Fire and Sword (16 page)

‘The only urge I have is to stay alive and I’m not likely to do that if I go barging into the French camp with you.’

‘That’s exactly why you’ll stay outside and wait for me.’

‘And how long am I to wait?’ asked Welbeck.

‘Until you’re certain that I’m not coming out again.’

‘Then what do I do?’

‘Come in search of me, of course.’

Welbeck shuddered. ‘And how am I supposed to do that?’

‘Oh, you’ll think of something,’ said Daniel, happily. ‘That’s why I brought you with me.’

Amalia Janssen had been so exhausted by the events of recent days that she slept without interruption for almost fourteen hours. She awoke with the delicious feeling that she was free, unharmed and completely safe. A letter from Marlborough had been dispatched to Amsterdam to assure her father that she was alive and it had been accompanied by a scribbled note from Amalia. Knowing how guilt-stricken Beatrix would be, she’d made a point of absolving her from any blame for the abduction. In making sure that her father and her servant would no longer fret over her disappearance, she’d removed a crushing weight from her mind. Unfortunately, it had been replaced by a lighter but not inconsiderable one.

‘When did Captain Rawson leave?’ asked Sophie Prunier.

‘I don’t know,’ replied Amalia.

‘Didn’t he bid you farewell?’

‘No, Sophie, he left Lieutenant Ainley to do that on his behalf. Daniel – Captain Rawson, I mean – knew that I’d try to persuade him to stay here.’

‘Would he have listened to you?’

‘I’m afraid not.’

‘Yet he was not under orders to go, was he?’

‘No, it was his decision.’

‘The Duke of Marlborough called it a matter of honour.’

‘We might not think so,’ said Amalia, ‘but that’s how Captain Rawson would see it.’

The two women were pleased to be reunited and were sharing a late breakfast in the tent assigned to Amalia. Both of them had been able to wash off the filth collected during their escape and clean clothing had been found for them, albeit of a utilitarian kind. As they ate their meal, Amalia explained why Daniel’s sword had such a symbolic importance in his life. Sophie began to understand why he was driven to retrieve it.

‘Do you feel afraid for him?’ she asked.

‘Yes, I do – very afraid.’

‘It’s a reckless thing to do. I’m surprised that the Duke of Marlborough let him take the risk.’

‘His Grace knows what that sword means. After all, it was he who presented it to him. Captain Rawson was only
ten when he used that sword to prevent his mother from being—’

‘Yes, yes,’ said Sophie, interrupting. ‘There’s no need to talk about that. It seems that British soldiers can be just as brutish as the French. It’s disgusting.’

Amalia was tentative. ‘Did you tell His Grace what happened?’

‘How could I? It was too embarrassing.’

‘Lieutenant Bouteron should be called to account.’

‘I’d sooner forget his foul name.’

‘He should be punished.’

‘It would be a case of his word against mine,’ said Sophie. ‘If I made a complaint, it would be heard by the duc de Vendôme and he’ll always support his officers. That’s the tragedy of it all, Amalia. I have no recourse to justice. I have to bear my disgrace.’

‘It’s not a disgrace – it was forced upon you.’

‘I’d much rather pretend it never happened.’

‘
Somebody
should pay,’ insisted Amalia.

Sophie looked dejected. ‘I wish that they would.’

They ate on in silence for a while then Sophie brightened a little.

‘I never thought I’d get to meet the Duke of Marlborough,’ she said. ‘He’s so charming. I expected a much older man.’

‘His Grace is always very considerate.’

‘He and his secretary, Monsieur Cardonnel, were kind to me and I was surprised. When all is said and done,’ she said
with a shrug, ‘I’m French. I’m one of the enemy.’

‘I only think of you as a good friend,’ said Amalia.

‘Thank you.’ Sophie reached across the table to give her hand an affectionate squeeze. ‘One day, perhaps, when this war is over, we shall be able to meet again – in Paris, perhaps.’

‘I’d prefer it to be in Amsterdam.’

‘Then that’s where it will be.’ They traded a warm smile. ‘You’re blessed to have a man like Captain Rawson in your life.’

‘You don’t need to tell me that, Sophie. I say it to myself every day. He’s been my saviour. This time, he was yours as well.’

‘In your place, I’d be very concerned about him.’

‘Oh, I am, Sophie.’

‘We both saw how many soldiers there are in that camp.’

‘He managed to reach us, nevertheless.’

‘But can he get in there all over again?’

