Soldier of Fortune (27 page)

Daniel
Rawson came out of the trees and started to ride across the plain. Henry
Welbeck was beside him, eager to support his friend and taking care to shed no
blame on the woman who, in his opinion, had actually created the fraught
situation. For most of their journey, the sergeant had held his peace. Daniel,
too, had been lost in thought. It was Welbeck who first came out of his
reverie.

'I
wouldn't trust Will Curtis as far as I could throw him,' he said sourly. 'Watch
him like a hawk, Dan.'

'He
holds the advantage at the moment,' admitted Daniel.

'Not
as long as I'm beside you.'

'Thank
you, Henry. I appreciate what you're doing.'

'I
want to see that young lass safe but I also want you to come out of this
unharmed. Something tells me I can't have both.'

'Don't
worry about me,' said Daniel. 'I can look after myself.'

'You
can give Will Curtis a message from me. If anything nasty happens to you, I
won't rest till I've caught up with the bastard and cut out his black heart.
Will you remember to warn him?'

'I
don't think he's a man who fears warnings, Henry.'

'He'll
fear me when I catch up with him,' asserted Welbeck.

They
rode on in silence until they got within a few hundred yards of a large hill. A
voice rang out across the plain.

'Stop
there!' ordered Catto. They reined in their horses. 'That's as far as you go,
Sergeant Welbeck.'

'Is
that you, Will Curtis, you yellow-bellied deserter?' shouted Welbeck, searching
the hill with his eyes. 'Have the guts to show yourself, man!'

'Do
as he says,' advised Daniel, trying to calm his friend. 'We don't want to
antagonise him.'

'Speak
for yourself - I bloody do!'

'Let
me handle this, Henry.'

'Leave
him there, Captain Rawson,' yelled Catto. 'Ride forward on your own. Do as I
tell you or you'll never see Miss Piper alive again. Come on - leave the
sergeant there.'

Daniel
obeyed. Nudging his horse into a trot, he moved forward and let his gaze drift
across the hill. He eventually saw something glinting in the sunshine and knew
that it must be a telescope. It gave him a direction in which to guide his
horse. When he was fifty yards or so away from the hill, he came to a halt.

'Keep
riding forward!' demanded Catto.

'Let
me see Miss Piper first,' retorted Daniel. 'You only get me if she is released
without harm. Show her to me.'

There
was a long pause then Abigail was pushed out from behind a large rock. She was
still gagged and her hands were tied behind her back but Daniel could see that
she was alive. Before he could address her, she was pulled back behind the rock.
He eased his horse forward until he got close to the hill and well within range
of any firearms that might be trained on him.

'Stop
there and dismount!' ordered Catto. When Daniel obeyed, a second command
followed. 'Remove your hat and coat and drop them on the ground.' Daniel
complied once more. 'Now hold up your arms and turn round slowly so that I can
see you're unarmed.' Aware of the man's scrutiny, Daniel followed the
instructions. 'Good,' said Catto. 'Miss Piper will be released but, if you try
any tricks, you'll both be shot down where you stand.'

There
was a lengthy pause before Abigail came out from behind the rock again and
began to scramble down the hill. Her gag and her bonds had been removed and she
was able to cry out his name. Daniel strode forward to greet her. Weeping with
relief, she flung herself into his arms. He patted her reassuringly.

'A
very touching reunion,' noted Catto, 'but we no longer have any need of Miss
Piper. Send her back to the sergeant. Go on - do as I say, Captain Rawson.'

'How
many of them are there?' asked Daniel quietly.

'Two,'
replied Abigail.

'Then
leave them to me.' He stood back from her and pointed behind him. 'That's my
good friend, Sergeant Welbeck. He'll take you safely back to the camp. Go on,
Abigail - run!'

'What
about you, Daniel?'

'I
can't start worrying about myself until you're safe.'

After
a final squeeze of his hands, Abigail turned and trotted towards Welbeck,
looking back from time to time to see what Daniel was doing. He had already
forgotten her. His mind was concentrated on his captors, both of whom had now
appeared from their hiding places. Frédéric Seurel was pointing a musket at
him. Holding a pistol on the prisoner, Charles Catto came down to take a closer
look at him.

'Put
your hands up!' he said.

'I've
no weapons on me,' Daniel told him, raising his arms.

Catto
patted him all over. Satisfied that Daniel was telling the truth, he made him
put his hands behind his back so that he could tie them tightly together. He
then led both the prisoner and his horse into the shelter of the rocks at the
base of the hill.

Bounding
forward, Seurel put the barrel of his musket against Daniel's forehead. 'Let me
blow out his brains!' he cried.

'Wait
a moment!' cried Catto, pushing the weapon away.

'You
said that he was mine.'

'That
was before I realised that we could capture him. He's worth more to us alive
than dead. If we take him back to the general he'll be delighted with us,
Frédéric. He can have the pleasure of killing Rawson himself. You must recall
General Salignac,' he said to Daniel. 'He'd like to talk to you about his
beautiful wife.'

