Fire and Sword (40 page)
Authors: Simon Scarrow
‘Sire, do you not recall the day when you became First Consul? We stood side by side in order to save France from the tyranny of corruption and incompetence. It would be dangerous if the people began to wonder whether they have not simply exchanged one form of tyranny for another.’
‘Do you call me a tyrant?’
‘Not I, sire. But others do.’
‘Then pass their names on to Fouché and they will be dealt with.’
‘That is precisely why I do not pass their names on to Fouché, sire.’
The two brothers stared at each other for a moment, and then Napoleon looked past Lucien at the other senators and pointed to the door. ‘Leave us.’
They looked to Lucien for a lead. He nodded slightly and they retreated from the room. No word was spoken until the door was closed and then Napoleon pointed towards the chairs set against the walls of the chamber. ‘Bring one of those here and sit with me, brother.’
After an instant’s hesitation Lucien did as he was told and settled stiffly on his chair under the penetrating gaze of his brother. At length Napoleon leaned forward and rested his elbows on the desk. ‘Is it true what you say about the public mood?’
‘Yes.’
‘I see.’ Napoleon nodded as he considered the situation. He could count on the loyalty of the army without question. Some of his marshals on the other hand were clearly ambitious men in their own right. Men like Bernadotte, Augereau and Masséna. Then there were men of influence in Paris who could not be trusted either.Talleyrand, and even Fouché, who would submit to any master who served his own ends. There were dangers to his position, then. Yet Napoleon could not believe that the French people would abandon him. Not while he gave them victory. He decided to change the mood and smiled at his brother.
‘That’s enough of politics for now. I will think on what you have said. I promise. But for now, let us be brothers. What news of the family?’
Lucien’s posture relaxed a little as he composed his reply. ‘They are all well enough. Our sisters continue to argue bitterly and Mother gathers up every titbit of gossip that she can that confirms her opinion of Josephine. Our brothers are well enough. Joseph rules Naples effectively and is winning over the people with his reforms. The same goes for Louis in Holland. Jérôme is as much a liability as ever and trades heavily on the family name for advancement and influence. He wants all the privileges of being a Bonaparte without any of the obligations.’
They shared a chuckle over their younger brother’s hubris.
‘Have you seen Josephine recently?’ Napoleon asked.
‘Yes, she was at Mainz when we stopped there. She’s been there for some time, it seems. Waiting for permission to come and join you.’
‘I know. She writes to me regularly.’
‘So why not let her come?’
Napoleon shrugged. ‘The roads are difficult. The climate is uncomfortable and there are only my officers here for company. Hardly the cosmopolitan life she enjoys so much in Paris.’
‘It’s not so bad,’ Lucien countered. ‘From what I’ve seen so far Warsaw seems to offer enough diversions. I’m sure Josephine would be happy enough here.’
‘I’m sure she would.’ Napoleon’s thoughts turned to Marie Walewska and the uncomfortable prospect of having to juggle a wife and a mistress in the same small social circle. At present the physical charms of the young countess appealed more to him than the familiar comforts of the Empress. ‘However, as you helpfully pointed out, we are still at war and I am occupied by my duties. I would not have much time to spare for Josephine and it would be unfair to summon her to Warsaw only to neglect her.’
‘Yes, it would.’ Lucien looked at him closely. ‘I heard something of your, er, duties from the officers in the mess last night. The countess is a true beauty, apparently.’
‘She is. And I consider it a sacred obligation to create good relations with our hosts.’
‘Well, I’ve never heard it called that before!’ Lucien laughed. ‘But seriously, Napoleon.You cannot put Josephine off for long. She will get to hear of this and be hurt.’
‘So? She has hurt me in her time. Besides, there are other issues that divide us.’
‘Oh?’
‘She has yet to provide me with an heir, and the years are drawing on. I fear that she may no longer be capable of giving what is most needed. A son to succeed me and provide France with the stability she needs. Without an heir there is little chance that you will have your peace, Lucien. If Josephine fails me in this respect then I will need to find another wife to bear me children.’
‘That is a little cold-blooded,’ Lucien responded quietly. ‘I thought you loved her.’
‘I do. In my way. But the needs of France outweigh the needs of any one man, even the Emperor.’
Lucien raised his eyebrows briefly. ‘Perhaps. But she will be hurt.’
‘As will I. Sometimes pain cannot be avoided. When you and your companions return to Paris please tell her to travel with you from Mainz. There is no point in her waiting any longer. She might as well be where she is most comfortable.’
‘And when shall I say that you will return to her?’
‘When the war is over. When Prussia surrenders and I have beaten Russia.’
‘Do you seriously intend to invade Russia?’
‘If I need to. With luck, the Tsar will send his armies to face me. If not, then some day the Grand Army will need to find and defeat his armies. Even if that means chasing them to the very gates of Moscow.’
Lucien contemplated this for a moment and then asked, ‘Can you truly do that?’
‘I think so.’ Napoleon smiled. ‘We shall see. Let’s just hope that the Tsar obliges me by marching on Warsaw when spring comes.’
The door to the chamber suddenly burst open and they both turned to see Berthier hurrying across the tiled floor towards them, a piece of paper clutched in his hand. Napoleon saw the anxiety in his chief of staff ’s face.
‘What is it, Berthier?’
‘A message from Bernadotte, sire. He says that a Russian army has appeared in front of him and he is falling back towards Ney.’
