send for Lord Strangford. He can advise you better than I.'

‘How can I, when he has left me like this? My dignity will not permit it.'

Juana knew what an effort it cost Gair to speak calmly. ‘Suppose Lord Strangford were to come to you once more, uninvited, sire, to appeal to the ancient friendship between our two countries. What then?'

‘That would be quite a different thing, of course.' Dom John was delighted to let circumstances decide for him. ‘I am always happy to see Lord Strangford, the representative of our oldest ally.' And then, to Roberto, with a sweeping bow for Juana. ‘You will conduct our guests to their carriage, and give the necessary orders. For the arrests, I mean, and a move to our palace at Belem tomorrow. If Lord Strangford wishes, he may ask audience of us there.'

The interview was over. Outside, the three of them conferred briefly in the deserted corridor. ‘It's as good as we can expect.' said Roberto. ‘I'll see to it that poor Miguel talks.'

‘And I'll get out to the British squadron and convince Strangford that he must come.' said Gair. ‘A line from you would help.'

‘Of course. Come to my room and I'll write it for you.'

Once again there was a tangle of dark corridors to be traversed, but at least, when they reached it, Roberto's room had a bed, two chairs and a writing table. He sat, and wrote fast, then looked up at Gair. ‘But what about Juana? Can you take her with you?'

‘To the squadron? I wish I could. But God knows how I'm going to get out to them myself. I'll have to bribe a sardine-fisher; it wouldn't be safe for her. But I've been thinking; how does your brother stand?'

‘Pedro? Clear of everything. That I do know.'

‘That's what I hoped. And he's at Ramalhao with the Princess?'

‘Yes.'

‘Then I shall take Juana there immediately. Pedro must persuade his mistress to let her act as one of her ladies-in-waiting. Thank God the Prince has faced facts to the extent of planning to move to the Belem palace tomorrow. Doubtless the Princess and their children will be moving there too. Juana can come in Carlota Joaquina's train without any danger of attracting notice.'

‘Admirable,' said Roberto. And, to Juana: ‘You can trust Pedro in this. He's always been the Princess's man, and nothing else. While I – if you knew how I hate myself … you've seen Dom John … He's not brilliant, God knows, but he's a good man. And I've been conspiring against him all this time. I'm so ashamed … if you hadn't undeceived me, Juana, I would have connived at his death, and all his children's, without even understanding what I was doing.'

‘Yes,' said Gair, ‘but she did undeceive you, and lord knows you've made handsome amends. Now, we must go. I don't need
to remind you that de Mascarenhas and Miguel Brett must be apprehended without delay.'

‘Oh, poor Uncle Miguel,' Juana said. ‘You won't be hard on him, Roberto?'

‘I won't need to be,' said Roberto. ‘Don't waste your sympathy on him, Juana. He's a coward through and through. Once he knows he's lost, he'll betray them all to save his own skin.'

‘I suppose you're right. But it's horrible, just the same—' This was to Gair, safe once more in the darkness of the carriage. ‘Will they torture him, Gair? If they did, it would be all my fault …'