open the shutters to see what had caused the conflagration. They were instantly shot dead. As the fire roared on with deafening force, their bodies were soon burnt and blackened beyond recognition. The redcoats took on a deeper hue in the dazzling light. They had struck again. All that would be left behind him were sizzling embers. On a command from their leader, the men rode off with their booty, their harsh laughter echoing through the night.
CHAPTER FOUR
‘Oh, you’re still alive then,’ said Welbeck with heavy sarcasm. ‘I thought you were either dead or that you’d run off to join the enemy.’
‘You know me better than that, Henry.’
‘In the old days, I did, but I saw a lot more of you then.’
‘Things have changed,’ said Daniel. ‘Since I joined His Grace’s personal staff, I can’t spend as much time with the regiment as I’d like. I have other duties.’
‘Yes…chasing women around the bedroom.’
Daniel grinned. ‘There’s not much chance of doing that.’
‘You can’t fool me, Dan Rawson. I’ve got your true measure. You simply can’t resist a pretty face and a nice pair of bubbies.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong, Henry. My roving days are over. I’ve finally met the woman I want above all others.’
Welbeck was sardonic. ‘That’s what you tell each and every one of them,’ he said. ‘But when you’ve had a gallop on your latest filly, you probably can’t even remember her name.’
‘I have a name that I’ll never forget,’ said Daniel as an image of Amalia Janssen popped into his mind. ‘And it’s very precious to me. But,’ he added, ‘I didn’t come here to discuss my private life. I’m here because I missed seeing your ugly old face.’
‘Flattery will get you nowhere, you damnable liar.’
They shared a laugh and embraced.
Spring had brought the army out of winter quarters and Daniel had returned to his regiment. He’d watched Welbeck drilling his men with a stentorian voice that cowed them into obedience. Those who fell below the sergeant’s high standards earned themselves some harsh criticism. They soon learnt to march in step and in line. Daniel had waited until his friend had dismissed the troops before he stepped forward to surprise him. Welbeck’s mockery didn’t offend him in the least because it was grounded in affection.
‘So,’ said the sergeant, ‘where have you been?’
‘Here, there and everywhere, Henry.’
‘And where might that be?’
‘Well, I spent some time in England at the start of the year.’
‘I doubt if I’ll ever do that again,’ moaned Welbeck. ‘This bleeding war will drag on for ever.’
‘Don’t be so pessimistic,’ said Daniel.
‘We take one step forward and two back. After we battered the Frenchies at Ramillies, I was rash enough to believe that the end might finally be in sight. But what happened?’ he asked, jabbing a belligerent finger in the air. ‘Last year we managed to lose almost everything we’d gained the year before. Marshal Villars stormed the Lines of Stollhofen before surging on into Germany and any hope we had of making headway in Spain vanished at the battle of Almanza. As for the naval attack on Toulon, it came to nothing — just like every other bloody thing we tried to do. I sometimes wonder if our so-called commanders have a clue how to win this war.’
‘Now that’s unfair, Henry.’
‘Is it? I don’t think so. We’re supposed to be part of the Grand Alliance but, if you ask me, it’s neither grand nor allied.’
Daniel grimaced. ‘I’d have to agree with that.’
‘Time and time again, we’ve been let down by the Dutch or by some other foreign frigging idiots who are meant to be on our side.’
‘Be careful,’ warned Daniel, indulgently. ‘Bear in mind that my dear mother was Dutch. I’m one of those foreign frigging idiots you’re talking about.’
‘I knew there was something peculiar about you.’ He slapped his friend familiarly on the shoulder. ‘Nevertheless, it’s good to have you back in camp again, Dan.’
‘Thank you.’
‘And while you’ve been gallivanting here, there and everywhere, I’ve not been idle. I’ve been thinking about those British soldiers who burnt that farm down.’
‘Yes, they’re still very much on my mind as well.’
‘According to Lieutenant Ainley, they’ve added some other victims to their list.’
‘Oh?’
‘Reports came in of another farm razed to the ground. The people who lived there were burnt to a cinder and all the livestock was driven off. Whoever these buggers are,’ he went on, rancorously, ‘they obviously eat well. While they have fresh pork and as much beef as they want, we’re stuck on army rations.’
‘How do you know it was the same men?’
‘A witness saw them riding away from the blaze and claims they wore red uniforms. There can’t be two raiding parties of British soldiers who like killing people and starting bonfires.’
‘I agree,’ said Daniel. ‘It’s too big a coincidence. They must be from one of our cavalry regiments. What puzzles me is why they’re trying to spread terror throughout the countryside. That will only turn people against us.’
‘Corporal John is always telling us to be kind to local farmers. After all, we’re not fighting against them. We’re supposed to treat them well, not burn them to death in their homes.’
‘I mentioned the first incident to His Grace.’
‘What did he say?’
‘He was as shaken as we were, Henry. He’s determined to find out who brought such disgrace on a British uniform.’
‘And what else did he say?’ wondered Welbeck. ‘Did he have any idea at all how to achieve peace or are we going to keep floundering on for another year?’
‘We won’t flounder,’ said Daniel. ‘There’s a definite plan.’
Welbeck raised a sceptical eyebrow. ‘Really…what is it?’
‘I’m not at liberty to tell you the full details but I’ve just come from The Hague where His Grace met with Grand Pensionary Heinsius and with Prince Eugene of Savoy.’
‘What did the three of them do — play cards together?’
‘Don’t be so cynical, Henry.’
‘I’d just like to know where the hell we’re going.’
‘Nowhere.’
‘Oh, I see. We just stay here and twiddle our thumbs, do we?’
‘Of course not,’ said Daniel. ‘We remain in Flanders. This is where the decisive action will take place. It’s one of the things I found out while I was sniffing around in Paris.’
‘Which general’s wife did you seduce this time?’
‘That opportunity didn’t arise and, even if it had, I’d never have taken it.’
Welbeck rolled his eyes. ‘You expect me to believe that?’
While gathering intelligence, Daniel had a reputation for resorting to any means necessary. On a previous stay in Paris, he’d befriended and wooed Berenice, neglected wife of General Salignac. It never occurred to her that some of the things she confided about her husband’s commitments by way of pillow talk were duly passed on to the Duke of Marlborough. She’d been a useful, if unwitting, source of military information. In trying to combine espionage with pleasure, however, Daniel had taken an enormous risk, a fact later borne in upon him when the cuckolded general sent two men to kill him.
‘What else did you find out between nights of madness in someone’s boudoir?’ asked Welbeck.
