Chapter 11
“That was absolument parfait.” The sound of Guay’s voice told him that he was not, contrary to his every expectation, dead. As he gathered his wits and started to pull himself upright the sword was wrenched out of his hand and he was forced to his knees facing his opponent. “I make you my compliments Mademoiselle,” Guay continued bowing deeply, “using your opponent’s lunge against him is a very difficult technique to master and to withdraw at precisely the right moment requires a skill few possess.” He turned to Hainaut. “You are fortunate indeed Monsieur, a lesser swordsman would have killed you. I tell you this in truth Monsieur, you did not stand a chance. You are alive, Monsieur Hainaut, because, and only because, Miss Leighton chose to spare you and not because of any skill you possess. She could have killed you many times over. Whatever happens to you after we hand you over to the authorities, you will have to live with the fact that you were beaten by a woman. I wish you joy of your memories.” Guay looked contemptuously into Hainaut’s eyes. “Tie this up!” he said as he walked away.
Sarah gazed at the broken man in front of her. She had made her point and done it well, but she felt no sense of triumph. She looked at the sword which she had just used to such effect and then without saying a word, drove it into the ground and climbed, without a word, into the carriage. The sword stood, a silent witness to the drama in which it had played such an important part, gently rocking to and fro.
With the single exception of the dead Guard who was wrapped in his cloak by his sergeant with due respect, and placed, at the request of Mr. Liversedge, on the floor of the second carriage, the dead were unceremoniously thrown into the back of the cart and covered with a canvas sheet. The prisoners’ hands were bound behind them, those who could walk were tied together and lined up in the road and the injured lifted into the cart for the short journey to the inn. When Guay was satisfied that everything was secure he gave the order for the party to move.
The Duke chose to ride with Sarah and Martha for the remaining mile or so of their journey. By the time they finally arrived tired, late and emotionally exhausted, the Duke had filled in the details of what had happened.
The Duke and Guay had suspected something was planned for most of the day. The broken cotter pin on top of the other delays that day had settled it. Three delays on the same day was too great a coincidence. The quest was, what to do about it? Turning back seemed pointless and it had occurred to them that this was perhaps the plan. If this were the case, then they would be playing into their enemy’s hands. They had also discussed taking a different route but the land was flat and the road they were on was straight and elevated above the surrounding fields. No ambush could be mounted here. The only place on the whole journey for an attack was in the cutting rising out of the river valley and this seemed too close to the villages on either side of the bridge to be likely. Furthermore, they had thought it was inconceivable that an attack would be mounted which eight highly trained soldiers of the Garde du Corps du Roi, a well-armed gentlemen and his equally well armed servant would be unable to see off without difficulty. The Duke ruefully admitted that this miscalculation had almost led to disaster. As soon as the carriages had entered the wood on the uphill climb away from the river they knew that this would be an excellent place for an ambush. When they were stopped they knew that if they stayed and fought they would almost certainly be killed. They decided to try to break out.
“It was the hardest decision I ever made.” the Duke said his face reflecting how wretched he felt. “Leaving you unprotected like that. I felt such a coward. If there had been any other way I would have taken it.”
“You did what you had to do.” Sarah reached out in the darkness and gently squeezed the Duke’s arm reassuringly. If Martha noticed the intimate gesture she did not comment. “No-one here thought that you had abandoned us. We all knew that you would need time to mount a rescue and we did what we could. Liversedge was marvellous.”
“I know, I heard him. I will make a point of making sure he knows how grateful I am.”
As soon as the attack started, the Duke and his two companions had turned and galloped as fast as they could back down the road. It was fortunate that Hainaut’s men were not properly trained in executing ambushes. If the road had been sealed all would have been lost. Two men made a perfunctory attempt to stand in their way but they were no match for three men at full gallop and they had no choice but to leap out of the road. They were not followed, the ambushers were much more concerned with what booty they might collect from the carriages, than they were with chasing fleeing horsemen.
