'But there was,' she retorted. 'I hate being treated like a child who's too young and frail to be told the truth. Knowing the facts may hurt me but I'd much rather that than be kept ignorant of them.' 'Everything is now in the open,' he said.
'And you swear that you'll take extra care from now on?'
'I'll take every precaution.'
'Thank you, Daniel.'
Abigail was disappointed. Having fretted so long over the possibility that he had been killed or wounded in battle, she had hoped that any reunion between them would have more urgency and passion. Daniel had been profoundly altered by combat. It was not merely his physical appearance that had changed but his manner. He was still storming the Schellenberg and fighting his way over the walls of Donauworth. He was still mourning the dead. Since his arrival, Daniel had been never less than affable but never more than courteous. Even though he stood only a foot away from him, Abigail could not reach him in the way she desired. It all served to reinforce the decision that she had made.
'I've finally accepted the truth,' she said with a wan smile.
'What truth?'
'This is no place for me, Daniel. We can't be together here.'
'I could have told you that before you set out from England.'
'I had to come and I don't regret that I did so. It's taught me a great deal about you and about army life. Most important of all, I think, it's taught me a lot about myself.'
'You should be proud of what you did,' he said encouragingly. 'It took immense willpower - and a touch of folly.'
'All I can see at the moment is the folly.'
'You have nothing to be ashamed of, Abigail. I admire the spirit you've shown and I'm grateful that you had such a reliable helpmeet in Emily. I do hope that Sir Nicholas can find it in his heart to forgive her for joining you on your wild adventure.'
'He made a point of saying so in his letter,' she said. 'I've read it several times now and it always brings me to tears. Father is so kind and understanding. He knows that Emily did not lead me astray. In a sense, she's the victim of my recklessness. When we get back home, her position will be safe.'
'I'm pleased to hear it.'
'And you'll be pleased to see me go as well, won't you?'
'Pleased and displeased,' he said frankly. 'I'm happy that you are leaving a theatre of war where even fiercer fighting may soon take place but I'm sorry to see you go, Abigail. I'll miss you.'
'I'd stay if you asked me to, Daniel,' she offered gamely.
'No, no, I certainly won't do that. You've made a wise decision and I applaud it. His Grace will do likewise and supply you with an escort all the way back to Holland.'
'After the setbacks on the way here, that will be a blessing.'
'When will you go?'
'Tomorrow or the day after,' she said, 'all being well.'
'We're in enemy territory but we've scattered their army far and wide so you should encounter no real obstacles.'
'That's reassuring to hear.'
'I'll make His Grace aware of your intentions.'
'I'll hope to see him before I go,' she said. 'I know that he's very busy at the moment but I'd like the opportunity to apologise to him for popping up the way that I did. In retrospect, I can see that it was highly inconvenient for him. Also, of course, I wish to bid him a proper farewell.' Uncertainty crept into her voice. 'Will there be any chance my doing the same for you?'
Daniel was torn between desire and relief, wanting to embrace her yet glad that she was returning home. Their friendship could only ever develop in England where Abigail was in her own environment and where he had the leisure for a dalliance. On a military campaign, she was an incongruity and her presence in the camp was bound to hamper Daniel. As long as she was there, his guilt would continue to trouble him and he would feel responsible for her. Abigail was gazing up at him with large, adoring, questioning eyes.
Daniel wanted to leave her on a note of promise. Instead of taking her in his arms, he settled for leaning over and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
'Yes, Abigail,' he said. 'When the time comes, we'll exchange proper farewells. I'll insist upon it.' She laughed gratefully. 'Until then, get plenty of rest while you can, happy in the knowledge that you have thousands of soldiers to guard you.'
Darkness was falling as he dismounted from his horse and handed the reins to Frédéric Seurel who remained in the saddle of his own mount. The two men were in a copse that shielded them from the pickets on the fringe of the camp. Charles Catto took his bearings before turning back to his companion to issue an order.