‘I hope so,’ said Amalia, sounding far more confident than she actually felt. ‘This time, he only has himself to worry about. That should make it a lot easier.’

‘Yes, it should,’ agreed Sophie. ‘I’d just love to know how he’ll go about it. You’re as close to Captain Rawson as anybody. What sort of a plan do you think he’d have?’

‘It won’t work,’ said Henry Welbeck with categorical certainty.

‘I believe that it’s worth a try,’ said Daniel.

‘It could be suicide.’

‘That’s the talk of a defeatist and I’d never call you that, Henry. You’ve always believed that we could succeed in the past.’

‘Granted,’ said Welbeck, ‘but that was when we were surrounded by a British army and its allies. When we have sufficient numbers, we’re a match for anyone. This time, there are only two of us.’

‘I see that as an advantage.’

‘Well, I don’t, Dan.’

‘It’s so much easier for one person to remain hidden. You must see that, surely.’

‘All I see is that I may end up as the fox with a pack of slavering hounds on my trail – and I can’t run fast enough.’

‘You won’t have to run at all, Henry.’

‘I won’t?’

‘No,’ said Daniel. ‘You’ll be hiding up a tree.’

Welbeck quaked. ‘Hell and damnation!’ he yelled. ‘This gets worse and worse!’

They were about three miles from the French camp at a point where the road ran through the woods. Any traffic going to the camp would have to pass that way and Daniel was counting on deliveries of food or other supplies. What troubled Welbeck was that the plan had been made on the spur of the moment, as was Daniel’s habit when he needed to improvise. The sergeant lacked his friend’s ability to make things up as he went along. He liked order, control and the
sense of being part of a huge military unit. Cut off from his regiment, he felt isolated. Welbeck was uncomfortable enough being so close to the French camp. The idea of implementing Daniel’s plan only brought him out in a cold sweat.

‘I have a better idea,’ he said.

‘And what’s that, Henry?’

‘I’ll buy you a
new
sword – two or three of the bloody things, if necessary. Now, please let’s be sensible and leave.’

‘Don’t you want the excitement of deceiving the enemy?’

‘We’ll talk about it when we get back to our camp.’

‘We’re staying here,’ said Daniel, ‘until the right chance comes. All that you have to do is to fire the pistol.’

‘Then what happens? Every one of the soldiers guarding the wagons will race to see who can hack me to pieces first.’

‘They won’t even notice you high up in a tree.’

‘And how am I supposed to get up there? I hate climbing.’

‘Then I’ll help you. We brought rope with us. I’ll climb up there first then haul you up after me.’ He touched Welbeck’s shoulder. ‘I can’t do this without you, Henry.’

‘In my view, you can’t do it at all.’

‘Why do you think that?’

‘To begin with,’ said Welbeck, ‘you’ve forgotten our horses. As soon as they hear a pistol being discharged above their heads, they’ll probably bolt off through the trees.’

‘They won’t be anywhere near you,’ Daniel told him. ‘They won’t even be on this side of the road. If they were,
they could easily be discovered. We’ll tether them deep in the woods on the other side so that you can collect them after we’ve gone.’

‘And what am I supposed to do then?’

‘Watch and pray, Henry. Think inspiring thoughts.’

‘The only thing that’s inspired me about this venture is that we finally caught those deserters. That’s the kind of work I like, Dan. Rounding up dirty renegades is what I do well.’

‘You can do anything well if you put your mind to it.’

‘Not if it involves climbing,’ protested Welbeck. ‘I like to fight with my feet on the ground, not perched up in a tree.’

‘You won’t have to fight at all,’ said Daniel. ‘You’re my decoy.’

After a lengthy argument, Welbeck was finally cajoled into taking part in the plan. They first took their horses into the woods on the opposite side of the road and tethered them in a clearing. Returning to the place from which they’d started, they searched for a hiding place. The trees were in full leaf and many had high branches strong enough to support a man’s weight. Daniel chose with care, shinning up a trunk with ease then throwing the rope over the sturdy bough on which he wanted his friend to sit. When the rope was tied in position, he used it to haul Welbeck up through the fretwork of branches. The sergeant was spluttering as he was pulled upward through the air and he didn’t dare to look down. He eventually reached safety and he put a hand to his chest. Sitting side by side astride the bough, they were like
two birds of prey discussing what they’d managed to catch that day.

‘Don’t ever ask me to do that again, Dan,’ said Welbeck.

‘Why not?’

‘My heart won’t stand it.’

‘You’ll survive,’ said Daniel.