As soon as they were out of sight, Guay and the Duke dismounted and Francis continued down the road with the remaining two horses making as much noise as possible. When he arrived at the bridge they had their first stroke of luck, the two Guards who had been replaced at Saint Quentin were coming the other way riding as hard as they could. Upon arriving at the garrison at Soissons they were told that no order had been sent out relieving them of duty or sending replacements and realising their companions might be in danger they had turned around and headed straight back. They had covered nearly sixty miles that day commandeering horses as and when they needed fresh mounts. As Francis was bringing them up to date, Hainaut’s cart commenced crossing the bridge towards them. The next stroke of luck was that the driver did not see them in the shadows until he was upon them and was thus considerably startled at seeing two uniformed Guards. Panicking, he volunteered an explanation for driving a cart, late at night, across a narrow bridge with no lights which was so patently ridiculous that when the three men started in his direction he simply jumped off the back of the cart and sprinted back across the river.
It fell to Francis to explain to the Duke what had happened. Staying out of sight in the wood he followed the road back up towards where the carriages had stopped hoping his master would see him coming before Hainaut’s men. So it proved; and as soon as he heard there were reinforcements the Duke knew what to do. Francis was to tell the Guards to drive up the road in couple of minutes and he was to return along the other side of the road and set up as many pistols and firearms as he could all in slightly different locations. The aim was to convince Hainaut he was being attacked by more than three men. As soon as the Duke gave the signal he was to open fire.
“You know what happened next,” the Duke said to Miss Leighton, “as result of what you said Hainaut and his cronies had already been reduced in number. We watched more than twenty of them simply walk away. Judging by what a few of them were saying, had Hainaut told them the truth about who they were attacking, they would never have agreed to become involved at all. Of those that were left, most were distracted and a number were very scared. When we started firing they were immediately convinced they were facing an overwhelming force. The fact that you were all either angry or, in Liversedge’s case, frankly contemptuous of their behaviour, made them think that you had all known from the start you were going to be rescued.
Sarah again squeezed the Duke’s arm as the carriage rolled to a stop outside the welcoming front door of the inn.
“We did know that we were going to be rescued.” She said softly,
It was a subdued party that sat in the parlour at the provincial inn that evening. Guay had sent one of the Detachment back to Saint Quentin requesting that a company of Guards plus their officer come to his relief and two Guards were stationed in the stables to look after the prisoners. They would be changed at two hourly intervals during the night. The Duke however had insisted that everyone, including the servants and the Guards not engaged in guarding the prisoners should join him for the meal and a glass of wine. That night was not a night for standing on ceremony. After they had eaten the Duke called for silence.
“Today I learned what friendship and loyalty means.” He said slowly as if searching for the right words. It was apparent that the words he sought would not come because he spread his arms and just added, “Thank you.” The exhaustion of the day
was etched on the faces of the whole party but this simple speech seemed to strike exactly the right note because a few tired smiles appeared. Nobody seemed surprised when Liversdge stood to answer the Duke.
“Your Grace,” he said with none of his usual oracular tones, “today we learned what friendship and loyalty means too.”
In contrast to the sombre mood of the previous evening, on the following morning the inn was a bustling place. The Duke had informed Guay that they would remain in the village until after they had buried their fallen comrade. The innkeeper, who was already, when the prisoners in his stables were taken into account, housing more people than his inn could hold, had called for extra help from his neighbours. Upon being informed that it was likely a whole company of Kings Guardsmen would be there later within a day or so, he sent for more supplies too. The doctor, called to attend to the wounded, was busy cleaning sabre cuts and digging out musket balls. The local wheelwright, had been called to examine the two coaches and found two more areas of suspected sabotage. This caused the Duke to demand that a farrier be summoned to examine the horses. Sure enough, a couple had loose shoes. Guay observed to the Duke that they were lucky that only the cotter pins had broken.
Sergeant Guay had commenced the investigation into the attack and already the flaws in Hainaut’s planning were showing. The ostler identified two of the bodies and one of the prisoners and said that he knew who owned the Cart and the horse which had been drawing it. Half an hour later a door was unceremoniously kicked in by two very angry Guards. They found the cart owner cowering in his cellar and he was unceremoniously and not very gently dragged back to the inn to be questioned. A local farmer passing along the road had reported that one of his neighbours had been boasting that he had been paid a large sum of money to drive his whole herd of cattle along a particular road at a particular time. A similar fate awaited this man although he was found to know nothing and was released, grateful to be still alive.
