'This belonged to her,' he said. 'She was here.'
'Are you sure?' asked Welbeck.
'She must have left the handkerchief deliberately. At least, we know where she was brought when she left her quarters.'
'But where is she now, Dan?'
'Abigail must somehow have left the camp,' concluded Daniel, masking his anxiety. 'We must speak to the pickets. Someone must have seen them leave. Once we know the direction in which they went, we can continue the search on horseback. Hurry,' he added as he rushed out of the tent. 'Every minute may be crucial.'
There had been no time for introductions. Frédéric Seurel was waiting for them with the horses but he was only able to give Abigail Piper a brief glance before they set off. Charles Catto rode on one horse with Abigail sitting astride behind him. They cantered through the woods until they came out into the open. Light was slowly being squeezed out of the sky but they could still pick out the silhouette of a cottage that stood beside a fork in the road. Leading the way, Seurel veered off along the track to the left and rode on for miles before they came to a small village.
Candles gave off a faint glow in the windows but the street was in dark shadow. Reaching the inn on the far side of the village, they rode into the courtyard at the rear. Seurel had already reserved rooms for them. A servant came out to stable the horses while they entered the inn. Charles Catto took Abigail by the arm.
'Remember what I told you,' he said, as he guided her through the door. 'Behave yourself or you'll regret it.'
'Where is this place?' she asked.
'It's a long way from the good Captain Rawson.'
They came into the main room where a couple of local men were quaffing their ale at a table. Catto exchanged a greeting with the landlord before taking Abigail upstairs. Seurel followed and indicated their rooms. They went into the first of them, a small, untidy, low-ceilinged chamber with a musty smell and noticeable gaps between its oak floorboards. When Catto had lit some candles, Abigail saw that it was a dingy room filled with ugly furniture. Taken there against her will by two strangers, she looked at the little bed with trepidation. It took on the air of an instrument of torture.
Seurel was studying her for the first time, running lecherous eyes all over here and grinning as he did so. He spoke in French.
'She's very pretty, Charles,' he said, leering at her. 'We can take it in turns.'
'Keep your hands off her,' warned Catto. 'She's a hostage and nothing more. I didn't bring her here for your entertainment.'
'We can't waste a chance like this.'
'You'll do as I tell you.'
'I need a woman to warm my bed at night.'
'Then find yourself another one. Miss Piper is not for you.'
Seurel was resentful. An argument soon flared up and both men raised their voices. Conscious that they were talking about her, Abigail became increasingly frightened. She knew very little French and they were talking so rapidly that it was impossible to decipher more than a word or two. Nevertheless, she sensed what the dispute was about and she shuddered as she glanced across at the bed. At length and with ill grace, Seurel accepted that Catto's decision was final and withdrew into a sullen silence.
'Frédéric apologises for his display of bad temper,' said Catto.
'Why did you bring me here?' she asked.
'We needed somewhere to rest. You must get what sleep you can because we'll be leaving before dawn.'
'Where are we going?'
'We have to find another hiding place, Miss Piper. You will be missed and a search will take place. By the time the soldiers reach this inn, we must be miles away from here.'
'My maid will have realised by now that something must have happened to me,' she said, 'and she will have raised the alarm. Captain Rawson will have hundreds of soldiers at his command. There's no way that you can escape.'
'He won't find us in the dark, though I daresay he'll try.'
'Those sentries saw us leaving the camp.'
'I know,' said Catto. 'They were consumed with jealousy. It's not everyone who has the chance to take a stroll with a lovely young lady. You were born to attract envy, Miss Piper. Look at Frédéric, for example. He's bubbling with envy at the way I'm talking to you now.'
Abigail turned to Seurel who was gazing at her with an intensity that worried her. Though she hated being the prisoner of anyone, she preferred to have Catto as her captor than his glowering companion. She felt it safer to keep one of them talking.
'You're in the French army, aren't you?' she said.
'We were,' replied Catto.
'Why does an Englishman fight for the French?'
