The Sabre's Edge (23 page)

'Rose has asked for leave, and I'm inclined to grant it. Broad must go somewhere a bit healthier for a month or so, too.'

Hervey wondered what was the imperative for Joynson's change of mind, though the major was ever a cautious man. 'In my view, sir, it will merely put off the moment for action - might make it more difficult, indeed. But that is a judgement, and I of course respect yours.'

'That's gratifying at least,' replied Joynson, polishing and frowning. 'And I've settled on Deedes for RSM, though I expect I'll live to regret it.'

Hervey sighed.

'You would have jumped both and taken Hairsine.'

'Yes. That way, at least, you'd be assured of a good RSM. The other consequences you would just have to deal with.'

'Don't imagine I didn't think hard on that solution, but with things as they are I am certain it is better to have as few causes for immediate discord as possible. Incidentally, I have asked Sledge to conduct an enquiry into the Barrow business. I don't regard the matter closed with the universal supposition of his guilt.'

Hervey was surprised. He smiled and nodded.

'I'm glad you're pleased, for I've unwelcome news for you. Assheton-Smith shall have B Troop. I should very much like Vanneck to replace him.'

Hervey's face fell. 'Not Vanneck, not now. Not with that idiot boy as my cornet!'

'I have first to think of the regiment, and Vanneck would make the better adjutant than any other.'

Hervey cast about for the obvious alternative, but soon realized that Joynson's assertion was unchallengeable. 'Shall there be a replacement for Vanneck? I really can't
—'

'Assheton-Smith's lieutenancy will be for the buying. I imagine Perry will have it.'

Hervey sighed again. Perry had the makings, for sure, but he'd seen nothing more than a couple of seasons' drill.

'I haven't finished, Hervey. Though this should not be unwelcome news. I want you to take your troop to Dehli for a month or so.'

Hervey was indeed brightened. 'Dehli? Why?'

'This morning I received word from the brigadier that a troop was to be sent within the week as escort to the resident. I have no other details of the assignment as yet.'

'It is by
no
means unwelcome news - not at all. Though it would be a deal more welcome if I had Vanneck with me and not Green. But are you sure you would not want me to be here
...
in the circumstances?'

'I should prefer that Skinner's Horse did the Dehli duty, but the Governor-General was apparently quite explicit on the matter -
King's
troops. On the whole I think it right that it should be you. It would seem strange otherwise. You are next senior to Strickland, and his leave is more overdue than anyone's.'

It was true. Not even Strickland could be expected to give up home leave for a month in Dehli. 'Then I suppose I had better make ready at once. Am I at liberty to speak to the engineer?'

'I see no reason why not.'

'Is that all, sir?'

'Yes, Hervey. That is all. Unless . .
.'
'Unless what?'

'Would you dine with us this evening?'

'Of course, Joynson. I should be delighted.'

There was even more satisfaction in the major's smile, however (and, had Hervey known it, relief). 'Shall we say seven?'

Hervey nodded, replaced his cap, and took his leave.

There were any number of things he would rather do, especially with only a few nights remaining in Calcutta, for he knew perfectly well why he was bidden to the major's table. But how he might be expected to exert any benign influence in Frances Joynson's direction he could not think. Regimental duty was a queer thing at times.

Only later did Hervey realize that in going at once to Dehli he would miss the RSM's wedding, and it displeased him. It was not just that it was already being spoken of as the best tamasha in Bengal, undoubtedly to be the most notable event in the living memory of the Serjeants' mess, rather it was an instinct that he should just be there. He decided at once that he would leave Armstrong behind until after the nuptials, for to do otherwise would have been a deprivation to both his serjeant-major and the RSM - and, indeed, to Caithlin Armstrong, for Lincoln had become a regular guest at their table since their return to the regiment. Armstrong greeted the news exactly like a serjeant-major who knew where his duty lay. 'An' it'll do Collins the power of good to wear a fourth stripe for a while,' he added for good measure.

Myles Vanneck was not so pleased. He had no desire to leave the nominal administrative duties of troop-lieutenant for the weighty ones of adjutant, and he certainly had no need of the modest increase in pay. The adjutant of a cavalry regiment, by long custom, came from the ranks. Often he came from another regiment, as Barrow had done. Assheton-Smith had been the first gentleman-adjutant, as his fellows had soon dubbed him in mock reference to the hyphen in his name (the first not counting Dauntsey, that is, which none of the officers did). The trouble was, he had done so fine a job that it was natural for Joynson to wish to replace him with another of his like. And indeed, Joynson also held the novel notion that an officer might be the better troop-captain - and ultimately even colonel - for having seen the workings of the orderly room. Come what may, all Vanneck's protests were to no avail. By the end of the morning he had handed the various ledgers to Cornet Arthur Perry and taken his seat in regimental headquarters.

Meanwhile, Hervey had been at the garrison engineer's searching for the requisite maps and dak instructions. As the crow flew, Dehli lay in excess of seven hundred miles, and by the dak route nearly eight. With the marching norm for cavalry being twelve leagues a day, it would be a journey of three weeks, and an occasion for sport and other pleasant diversions which could scarcely have come at a better time. He was half disappointed, therefore, when that evening at dinner Joynson declared it his opinion that he should stay for the wedding. 'Give Perry his head a bit,' said the major, with unusual zest. 'They get precious little chance otherwise. You and Armstrong'll be able to catch 'em up in a few days. You should
both
be there.'