Yet there was also a sad side to the goings on. About midday the wife of a farm labourer arrived at the inn and asked the innkeeper if he had seen her husband. As this individual was well known to frequent the tap room and often became so drunk that he did not return home until the following day, his failure to return home the previous day had not caused his spouse much concern. One of the Guards took her into the stables where the dead were laid out awaiting burial and she immediately identified one of them as her missing spouse. The story rapidly spread around the district and by four o’clock all but one of the dead and most of the prisoners had been identified. The Guards were kind to the women, although they were all escorted into the inn for questioning, none of them knew anything and they had to deal with the knowledge they were widows or that their husbands would, at the very least, be spending a very long time in prison As many more men than the number lying dead or in shackles in the stables had gone missing on the previous night, and their women-folk naturally were concerned to find out if they were among the dead, Sergeant Guay had, by this time, a long list of promising suspects.
It takes a while for a man on horseback to cover the sixty miles between the Inn and Reims and Guay did not expect to be relieved in less than two days. It came as some surprise therefore that, a little after ten o’clock the following morning, a column of soldiers was seen breasting the hill that led away from the river. Sergeant Guay, was hastily summoned and, by the time his relief arrived, he stood at rigid attention in front of the inn together with three of the guards who could be spared from their duties. As the column approached, Guay saw that it was much larger than he had expected. In addition to two full companies of Guards there were Carriages designed for the transport of prisoners and a substantial baggage train. To his surprise, Captain Benoit was riding at the front of the column and it was to be inferred that he intended staying for at least a few days because he gave orders to make camp in the field next to the Inn.
Benoit was not a happy man; he dismounted without a word of greeting and indicated that Guay he should follow him he strode into the inn and sat down in the parlour.
“Report!” he demanded peremptorily. He listened in silence to Guay’s account of the events and to the results of the investigation so far. When Guay had finished, the Captain asked him a few questions to clarify the matters and then informed his subordinate he should hold himself ready to answer further questions but, for the moment, he should continue to pursue all lines of investigation. He then summoned the officers that he had brought with him, and brought them briefly up to date. He finished by informing them that they should render any or all assistance which Sergeant Guay might require. He then went to find the Duke who was supervising a full examination of the carriages, their tack and the horses. Upon seeing the Captain approach, he stood up and extended his hand in greeting.
“You Sir,” said the Duke with a smile “are the most welcome sight I have seen for two days. How the devil did you get here so fast? We did not look for you until tomorrow at the earliest.”
“After what I said to you in Reims Your Grace.” Benoit was clearly mortified as he took the hand the Duke offer to him. “I can only apologise.” He shook his head, “I have no idea how I shall explain it to my superiors.”
“You may leave that to me.” Said the Duke firmly. “I am expecting to meet the Duc D’Angoulême at Amiens and I shall explain the situation. No one failed here, in fact we scored a spectacular victory.”
“That you should have been attacked at all...” Benoit tailed off shaking his head. He then answered the Duke’s question. “I know about the substitute Guards. Your two guards changed horses at Saint Quentin on the way to catching you up. The lieutenant at that garrison, who is more than ordinarily acute sent an express dispatch to me at Reims and I immediately set out with two companies of men to follow you. We met Guay’s messenger on the road.”
“Well, as I said, you are welcome sight. We are somewhat overstretched. Conducting a major criminal investigation, in a provincial French village, with only seven guards and two civilians is not an easy task.” He saw the Captain’s embarrassment and tried to alleviate it somewhat. “There was nothing you could have done to prevent the attack you know. There was no reason to suppose that Hainaut would be driven by such a desire for revenge that he would mount an attack on such a scale against a target with no strategic or military importance. Had you sent double the force with us, the outcome would have been the same but more of your men might have been killed as they tried to fight their way out. Twice now I have been indebted to the Garde du Corps du Roi for saving my life and, although I am not a soldier, it has been a privilege to ride and to fight with them. We were attacked by a vastly superior force in a well laid ambush. Your soldiers, two of whom had already ridden nearly sixty miles that day, together with a Lady, a valet, two maids, two coachmen, a major domo and an Englishman managed to repulse the attack although at the cost of the life of one very brave man. Your men should be honoured for their work. They took prisoners, interrogated them and obtained significant information which may well be of assistance in bringing those responsible to justice. Once again, I repeat my friend, you have no need to apologise or explain.”
