by Griff Hosker
I held his hand in mind. “I have come to visit with an old friend.”
He began coughing and I saw gobbets of blood spill forth. There was a cloth next to the bed and I dabbed his mouth. “You have come just in time then, Scotsman, for I am dying.”
“Nonsense you are just suffering from a winter cold. The summer will bring the sun and with it your health.”
“Old friends do not lie to each other, Robbie. I can see death in your eyes. Besides I am ready to go. I think I only waited to speak with you, the last of my comrades. All the rest are gone although I see them each night when I close my eyes. They are in my head and in my heart.” He took in my clothes and my appearance as he tried to sit up. “You have done well for yourself. Are you still a soldier?”
He was right, old friends do not lie. “I am a Major and attached to the staff of the Duke of Wellington.”
“Good! And you are fighting still?”
“I was retired but Bonaparte has returned. I am recalled to the colours for one last battle against the beast.”
He shook his head, “I did not know. Then more of my countrymen will die. You will fight against him?”
I nodded, “We were betrayed by him and his lust for glory. You were lucky when you were sent home. Egypt was soul destroying. The regiment was wasted and we were abandoned. It was a cruel way for our friends to die. We had peace ten years ago and he wanted more power. He took France down the slippery road to ruin. It was never for France and always for him.”
He nodded, “How long will you stay?”
“A while, there is no rush.” That was a lie but an understandable one. Monique was right. His eyes were closing even as we spoke. He was close to death.
He nodded, “Then I will sleep a little more and speak with you again. I am tired and my eyes are heavy.” His bony fingers gripped my hand. “I prayed to God that you would come and he has granted my wish.”
I waited until his eyes closed and his breathing became regular before I disentangled my hands and went downstairs. The four of them were watching me as I entered the room. “He is sleeping.”
They both looked relieved.
I smiled, “I am guessing that this fine young man is your son?”
“He is. Julian, this is Robbie McGregor and he helped us to buy this inn.”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin I had given him. “Then I should return this to you.”
I laughed and ruffled his head. “No, you earned the money.” I waved my arm around the inn. I could see that it was faded and old. “Business has not been good, my friends?”
“No, the last years of the war saw great poverty. There were few travellers and the conscription meant that most men were fighting. The new king has not brought prosperity and we have not had chance to recover. We need to spend money and make it as it once was but there are not enough customers.”
I had seen that for myself. I nodded to Sharp. He knew my mind almost as well as I did. He smiled and went to our room.
“How long will you be staying, Robbie?”
“Two days, three at the most. I would have left tomorrow but Pierre... I have to get to Brussels.” They deserved the truth too. “I am a Major on the staff of the Duke of Wellington. I will be fighting Bonaparte.”
Julian nodded, “I thought so.”
Sharp returned with my leather valise. I reached in and took out five gold coins from the purse which the Colonel had given me. To Julian they would be a small fortune. “Here take these.”
Monique’s eyes widened but Julian shook his head and said, “No, you have done enough already.”
“Done enough? How can I repay the saving of Alan’s life? Our survival? Looking after an old friend like Pierre? You take them and if you ever need more then send a message to the Alpini family in Sicily. I want to be able to drink in the Chasseur long into my old age.” I pressed the coins into his hand. I saw the doubt, the need for the money and the pride. "I am rich; Alan is rich and we would not be had you not sheltered us. We would both like to share our bounty with you. Is that not right, Alan?"
"It is. If you ever need anything then we will provide it." There was sincerity in every syllable.
He nodded and his fingers grasped the coins and held them tightly. They might mean they would survive. I hoped so.
Monique came and kissed me on the cheek, “You were ever the gentleman and we are honoured to be your friends.”