Abigail
Piper was overcome with emotion. Having been rescued from being ravished by
Seurel, she had seen Daniel surrendering himself on her behalf to the two men.
Her feelings of guilt were more intense than ever. She wanted to go back to
plead for Daniel's release but she knew that it would be pointless. The chances
were that they had already killed him. Henry Welbeck was troubled by the same
thought. He immediately began to contemplate revenge. When they had ridden
across the plain and into the trees, he eventually spoke to her.

'Who
were they, Miss Piper?' he asked.

'I
don't know.'

'You
must have heard them call each other by names.'

'One
was called Charles,' she said, 'and he was English. The Frenchman was called
Frédéric. He was a dreadful man.'

'What
else can you tell me about them'

'Not
very much, I'm afraid. They spoke in French all the time.'

'Where
did they take you?'

'We
spent the night at an inn but I have no idea where it was. I was in a complete
daze most of the time. I couldn't eat or drink anything and I didn't get a wink
of sleep.'

'Did
they bother you in any way?' asked Welbeck tentatively.

'The
Frenchman would have,' she said, tensing at the memory of Seurel's kiss, 'but
the other man held him back. I'm so grateful to escape from them at last.'

'So
am I, miss. It's the captain I'm worried about now.'

'They
wouldn't tell me why they wanted to kill him. All that the Englishman would say
was that it was something to do with what happened in Paris. Do you know
anything about that, Sergeant?'

'Nothing
at all,' replied Welbeck discreetly.

'What
could Captain Rawson have been doing in Paris?'

'I
have no idea.'

'It
must have been something very important.'

'Whatever
it was, he'll be sorry about it now. Dan Rawson may have taken one chance too
many.'

'I
don't follow.' 'There's no reason why you should, Miss Piper,' he said quickly,
unwilling to confide what he feared. 'You've obviously had a harrowing time. No
food, no sleep and the anxiety of not knowing what was going to happen to you -
the sooner we get you back to camp, the better.'

After
riding for five miles or more, they stopped to make sure that they were not
being followed. Daniel Rawson still had his hands tied behind his back and his
horse was pulled along by its reins. It was an uncomfortable way to ride but he
consoled himself with the fact that he was alive to do it. His red coat and
tricorn hat still lay on the plain where he had been forced to discard them. He
hoped that they would soon be retrieved by British soldiers.

They
had paused on rising ground that enabled Charles Catto to have a good view of
the terrain over which they had just travelled. He used his telescope to scan
the landscape.

'Well?'
said Seurel.

'There's
nobody there, Frédéric.'

'Good.'

'They
have more sense than to track us,' said Catto. 'They know that, at the first
hint of pursuit, we'd kill their precious captain.'

Seurel
chortled. 'Then leave him without his head.'

'Was
that your doing?' asked Daniel, surprising Seurel with his command of French.
'Was it you who beheaded Lieutenant Hopwood?'

'It's
a special talent I have,' boasted the other.

'Killing
the wrong man does not require talent.'

'I've
already pointed that out to him,' said Catto brusquely.

Seurel
was petulant. 'What does it matter?' he claimed, waving a hand. 'We have the
right man now.'

'No
thanks to you, Frédéric. It's only by the grace of God that Captain Rawson was
not killed by that shot you fired near the camp.'

'So
that was his doing as well,' noted Daniel.

'He's
inclined to be hot-headed at times,' said Catto. 'It's something you should
remember if ever you're tempted to make an escape bid. Frédéric will be
prompted to kill you.'

'I
think I understand all about Frédéric just by looking at him. You clearly
provide the intelligence that he signally lacks.' Seurel voiced his protest. 'I
believe that you joined us as Private Will Curtis.'

'That's
correct.'

'May
I know your real name?'

'Charles
Catto. I'm employed by General Armand Salignac.'

'In
other words, you're a traitor.'

'Not
at all,' said Catto smoothly. 'France is my spiritual . home. I have stayed
true to my principles. As for betrayal, you are hardly the right person to
accuse another of a crime you've committed yourself.'

'I've
never betrayed my country,' affirmed Daniel.

'No,
but you did betray Madame Salignac.'

'That
was a private matter.'

'It's
become a political matter as well, Captain Rawson. The general may be a cuckold
but he's not blind. He knows that you didn't seduce his wife out of pure and
unbiased love. You took the lady to bed in order to squeeze her dry of every
last detail she knew about the French army.'

'Madame
Salignac and I were simply friends.'

'You
are a spy.' 'I'm a soldier who's proud to serve his country.'

'Well,
you'll not be serving it again, Captain Rawson.'

'Tell
us about Madame Salignac,' asked Seurel with an oily grin. 'What was she like
as a lover? What did she let you do to her?'

'Shut
up, Frédéric!' said Catto.

'But
I want to know the truth.'

'Then
you'll have to seduce her yourself. And in case you're wondering,' he went on,
turning to Daniel, 'it wasn't the lady herself who confessed your name. It was
her maid, Celestine. The general soon broke her. He knows everything now.'