“Thank you, Your Grace,” Captain Benoit bowed deeply, grateful for his understanding, “your commendation will be passed on to my superiors. As for the dead man, Private Serruier will be buried tomorrow with full honours.”
“Then we will not move on until the day after tomorrow. His friends will want to act as pall bearers and all the party will attend the funeral. Guay - the man deserves promotion by the way - has already arranged for a coffin and the local mayor has given permission for him to be buried where he fell. It will be my privilege to ensure that the grave of a brave man is marked by a suitable headstone and, as I understand he has a wife and a young family, Madame Serruier can expect a widow’s pension.”
It was a sombre party that, the following day, retraced its steps the mile or so to where the road dipped down towards the river between th
e trees on either side. The coffin containing the body of Private Serruier was draped in the standard of the Garde du Corps du Roi and surmounted by his chapeau, his musket and his medals and was preceded only by a bareheaded Guay. Six of the seven surviving guards carried the coffin on their shoulders, in step at the slow march, the timing kept by the regular rat-tat of a single drum and the other marched, bayonet fixed, in escort. The Duke, mounted on horseback, followed behind and behind him Francis and Liversedge. In the rear marched two full companies of the dead man’s fellows. As they crested the slope and commenced down the incline the two gravediggers, having finished their work, retired to a respectful distance.
The last time the Duke had passed this way the trees lining the road had seemed ominous and threatening but ,in the daylight, he could now see it was a beautiful spot. Looking down towards the river there was a beautiful view of the opposite bank and the sun sparkled off the running water. The Duke thought that Serruier’s last resting pace was not a bad place to be.
The service was short and poignant, the local priest conducted the service and the Captain gave the Eulogy. As the grave diggers started to backfill the grave the whole column filed past saluting their deceased comrade and began the march back to the inn leaving only the Duke and Sergeant Guay and a small detachment of alert guards at a discreet distance. Squatting down on his heels and placing his hand on the pile of fresh earth that marked Serruier’s final resting place, Sale silently promised him that he would ensure that his family would be properly cared for.
That evening, the Duke noticed that Miss Leighton was unusually quiet. Ladies were not allowed to attend funerals and so they had had to say goodbye to their companion through the window of the inn. Sale knew that she mourned the loss of the Guard every bit as keenly as the other members of their party but some sixth sense told him more than this was on her mind. He had asked Martha if she knew what it was but either she shared his ignorance or decided that he needed to find out for herself.
“Sarah... I beg your pardon, Miss Leighton, will you not tell me what is troubling you.”
“Really, it is nothing,” Sarah managed with a wan smile. I have just been thinking, so much has happened, it would have been astonishing if I did not become a little down.” The Duke could see through this attempt to put him off but, if she did not want to talk about it there was little he could do.
“Madam,” the Duke bowed formally, “If there is anything I can do please believe you may command my assistance at any time. I apprehend however that, for the present, you need time alone.” The Duke had nearly reached the door when the dam broke.
