An Act Of Courage

Mr Forbes nodded appreciatively.

When they left the palace, an hour later, the charge d’affaires was more at ease. ‘I thought the princess regent pressed you hard on your discretion in the employment of your force, Sir William. I compliment you on your evasion. These are early days, and it is as well that the insurgents do not know what to expect. I am afraid I would not give a farthing for the privacy of anything divulged in that place at present.’

‘Well, Mr Forbes,’ replied Sir William, taking another calomel pill, ‘I should myself prefer a more certain understanding of the limitation. You will have seen the princess regent’s look of satisfaction when I informed her that my orders were to co-operate with her forces in order to drive out the enemy. I imagine she believes there is an enemy to be driven from the capital.’

‘It may come to that, Sir William, yes. But the minister for war, Senhor Saldanha, will be much more pressing in his questions, I assure you.’

‘He may press me all he likes, Forbes, but he is unlikely to learn more than the regent.’ He made to pocket the pillbox again, thought better of it, and took another calomel. ‘But tell me now, what are these misgivings of yours concerning Colonel Norris? I am acquainted with his work from his previous appointment, and I know him as a most diligent and scientific officer.’

The charge raised his hands. ‘Sir William, I have no grounds for complaint in that regard, I assure you. Put very simply – and I repeat that I am all too unread in these matters – Colonel Norris’s opinion is that the lines of Torres Vedras should be the limit of intervention. He wishes to restore the lines to what they were during the time of the Duke of Wellington’s occupation.’

Sir William’s brow furrowed. ‘There is prudence in that, is there not? It was the duke’s opinion that, since the whole of Portugal is border with Spain, the country is indefensible, yet if Lisbon is held then the country is unconquered. Lisbon was saved by those lines, I rather think.’

The charge knew it was presumption, indeed, to bandy strategy with a lieutenant-general, and he wondered at Sir William’s forbearance. Yet he was determined to understand why his own opinion was so ill found. Not just his opinion, but that of one of Colonel Norris’s own staff, who, he understood, was possessed of wide experience and enjoyed the confidence of the Duke of Wellington himself. ‘You see, Sir William, if the Miguelites are allowed to run free up to the lines of Torres Vedras, they may gather such . . . momentum that it might provoke an uprising in Lisbon. In which case, fighting front and rear, a force might be overwhelmed, defeated . . . destroyed even. Especially since, in those circumstances, and given the orders under which the force is sent here, resistance might in fact be beyond your remit.’

Sir William did not reply at once, recognizing in this otherwise insignificant-looking envoy a man with a firm grasp of the principles of strategy. He chose his next words very carefully. ‘Mr Forbes, have you represented these views to London?’

‘I have.’

‘Did you propose any alternative?’

‘In very general terms, yes. In truth, Sir William, I cannot own to these designs being mine, only the sentiment of unease which underlies them. Colonel Norris has upon his staff a Major Hervey’ – he did not see the slight change in Sir William’s countenance, and if he had, he would not have been able to determine what it portended – ‘a very enterprising officer who has made a personal reconnaissance of the frontier at Elvas, and has consulted with the Portuguese authorities there. He is of the firm opinion that a forward deployment of British troops would be the most expedient from every point of view.’

Sir William took a deep breath, thumped at his stomach two or three times, and took out the pillbox again. ‘Except, Mr Forbes, from the point of view of withdrawal in the event of serious reverse!’

The charge looked anxious at the mention of failure.

‘Oh, I do not mean a reverse to our own men, but to the regent’s forces.’

Still the charge said nothing.

‘It is a contingency that must be considered, Forbes.’

‘Yes, of course, Sir William. And I confess I do not know what Major Hervey’s thoughts on that are, though I imagine he weighed them carefully.’

‘I don’t doubt it, Forbes. Indeed, I know he has,’ Sir William huffed. ‘We are well acquainted with Major Hervey’s estimate and plan. I believe I have three copies of it, by the courtesy of his friends at the Horse Guards, Mr Canning’s own office and the Duke of Wellington himself.’ He did not say that this latter had come to the duke by way of Lady Katherine Greville.

‘Ah yes,’ replied Forbes, somewhat abashed. But he was determined to press his case, not least since Sir William now appeared to him to be uncommonly open to debate. Indeed, he found it curious to meet with such equanimity in a lieutenant-general when a mere colonel had been so intransigent. ‘Sir William, since the end of last month there have been Miguelite incursions the length of the country. By all accounts even Oporto has been harried, and there are so-called juntas of regency in the name of “King” Miguel. These Miguelites are not so many, however, or else they would by now have been showing themselves this side of the Tagus. And their Spanish seconds have neither the stomach nor the means for a true fight. But let them advance without check to Torres Vedras, and nine parts of the country will be theirs. All they need then do, as I indicated before, is sit where Marshal Massena once did.’ He held up a hand to stay Sir William’s point. ‘Yes, well do I know that Massena had to raise the siege and quit the country before long. But then, he could not expect a rising in Lisbon. With a Miguelite army camped in front of the lines, and another marching on them from Lisbon, what, then, would be the purpose of the forts? They might protect His Majesty’s regiments, and such of the regent’s as might be induced to follow, but they would not be defending Lisbon. And from the state of the forts as I have seen them, I would not wager short odds on their protecting the occupants either. Nor is there any prospect of adequate repair, for there is not the money, even if there were the time.’

Sir William looked thoughtful. ‘I know what we heard at the regent’s just now, but what is your own intelligence?’

In truth, the charge’s intelligence was little, but it was inevitably more recent than anything London might provide. ‘I received a communication from the ambassador in Madrid this very morning. He has been obliged to withdraw from the court in Madrid, which is not a gesture of a power disposed to be friendly. And he appeared not to know that a British force was being sent here, so we may suppose the Spanish court does not either. We may suppose, therefore, that the Spaniards will give the Miguelistas no less succour than hitherto.’

Sir William looked disappointed. ‘Then we shall proceed blind in respect of their true intentions, unless the minister – Senhor Saldanha? – is better served with intelligence than the court. But as to Torres Vedras—’

The carriage swung into the courtyard of the charge’s residence, interrupting Sir William in the delivery of his judgement. It pulled up sharp, footmen opened the doors, and the two men stepped down.

As they did so, Colonel Norris appeared from inside the residence. Hatless, he bowed.

‘Good day, Sir William,’ he said briskly.

Sir William bowed by return. ‘Good day, Norris.’

The charge thought the reply a shade curt, but he was unused to the company of military men, so not disposed to think much of it. ‘You are come very much apropos, Colonel Norris,’ he said as they went inside. ‘We were speaking of Torres Vedras.’

Colonel Norris quickened. ‘Indeed? I am just come from the ministry. We were discussing the same.’

Sir William turned, to see his staff alighting. ‘Colonel Ash, join us if you please.’

A green-jacketed colonel stepped forward. ‘General!’ He nodded to Colonel Norris, not so much a greeting of recognition as acknowledgement.

‘I think we will have this out here, now, before we go to the ministry.’

‘Very good, General.’ Colonel Ash looked at the charge.

‘My library; this way, Sir William.’

The charge led them to the room from which he conducted the business of the legation. It was not large, but it faced south and there was a fire burning.

‘Perhaps we may sit at this table?’ He called for coffee.

Sir William was not obliged by ceremony any longer. As soon as they were seated, he began. ‘Colonel Norris, I have what I believe are your preliminary recommendations.’ He held up a manuscript copy. ‘Do you have anything to add before we address them?’