'Meet me here at the same time tomorrow.'
Seurel was worried. 'What if you don't come back?
'Oh, I'll come back,' said Catto with supreme confidence. 'Have no qualms on that score, Frédéric. I'll come back and I won't be alone.'
CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Duke of Marlborough was not a man to rest on his laurels. Victory had been achieved but there was no time for celebration. While the burial teams were still busy tipping corpses into mass graves, and while the army surgeons were struggling to save the lives of badly wounded soldiers, Marlborough was thinking about his next move. He had been joined in his quarters by his brother, Charles Churchill, and by his secretary, Adam Cardonnel. Evening shadows enveloped the camp. Over a glass of brandy, they conversed by candlelight.
'What news of Prince Eugene?' asked Churchill.
'There's none to speak of,' replied Marlborough. 'He's gone ominously quiet. We can only assume that he continues to bark at the heels of Marshal Tallard and his army.'
'Where is Tallard?'
'The latest despatch we have puts him at least three weeks' march away, probably more. That gives us time to establish ourselves firmly in the Bavarian heartland.'
'The Elector will be mightily upset at that,' noted Cardonnel.
'I intend to upset and harass him as much as I can, Adam,' said Marlborough. 'If we press him hard enough before Tallard arrives to support him, the Elector might realise that he would be far better off if he joined us and fought the French. I hinted as much in the letter I sent him about an exchange of prisoners.'
'Have you had any reply?' said Churchill.
'Not yet, Charles, and I don't expect an immediate one. The Elector is a slippery character. He'll want to consider all his options before he commits his thoughts to paper and even then they'll be wreathed in ambiguity. At least, we've shown him what we can do on a battlefield and it's a lesson he can't ignore.'
'It was a signal victory, Your Grace,' said Cardonnel, 'and you are to be congratulated.'
'Thank you, Adam,' said Marlborough, 'though I don't expect any congratulation from the Dutch. Opprobrium is more likely. They seem to think that wars ought to be fought without a drop of blood being spilt.'
'We'll have carping critics in England as well,' warned Churchill. 'When Parliament learns the scale of our casualties, there'll be the most unholy rumpus. Have you written to the Queen yet, John?'
'Her Majesty's letter was among the first batch sent. I simply informed her of our success and told her that Secretary Harley would lay full details of the battle before her. I sent Robert Harley a long account of the action.'
'I hope that you did the same for Emperor Leopold.'
'Of course,' said Cardonnel. 'The despatch has been on its way for hours. Word will reach Vienna before it gets anywhere near London. The whole city will rejoice at the news.'
'So they should. We've saved it from a possible invasion.'
'Emperor Leopold will be the first to recognise that, my Lord.'
'Yes,' said Marlborough. 'I look for no reproach from him. He has some insight into the nature of warfare. In order for some people to live in peace, others have to die on a battlefield.'
'What about the Margrave of Baden?' asked Churchill. 'Did you tell the Emperor how well his commander-in-chief fought?'
'I heaped praise upon him, John.'
'That may turn out to have been unn
ecessary.'
'What do you mean?' said Marlborough.
'It seems that Baden has taken it upon himself to sing his own praises. According to whispers I've heard,' said Churchill darkly, 'he's been claiming that, but for his intervention, the battle would have been lost. He's trying to steal all the credit.'
'That's dishonest!' protested Cardonnel.
Marlborough was hurt. 'Can this be true, Charles?' he said, blenching slightly. 'When the fighting was over, Baden was gracious enough to compliment me. I recall his very words - "I am delighted your proposal has proved such a success." And it was my decision to attack when we did. I discussed it with him beforehand and Baden opposed the idea vehemently.'
'I was there, Your Grace,' said Cardonnel. 'I'm your witness.'
'Why is he making such a monstrous claim?'
'We knew from the start that he was untrustworthy.'
'This is tantamount to bare-faced deceit, Adam.'