“How do you do it?” Sarah burst out. He turned quickly to see that she had tears rolling down her cheeks. “How do you stand face to face with another man and decide whether you will kill him or let him live? How does a man, faced with the knowledge of his likely death, still fight on? If you coldly and deliberately kill another, how do you live with it?” She walked across the room to stand in front of the Duke, and looked searchingly into his eyes as if there she might find the answers she sought. Finding none she looked down, and continued, “I could have killed Hainaut a dozen times but, as much as I had the reason and the skills to do it, especially after what he did to Véronique, I discovered I could not be Judge, Jury and Executioner. If he had to die, it would not be by my hand. I had to defeat him without killing him.” She looked at the Duke again willing him to understand. “When I practiced fencing with my brother, and later with you, I didn’t realise what I was doing. It was about scoring points and improving my skills. I knew of course that a sword was a weapon but, I treated it as a toy. How could I possibly have been so stupid?” The disgust she directed at herself almost caused the Duke to intervene but he thought that he should let her continue until she finished. “I used to daydream about fighting a duel, it all seemed so controlled and honourable and a little romantic. Of course, in my dreams I was always right and therefore I always won. The outcome was a dignified apology which I always accepted. It never occurred to me that I might one day find myself in a fight where there was a real chance I might die or kill. Fencing was just a harmless game spiced up a little by the fact that females do not usually do it. Facing Hainaut the other night was the first time I had ever really thought about what fencing is for. When I tripped him up, I was angry at his discourtesy but, in reality, he was trying to use his sword for the purpose for which it was designed. Why should he waste time on meaningless pleasantries? It was only when he tried to test my defence that I realised that it was not a game at all and that I had to find a way of defeating him without killing him and without being killed myself.” She shook her head passionately at what she saw as her own lack of insight. “I can have all the parries and passes, but I don’t have head for it. If you are not prepared to kill, then the whole skill is pointless. I have spent all this time wasting my time and yours. I should have learned to sew.” Sarah sat down, she had said what it was she had bottled up, and lost in her thoughts she stared blankly into the fire. She did not even look up as the Duke excused himself and left the room. He was back in less than two minutes Guay in tow.
“Sergeant Guay, do you like to fence,” the Duke asked conversationally, glancing in Sarah’s direction to indicate that this was for her benefit. Guay, never slow on the uptake, immediately followed the Duke’s lead.
“Very much.” Replied Guay with enthusiasm, “in much the same way as I enjoy chess. It is about strategy, tactics and quick thinking. Unfortunately, I frequently find myself unable to locate an opponent whose skills match my own. There is little challenge in locking swords with someone who one knows one can beat. I would like to test my skills against yours one day.”
“It is true, my skills are not thought to be contemptible,” agreed the Duke with a broad smile, “perhaps we could test our skills against each other now. I should warn you, with a sword in my hand I give no quarter.”
“Neither do I,” said Guay sitting on the floor and removing his boots.
Sarah had, by this time, looked up again. She was unsure of what was going on but knew that, whatever it was, it was being staged for her benefit. The banter between the two men continued as they moved the furniture.
“Would you like me to find you a longer weapon,” offered Guay, “A small person such as yourself couldn’t get close with such a stunted blade.”
“And would you like me to stand still for a minute, so that you will have a least a chance of finding me. A big oaf like you, will be so slow I could eat my dinner while waiting for you lunge.”
As soon as they took out their foils and fixed the buttons to their points however, the mood changed. Fencing was serious business and once the two men faced each other there was no place for laughter.
It was apparent that they were evenly matched although they each had a style suited to their build. Guay was taller and stronger and had the longer reach, hence he tended to stand back. Sale was much more compact and faster, he could attack and retire before his partner had time to react. They practiced hard for nearly half an hour, sometimes Guay scoring points and sometimes the Duke. There were occasions when one man would stand back putting up his sword and demand to be shown the trick his opponent had just used. Miss Leighton could see that, however seriously they took their spor,t they were enjoying themselves immensely and learning from each other as they went. While she knew that her skills did not rank with the two men she knew enough to be able to evaluate what she saw and these two men were masters of the art. She thought the Duke had the edge but it was a close-run thing and eventually after one particularly lengthy tussle which Guay won Sarah finally interrupted.
“As this seems designed to teach me something, I will ask. Please explain what is going on?” At this the Duke turned to Guay,
“How many men have you killed my friend.” He received such a strange look that he continued, “I know you are a soldier and therefore killing is to some extent your business, but for now, humour me.”
&nbs
p; “I do not keep count Your Grace, as you say, my officers tell me who and where to kill and I do it. With a sword, I would think somewhere about twenty. With a musket, many more, but in a battle it is very difficult to tell whose bullet it was that felled your enemy.
“Do you enjoy it?”
“No. never. Sometimes it is an unpleasant necessity but never enjoyable, I always try to arrest, disarm or wound in preference to killing if I can. In a battle, one can always take prisoners.”
