by Griff Hosker
“It is and the Black Widow is the reason we leave. It will take her time to return to Paris but she may have other means to send a message to her master. As you said, she knew when you were leaving. We need to be one move ahead in this deadly game of chess. We need to get to Portugal sooner, rather than later. Finish your business with the house and Mr Hudson and be in Portsmouth six days from now. We will be travelling on the ‘Black Prince’.”
Sharp was intrigued, “Sir, was the woman a magician? I mean I ran after her and followed her down the staircase. I was just behind her! She just vanished!”
“We have learned much. It takes time for a ship to reach India and return. We held off approaching her as we needed more information. It is here now and things are much clearer. I received the package two days ago but I wished to study it.” That was as close to an admission of guilt as we would get. “She is a clever woman. We believe she had a horse ready and bags packed. She planned on moving once she had disposed of you. She had an assignation with Lord Castlereagh today. Needless to say, she will not be keeping it and I have informed his lordship of the incident. His lordship is grateful to the two of us. That is a card we will save for later in the game, eh Matthews?” He drank some of the ale. I could never play this game as well as the Colonel. Everything he did was calculated. “The servants we questioned were loyal but, after much persuasion, they told us what we needed to know. She has a network of contacts in England. There are Bonapartist sympathisers. We will make arrests. She will get home; it will take her time that is all.” He smiled and it was a cruel smile. “Fouché and Bonaparte are not the only ones with spies.”
The food arrived, “I hope it is to your liking, sir.”
The Colonel nodded, “Don’t worry, if it is not you will be the first to know of it!”
I ate in silence. I felt like a fool. I had let my body get the better of my mind. Even now I desired the woman who had tried to kill me. The Colonel was right, she was good.
“This is a good pie. I shall use this place again.” He pointed a fork at me, “Stay close to home, Robbie. The witch might be gone but there are still hired killers. Jenkins and his mates are no match for them.”
“Don’t worry, sir, I have learned a lesson.”
He laughed, “Aye, don’t think with your dick!”
He had put it crudely but he was right. I would not make the same mistake twice.
We had much to do to prepare for the journey to Spain. Although the regiment would have been informed of my secondment, I was honour bound to write to them and tell them myself. I would send our horses back from Portsmouth once we no longer needed them. That done we had much work to do with the proposed dwelling. Three days before we were due to embark, we visited the building site and discovered that part of what would, eventually, be the servant’s quarters was built.
Harry Harper had done well. “We can have a roof on tomorrow, sir. Mr Jenkins can move in if he likes. It will be rough and ready but I would be happier with someone on site at all times. There are some thieves around here. We have had some tools stolen already.”
Rafe was happy enough to move in. “Trust me, Major, this is ten times better than The Rookery.” He pointed to the woods, “There are plenty of rabbits over there. Me and the lads will live well.”
“The lads, Rafe?”
“Aye, sir, with your permission, the lads who share the room in The Rookery would like to come here. It won’t cost you anything, sir. It will be cheaper to live here. There is no rent and they can hire out to farmers in the season. We have little enough without wasting it on ridiculous rent for a rat and flea infested slum.”
I smiled, “I am more than happy for them to share your home, Rafe. That is what it will be, your home. When I return to England and this is finished then we can look to making this my home. I know not yet what it will look like but I daresay I will need servants other than you. This arrangement suits me admirably.”
We headed back to London and we called in to speak with Mr Hudson. Leaving Sharp and Jenkins to sup tea with Jennings, I sat and conferred with Mr Hudson. “I am sorry about the Widow Turner, Major Matthews. If I had known what she had planned…”
“Water under the bridge, Mr Hudson. She deceived me as well. Did the company lose money with the affair?”
He shook his head, “No sir. We had not delivered the wine and food she had ordered. She even forgot to recover her money.”
I nodded. Colonel Selkirk had told me that the house had merely been rented. The owner had fine furnishings as recompense but there had been damage in the fracas. The widow had disappeared but she left a trail of destruction behind her.
“And my finances can cope during my absence?”