'You'll have to ask the Duke of Marlborough that. He learnt his trade under a French flag and so did I' He took off his hat and began to undo his coat. 'I can stop pretending that I'm a British soldier now.'
'Captain Rawson will catch you, whatever disguise you wear.'
'I look forward to meeting him.'
'He's probably leading a search party at this very moment.'
'I'm sure that he is, Miss Piper,' said Catto easily, 'but he'll not come here. Do you remember that cottage we passed near the fork in the road? Frédéric had the forethought to bribe the old man who lives there. If he gets that far this evening, Captain Rawson will be sent off in the wrong direction.'
Daniel Rawson took a dozen riders with him, experienced men who were armed with muskets. It had taken him some time to find sentries who had seen a British soldier and a young lady strolling along the edge of the camp. They described Abigail so accurately that it simply had to be her. Since she had monopolised their attention, the details they were able to give about her companion were decidedly sketchy. Daniel had heard enough to lead off his search party. Some of his men carried torches but they could only create small circles of light in the darkness that now enveloped the countryside.
At the fork in the road, they paused to knock on the door of the cottage. The old man was not pleased to see British soldiers. Daniel spoke to him in German and asked if he had seen anyone riding past that evening. Given the chance to mislead them, the old man nodded.
'There were three of them, sir,' he said.
'Was a woman among the three?' asked Daniel.
'Yes, sir - there was one woman and two men.'
'Which way did they go?'
The old man pointed and they did not even stop to thank him. Cantering along the road, they went on for over five miles but the search was in vain. They passed several tracks down which fugitives could have turned and rode through woods in which they could easily have hidden. In the end, Daniel accepted defeat.
'We'll never find them in the dark,' he said, ruing the failure of the search. 'We'll try again at first light.'
It was unnerving. Abigail was trapped in a small room at night with two men, one of whom would certainly have molested her had he not been prevented from doing so by the other. Her situation was hopeless. She was in a foreign country with no chance of immediate help. Having lost all appetite, she refused the offer of food but had to watch the burly Frenchman as he gobbled his way through a meal and swilled it down with tankards of ale. The man who had kidnapped her did at least have an acquaintance with table manners. When they had finished eating, they began to talk in French and she had to guess what they were saying by their expressions.
'You can sleep in the other room,' said Catto, putting his plate back on to the tray. 'I'll stay in here.'
'So that's your game is it? I sleep alone and you jump into bed with the girl. No,' said Seurel, gesticulating, 'you're not getting away with that. If you have her, then I have her as well.'
'Nobody is having her, Frédéric.'
'Then what use is she?'
'I told you before - we can trade her.'
'We can do a lot of other things with her as well,' said Seurel, running a hand across his wet mouth as he stared fixedly at Abigail. 'She's young and ripe and ready. Let me taste her. Let me teach you how a Frenchman pleasures a
woman.'
'You're not touching this one,' said Catto, standing up to confront him. 'The only reason I'm staying is that someone has to guard her. I couldn't trust you to do that.'
'Why not?'
'Go to the other room.'
'This is not fair,' said Seurel, trying to sound reasonable. 'Both of us need sleep and you won't get any if you're watching her all night. Why not share the burden, Charles? You stand guard for a couple of hours then I'll take over.'
'We both know what would happen in that event.'
'I won't lay a finger on her, I swear it.'
'You can't help yourself, Frédéric.'
Seurel exploded. 'A man has his needs, for heaven's sake!'
'Miss Piper deserves to be treated with respect.'
'That's exactly what I'll do,' said Seurel, shooting her a glance. 'When I've had my sport with her, I'll be sure to thank her politely.'
Catto opened the door. 'Good night, Frédéric.'
'Just let me have ten minutes alone with her.'
'Good night!'