“Have you ever fought a duel? The Duke asked pointedly. Guay suddenly understood where the conversation was going and smiled at Sarah.
“No, if I have personal dispute with anyone I use words, or, sometimes, the law.
“Why do you enjoy fencing then? If you don’t enjoy killing and you would prefer not to duel; what is the point?”
“For the same reason some people enjoy horse racing. It is about pitting your skill against another’s to see who is better. With fencing, even if you lose you win, because you learn something new.”
“Would you still fence even if you weren’t a soldier?”
“Fencing has nothing to do with my profession. That is like asking would I still go fishing if there was no river near my home. Of course I would.”
The two men put the room back into its usual order Guay thanked the Duke courteously for the challenge, which he assured both the Duke and Miss Leighton, he had enjoyed immensely and returned to his duties. When he had left, the Duke looked at Sarah a question in his eyes. Sarah, nodded to indicate that she understood what the Duke had done but, other than exchanging a brief good night as she retired, she did not engage His Grace in further conversation.
As the party was packing up to move on the following day, Sarah asked him to take a turn around the small orchard attached to the inn. It was obvious that some of the devils that had been plaguing her the previous night had been banished as she was much more her usual self.
“Thank you for last night,” she said earnestly, “it was a help. Fencing has nothing to do with killing unless either you are a soldier or you choose to fight. Unless I am defending my honour, I can always choose not to fight even if I choose to practice fencing. There was no need for me to have crossed swords with Hainaut. I chose to do so.”
They walked on in companionable silence for a while until Sarah stopped him and turned to face him.
“There is something else I have learned and I need to tell you what it is.” She took a deep breath as if to give herself a little courage and enough space to marshal her thoughts. “To understand me you have to know a little more about me than you do at present. As you know, my brother and I are, at least in the eyes of the law, illegitimate. He has an advantage however, while he may not be able to go into society he can at least can go out and take his place in the world. He is a sailor and, according to his Captain, a good one too. He has his friends. The limited life I have led, and will have again to lead once I return to England, does not apply to him. He will be able to marry and have children. My uncle makes him a good allowance in addition to his naval pay and he has settled a handsome sum on him as well. There are some limits on his life but not that many, and even fewer that cause him any concern.”
“As a girl,” Miss Leighton continued after a short pause, “I spent much time wishing I was a boy so that I could escape the life that I had been told would be mine and see the world. There was little attraction in being told I would always be looked after and made comfortable. I wanted to see and do those thing that I read about. My tutors” she smiled a little ruefully, “had little success in teaching me to play the pianoforte or to draw or sew, and my uncle, pitying my situation, did not force the issue. I wanted to do what my brother could. So I went out for long walks on my own, I played with my brother’s toy soldiers, I read his books and I learned how to fence. Well I have seen the world, a little, and I can fence. But I can now dance, and I have discovered I enjoy the company of other females, and I think, perhaps, I should now learn some of those other skills which I spurned in the school room. For more than twenty years I wished to be something I’m not and could never be, but for the first time I’m happy being what I am. I am going to work on being a lady”.
“You may not be able to sew Ma’am,” said the Duke sincerely, but I have never met anyone better qualified to be endorsed as a lady. Should,” patting his sword where it hung as his waist, “anyone have the temerity raise doubts on the subject within my hearing, although I also have never fought a duel, they shall soon be in receipt of my cartel.”
Upon their return to the inn, the carriages were nearly packed and the Guards were receiving their final orders before mounting up. There was one last thing Miss Leighton wanted to do before setting off for Amiens. She went to talk to Hainaut. She found him shackled to the wall in the stables. It was clear that his guards had not treated him kindly. His face was swollen and bruised and his clothes torn and dirty. When his guard forced him to his feet to meet her, he could only put weight on one leg.
“If,” she spoke quietly to the Guard “the treatment he is receiving is because of what this man did, and tried to do to me, then please treat him with respect. He was born a gentleman and he deserves, if only for the sake of his uncle the Vicomte, to be treated like one now. Please look after him well.”
“For my part,” Captain Benoit had followed Sarah into the barn while she had been speaking, “he could rot.” At this Hainaut winced as if expecting to be beaten again. “It shall be as you say however, he will be well treated.”