'Is
that why he sent you after me?' said Daniel.

'The
general has a vengeful streak. "How ever long it takes, how ever much it
costs, I want Captain Rawson killed." Those were his very words. But,
instead of simply taking your head as a trophy, we can deliver your whole
miserable carcass.'

'How
much is he paying you?'

'That's
between us and General Salignac.'

'Whatever
the amount,' said Daniel, trying to negotiate with him, 'His Grace, the Duke of
Marlborough would readily double it to buy my freedom.'

Catto
laughed derisively. 'Let him treble it, if he wishes,' he said, 'then double
that same figure. Frédéric and I would still treat it with scorn. There's no
way out of this, Captain Rawson.'

'None
at all,' added Seurel forcefully. 'We are loyal to France.'

'And
so is General Salignac. Before he kills you, I'm sure he'll want to hear
everything you have to tell him about the Confederate army. He has a gift for
making even the most reticent men talk. By the time the general has finished
with you,' he said, kicking his horse into action and towing Daniel along
behind him, 'you'll wish you never persuaded that lovely wife of his to spread
her legs for you.'

The
first thing that Abigail Piper did when she reached the camp was to change out
of her dress and wash herself thoroughly. As she did so, she unburdened herself
to Emily Greene. The maid was sympathetic.

'It
must have been a torment, Miss Abigail.'

'I
felt certain that they intended to kill me.'

'But
they didn't - thank God!' said Emily. 'We've got you back at last. You must try
to forget all the horrible things that happened.'

'How
can I do that when Captain Rawson is in such jeopardy?' cried Abigail. 'He
surrendered to those villainous men in order to set me free but it's not a
freedom I can ever enjoy.'

'I
can see that.'

'He
saved my life, Emily, and I made him
lose
his!'

Overwhelmed
by fear and remorse, Abigail burst into tears and collapsed into Emily's
capacious arms. Soothing her as best she could, her maid let her cry her fill
then found a clean handkerchief with which to stem her tears. Only when she had
recovered something of her composure did Abigail feel able to report to
Marlborough, taking Emily with her in case she lost her control once again.

Marlborough
was alone in his quarters, leafing through some despatches. After giving Abigail
an effusive welcome, he offered her his chair and perched solicitously beside
her as she told her tale. Emily hovered in the background, interested to hear
how many of the details she had been told were kept from Marlborough because
her mistress was too embarrassed to divulge them. Though her voice trembled,
Abigail maintained her poise.

When
it was all over, Marlborough told her his decision.

'You'll
begin your journey home tomorrow,' he told her.

'Tomorrow?'
she said in alarm. 'But I need to stay here in case Captain Rawson is
released.'

'There's
no question of your remaining with us, Abigail. I've already delayed your
escort long enough. Reports have come in that Marshal Tallard and his army are
on their way here. If you do not leave soon,' he pointed out, 'you may find the
road north blocked by French soldiers. The decision has been taken.'

'What
if Captain Rawson comes back and I'm not here?'

'He'll
be relieved that you're safely out of harm's way.'

'But
I have to see him - I have to apologise to him.'

'There'll
be no time to listen to any apologies,' he said. 'If he does manage to return -
and we all pray for that outcome - then he will immediately join us as we
besiege Rain. He is here, like the rest of us, to fight a war. That will take
all our energies.'

There
was an authority in his voice that deterred her from further argument.
Marlborough did not criticise her in any way but she knew that she was viewed
as a distraction. The fact that she was leaving only served to exacerbate her
feelings of guilt. While she would be riding off to safety, Daniel Rawson was
in peril of his life. It was as if she were deserting him and the thought
sickened her.

'I'll
see you before you go,' said Marlborough, rising to his feet to indicate that
it was time for her to leave. 'I'm sorry that your stay with us has been so
troublesome. An army on the march has little to offer in the way of comfort to
a young lady such as yourself.'

'I
care little for that, Your Grace,' she said, getting up. 'I was happy enough
with the accommodation you kindly provided.'

'You'll
be even happier when you reach home.'

Abigail
stifled a reply. As long as she was unaware of Daniel's fate, she knew that she
would never be happy. She glanced at Emily who was patently delighted that they
would be returning to England again even though she was uncertain of the
welcome they might receive from the family. Abigail had to concede defeat.

'You
must think very badly of me, Your Grace,' she said.

He
shook his head. 'I think very highly of you, Abigail.'

'Eve
been a nuisance to you and to Captain Rawson.'

'If
that's the case,' he said courteously, 'then you've been a very charming
nuisance. But I'm glad that I'm able to write to Sir Nicholas to tell him that
his daughter is on her way home.'

He
crossed to the tent flap and pulled it back for her. After a brief farewell,
she went out with Emily at her heels. Walking back through the camp, Abigail
tried to accustom herself to the notion that she would soon be leaving it. She
remembered her last fleeting contact with the man who had offered his life in
return for hers. Over and over again, she kept asking the same question.

'Where
are
you, Daniel?'