“Oh yes, Major Matthews. Mr Harper is doing a good job. Some of these builders milk the work but he is working hard and you are not being robbed. I believe he sees it as his patriotic duty. You are a soldier and serving Britain. I will ensure that Mr Jenkins continues to be paid.”
“If you see aught which needs changing then you have my permission. I will be in no position to send or receive letters. After today the next time you see me will be when I return from abroad.”
“You can leave all in my hands, sir.”
When we headed for Portsmouth I was in a happier frame of mind. My wound had healed and I felt less foolish about the encounter. I had managed to put the widow and my embarrassing behaviour behind me. I still found its images creeping into my mind and I would shiver and berate myself for my foolishness. When I did so I would see Sharp smile. He knew me better than any man alive. I was lucky to have him as my sergeant. We stayed in the ‘George Inn’. It was an old inn and overlooked the harbour. It was popular with officers going to sea. Since Trafalgar, the French fleet had been confined to the West Indies and the Mediterranean. Britannia truly ruled the waves and the officers with whom we dined were in an ebullient mood. I paid a man to take our horses back to the regimental barracks. It was a fortunate happenstance for he had a mother who lived there and needed to visit her for she was sick. Then we waited with our chests and our war gear for the ship which would take us to Portugal.
The Colonel arrived the next day. He had the Gordon Highlander, Angus, with him. Unlike Sharp, the man wore no uniform save a highlander hat and I guessed that he was not a serving soldier. That evening, as I dined with the Colonel, he told me Angus’ story.
“Angus was a sergeant major in the 92nd Foot in Egypt. He had a falling out with an officer. You know the type, Matthews, green as grass, no chin and full of daddy’s money. It was at Lake Mareotis and the 90th and the 92nd had been ordered to attack the Maroba redoubt. The young officer lost his nerve and wouldn’t attack. Angus led his men. After the battle, he reported the matter to the Colonel.” He shook his head and threw the stub of his cigar into the fire, “He was an idiot! He took the side of the young officer and Angus was dismissed. Worse he had him whipped as a punishment for suggesting that the officer had been a coward. No regiment will take on a man who has been whipped. They see them as troublemakers. I found him in Naples.” He grinned, “A little like you eh? I took him on.”
I nodded, “But Colonel, he wears the Gordon Highlander cap.”
He lit another cigar, “Aye, that was his father’s. It is a harmless affectation although I confess it marks him as an ex-soldier. Still, he is damned handy with his fists and he is quite happy to go into places which are, shall we say, less than friendly; a bit like your Sharp.”
The ’Black Prince’ sailed into port the next day. The captain, Jonathan Teer, was more like a pirate than an officer in the Royal Navy. He had been promoted to Lieutenant Commander although he still sailed his little sloop. He greeted me like an old friend. “My lucky charm is back!” He tapped his epaulettes, “A promotion and much of it is down to you, I think. You bring us luck!”
“Yet you still sail this little sloop.”
“Robbie, it suits me. If I had a larger ship then I would be tied to the fleet’s apron s
trings. This way I get to poke around little bays and coves. We drop spies behind the lines and I get to cut out enough French ships to keep my crew happy.” Prize money from captured enemy ships was the lifeblood of small ships. “‘Prince’ has enough firepower to beat anything our size and she has the legs to run if we meet a bigger boy!”
Colonel Selkirk said, “And when do we sail, Lieutenant Commander Teer?”
“On the morning tide, Colonel. We have supplies to take on. Lisbon is not well supplied. We need powder and shot as well as hard tack and pork. We also need fresh water. If you will excuse me, I shall see to those matters. Mr Hyde will take you to your cabins.”
Mr Hyde was the new Midshipman. He was about twelve years of age. He was better off with Jonathan than in many ships. My friend was a fair man. In a larger man of war, a three-decker, there would be many such midshipmen and bullying was rife. Here the boy would have a chance to learn. “If you would follow me, sirs.”