The inn was quiet that night and we ate alone. There were just one or two villagers who came in for a brandy or a glass of wine early on and then they left. By eight o’clock all the customers had gone. Julian and I went up to Pierre. Monique had checked on him regularly and he still slept on. We sat on either side of his bed. Eventually he opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw us both. “My two best friends. This is perfect. Robbie, you will look after the family when I am gone?” I nodded, “I know you will but I needed to see it in your eyes. They are the only family I have had and they are important to me. Young Julian is a good boy. He is the grandson I never had. Julian, your wife has been an angel to me. You are a lucky man as am I.”
“I know, Pierre, but I have been lucky to have you as a friend too.”
“To you both I say goodbye. I will watch over you both from… “ he laughed and more blood came out. I dabbed it away. “That depends upon St Peter I suppose. I hope that Albert and our other comrades are all there. For I have much to tell them.”
He smiled and his eyes closed. It is bizarre but he looked better; he looked at peace. We sat for ten minutes and saw that his chest no longer rose and fell. “Monique!”
Monique came up and listened at his chest. “He is gone. Another brave soldier has passed away.” She leaned over and kissed his forehead. “Goodbye old friend.”
We buried him the next day. I handed a pistol to Julian and another to his son. The four of us gave Pierre Boucher, Chasseur, a military salute and fired the pistols over his grave. We stood in silence as the smoke swirled around and rose heavenward. Monique nodded as though that was a good sign. I had seen too much battlefield smoke to regard it as a good sign.
“We will leave now. I would have stayed had he lived a little longer but I have my duty to do and each day I stay here puts you and your family in greater danger. We will leave the three horses for you. You may be able to rent them or sell them. We have not far to go and the two we have will suffice.” I hugged Monique, “I meant what I said about money. I have more than enough.”
I grasped Julian’s hand, “Thank you old friend and I will visit again in more peaceful times.” I ruffled his son’s head, “And you, young man could do worse than be like your father.”
The three of them were in each other’s arms as we turned in the saddle and waved to them.
I was travelling through familiar country and the ride north was comfortable. I sought landmarks I recognised and buildings I knew. It was as I was scanning the side of the road when a piece of white caught my eye. I halted, dismounted and picked up the broadsheet.
“What is it sir?”
I read it and my heart sank. It confirmed Pierre-Francois’ intelligence. The heading and the first lines were enough confirmation.
Soldiers of Belgium
You have been betrayed and delivered into the hands of your enemies. The Emperor Napoleon returns and promises your country the freedom to rule yourselves……..
Chapter 4
Brussels was like a disturbed wasps' nest. People scurried and buzzed around as though Napoleon was on our very heels. As far as I knew he was still at Fontainebleau. We forced our way through crowds of civilians searching for the Union Flag which would tell us we had reached the army headquarters on the Rue Royale. Sharp spied it and the two red coats who guarded the entrance. They lounged against the door jamb
I left Sharp with the horses and mounted the steps.
“Where do you think you are going?” One of the guards put his musket across the door.
“I am M
ajor Matthews and I am looking for Colonel Selkirk.” I said it quietly. I wanted no trouble. After all I was not in uniform and I could have been anybody.
The belligerent sentry just stared at me. “Anybody can say that. How do I know you are an officer. You could be a French spy!"
The other sentry appeared to have some common sense. “Colonel Selkirk is in charge of the Exploring officers Old Nosey uses. I should let him in, Bert. He might be telling the truth.” Bert still scowled at me. The other sentry said, quite quietly. “If he is a Major we could be in trouble.”
Bert chewed his lip nervously then added, “Right but I have my gun trained on your man there.”
I smiled, “And Lieutenant Sharp, if you will notice, has a brace of pistols aimed at you, Private. Your comrade has just saved your life.”
I found the Colonel on the top floor of the three storied house. He seemed to enjoy confined spaces. It was a tiny room just like the one he used at Horse Guards. As there he was surrounded by maps and reports. He liked collecting information. I think the last time he had acted like an ordinary soldier was when he had been a lieutenant. He was, however, a good spymaster.
“Ah Matthews. Things have moved on apace since last we met. The Duke will be here tomorrow and the allies have declared Boney an outlaw. We will have him this time!”