‘I don’t like it up here.’

‘It may not be for long.’

‘How do I get down?’

‘It’s easy,’ said Daniel, dropping the rope and sliding effortlessly down to the ground. ‘Pull it up out of sight.’ The rope vanished behind the leaves. ‘Well done, Henry,’ he called to the now invisible sergeant. ‘Make sure that you have the pistol ready.’

Welbeck took the weapon from the holster attached to his belt.

‘I may use this to kill myself,’ he warned.

‘Stand by – no more words.’

Daniel slipped quietly away and concealed himself behind some thickets on the other side of the road. It was a long wait and he began to fear that Welbeck would be unable to stay aloft indefinitely. The sergeant’s fear of heights could only worsen as time went by. Daniel was still wondering if anybody would come when he finally heard the distant rumble of wagons. A convoy was on its way and it was soon making so much noise that the sergeant was sure to hear it. There were twenty vehicles in all, packed with provisions and
flanked by soldiers. As the first set of wheels rolled past him, Daniel was only a few feet away. A second cart passed, then a third, then a fourth. When over half of the convoy had gone, there was still no sound from Welbeck. Daniel felt certain that his friend must have sustained an injury, dropped the pistol or simply decided to abandon the plan.

Then, when it was almost too late, there was the sudden report of a gun, reverberating through the woods to the left. It caused immediate consternation, sending dozens of birds squawking into the sky. Horses neighed shrilly between the shafts and some tried to rear up on their back heels. There was great confusion. An order was barked and the convoy juddered to a halt. Soldiers drew their swords and spread out so that they could search the wood opposite. The sound had been deceptive. Some thought it came from the right, others from the left and others again from a point straight ahead. They kicked their horses forward. While the soldiers combed the woods, the drivers stayed on their carts, staring in dismay at the trees opposite and wondering if an ambush was imminent. Everyone had his back to the woods behind them.

The search was swift but methodical. They looked everywhere, using their swords to hack at bushes and shrubs. The one thing they never thought to do, however, was to look upwards so they never saw the chunky figure of Henry Welbeck, clinging on to the bough for dear life. At length, when they were convinced there was no danger, the soldiers
trotted back to the convoy. One of them waved an arm to signal that there was no need for alarm.

‘It must have been a hunter!’ he shouted. ‘There’s nobody there now. Move on!’

Whips cracked and the vehicles creaked slowly into action again, rolling noisily towards the French camp. The interruption was over and all was well again. With their eyes fixed on the road ahead, nobody noticed that they now had a passenger. Daniel had crept under one of the wagons and was suspended between the axles.

Welbeck, meanwhile, had to solve the problem of how to descend from the tree without hurting himself. Daniel had made it look easy but his friend was much heavier and far less agile. After waiting until the noise of the convoy had faded away, Welbeck dropped the rope so that it dangled to the ground. Then he took a firm grip on it and rolled slowly off the bough, bringing both legs together around the rope. He was now hanging in mid-air and assaulted by fears that the bough might break, the rope might slip from his grasp or that he’d somehow lose consciousness and plunge to his death.

Lowering himself with painful slowness, he waited until he had gone down a few yards before swinging on the rope so that he could get within reach of the trunk of the tree. That promised solidity. It needed several attempts before his legs closed gratefully around the trunk and he was able to
discard the rope altogether. Confidence restored, Welbeck climbed down through the lower branches until he could jump to the ground. Hurrying to the road, he saw that it was utterly deserted. He let out a cry of amazement.

‘Bugger me!’ he exclaimed. ‘The plan
worked
.’

Known for his considerate treatment of his men, Marlborough could be ruthless when time served. As soon as he heard that the deserters had been apprehended, he ordered a court martial and presided over it in person. Matthew Searle and his followers were arraigned on charges of desertion, arson, rape, theft and wilful murder. Because the evidence against them was overwhelming, the trial was short. It was time to pass judgement. Cowed and pathetic, they pleaded for mercy. Marlborough was outraged.

‘How dare you ask for mercy,’ he said with vehemence, ‘when you showed none to your unfortunate victims. How dare you have the audacity to imagine that you deserve anything but the death sentence for your appalling crimes. Had you repented of your desertion and returned immediately to this camp, I should have been inclined to be more lenient. But that was not the case here. Oh, no,’ he went on with controlled anger. ‘Wearing the uniform of the British army, you started a reign of terror that consisted of rape, theft, murder and the wanton destruction of property by fire. You brought untold shame upon us and that is unforgivable.’