I Think I Really Do Have an Ulcer
Page 27
“Hamish shall be pleased to introduce yew to Mendizábal when we find him and, in case he has to leave, we can appoint an aide-de-camp for yew, who has already acted as aide to Lord Wellington at Talavera; by name Algernon Cholmondeley.
He is presently in command of A Company: impeccable of dress and manners. Butter would not melt in his innocent, adolescent mouth. Deadly with pistol and rifle and with pretty much any weapon that our lads carry. He may now be a better marksman than me, but do not let him know I said so. It is said that his servant was a champion prize-fighter and has taught Algy the art. We are not sure, as no one has yet put it to the test.
His spanish is fluent and he is known to the guerrilleros, who treat him with exaggerated respect. They call him the killer with the face of an angel or some such fancy that they seem to regard as complimentary. If he joins yew, he shall be brevet major to give him extra respect.”
Cockburn laughed. “A fearsome creature, indeed! Certainly I must use him, if only as an interpreter. If he is now on shore, may I send a boat and he shall join us at dinner?”
“Why not, Charles? Doña MacKay shall make sure that he does not devour any midshipmen while he is here.”
* * *
The dinner in the great cabin was a huge success. Welbeloved gave a concise account of the basic strategy, for the benefit of his naval audience and MacKay told them what the Hornets were attempting, with their help, over the next month. This was particularly valuable to the marine officers present, who had difficulty stopping their eyes straying in the direction of the baby-faced killer sitting among them, about whom gossip had spread with the amazing speed only possible in the closed environs of a ship of war.
The Condesa gave the last speech, thanking them all for their continuing and most highly appreciated endeavours on behalf of the Spanish people.
It was received with wild acclamation and after the toasts, the Hornets present, both male and female were pressed for accounts of their exploits – so different from anything that the sailors could relate to. So enthralling to the marine officers, many of whose men had received training and taken part in joint operations with Hornets in the Mediterranean.
In the morning, Welbeloved went south to urge Santocildes and his Sixth Army into motion and MacKay established a form of authority over Porlier and several thousand guerrilleros. They set off east along the coastal road, with MacKay praying that his scattered platoons would succeed in establishing rather more cohesion and discipline among the guerrilleros before they came upon any veteran French troops in large numbers.
Commodore Cockburn sailed slowly along the coast, keeping in touch with the advancing force. Phoebe had been despatched post haste to La Coruña to summon the rest of his squadron and to report to the admiral that at the request of Lord Wellington and in co-operation with the Hornets and the Spanish Seventh Army, he was starting the war without him.
He had written at great length, setting out his objectives, in line with everything that Welbeloved had told him and referring him to Lord Wellington’s despatch, about which he was reliably informed Popham now had a copy.
At the very least, he hoped that it would put more urgency into the preparations at Corunna, but perhaps not too much. He was really anticipating enjoying his freedom from higher authority for the next week or so.
He and Welbeloved had always worked better when they were independent and this really was taking his thoughts back to those invigorating times after the battle of the Nile, when two young men had played havoc with Napoleon’s ambitions in Egypt and Syria.
He was older now, but had been told that he was England’s youngest commodore and he could still have a part in spoiling Napoleon’s ambitions, even in his absence in Russia.