‘None. How could there be? It was so clever of you to find me in Brussels and gather me up.’
‘No more than any man would do for the prettiest girl alive, who seemed to have lost her way.’
‘Yes. I had lost my way, hadn’t I? For longer than you know, I think. And you were so kind … and so very generous.’
She stretched out her arm and admired the two sapphire and diamond bracelets that now adorned it.
‘As I said, no more than any man would do.’
‘But you are not just any man, are you?’
‘As you keep on telling me, my love. I cannot think why.’
‘Then come here and I’ll show you.’
He did not need to be asked twice, and as she felt his body against hers, his breath hot and sweet against her lips, Henrietta realized that there was something deliciously wicked about doing this with one of Jack’s comrades and felt a frisson she had not known before. And then the guns began.
It was not until the following morning that the convoy reached Gistel. As Steel had ordered, they had found a quiet, makeshift mooring, tethered to the tops of the trees of a submerged copse, and he corralled the supply vessels inside a loose circle of barges manned by the grenadiers who had taken turns of the watch by platoon. As he had predicted, the privateers had not returned, and starting out at dawn for the south the convoy had made good time.
The little town was not quite as they had left it. The waters still lapped around the northernmost houses and had not yet reached the centre, but there was a sense of agitation. It did not take him long to discover why.
‘Leffinghe is besieged? Surely not. It’s no more than ten miles from here. Surely we would be aware of such a state of affairs? It may, I grant you, have been raided by the same privateers who attacked our convoy yesterday evening. But surely, Major, the French do not have a force of sufficient size or the transports to ferry them to Leffinghe?’
He was standing with his back to the fireplace in a large first-floor room of the town hall which had been commandeered by the Allied commander in the area, a jovial major of the Buffs by the name of Meddowes.
‘I’m afraid they do, Captain Steel. We have no reason to doubt the news. It came to me from a most reliable source. The officer arrived here this morning, direct from Leffinghe. They have, he says, a battery that maintains a constant fire upon the place from a nearby hill. Part of the town has been set afire, and God knows the fate of the poor inhabitants. But they are holding out. I have sent to the Duke for reinforcements.’ He paused. ‘Oh, I almost forgot. When I told the officer who brought the news that you were escorting the convoy he embraced me. Most odd behaviour. It seems that he knows you. He was most anxious to see you on your arrival.’
So it was that within the hour Steel was sitting in the town’s most opulent tavern, sharing a bottle of its finest claret with Captain James Simpson.
Simpson smiled. ‘So you see, dear boy, here I am. Safe and sound, in good health and as keen as mustard.’
‘Well, thank God you are. I was certain you’d be taken.’
‘I told you before, my dear chap, it takes more than your usual
crapaud français
to snare James Simpson. And now it is my turn to be the hunter.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning that I want blood, Steel. I’ve tasted it and it has whetted my appetite. I mean to finish the job.’
‘Finish the job?’
‘Disposing of Malbec and his whore. Oh, I neglected to tell you, didn’t I?’
He delved into his waistcoat pocket and pulled something out, then holding his hand out to Steel he slowly folded back his fingers. There in his palm lay a piece of jewellery, a gold chain from which was suspended a single, brilliant emerald.
Steel gasped. ‘Good God. You killed her.’
‘Well observed, dear chap. Most satisfactory, and a fitting end for such a woman. I told you, dear boy. Matter of honour. Loss of a dear friend and so on. She had to atone for her actions, and that she did, in full.’
‘How did you manage it?’
‘With great ease, actually. Far less trouble than I’d thought. After your escape they were in quite a flap, blaming each other. Charpentier was questioned but escaped with his life, though only thanks to the intervention of the King. Malbec led a search for you. Scoured all Paris. And in the meantime the Marquise sat in her apartments in the Place Royale and waited for news. That is where I found her.’
Steel grew cold. ‘How did you do it?’
‘Oh, I was merciful. By her standards, at least. Although I did make her sweat a little. There’s nothing like the anticipation of an event to bring out the heat. I’m sure that you know that.’