“Thank you, Captain,” acknowledged Miss Leighton with quiet dignity. She turned to Hainaut. “This is goodbye I think. But, before I return to my life, I want to thank you for teaching me something. You told me that you had no regard for me and could no purpose in a female who had chosen to interest herself in matters which you consider properly should be reserved to men. A brain in a female is thus without purpose – it is in effect wasted and possibly even an aberration. According to you, no Lady worthy of the title would properly interest herself in matters other than her embroidery and playing the harp. I do not say you are right but you taught me that there is value in being a Lady and, indeed, there are some things better left to men. I thank you for that.”
Hainaut watched Miss Leighton walk out of the stable door towards the open carriage door which waited to take her to whatever life might have in store for her. He may, as a result of her intervention, be treated well from now on but he did not expect that his life would be of very long duration.
Four days later the party arrived in Amiens, although in somewhat different style than that in which they left Reims. They were escorted by a full company of the Garde du Corps du Roi and their baggage was now piled high on a cart. Liversedge and Véronique therefore travelled in relative comfort in the second carriage. There was another change for one of their number. As Captain Benoit prepared to return to Reims with the captives, he summoned Guay to attend him. As the Sergeant had already been told that a company was to accompany them to Amiens, he naturally assumed that one of the two lieutenants who had accompanied the Captain on the outward journey would complete the escort as his commanding officer. This would relieve him of significant responsibility, but it would also bring an end to the conversations with the Duke, his friend Mr. Liversedge and with his beloved Véronique. Much to his surprise, as he brought the parade to attention, Benoit handed Guay a scroll.
“Welcome to your first command, Lieutenant Guay.” Grinning ear to ear, Benoit swung himself on his horse and then, as Guay stood stunned, still in the middle of the parade ground the Captain genially suggested he might like to move his men out.
It was a popular promotion. Guay was a well-respected soldier and was trusted by those he led. Judging by the muttered comments from the ranks, his men would depend on him, should the unlikely necessity arise, to lead them out of hell.
That evening, in the garden of the pretty inn which they were occupying for the night, and emboldened by his promo
tion, Guay asked Véronique to marry him.
“You are aware, Lieutenant, of my family and my history are you not?” Véronique was, for once, extremely solemn. Upon Guay confirming that the Duke had told him what had happened and that none of it made the slightest difference to him whatsoever, Véronique gave her suitor to understand that she would in time like to marry him very much but, as he leapt to take her in his arms, she stood back holding him off and explained that she considered her first duty to be to Mademoiselle Leighton. She owed her a great deal and she would not leave her service until Mademoiselle no longer needed her.
To the entreaties of her intended were added those of Miss Leighton and of Martha. On being informed by Sarah that she could do very well without her and that it was time to find her own happiness, Véronique replied that Mademoiselle needed her now more than ever. She knew where her duty lay and it lay with Miss Leighton. Despite wishing the couple well Martha was torn. She had noticed that the irrepressible Véronique frequently made her Mistress smile. Having lived a cloistered existence for most of her life Martha could see that Sarah was starting to come out of herself. Véronique was, more or less, the same age as her mistress and her youthful exuberance would be missed. But Martha had looked after her mistress since Sarah was a baby and she was not at all happy at the suggestion that she needed some help. In addition, she thought it a shame that a couple so obviously in love could not marry. But in any event Véronique unmoveable. She was of course sorry that her intended would have to wait but although she would, if he was prepared to wait for her, marry him eventually, now was not their time.
In truth, Guay had some sympathy with Véronique’s position. In her place, he thought, he would have done exactly the same thing. He too considered that he was indebted to the Duke as he strongly suspected that it was as a result of his Grace’s intervention that he secured his promotion. In peacetime, promotion to a commissioned officer from within the ranks was most unusual, officers were generally those who could afford the purchase price and he had long since given up hope of promotion beyond the rank of Sergeant. Neither he nor his father would ever have been able to raise the necessary funds. Then there was the courtesy shown to him. The Duke had never treated him as a social inferior. When he had been injured, Sale had insisted that they would await his recovery in Reims before moving on.
