Once a Soldier (Rogues Redeemed) Read Online Free Page A

Alfonso.” The colonel chose his words carefully. “The prince is very old and . . . infirm. Perhaps it was written by Princess Maria Sofia in his name.”
    “Will the princess rule well if the throne comes to her?” Will asked bluntly.
    “When I left San Gabriel, she was a sweet, pretty little girl, a close friend of my daughter. Her brother, Prince Alexandre, was very capable and there was no reason to suppose his little sister would ever inherit. In normal times, if she came to the throne, she would have strong advisors to help her. Now . . .” He shook his head. “I don’t know enough about the situation there. If I could ride out tomorrow, I would. Since I can’t, I pray that Duval is right to recommend you.”
    Will wondered just how dire the situation in San Gabriel was. “Soon the princess will have the advisors she needs. Perhaps, by the grace of God, King Carlos and his son have already been released from prison and are on their way home.”
    “Even the grace of God has its limits, Major Masterson,” da Silva said bleakly. “How soon can you leave? Tomorrow morning?”
    That quickly? Very well, then. “I’ll need to consult my commanding officer, but if he has no objections, yes, tomorrow,” Will replied. “I assume your men are well mounted?”
    “Very well mounted, thanks to the defeated French.” Da Silva’s teeth showed in what was not a smile. “I also ask you to take messages to my wife, and to assure her that I and our eldest son are well. He is one of my captains and was wounded in the recent battle, but he is recovering. Soon we will both be home again.”
    “I’ll be happy to carry such news,” Will promised.
    As quickly as that, the matter was settled. Colonel Gates approved Will’s departure, so Tom Murphy immediately started packing, organizing, and disposing of things that were unnecessary.
    That night, Will made his farewells to his friends in the camp. Though he would not miss the war, he would miss the intense camaraderie developed under shared dangers and privations. He wondered what, if anything, would replace that closeness.
    At dawn the next morning, Will led out his small troop for his last ride through Spain.

Chapter 3
    The Kingdom of San Gabriel, April 1814
     
    T he news raced across Europe like a summer storm. The emperor has abdicated. Napoleon is gone! The long wars are finally over!
    And as the initial euphoria faded, the more thoughtful wondered, What happens now?
    * * *
    Athena Markham was at work in her small study in the Castelo Blanco, wondering how the devil this small, war-ravaged country would get the money to survive and rebuild, when Princess Maria Sofia del Rosario de Alcantara—and several other less important names—burst into the study, so excited she could barely speak. “Athena, the war is over! Napoleon had been forced to abdicate!”
    Athena looked up from the account books, anxiety vanishing at the good news. “Well, glory be! The end has been coming for some time, but Bonaparte is so tricky and ambitious that I half expected him to pull another tiger out of his hat. Has a Porto courier just arrived?”
    “Yes, as soon as the messenger announced his news down in the courtyard, he was mobbed by people wanting to hear him repeat it over and over. When he breaks free, he’ll call on Uncle Alfonso, then come by here.” Sofia chuckled. “Inviting the couriers to stop in San Gabriel for food and lodging as they travel to and from Porto and Lisbon was one of your better ideas.”
    “In uncertain times, staying well informed is vital.” Athena just wished that the summer before they had been warned in advance that General Baudin and his troops would sweep through San Gabriel as they retreated east from Wellington’s army.
    Unable to hold still, Sofia danced across the study like a butterfly. Petite, dark-haired, and beautiful, she looked seventeen rather than twenty-four years old. “Will Papá and my brother be home soon, now that the