He gestured to a seat and I sat down. I pushed over the paper with the numbers of men we had seen and the handbill we had found. He read as I spoke. “I am not so sure Colonel. I have found some disturbing news.” He leaned back and lit a cigar. “I only have rough numbers for his soldiers but it is the news of his potential which is most worrying. Soldiers are flocking to the eagles. All of the old moustaches are unhappy with being treated badly by the king. The officers resented being on half pay and his men have spent their adult life at war. They have nothing more. They are eager to fight for they fear the alternative. There is an appetite for war.”
“There are four armies coming for him.”
“The only ones that are important are ours and the Prussians. By the time the rest get here then the war will be over.” I stood and walked over to a map pinned to the wall. “The Belgians are unhappy about being given to the Netherlands. They are not loyal.” I pointed to the handbill we had found. “I found this on the road to Brussels. If there are more…”
The Colonel took it and read it. “Damn! This puts the fox in the henhouse. We will have to rely on the Dutch and the Belgians until we can bring back the Peninsular veterans from America.” He looked up at me. “Your old regiment is over there, Robbie.”
I nodded. “If you wanted some good news it is that he has Marshal Ney with him. He has changed sides.”
“And how is that good news? Isn’t he the bravest of the brave?”
“He might be brave but he cannot use soldiers well. And he has no Berthier to organise things for him. You know how much he likes to have supplies and men in the right place at the right time. Bessières did that for him and Berthier would be even better.” I jabbed my finger at the map. “He is coming here. The Duke will not have to travel far to fight him nor far to run if we lose. I would have a fast ship at Dunkerque if I were the Duke.”
“This is not like you, Robbie. You are normally optimistic.”
“We sent our best soldiers to fight in America and we will have to fight with a polyglot army of dubious loyalty. How many British regiments will he have?”
The Colonel stubbed out his cigar. “Not enough!” He smiled, “One thing I can rely on with you Robbie; you will always give me the truth. It might be unpalatable but it will be the truth. Go and get yourself a room. They will become scarce as soon as the Duke arrives and report back to me here in the morning.”
I had decided to leave the best until last. "If you want confirmation of what Bonaparte intends I managed to get this. It was dropped by a colonel of the Chasseurs who was accompanying Bonaparte." I dropped the map on the desk.
I thought he might explode. "My God but you have done well." He frowned. "Why the hell didn't you give this to me first?"
I smiled, "Perhaps I thought I would play games with you first Colonel. You have been playing them with me for since I first began serving. Call this payback. Besides this is the last job I do for you. Once I am with Sir Arthur again I will be amongst proper soldiers."
He looked hurt, "Robbie, you can be cruel you know. I have always done the best I could for you."
I stood, "You have always done what is best for Colonel Selkirk and then Britain in that order. Any consideration given to me was purely accidental!"
When I reached the front door I saw a sergeant talking to the two sentries and Sharp with a wry smile on his face. I recognised the sergeant. He normally served Colonel Selkirk at Horse Guards. “Sorry about the private, Major Matthews. It won’t happen again.”
“No problem, sergeant. We had the situation in hand.”
After we had secured a room and stables for our two horses we found a bar in the main square. We had learned, over the years, that sitting for a long period just sipping wine and listening was one of the best ways to gather intelligence. This might be friendly territory but you could still pick up useful snippets. We became invisible as we sat this time and sipped Belgian beer and ate frites. As we did so I wondered about the friendly territory. The Belgians could be the knife which stabbed us in the back. Their resentment at being treated like a sweet to be given away as a reward could turn them against us and towards Bonaparte.
It was a depressing afternoon. The conversations we overheard did not fill me with confidence for the coming campaign. The good citizens of Brussels were torn. Those who had profited from Dutch rule feared for their lives whilst those who yearned for self rule were excited at the prospect of the Emperor’s return. This was neither a settled nor a united country. We went to inside where we ate a pleasant dinner and then retired early. Once we were briefed we knew that we would not stop. Who knew when we would get another decent night's sleep in a soft bed?
