Abigail's Cousin (44 page)

In answer
Richards walked to the window and looked out. The view was of
shingle and rocks upon which the castle had been built. As the
window could not be opened he put his ear to the glass and after a
moment said: "I think I can hear men approaching. With your leave,
Mr Macky, I shall go down to meet them."

Macky replied:
"I have no plans to go visiting, captain."

Captain
Richards descended the steps to the bailey and as he neared the
outside door, he heard the cry of 'halt!'. Then he opened the outer
door and went outside and was on the causeway leading to steps
built onto the rocks ending in shingle. He descended not waiting
for anyone to approach and saw the serjeant who called out against
the whine of the wind:

"Three
prisoners, sir. Occupants of boat. On questioning one man replied
in English. I believe the others to be French, sir."

"Very good,
serjeant. Take them to the guardroom. You had better manacle them
as a precaution then report to my office."

Before the
captain could retreat one of the prisoners called to him:

"I do protest
at this vile treatment, sir. Are you the commanding officer? I do
assure you we are all on the queen's business. Guard us by all
means but there is no need for chains."

"Do as I said,
serjeant!" Then without replying the captain went back the way he
came hearing his subordinate issue orders and he hears the people
climbing the steps as he himself returns inside to report to John
Macky Esquire.

He knocked and entered and found Macky at
the window and having been asked tells Macky his immediate plans
for the arrivals. He then asked him: "Is it a
coincide
nce, sir, that
your appearance coincides with the arrival of this boat ? I venture
you might ask the same question were you in my
position."

Macky turned
from the window but Richards could not see him properly against the
light from the window; he simply said: "Perhaps."

Richards tried
again: "I have my orders, John, if I can presume upon old
acquaintance. My question is, are your orders the same."

"If we are
fighting the same enemy, old friend, then of course they must be.
When are you going to question the prisoners?"

It was
Richards' turn to be brief: "Soon!"

"May I
accompany you, old friend?" said Macky and Richards felt momentary
irritation at Macky not using his Christian name but he
answered:

"Uh..., yes,
of course. I cannot see why not. But I don't need to advise the
inspector of coasts to keep close anything heard."

There was a
knock at the door heralding Gay who apologised for the intrusion,
but that having been to Richards office and not finding him, was
convinced he would want to be notified immediately. Both men
followed him to the guardroom. Inside there was the fetid smell of
stale sweat and tobacco. The three prisoners were manacled to rings
concreted into one of the walls.

Serjeant Gay
provided Richards with information: "There is the English speaking
man, sir."

Richards walks
until he is a few yards from the man who looks at him with eyes
bright with expectation. He says before Richards speaks:

"Prior, sir.
Mathew Prior." Then Prior looks past Richards to Macky who is some
way away and he squints trying to recognise him. Richards turns
round to Macky: "Sorry, John. On second thoughts you had best
leave. It might change after I have reported to Brigadier
Masham."

Macky
acquiesces: "Certainly, old friend."

On hearing
Macky speak, Prior cried: "Is that you John? God be praised. Tell
him who I am."

Macky was
non-commital: "All in good time, Mathew, old friend."

Richards spun
round to Macky: "You know this man, John!"

Macky stupidly
said: "Yes, from the Kit-Cat Club...."

Richards was
suddenly angry: "Go John, or you will compromise me."

He turned
round to Prior: "I must leave you, sir, for the time being."

He noticed
Macky had left the guardroom. He went over, opened the door looked
out and saw the retreating figure of Macky then closed the door. He
addressed Gay: "Serjeant. I want four troopers, armed, at once.

Gay had the
four men lined up in two rows in a minute. Richards ordered:
"Follow me."

He took the
armed party to Macky's door. He opened it without knocking. Once
inside he barked:

"John Macky. It is my duty to arrest you
on a charge of disclosure of information witho
ut authorisation. You will be."

He got no
further as protests interrupted his speech: "Old friend, old
friend. Why are you doing this to me?"