'I'd use a stronger term than that,' said Churchill, roused on his brother's behalf. 'Baden and his troops only joined the battle after we had borne the full force of the enemy resistance. You held command throughout, John,' he said. 'It was your calmness, prudence, presence of mind and readiness to strike promptly that won the day for us.'
'Baden obviously thinks otherwise.'
'Then someone should acquaint him with the plain truth.'
Marlborough smiled. 'It's we who have been forced to make an acquaintance with it,' he said wryly. 'The plain truth is that we have to be wary of all our allies. Prince Eugene will be extremely annoyed that he was not here to take part in the storming of Schellenberg and will no doubt blame me for sending him off to intercept Tallard.'
'Which he has failed to do,' remarked Cardonnel.
'The commander who was there - Baden - is now trying to take all the glory. That pains me more than I can say. One of the wisest pieces of advice,' Marlborough went on, 'is to know your enemies. In view of what's happened, I think it just as important to know your friends.'
Emily Greene had been delighted to hear that they would be returning to England before long. The effort of looking after her mistress for so many weeks and of sharing endless tribulations had taxed her. Being in the camp had cheered her at first because it seemed like a haven of peace. Now that she had had her first glimpse of war, however, she found the place unsettling. All that she could think about was escape.
'When will we be leaving, Miss Abigail?' she asked.
'Very soon, I hope.'
'Have we been given no date?'
'Not yet,' said Abigail. 'Captain Rawson spoke to His
Grace, the Duke of Marlborough, and everything is in hand. We'll leave when there's a wagon available and an escort to take us.'
Emily brightened. 'We're to travel in a wagon, then?' she said. 'I was afraid that I'd have to ride a horse again.'
'You managed pretty well on the way here.'
'It was agony.'
'One gets used to the discomfort.'
'I'd never get used to it, Miss Abigail.'
'It's only a question of practice, Emily.'
The maid lowered her head and Abigail realised that her comment was misplaced. When they got back home, Emily would never get anywhere near a horse. Riding was a privilege from which her station in life excluded her. During their time together, the two women had grown so close that Abigail sometimes forgot that Emily was simply a domestic servant. They were in the tent where they would spend another night together. Such familiarity would be unthinkable in London. Abigail would have the luxury of a large and well-appointed bedchamber there while Emily occupied a small, bare room with two other servants.
It was a moment for Abigail to show her gratitude and affection.
'I could never have done any of this without you, Emily,' she said. 'It was the certainty that you'd come with me that made me decide to leave England in the first place.'
'I have to be honest,' said Emily. 'I'd rather have stayed home.'
'There were times when I never thought to see home again.'
'The voyage was the worst bit for me, Miss Abigail.'
'We'll have to endure it again, I'm afraid, but perhaps the sea won't be quite so rough next time. What I really want to say,' she went on, touching Emily's arm, 'is how indebted I am to you. I'll never forget the way you've helped me and kept my spirits up. When all this is over, I'll be able to reward you properly.'
'I fear that Sir Nicholas will do that,' said Emily glumly. 'Your father will reward me by throwing me out.'
'That's not the case at all.'
'I ran away with you, Miss Abigail.'
'That was my doing. I was headstrong. I've told you before that Father won't hold you responsible. He said so in his letter. He wants you to stay in our employment.'
'I wonder if he's just saying that to persuade you to go back. I'm not complaining,' Emily continued. 'I did what I did and I'm ready to suffer for it. My first duty was to you and not to Sir Nicholas.'
'Thank you,' said Abigail, kissing her on the cheek.
'It's always been a pleasure to serve you.'
'There hasn't been much pleasure so far, alas.'
'I'd do anything for you, Miss.'
'Would you?' teased Abigail. 'In that case, I'll travel in the wagon and you can ride behind.'
'No!' protested Emily. 'That would be cruel!'
'I was only joking. There may be days when I prefer to ride.'
'Then I'll enjoy watching you.' They began to undress by the light of the candles. Emily was curious. Before she could stop it, a question popped out. 'Are you happy, Miss Abigail?'