Abigail watched the silent battle of wills. After glaring his defiance, Seurel finally capitulated but he did not leave without one act of bravado. Before Catto could stop him, he suddenly grabbed Abigail and stole a kiss from her. He left the room laughing. Closing the door after him, Catto made a gesture of apology. Abigail did not even see it. She was still recoiling from the foul taste of Seurel's lips and the brutish feel of his hands. Catto resumed his seat.
'Try to get some sleep,' he suggested.
'I'm not tired,' she said, determined not to lie on the bed.
'You're safe with me, Miss Piper.'
She was scornful. 'Is this what you call being safe?'
'Would you rather share the room with Frédéric?' Abigail shrank back defensively. 'No, I thought not. I'm the lesser of two evils, I can assure you. Frédéric believes that women only exist for one thing but I know that they have much else to offer. Take your own case, for instance. You are a valuable asset. If I had abducted your maid, there would be nothing like the hue and cry that your disappearance will have provoked. You are a young lady of quality, Miss Piper.'
'Then treat me as such and let me go,' she begged.
'All in good time,' he told her. 'You'll certainly be released without harm - provided that Captain Rawson does what he is told, that is. In the circumstances, he will have no choice.'
Daniel was in the saddle again early next morning. Daylight helped him and his men to ride faster and see much better than on their previous outing. They split into two groups and went off in different directions so that they could search a wider area. The hunt was fruitless. When he returned to the camp that afternoon, Daniel was tired, apprehensive and jaded. As soon as Henry Welbeck saw him, he knew that the search had been futile.
'Send out more men, Dan,' he urged.
'I've already done that,' replied Daniel, having just despatched a fresh team of riders, 'but the man who sneaked
Abigail out of the camp had too big a start on us. He could be forty or fifty miles away.'
'I still think this is Will Curtis's doing.'
'I don't care who's behind this. My only interest is in Abigail's safe return.' He turned to his friend. 'Thank you, Henry.'
'What have I done to deserve thanks?'
'It's what you haven't done. We all know your opinion of women yet, from the moment that Abigail disappeared, you've never once used the situation to traduce the whole sex. You've been helpful.'
'I hate to see any young lady in distress,' said Welbeck, 'and there are few things more upsetting than being snatched away like that. The poor woman must be shaking with fear.'
'That's why we must rescue her soon.'
'Did you find no sign of her at all?'
'No,' said Daniel worriedly. 'Abigail obviously didn't have any more handkerchiefs with her or she could have left us a trail to follow.' He shrugged an apology. 'I'm sorry, Henry - that was a bad joke. The truth is the only whisper of evidence we have is from an inn where two men and a young lady spent the night.'
'That means Will Curtis has an accomplice.'
'All three of them left before dawn but the landlord had no idea in which direction they were heading. We pressed on until the horses tired then decided to come back here.'
They were in Daniel's tent. As he was talking, he took a bottle of brandy from a leather chest and poured out two glasses. He handed one of them to Welbeck.
'Here's to her safe return!' said the sergeant, raising his glass.
'Yes,' agreed Daniel. 'Drink to her immediate and safe return!'
They both took a long sip of their brandy. Welbeck savoured the drink as it coursed down his throat. Brooding on Abigail's plight, Daniel hardly noticed the taste. He was reminded yet again that, but for him, Abigail would never have been anywhere near an army camp. Instead of being at home in the bosom of her family, she was in grave jeopardy and he was unable to help her. It was excruciating.
'Captain Rawson!' called a voice from outside the tent.
'Yes?' said Daniel, opening the flap to look out.
'This came for you, sir.'
The private gave him a letter then waited while Daniel handed his glass to Welbeck so that he could open the missive. He read the contents and looked up at the messenger.
'When was this delivered?' he asked.
'It was handed to one of the sentries, sir,' answered the other. 'A carter said that he was paid to deliver the letter here.'
'Did he say by whom he was paid?'
'No, sir - he simply handed it over and went on his way.'
'Very well,' said Daniel, dismissing him. 'Thank you.' He went back into the tent. 'He's made me an offer, Henry.'
'Who has?' asked Welbeck.
'Whoever wrote this letter.'