Napoleon shut his eyes and pictured the disposition of his forces in his mind. It made sense that the enemy should march on Bernadotte. His corps was the most advanced and if the Russians moved quickly they might envelop it and destroy Bernadotte before the rest of the Grand Army could intervene. However, Napoleon calculated, if the Grand Army manoeuvred swiftly, the tables might be turned and the Russians could be trapped in turn. His eyes flicked open.
‘Send word to all corps commanders to concentrate their forces immediately.We will advance towards Bernadotte. Once we have joined with him, Ney is to close in from the north and Davout from the south.’ Napoleon paused as he mentally projected the coverging lines of march. ‘We will pursue the Russians in the direction of Eylau.’
‘Eylau?’
‘A town a hundred and fifty miles north of Warsaw. If we can close the trap there, we will destroy the enemy.’ He turned to his brother. ‘If that happens, let us pray that the Tsar gives you the peace that you and your companions want.’
Lucien nodded. ‘I will pray for your victory, Napoleon. And that peace will follow. After you face the enemy at Eylau.’
Chapter 25
Eylau, 8 February 1807
From the church bell tower Napoleon had a good view over the snow-covered roofs towards the distant lines of Russian soldiers waiting a mile and a half away to the east. According to the reports from the scouts the enemy had spent the entire night standing to, in case the French attacked under cover of darkness. Indeed, Murat and Soult had pressed the Emperor to launch an attack as night fell, but Napoleon had had no desire to take the risk. Instead the Grand Army would wait until Ney and Davout approached before initiating any attack. Staring at the stolid Russian lines Napoleon could only guess at the discomfort of the enemy soldiers who had stood in their lines through the freezing cold of the night and were still ready for battle. They must be as hardy and disciplined as they came to endure such conditions, Napoleon reflected. His own men had emerged from their winter quarters in a bitter, surly mood and only the promise of a generous pay bonus and a free issue of new clothing and equipment had persuaded them to follow their colours against the Russian army.
‘A hard fight last night, sire.’ Berthier nodded down into the streets where the blackened remains of several wagons of the imperial baggage train littered Eylau’s main square. Scores of bodies were still sprawled around them, half hidden by the flurries of snow that had swept across the white landscape since dawn. Napoleon frowned. The officer commanding the baggage train had blundered into the town, ahead of the main army, late the previous afternoon and had run into the rearguard of the Russian army. Both sides had thrown more men into the skirmish until a bitter battle raged through the streets as night fell over Eylau. Thousands of men had died on both sides before the Russians finally gave up the town and the last shots died away. A pointless waste of men on the eve of the main battle, Napoleon reflected.
He nodded at Berthier’s words. ‘Yes. But it will be as nothing compared to today’s fight. I am sure it will snow again at any moment.’
The sky was overcast and an even darker band of clouds was already edging over the town as the first tiny flakes began to drift through the still air.The thick snow on the ground already muffled most sounds and Napoleon was struck by the quiet as the men, horses and guns of the Grand Army took up their positions east of the town, opposite the enemy spread out along a low ridge. The most recent reports from Davout and Ney indicated that they would reach the battlefield later in the morning. Until then Napoleon would be outnumbered, and he had taken the precaution of having the Imperial Guard brought forward to strengthen the French line.
The snowflakes began to fall more heavily and within minutes the last of the bodies lying in the street had disappeared under a white mantle to become little more than vague lumps beneath the snow. Occasional breezes swirled the thick white flakes and obscured the view of the Russian lines as the sun continued to rise unseen and unwarming in the gloom.
As the bells in the church chimed eight there was a muffled thud from the direction of the enemy line. Looking up, Napoleon saw a brief flickering glow in the blizzard and then heard a dull rumble as the Russian guns opened fire.With thick snow on the ground there would be no ricochet as the balls struck home and the men would be spared the worst of the preliminary bombardment. Even so, the tower shuddered momentarily as a lucky shot hit it halfway down. A moment later bright stabs flared out along the French line as the Grand Army’s guns returned fire, trusting to the accuracy with which they had been laid before the blizzard closed in over the battlefield.
Napoleon’s plan depended on Davout’s corps arriving on the enemy’s left flank once the battle was under way.With good timing he should be able to roll the enemy line up and fall on their rear.Then the Russians must surely break and be crushed under the hooves of Murat’s cavalry as they were chased down. Meanwhile the artillery duel continued as both sides fired blindly into the swirling snow. As Napoleon gave up trying to penetrate the gloom and lowered his telescope with a curse there was a faint whistling noise.
‘Mortar shell!’ Berthier yelled. ‘Down!’
Before Napoleon could duck there was a bright orange flash to one side as the shell burst in the air. Fragments of iron rattled off the masonry of the tower and the slates of the church’s roof as the concussion from the blast struck the Emperor and his staff. For a moment Napoleon was deaf, and he shook his head to try to clear his ears. His hearing began to return as voices and the continuing cannonade cut through the ringing sensation in his head. He glanced round.
‘Anyone injured? Berthier?’
His chief of staff shook his head and the other officers in the tower seemed dazed but otherwise unharmed.
‘Lucky shot,’ someone said loudly as he rubbed his ears.
‘Lucky for who?’ replied Napoleon, wincing from a stabbing pain in his own ears.‘Still, ten paces closer and it would have killed us all. Given a choice, I’ll take being deafened every time.’
Other books
Take It Down by Kira Sinclair
A Realm of Shadows by Morgan Rice
The Long Night by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Guard My Heart by Aj Summer
Carnelians by Catherine Asaro
From Here to Paternity by Jill Churchill
Mysteries by Knut Hamsun
Accidentally in Love by Claudia Dain
Just The Thought Of You by Brandon, Emily
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