We arrived at the Rue Royale early the next morning. Sharp joined me in the colonel’s office. The colonel tried to second guess what the Duke would want to know. “His Exploring Officers are spread to the four winds. He usually relies on those for the intelligence he requires. I am afraid that you two will have to do the work of six men.”
I nodded. “He had better get here quickly. We heard, yesterday, that Bonaparte has mobilised the National Guard.”
The National Guard was a hundred and fifty thousand men all of whom had served in the army. “Where did you hear that?” The colonel was taken by surprise.
“We overheard a fellow and his wife who had fled as he did not want to serve again. He was heading for England. I heard many such royalists expressing the desire to join their King. There is talk of French conscription again.”
“You may be correct then, Robbie. If the numbers you gave me yesterday and the map are accurate then he could come directly up the Brussels road today and capture Brussels before we even have any soldiers over here.” He shook his head. “We had best prepare as much as we can before he gets here.” The three of us pored over maps and measured distances. The Sambre would be vital and I spied some towns which would also be crucial if we were to stop Bonaparte.
It was late in the afternoon when the Duke arrived. We heard the noise of his aides as they scurried around the headquarters; their boots clattering on the wooden stairs and floors. We peered out of the window and watched him dismount from his usual horse, Copenhagen. As usual he was dressed plainly without a uniform. It was his style. He needed no uniform. The soldiers knew who he was. He sent for Selkirk as soon as he arrived and a short while later Sharp and I were summoned to join them.
Sir Arthur Wellesley was ever the same. He had never changed in the eight years or so that I had known him. He showed no emotion and when he addressed you then you had an irresistible urge to check the bottom of your boots in case you had stepped in something unpleasant. “Ah Matthews. Good of
you to come.”
That was as close to gushing as the Duke ever got!
“It is not a problem, your lordship.”
“I do not have all of my Exploring Officers so you and your fellow will have to do the work of six.”
I gritted my teeth at his tone. He was talking as though Alan was not even in the office with us. Colonel Selkirk, who knew me well, gave a slight shake of his head. “When do you want us to start, sir?”
“Right away.” He went to the map. “The route north has to take the French across the Sambre. I would expect them to come between Mons and Charleroi.” We had already identified those as key towns. He held up the captured map I had given the colonel. "This suggests either Charleroi or Namur.
Colonel Selkirk nodded, “My money would be on Charleroi.”
“And I am inclined to agree, however Mons is closer to our escape route west and Bonaparte is a cunning fellow.”
That surprised me. He was thinking of deserting Belgium already. I had to hope that the populace would not discover that fact. It might tip the balance in favour of joining the French.
I stood and went to the map. I had not been asked my opinion but I would give it anyway. “Bonaparte will not cross the border until he is ready to attack, sir. There will be no sign of him north of the border. He will be in either Beaumont or Mauberge waiting on the other side of the border until he is ready to strike and then it will be like lightning.”
“You seem to know the fellow well, Matthews.”
“Let us just say that I have studied him. His Chasseurs can move very quickly as can his infantry. It is only twelve miles to Mons and twenty miles to Charleroi from the border. His cavalry could be at either in an hour and his light infantry in three.”
“Hm. So you are suggesting you go over the border and ascertain his numbers?”
“I am suggesting that someone ought to gather that intelligence.”
He smiled a cold smile, “And as you two are the only ones available then it will be you two. You will leave at the end of the week and let me know when you see the French army gathering. It will take him some time to assemble his army and his supplies. Thank God that Berthier has decided not to join him. He was the best Chief of Staff Bonaparte ever had. I need to know as soon as they are at the border with your best estimate of the intended attack.” He was asking a great deal but then he always did. I nodded. “I should have some cavalry in the next week or so I can keep an eye on the roads on this side of the border. When you find out anything then let me know. I hate being blind!"