‘Only too well. Go on.’
‘I waited until the house was abed and then I entered through an upper window. D’you know, Steel, if I hadn’t been a soldier I think I’d have made a very good picklock. So there I was, staring down at her in her bed, a vision of nipples and lace. Exquisite creature. Shame about her character.’
Steel nodded, remembering.
‘I placed my hand over her mouth and woke her. Imagine the look of terror in her eyes when she saw me. Of course the bitch tried to bite me, but I soon put a stop to that. Then I gagged her with one of her own silk stockings and bound her hands behind her. My God, she struggled! But a few sharp jabs with my knife and she soon stopped that. And then, d’you know, her expression turned from anger to terror. She was afraid. And that Steel, although I am ashamed to admit it, made me the happiest man alive. I wanted her to know fear, so I kept her like that for a good four hours. Of course I talked to her all the while, telling her what I was going to do to her, how exactly I intended to kill her. In the most minute of detail. And from time to time I would give her just the most subtle of cuts with my knife. Ever so thin. Just wherever it took my fancy. On the arm or on the thigh. Or anywhere really. Tiny, tiny cuts. But I think it was the words that affected her most vividly, rather than the cuts and the sight of all that blood. Interesting, don’t you think, how tiny cuts can call forth so much blood? At one point I was sure she was going to faint. Well, of course, I wasn’t having any of that. You know there’s nothing like a pitcher of ice-cold water to waken a girl, eh? So I went on with the detail and her eyes grew wider and wider and finally she began to shake with terror.’ He laughed at the memory. ‘Shake, dammit! By that time the dawn was coming up, so then I took her other stocking and wound it around and around her beautiful little neck and pulled it very very tight. And then, puff, she was gone. Snuffed out. But just to make absolutely certain I slit her throat from ear to pretty ear. But not before retrieving this.’
Again he held out the pendant, before putting it away again in his pocket. Steel felt drained by the account. He took a long drink.
‘It was well done, Simpson. But tell me, why the devil are you here? Has the Duke no further use for his spies?’
‘Alas, it is I for whom the spies have no use. My face is too well known, you see, my cover blown quite asunder. Of course, Gabriel was drowned. The Kaiser’s work. But there are others still in Paris who know me. In fact that is why I came to Leffinghe. Had to leave France by boat. Only way, dear boy. Patrols everywhere. So up the coast to Ostend I go. And I may tell you that I stank of fish for days.’ He sniffed at his coat. ‘Tell me that I do not now.’
Steel laughed and shook his head. ‘No, Simpson, you do not stink. At least not of fish.’
Simpson smiled and went on. ‘Well, when I heard the convoy was off to Lille I managed to contrive passage for myself. And when the party detached to Leffinghe, suffice it to say that a certain Jack tar among the crew had taken my fancy and that he just happened to be among the sailors ordered off with them.’ He frowned. ‘So, as you see, I have returned to the front. A soldier once again, dear boy. I march to the sound of the guns. “Lillibulero” is my anthem, Mars my patron saint. It was all that I could do not to stay and fight at Leffinghe.’
‘Are you sure about the French? I mean, that the place is actually besieged? Are you certain?’
‘As certain, dear boy, as I am that the King of France is an ass. And of that you should make no mistake. To have allowed his generals to dissuade him from the Duke’s generous offer of peace that you bore to Paris was utter folly. He will rue the day. He has grown old, Steel. He no longer deserves the throne.’
But Steel’s mind was still in Leffinghe. ‘They were not privateers that you saw? You’re sure that they’re infantry? They wore white coats?’
‘Regular, common-or-garden, good-for-nothing Frenchies as ever there were in their dirty donkey grey.’
‘They didn’t come in pirate galleys?’
‘Barges and galleys, rather, and with some guns too. But they mean business. The guns they positioned on a nearby knoll. It had been a hill, you know, until the waters. Quite firm ground, though. Good for guns. Well chosen. They had gabions too and were digging out earthworks on the main island when I saw them. You know Leffinghe is on a hill. Hence it’s being spared the floods.’