"Do not 'old
friend' me. I trusted you. Only moments before I warned you about
disclosure. It was you who told me to be on my guard for the slip
of tongue that reveals the spy. I did not expect the head of the
secret service to be one such. Or are you testing me!"

Macky smiled
and tried to charm his way out of trouble. He suddenly remembered
Richards first name. He said: "Dick, old friend. We are both
Englishmen. You are doing your duty. Yet we both serve the
captain-general, do we not! He would be proud of you."

To his
surprise, his friend retorted: "I serve someone higher than the
captain-general, Mr Macky."

In answer
Macky rummaged in his pocket and took out a document. On seeing it
Richards said: "An express."

"From the
captain-general appointing me Inspector of coasts between Harwich
and Portsmouth; that is the reason I am here."

"Not high
enough, John."

Macky slumped
back in his chair. Serjeant Gay made his four men make their
presence known ordering them to place their muskets at point.
Richards went closer to Macky's table as he looked up and said:

"Who is higher
than the captain-general, old friend?"

In answer, the
captain removed his own orders and showing just the crest to Macky,
said: "What about this?"

Macky said in
astonishment: "Her majesty the queen!" After a few moments he said
prosaically: "Someone has bungled. Nobody told me of your orders.
It must be that new man, what's his name, St. John. I cannot
imagine Mr Harley making such a blunder."

"Mr Harley,
eh. Nobody tells the head of the secret service anything, do
they?"

Macky was
puzzled: "What do you mean, Dick?"

"It's no
longer Mr Harley. Next time you write to him be sure to address him
as the Earl of Oxford, else you'll stay in the secret service till
you die, old friend."

Having made
this last dig at his friend, Richards went out and spoke to Gay who
ordered his troop to attention and away they marched. He returned
to Macky who asked: "What of Prior?"

In answer Captain Richards’hand went to
his pocket but changing his mind, said: “I must keep him in
custody, John, until I receive orders to release him. You
see
, my orders from the
Secrety of State speak of the earl of Jersey and nothing of Mathew
Prior.”

Macky
commented with a note of despair in his voice: “That comes of being
too clever.”

“What do you
mean, John?” said Richards.

“St John
thought it impolitic that a commoner be accorded the status of
envoy and substituted a titled gentleman in his place. You are
witness to the result.” Macky threw up his hands adding: “It is
poor Prior who will suffer.”

Richards
pursed his lips reflectively assuring Macky: “I shall at least make
his detention as comfortable as possible. In the meantime allow me
to use your mail service to send an urgent express to St John in
London?” He added:

"We are all on
edge here, John. I have imprisoned Prior wrongfully, perhaps, and
I'll make it up to him, but I never want such a posting again. I
have been wondering of the misdemeanour which brought me here. It's
all right for the brigadier. He has a cushy billet in Deal with his
wife visiting him and providing all the home comforts. And do you
know what?"

Macky relieved
he was at liberty humoured his friend: "What, old friend?"

“I got a visit
from another brigadier recently. Have you heard of Brigadier
Hill?"

"Dick old
friend, promotion in the army is no longer a matter of merit.
Brigadier Hill is the sister and Brigadier Masham the husband of
whom, a bedchamber-woman to her majesty the queen. She wields more
power than the captain-general himself."

Macky had
already agreed to the captain’s request to send an express to St
John in London. At the same time, he decided to warn the
captain-general currently investing Bouchain in France; by so
doing, he lost his livelihood when St John heard about it.

On a bright
afternoon in early August, 1711, in the Orangeman, a tavern in the
London district of Westminster, there was a lot of noise, of
merriment, of singing, cheering, laughing, shoting in lieu of
talking which was difficult as you could not hear your own voice.
The tavern was so full people had spilled out onto the road outside
or into the garden where the proprietors had thoughtfully provided
wooden tables and benches. Perhaps some of the revellers had
elected to quaff their ale or spirit in the open air and a party of
four well on their way to inebriation, at least as far as the men
were concerned, though the ladies were not far behind, sat at one
of the tables. One of their number slapped a coin onto the table
issuing a challenge.