Guay therefore decided that he must also discharge his obligation to deliver the Duke to Le Havre before any change in his lifestyle could be contemplated. In any event he had to seek the approval of her uncle and her mother and, although he was no longer dependent upon his father, if only as a filial courtesy, he would have to at least inform his sire of his plans. Then there was the issue of where they were to live. Since joining the Guards he had always lived in billets but he could not continue to do so after he married, he would have to find a house. Even without Véronique’s objection, they could not be married for a few months anyway.
Their entrance to the city of Amiens was something of an event. Benoit had sent ahead to warn his counterpart in the Amiens garrison that the Duke was arriving and that his orders had been to provide the Party with every facility. The Duc D’Angoulême had arrived some days previously from Paris and he had also given precise instructions to the commanding officer as to the courtesy which he expected would be extended towards the Duke and his party. This individual, who knew only that a party travelling under the protection of the King had been ambushed, was well aware that a further attack on the party would be considered an unforgivable lapse which would be laid at his door. He had decided that it would be a sensible precaution – not to mention and act of self-preservation, to ensure that the party was met as they entered the city and, with a certain amount of ceremony, conducted to their hotel. If he wondered why an English Duke should be extended such courtesy in France, then he kept his thoughts to himself.
As soon as the party turned onto the main road from Roye, the lookout that had been stationed there three days ago to watch for their approach saw them. There could only be one party coming along that road escorted by the Garde du Corps du Roi. By the time the party reached the Rue Charles Barni, a full military escort awaited them.
The Lieutenant in charge of the escort could not have been much more than nineteen years old. He was very much on his dignity and Guay, with the eyes of experience assessed him as enjoying the first few weeks of command. This officer saluted Guay who, as was proper, was riding at the head of the party and then turned to the Duke who had ridden up to the front to find out why they had stopped.
“I am Lieutenant D’Amont,” he said pompously and in a manner wholly incongruent with his youth. “I have the honour to convey the compliments of his Highness the Duc D’Angoulême to Your Grace. If you will please follow me?” The young officer obviously took his duties very seriously and upon receiving a gracious nod from the Duke wheeled his horse to take his position at the head of the escort.
The entry into the city would have been acutely embarrassing for the Duke, who had a dislike of ceremony, had it not been for D’Amont. He appeared to like the sound of his own voice somewhat because he issued a great many orders most of which were completely unnecessary. “Move along! Watch that carriage! Keep straight on! You there, make way.” All this was delivered in a high nasal voice and each order emphasised by a pointless wave of his drawn sabre.
Unused to such formality the Duke turned an amused grin in Guay’s direction. It was returned and Guay leaned across.
“Ah…I was as enthusiastic as that once,” Guay said in an under-voice. “He will learn. I hope that sword is blunt though, he looks as if he might hack the head off his own horse!”
The escort led them straight into the city via the Rue de Noyons, across the Place St Dennis and into the Rue des Trois Cailloux. They were to stay at the Hotel Cailloux. Having seen them to the door of the Hotel D’Amont dismounted. Facing the Duke first, he stood to attention once more, saluted yet again and handed him a small sheaf of letters.
“His Highness the Duc D’Angoulême has asked me to tell you, if you are not too tired, he would be grateful if you would attend him tonight at La Citadelle. I shall leave two men to escort you.” The officer appeared to be somewhat anxious and the Duke wondered what he would do if it were to be the case that he was unavailable to the Duc tonight. Unwilling to put the matter to the test, he watched the young man relax considerably when informed that his Grace would be ready to depart within the hour. D’Amont turned to face Guay. “You,” the younger officer was on sure ground here and his officious arrogance showed once more, “are, once you have seen your men settled, to attend the garrison commander.” The officer saluted smartly, performed an about turn and headed off with his men.
Guay and the Duke managed to keep straight faces until the escort had disappeared around the corner and then burst out laughing. When Miss Leighton approached them and enquired as to the reason for this unseemly mirth they both stood to attention, saluted in an exaggerated manner in a passable imitation of D’Amont. They then marched into the Hotel ordering the wooden faced porter to open the door immediately and then to close it after they had all passed through.