With Angus and Sharp carrying our chests we descended into the Stygian gloom that was the bowels of the sloop. I knew that our quarters would be cramped. As I expected, we had been given two officers’ cabins. I guessed that the officers would double up while we were aboard. There were two hammocks slung in each cabin. The chests would fit underneath and that was the extent of the room we had. Sharp and I had known what to expect. I think the Colonel expected more. I heard a crack and a curse as he banged his head on the beams. Sharp and I had learned the hard way. We walked like hunchbacks while aboard.
When we left Portsmouth, the wind was pleasantly fresh. It came from the north-west and was, perforce, cold. I was wrapped in my cloak. I had learned, long ago, the value of a good cloak. Mine was oiled. It would keep off rain. I stood, with Sharp, at the bows as we edged from the anchorage and passed the forts which guarded the entrance to the home of the British Fleet. The Colonel was still abed but I liked to watch the sea.
“Back into it, eh sir?”
I nodded and said nothing. It was less than three months since we had left Spain. The taste of the retreat still felt like a defeat. Sir John had worked miracles to take us off and we were lucky to have served such a good officer. We had lost so many horses that Sir Arthur would have limited cavalrymen at his disposal. I would need to bear that in mind when I sought paths and trails through Portugal. It would be the light infantry which would be of the most use. The 60th Rifles, who would serve with us, would be spread out amongst the regiments. Fifty-one men to each brigade was not a great number but they would be with the two light companies and they would decimate the tirailleurs and voltigeurs who would screen the French. I knew Sir Arthur. He would need me to find ridges with dead ground. He used dead ground to hide his men. He liked to preserve his own men and let the enemy bleed. He knew that the firepower of a British Brigade could stop any French column.
That evening we dined with the captain. Once we had cleared the land the little sloop flew. Johnathan was certain that we would have a swift passage. The Colonel quizzed him about the situation in Portugal. “Is Lisbon threatened, Lieutenant Commander?”
“No, sir. The French appear to have met more resistance on their way south. My last mission, before I came to pick you up, was to sail to the Douro. Marshal Soult was fortifying the north bank of the river. He has more than two hundred guns facing the south.” He laughed, “They had not got them in position and they wasted plenty of shot and powder trying to hit us.” He became more serious. “If we try to force the crossing, sir, then I fear we will lose many men. Trying to hit a lively little sloop is one thing but slow-moving troop transports is quite another.”
Lighting another cigar, the Colonel said, “And that will be the remit of the Major here. He is the burglar who will pick the lock of the Douro.”
The next day Sharp and I took a map on deck. Jonathan added detail to it. He knew the Douro. “There are a couple of bridges in Oporto. They are well guarded. You will have to go many miles upstream to find a bridge which is unguarded. The Portuguese use ferries. They were all being taken to the north bank. I suppose if you have engineers then they could build them.”
I shook my head, “Under fire from two hundred guns? Sir Arthur has precious few troops as it is. No, the Colonel is right.” I jabbed a finger well upstream. “I shall have to find a way.”
“Rather you than me, Robbie!”
Lisbon was busy. Jonathan had to negotiate large East Indiamen as well as the smaller boats which seemed to fly around the anchorage. We docked next to a two-decker, the ‘Lion’. While our chests and bags were taken ashore, we said our farewells. I had discovered, on the voyage over, that Jonathan was operating along the coast of Portugal and Spain. In essence, he was a privateer. He would cut out any French ship which came close to him. It was still easier for the French to send supplies for their army from the Atlantic and Mediterranean ports rather than risk overland and the guerrillas of Spain. The odds were that we would cross paths again.
Our first night would be spent at the British Embassy. The ambassador was not at home. He had been ill and was now in England recuperating. He would return to Portugal with Sir Arthur. Colonel Selkirk took advantage of the absence of a superior to virtually take over the embassy. As one of Britain’s oldest allies, the building was substantial and the Colonel took the best of rooms. He did so by pointing out that he was preparing for Sir Arthur.
“And now we need horses! Come let us take the ambassador’s carriage. We can save our legs.”
