Roger had intended to stay two nights, but felt that he could not bear the dead atmosphere of the house for so long. He had known it filled with the cream of the fashionable world: statesmen, Ambassadors, beautiful and witty women. They had dined, gambled, flirted, conversed with knowledge on the problems of the day and, above all, there had been hose many glorious nights of play and laughter in Georgina's great bed. At midday he said that urgent business required his presence in London and, heavy-hearted, rode away.
By then Lisala was beginning really to enjoy herself. With Roger's guineas and the aid of Caroline and Judith, she had purchased a fine array of furbelows. From new acquaintances, invitations were coming in to routs, balls and parties at Ranelagh and Vauxhall Gardens. The London season was at its height. Wherever she went, tribute was paid to her beauty. Very soon she became known as La Belle Brasilienne, and the most desirable men jostled one another to secure a dance with her.
After twelve days in London, Roger said to her one morning, 'My beloved, I feel that we have accepted Lord Edward's hospitality for long enough. By now my house out at Richmond should be ready for us to occupy it. Within a day or two we'll go there and settle in.'
To his amazement, she shook her head and replied, 'No. We cannot do that. We must return to Portugal.'
'In God's name, why?' he demanded. 'Are you not happy here?'
'Yes. I find London far more agreeable than I had expected it to be.'
'Then why this urge to leave it? From Richmond it is no long drive to the metropolis. We can continue to accept the invitations with which we are being showered and, at the same time, enjoy a home of our own.'
'Maybe. But by the time we can get to Lisbon, news of my father's death will have reached there. As his heir, I must claim my inheritance.'
Roger was momentarily shocked by her callousness. Then he said, 'That is unnecessary. I have money enough to support us both.'
She shrugged. 'A few thousand guineas perhaps. But no great fortune. Unfortunately, Papa took with him to Brazil the family jewels. So those are lost to me, at least for some time to come. I have a craving for rubies, emeralds, diamond and pearl necklaces to adorn my person; and those you cannot afford to buy. So to Portugal we must go, in order to claim my inheritance before those filthy French get their hands on the de Pombal properties, declaring that they have gone by default.'
In vain Roger argued with her, urging that it was far from easy now to get to Portugal. But she swept aside his protests, asserting that there were smugglers who would run them over, and that if he did not love her enough to go with her, she would go alone.
During the day Roger gave the matter much thought. To allow Lisala to make such a voyage unaccompanied was out of the question; so his problem was how most speedily and safely he could convey her there.
Eventually he decided to seek an interview with Mr. Canning. As a pretext, he could say he had recently returned from Brazil, so could furnish an account of the state of things in that country. Accordingly, he wrote to the Foreign Secretary.
Two days later, Canning welcomed him as an old friend, recalling the evenings when they had shared the exhilarating company of Billy Pitt and thanked him for his communication from Vienna. For some ten minutes Roger spoke of the hideous voyage endured by the exiles, the miserable conditions in Rio, and the potential natural wealth of Brazil. Then he mentioned that, before leaving Lisbon, he had spent a week in Madrid.
Immediately the Minister displayed greater interest, and asked his impressions of the leading men there. Roger gave him such information as he could, then Canning said:
'Spain has now become our principal preoccupation. Having in the past been our most successful secret agent and attached to Bonaparte's staff, you will doubtless know that he has long had designs on the Peninsula and postponed them only while having to deal with Prussia and Russia.
'His pact with the Czar at Tilsit freed him to turn his gaze south; and he has played his cards there with his usual unscrupulous cunning. .By tempting Godoy with a Kingdom in southern Portugal, he induced him to use Spanish troops to help subdue that country. As France's ally, he then requested King Carlos to send a considerable contingent of Spaniards to assist in garrisoning Hanover; and that moron of a King did as he was asked.
'Thus Spain was denuded of her best regiments and, theoretically, vulnerable to invasion by us. On that pretext, Bonaparte infiltrated many thousands of his own troops into the Peninsula and by guile, or forged documents, they have since gained possession of all the principal fortresses, including Pamplona, San Sebastian, Figueras and Barcelona. With these in his hands, twenty thousand troops in Portugal, forty thousand in northern Spain and another twelve thousand in Catalonia, he has Spain by the throat.
'When that dawned on the slow-witted King, he decided to seek safety in his American dominions. But by then it was too late. His son, that unsavoury young Prince Ferdinand, prevented his departure and forced him to abdicate. Bonaparte played with Ferdinand for a while, persuading him that he intended to support his claim to the throne, then sent General Savory to lure him to Bayonne. There he was confronted by his parents and Godoy who, after being half-killed by the mob and spending a month in prison, had been released at the order of the French. My intelligence sources report that most terrible scenes ensued. But, of course, Bonaparte had the last word. With Godoy, he drew up a Convention by which King Carlos and Prince Ferdinand surrendered their claims to the Spanish throne.'
Roger nodded. 'So there is now no King of Spain; but Godoy gets his Kingdom of the Algarve after all.'
'By no means. He, too, becomes a permanent exile, and Bonaparte has come out in his true colours. He does not intend to partition Portugal, but keep it for himself.'
Canning took a pinch of snuff, then went on, 'But Spain has now become our major concern. The Spanish people took great umbrage some while since at a proposal by Bonaparte that Spain should be deprived of the Balearic Isles, so that he could give them in exchange for Sicily. His treatment of the Spanish royal family has further incensed them, an-f to such a degree that on May 2nd there were bloody riots in Madrid. Now, I gather, the whole country is seething with hatred of the French. Having told you all this, I should like to have your opinion. Do you think there is any chance at all of the people rising en masse and driving the French out of Spain?'
' 'Tis hard to say, Sir,' Roger replied. 'I took a poor view of the nobility that I met when in Madrid; but the people are tough, courageous and deeply religious. If their priests inflamed them further against their oppressors, they might succeed in forcing die French to retire into their fortresses But Napoleon would still hold Spain, unless . . . yes, unless we could send an expeditionary force with ample artillery to support the insurgents.'
'Ah!' exclaimed Canning. 'That is the very thing I have in mind. But we dare not take such a risk unless we have sound reason to believe that the Spanish people will fully commit themselves. And now a thought has come to me. I am,of course, aware that, since the death of our dear friend, Billy, disgusted with the Government that succeeded him you refused to accept further missions abroad. Would you consider re-entering the Service as my special agent? Having been a member of Bonapane's staff, you are in a unique position to find out how the French view their chances of holding down a widespread rebellion. Such knowledge would be invaluable to me. Will you go to Spain on my behalf?'
Back into the Battle
After hesitating for a moment, Roger smiled and said, 'It so happens that I came here today to ask if you would aid me to get to Lisbon. I recently married the daughter of the late Marquis de Pombal. She has inherited a great property there, and is anxious to go to Lisbon so that she can claim it. Knowing that British ships of war are constantly patrolling the coast of Portugal, it occurred to me that you might be good enough to secure for my wife and me a passage in one, and enable us to be put ashore on a dark night in some secluded bay.'