"A guinea for
a repeat performance, or I'm better off by a guinea." The
challenger was brigadier John Hill and that gesture just about
saved him from lurching to the floor after he stood up while the
man being challenged examined his tankard, upended it whereby a few
drops fell out and pointing an uncertain finger at Hill, he
riposted:

"And whose
pint will it be, not mine, as you can see? It'll be your’n Johnny
boy."

"Too right it
is, see!" Hill held up his tankard saying: "That were a quart, but
you know me, Singeing, where ale's concerned, so get to it."

In answer St
John got up unsteadily and holding the corner of the table undid
the buttons of his coat slipping it off and it fell picked up by
Belle, with an air of resignation. St John looked round for a wall
and lurched towards it. Then with a surprising agility St John had
placed his hands on the ground and his feet were in the air and
planted firmly against the wall. People from neighbouring tables
craned their necks for a better view.

Belle, his
lady friend, addressed him: "Are you sure you can do this?"

He answered
with slurred voice: "Never better. Come on Johnny boy, bring your
tankard over."

Hill placed it
on the ground with a clonk and St John eyed it. The pupils of his
eyes then rolled up looking for Belle and Alice, Jack's sister,
then satisfied of his audience, he shifted his weight to his left
arm, inviting them both: "Are you watching me, Belle? Are you,
Alice?"

Then he picked
up the tankard. It was a deft movement. He put it to his lips. A
sucking sound was heard as ale from the tankard slurped into his
mouth followed by a gulp as he swallowed. Still holding the
tankard, a second suck was succeeded by a slurp and a gulp and the
third drained the tankard, and St John uttered a gurgle of triumph
rolling his eyes up as before. But he had not finished. He told the
brigadier: "Pick it up, Johnny boy." He complied and St John bade
him: "Up end it!"

Not a drop
fell out and Jack shouted: "You've earned your guinea, Singeing."
With his admission St John dropped and Jack, in giving the empty
tankard to Alice, whispered to her and then spoke to St John:

"Two G's you
won't do it a second time. Are you on?"

Alice meantime had disappeared with the
empty tankard presumably to get it refilled while St John prepared
to return to the wall saying: "Have you so much money, Johnnyboy,
that you want to throw it away
?"

St John
bantered with Belle to follow suit though she countered his
invitation with: "What would you think of me sir, with my skirts
where my head is? Besides how would I sup the ale?" She had
scarcely spoken when Alice returned and placed the tankard down as
before and turning to her brother demanded:

"How is it
brother that you suddenly have guineas? Before Mr St John proceeds,
is it not fair we see the colour of your money?"

"He will get his two guineas, if he wins."
Hill protested whereupon Alice kicked the tankard over so the
contents spilled onto the grass. St John's nose wrinkled as the
smell of the pungent liquid assailed his nostrils. It was water,
Alice's, he thought and felt his breeches tighten flipping back
onto the ground. As he did so he overbalanced and falling backwards
laughed merrily seeking Alice's eyes and as they met, he knew he
was in love. Getting back on his fe
et, he addressed his companion:

"It is time I
was back in Whitehall, Belle."

"No, no, not
just yet. Just when we were starting to have some fun." Belle
complained and St John said of a sudden: "Tell you what!"

He picked up
the guinea from the table just won from Jack and returned it to him
with the words: "Entertain my Belle for me, Johnnyboy."

Alice turned
to her brother: "I must get back to the Palace, Jack."

"Allow me to
escort you, Mistress Alice. My cab is just around the corner."

She did not
answer but went across to Belle speaking in a low voice to her as
the two men busied themselves in a playful boxing session when
Alice turned round and said: "We shall be back soon." St John
looked after them with a lascivious look not unnoticed by the
brigadier. He said: "You've taken a fancy to my Alice, I can
see."

St John, not
responding, said to Hill as the two ladies disappeared: "You are at
a loose end now after that Quebec disaster, eh."