'Private Will Curtis!'
'He was careful not to sign his name.'
'What exactly does he say, Dan?'
'Read it for yourself,' said Daniel, passing the letter to him. 'At least, it sounds as if Abigail is still alive, though what state she's in is another matter altogether.'
'He wants to exchange Miss Piper for you,' said Welbeck with dismay as he read the letter. 'No disrespect to her but the army gets the worse part of that deal. We gain a terrified young woman and we lose the best captain in the British ranks. That's a rotten bargain.'
'It's one you might have to accept,' said Daniel. 'Abigail's safety is paramount. If this is the only way to get her released - so be it.'
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Duke of Marlborough read the letter with deep concern then passed it to Adam Cardonnel. His secretary scanned it with equal disquiet. They were in Marlborough's quarters. Daniel Rawson had brought the anonymous letter regarding the fate of Abigail Piper. The two men were as disturbed as he had been.
'This is intolerable!' said Marlborough angrily. 'I'll not have anyone dictating terms like this. Abigail Piper must be found at once. I'll send out a whole regiment, if need be.'
'That would be unwise, Your Grace,' said Daniel. 'We are ordered to call off the search. If her kidnapper sees a large body of men hunting for Abigail, he'll kill her instantly.'
'That could be a bluff.'
'It doesn't sound like one,' said Cardonnel, returning the letter to Daniel. 'From the tone of his demand, I take him to be a ruthless and decisive man. And since he inveigled his way into our camp, he's not lacking in guile or bravado either.'
'It could be the second time he tricked us,' said Daniel.
'What do you mean?' 'According to Sergeant Welbeck, this man volunteered to join us under the name of Will Curtis. Immediately after the death of Lieutenant Hopwood, our new recruit disappeared.'
'We must catch this devil!' said Marlborough.
'Our first task is to rescue Abigail Piper, Your Grace.'
'Quite so.'
'She has already been in this man's hands far too long.'
'What do you suggest, Captain Rawson?' asked C
ardonnel.
'That I abide by the terms stipulated in the letter.'
'But that would expose you to certain danger.'
'I know how to cope with danger, sir,' said Daniel calmly. 'The young lady does not.'
Marlborough was thoughtful. 'There has to be a way to get her safely back without putting your life at risk, Daniel,' he said. 'Could you not appear to meet his demands yet have a detachment of men within easy reach? As soon as Abigail is handed over, reinforcements could come out of hiding and ride to your assistance.'
'They would never get to me in time, Your Grace. A pistol shot takes less than a second. Lieutenant Hopwood was stabbed to death and beheaded within a couple of minutes.'
'Don't remind me.'
'I must acquiesce in the man's demands.'
'I can't see you walk off to your death like that.'
'Why not?' asked Daniel with a twinkle. 'After all this time, it must be a familiar sight to you. I've walked off to my death in more battles than I can remember. Fortunately, I've always walked back again.'
'This is different.'
'I don't see why, Your Grace.'
'If your supposition is correct,' said Marlborough, 'this man has already made two failed attempts on your life. He's gone to enormous lengths to get close to you. Taking a hostage is his last desperate throw of the dice. You'd be willingly handing yourself over to your executioner.'
'I'm inclined to agree with His Grace,' said Cardonnel.
Daniel was resolved. 'Abigail must be rescued at all costs,' he said earnestly. 'She is an innocent victim. By rights, she should not even be here. As a British soldier, I can hardly plead innocence. I've killed many men in combat and I've worked behind enemy lines to gather intelligence. It's hardly surprising that someone wants to see me dead.'
'That doesn't mean you have to sacrifice yourself, Daniel.'
'Adam is right,' said Marlborough. 'You're too valuable to lose.'
'It's kind of you to say so, Your Grace,' said Daniel, 'but let me ask you this. Do you wish to write to Sir Nicholas Piper to explain that you could not rescue his younger daughter because you preferred to save the life of one of your captains?'
Soldier of Fortune Page 20