Joynson's dispensation gave Hervey much cause for pleasure, but it was only next day that he began to learn of the import of his mission. He rode over to the Somerviles in the middle of the afternoon for just that purpose, feeling sure that he would learn more useful intelligence there than the commander-in-chief's office was likely to divulge.

Emma was not at home, but her husband was, and deeply engrossed in his book room having come immediately from the council's luncheon table (only the writers and junior officials returned to their offices of an afternoon). He looked up absently as the khansamah announced his visitor. 'Oh, Hervey: you are come very early today. Is there another to-do?
^’

'Not at all. I
^’
m for Dehli with my troop for a month or so.
^’

Somervile was transformed in an instant, at once all attention. 'Indeed! I had notice yesterday that Ochterlony had asked for an escort, but I hadn't supposed a decision would be reached so quickly. Indeed I'm surprised: Ochterlony doesn't enjoy the confidence he used to have. Sit you down. Tea, sherbet? Ghulam!'

'Tea, thank you. And some limewater if you have it.'

Ji, sahib?'

^‘
Bhat, nimbu pani,
Ghulam.
’

^‘
Ji
,
sahib.
^’

'That is the reason I came here, to discover what I could about the assignment. Joynson knows nothing yet.'

'Sit down, sit down,' Somervile insisted, even more attentive. 'There's trouble brewing in that direction.'

Hervey's ears pricked up. He had not supposed the escort wholly ceremonial, but . . .

'Ochterlony's an old man - "Loony Ochter" they're calling him, and not entirely in affection. You must have heard?'

'No, I have not. I know of him of course - everybody does.' There could be no one who needed reminding of his
reputation - Major-General Sir
David Ochterlony, victor of the Ghoorka war a decade ago.

'Ay, well, he's an old man, as I said. I think Amherst believes him a fool. But I'll say this too: he's one of the few men with any true understanding of the country. He knows when to fight and when to parley. And how to fight, for that matter - but that's not my principal concern.'

Ghulam returned with a khitmagar bearing lime-water. Another followed with tea a few minutes later. Somervile waited for them to leave before resuming, and in a voice deliberately lowered.

'I'd wager any amount that what lies behind this is Bhurtpore. There's an unholy tussle for yonder throne coming. The old rajah's not long for this world by all accounts.'

Hervey looked unenlightened. 'And this is the Company's business?'

'It may well become so. You have to be especially careful with sleeping dogs in India. And Ochterlony's backed the rightful heir, the son - invested him with a
khelat,
or some such. Doubtless the old fox wants to parade the escort as a promise of troops from Calcutta if things go against the claim. And you know why Bhurtpore would have the doocots aflutter here, don't you?'

'We are speaking of the same Bhurtpore, the fortress that Lord Lake failed to take?'

Somervile smiled, but pained. 'The same. Our only defeat in two centuries. When first I came out from England there was still the taunt, "Go take Bhurtpore!" And the truth may well be that we could no more do so now than we could then.'

CHAPTER
NINE

A GREAT TAMASHA

Two weeks later

M
r Lincoln further added to regimental lore when the major asked if he would like to be wed as a quartermaster rather than as serjeant-major. He had replied, with absolute decorum went the story, that he would prefer to take the biggest fence first.

The wedding day had been postponed a fortnight on account of Barrow's death. A fortnight's mourning in India was a long time by all but the most fastidious standards, for death was so commonplace and sudden that it was neither especially appropriate nor practical to observe the passing of one man, or woman, many days after the committal of their mortal remains. The bereaved or the orphaned went home to England, or else the former began life anew, and as often as not remarried in a short time with someone in their own circumstances. Alternatively a widow might accept a proposal from one of the many all-too-eager bachelor-writers, while a widower might make one to 'a new-arrived angel' from

England - a member of what later wags would know as 'the fishing fleet'.

The arrangements for the RSM's wedding were overseen by Mr Lincoln himself. There were to be upwards of four hundred guests - all the officers and non-commissioned officers of the regiment, together with a good number of the latter from the other regiments of the garrison, and a surprising number of civilians.
And
the commander-in-chief, for such was Lincoln's reputation in Calcutta.

The marriage service would take place in the garrison church, which, with its double galleries, had just enough space for all of the guests and the regimental band. Its decoration was the only arrangement that Lincoln left entirely in others' hands, for the future Mrs Lincoln was a staunch member of the congregation. On the day itself, she and other members of her Dorcas circle came early, before watering parade, with great boughs of greenery and bunches of vivid orchids in the regiment's colours.

Meanwhile, the regimental quartermaster-serjeant and his working parties were labouring in the garrison gymnasium to work a similar, if secular, transformation - to prepare for what the future Mrs Lincoln delicately referred to as the wedding breakfast, but which all in the Sixth called the tamasha. The RSM came at midday to inspect the work, said not a word as he walked the 'assembly room', as it had become, then astonished the quartermaster-serjeant by saying simply,

'Thank you, Harold
^’
- the first time he had ever addressed him by his Christian name (indeed, the quartermaster-serjeant was astonished to discover that Lincoln even knew it).

At four o'clock, the worst of the heat being past, the first arrivals at the church heard the band strike up its programme of music. The RSM confessed to having an untutored ear, but he had nevertheless scrutinized the programme, striking out the overture to
The Marriage of Figaro
(being uncertain of its propriety) and 'Blow, blow, thou winter wind
^’
(being certain of its ambiguity), and approving more Haydn and Piccini instead.