Of course, the carriage meant people assumed we were with the embassy and we were not hindered. We had to travel five miles north of Lisbon before we found stables with horses for purchase. I knew we were lucky. There was a hiatus. No one was on the offensive. Winter had just finished and the French had halted at the Douro. They had defences on the Vouga River but that was as far south as they had come. The Colonel had the money for the horses but I would choose them. He would have had any old nag so long as it could carry him! I wanted at least five horses for the sergeant and myself. The Colonel rolled his eyes when I told him.
“Sir, we are not riding to hounds. This will not be a little jaunt for a couple of hours and then back to a stable. We might ride forty or fifty miles in a day. If we do that over a week we either kill our horse or ride a spare. Five is the minimum. In a perfect world, it would be seven or eight.”
He accepted my opinion and we negotiated. French cavalry rode smaller horses than the British. Some were little bigger than ponies. We preferred horses which were fifteen hands high. The horses which came from England would be that size. The man was keen to do business with us. I think he anticipated that we would recommend him and he would make more money from those who came along later. I chose six horses which were fourteen hands high. All of them were locally bred horses. Their coats were not as glossy as ours in England but they looked hardy. They would be able to survive on a poor diet. We had been going to buy just five for us but the sixth was just twelve hands high and the horse breeder let us have her for a song. The Colonel and Angus bought two horses which looked as though they had been left over from the retreat. They had had regimental numbers. The horse breeder had tried to remove them but I knew that they were dragoon horses. We tied them to the back of the carriage and headed to Lisbon.
When the Colonel and Angus went off into the streets of Lisbon, I did not ask why. Sharp and I stabled the horses and then headed off to buy four saddles. The Colonel was unconcerned about the quality. To him the horse and saddle were functional. Alan and I would be in the saddle for much longer periods. I bought good ones.
That evening the embassy chef outdid himself. I think he thought the Colonel was more important than he actually was. Colonel Selkirk did not disillusion him. Angus did not join us. The Colonel had sent him off to gather intelligence in the poorer parts of the town. The fact that the Scotsman did not speak Portuguese did not seem to bother the Colonel. “Angus has a way with him. There are many who speak English in this part of the world.” He gestured
with his fork, “Good food eh, Robbie? We should make the most of it. Rations for us soon, eh?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you are itching to get on with the job I am guessing?”
“When Sir Arthur arrives, he will be like a whirling Dervish, sir. We both know that. I need to get to the Vouga as soon as possible. I intend to leave in the morning. Sharp and I will get some lodgings further north. The general will be here by the middle of April?”
“Closer to the end.”
“Then I will be back here by the fifteenth.”
He put his knife and fork down and leaned back. He sipped the wine. It was a good one. “Your dedication does you credit, Robbie, but don’t stick your neck out too far.” He gestured at the scar on the back of my hand. “Those two most recent wounds are a reminder of your mortality!”
“I know, sir. The encounter with the Black Widow was a wake-up call for me. Fouché now knows where I will be. I expect another attempt on my life. That is why the countryside is the safest place for me. Towns are where there is danger. I will be happier the sooner we leave Lisbon.”
“And where will you go first?”
“The rumours are that there are French on the Vouga River. That is one hundred and forty miles north of here. We get as close to the French as we can and work as far north as possible. I know what the general needs. I just have to find it for him!”
Chapter 6
This was not England. There were few roads and, as we headed north, I realised that Sir Arthur would have trouble just moving around the country, let alone fighting. The few roads we found were poorly maintained and memories of the retreat came flooding back. The only consolation was that, as the English, we were welcomed. The French wanted to convert everyone to their way of life. The English just wanted to be rid of the French. We had no wish to rule another country. Parliament could barely rule England!
We stayed that first night, in the town of Torres Vedras. We had left Lisbon early and ridden hard, arriving in the early afternoon. There was a castle and substantial city walls. Had I been Soult I would have moved at least as far south as here for it would have taken a huge army to shift him. That he had not was a mistake. It was the only large town north of Lisbon and south of Oporto. Coimbra was on the coast but Torres Vedras was a rock. The French would beat themselves against it if Sir Arthur could garrison it.