‘I know it is the key to this whole game.’
‘You mean the question of resupply? Yes, I can see that. It is precisely in the centre of the floods. He who holds Leffinghe has complete control of all the comings and goings of our boats from Ostend down to here and hence to Lille. Doubtless the French too have seen that. Which may explain what I have just told you.’
‘How many men did they have?’
‘Oh, I should say three, perhaps five thousand. Two brigades at the very least.’
‘And the garrison?’
‘No more than a thousand at most. Bit of a mixed bag. Dutch mostly, an under-strength battalion of English foot and, after we had made land, a few dragoons.’
Steel bit his lip and thought hard. ‘You know that my wife is there.’
Simpson managed a smile, but only just. He stared down at the table, unable to look Steel in the eye. ‘Yes. I did know that. What do you know of her situation?’
‘What d’you mean? Is she wounded?’
‘No, dear boy. It’s just that …’
‘What? Tell me, man.’
‘It’s merely that there’s talk.’
‘Talk?’
‘About her.’
‘She is the subject of gossip?’
‘I’m afraid so. But I’m sure it is merely idle rumour. You know how women get when on campaign. The most ridiculous tales. Why I knew a major’s wife in Tangiers who swore blind that her sister –’
‘Shut up, Simpson, and stop trying to divert me. What are the rumours?’
‘They are saying that she has been seeing another man.’
Steel fell silent, looked away. This was impossible. Henrietta would never do such a thing. She loved only him. He was sure of it. Her eyes said it all. He turned on Simpson and stood up.
‘You’re lying.’
Simpson shook his head and stayed in his chair. ‘Unfortunately, for once, I’m not lying. There is merely a rumour, nothing more, that she is conducting an affair with another man. Another British officer.’
‘Who? Who is it?’
‘I’m not at liberty to tell you that. It would perhaps not be in your best interest to know.’
‘Tell me, damn you.’
‘I’m afraid that I shall not tell, dear boy.’
Steel sat down, shaking his head. ‘Never mind. I shall seek him out when we relieve the town.’
‘You? Relieve Leffinghe? But Major Meddowes has summoned a relief force from the Duke’s main body –’
‘Well then they will be glad of another battalion to swell their ranks, will they not? Moreover a battalion of veteran grenadiers, with its own amphibious transports.’
‘I presume that you would be going against your orders, which must be only to provide escort for the convoys. You might be court-martialled.’
‘I suppose I might. What of it?’
Simpson laughed and raised his glass in a toast. ‘Jack Steel, you are truly an independent spirit. I raise my glass to your ambition.’ He drank. ‘But do be careful, dear boy. You may discover this man’s identity, but do not then do anything foolish. If it is who they say, and if there is any truth in the rumour – which I trust and pray there is not – do not be rash. He has influence, Steel. Court martial or not, he could sink you.’
‘I’ll take my chances. I do not give in so easily.’
‘Well, I have warned you. And it occurs to me now that perhaps you will need someone to watch out for you in Leffinghe. Someone who knows the place. I volunteer.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous. Of course, I’m flattered, Simpson, but you’re hardly front-line material at present. You haven’t fought for years.’
‘Don’t insult me, Steel. I may have resorted to strangulation with the Marquise, but I can still handle a blade with the best of them. Besides, I have a particular reason to want to come with you.’
‘The sailor-boy?’
‘Oh, no! What do you take me for? No, no, not the Jack tar. Though jolly he was. Malbec, of course. I have good reason to believe that he is among the besieging troops. At least I know that his regiment is there. The Grenadiers Rouges.’
‘How do you plan to kill him?’
‘I have no precise plan as yet. But he must die. He was the other assassin of the pair that slaughtered my friend. First the bitch dies, and now the dog. I rather thought that I might kill him in battle. Be a little more sporting than I was with his whore. And it seems to me that if anyone is going to be in the thick of it in that fight, and if anyone has the power to draw Malbec to him, it must be the brave, bold Captain Steel.’