'Happy?'
'That we came, I mean - that we finally caught up with the army and that you met Captain Rawson again.' 'I'm very happy, Emily. Why do you ask?'
'I've no right to talk to you like this,' apologised the other with a deferential smile. 'Forget that I ever said anything.'
'I want to hear what prompted your question.'
'I was being nosey.'
'There's something behind your interest. What is it?'
Emily licked her lips before speaking. 'It's just that you've been a little strange today, Miss Abigail.'
'Have I - in what way?'
'Your mind seems to wander off somewhere. I've spoken to you a couple of times and you never even heard me.'
'That's because I was thinking about those wounded soldiers we saw. They keep coming back at me. I can see all that blood and smell that revolting stench again.'
'We should have turned our backs on it all.'
'No,' said Abigail. 'I was meant to see it.'
'No woman should ever look at things like that.'
'Many of them have no choice,' Abigail reminded her. 'Think of the wives whose husbands have been maimed or blinded in battle. Those women will have to gaze at those war wounds for the rest of their lives. I feel for them.'
'They're so brave and loving.'
Emily wanted to ask something else but she felt it would be too intrusive. Since they were both in their night attire now, it was time to turn in. Abigail got into her camp bed but Emily had to sleep on a blanket laid out on the ground. When they had both pulled their respective sheets over them, Abigail blew out the candles and plunged the tent into darkness. She then said her prayers and offered up a whole series of heartfelt supplications. When she opened her eyes again, she could sense Emily's unspoken question hanging in the air.
'Yes,' she said quietly. 'It did affect me, Emily. It affected me very deeply. Seeing all those terrible injuries and understanding what happens on a battlefield has made me look at Captain Rawson in a very different way.' There was a long pause. 'Good night, Emily.'
'God bless you, Miss Abigail.'
Years of service in the army had habituated Daniel Rawson to an early start. Though the next day was set aside for rest, he was awake before dawn and dressed before most of the camp had even stirred. Since his face was still tender, he delayed shaving until later. The wea
ther was fine for a change and he was encouraged to take a stroll in the morning air. Mindful of what had happened when he strayed to the edge of the camp at a previous site, he contented himself with walking in the area designated for his battalion.
Tents were conjured out of the half-dark and the occasional soldier could be seen, putting a kettle of water on the fire or slipping off to the latrines. Birds were heralding dawn with full-throated song. Daniel did not begrudge his men their additional sleep. It had been well-earned. Even those who had escaped injury during the storming of the hill and the capture of the town had been exhausted by their efforts. In Daniel's opinion, soldiers who had collected minor wounds deserved an even longer rest. When they had recovered, every one of them would be needed.
He had always liked the atmosphere of an army camp. It was his natural habitat. He relished the idea of a large body of men gathered together for a common purpose that was based on a compound of bravery, patriotism and sheer physical endeavour. While the troops were at rest, there was nevertheless a sense of latent power in the camp, weapons laid aside but within easy reach of the sleeping soldiers. He could hear banter from inside a few of the tents and a lone voice was actually singing a welcome to the new day. But, in general, there was a tranquil air to the camp.
It soon changed. Daniel went around the angle of a tent to be met by unexpected danger. A figure jumped out to accost him. Arms spread wide, the man was in a menacing crouch, ready to spring. Daniel reacted with lightning speed, grappling with him as his attacker lunged forward then flinging him violently to the ground. It was only then that he realised the man was a friend of his.
'That's enough,' said Henry Welbeck, hands up high in mock surrender. 'I give in, Dan. Help me up, you big bully.'
'What were you doing?' asked Daniel, hauling him to his feet. 'I thought you'd try to kill me.'
'I've got more sense than to try that. No, all I wanted to do was to make sure you were on guard. You've had two attempts on your life already. I proved that you're ready for a third one.'
'You're getting slow, Henry. There was a time when you'd have thrown me to the ground.'
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