Soldier of Fortune (5 page)

'I
begin to think they do not want us to
win
this confounded war,' complained
Marlborough, toying with a glass of brandy. 'Every time I am in a position to
deliver a telling blow, I am held back by the Dutch. I vow, Sidney, there have
been many occasions when I've been sorely tempted to resign my command and be
done with it all.'

'Far
too much is at stake for you to do that,' said his companion seriously. 'The
only way we will ever defeat King Louis is by having you to lead the armies of
the Grand Alliance. With English, Dutch and Austrian troops at your disposal -
not to mention practical support from elsewhere in Europe - you could
conceivably mount a decisive assault on the enemy.'

'I
could - but only if I am given a free hand.'

'I
do my best to keep Parliament off your back, John.'

'They
still hamper me dreadfully.'

'That's
the penalty you pay for having a Tory government,' said the other with a shrug.
'The awful truth is that my fellow Tories do not believe in armed intervention
on the Continent. Oh, they are happy enough to commit our naval resources to
the war but they baulk at the notion of sending more troops and equipment to
the Netherlands. They constantly bicker about cost.'

'Then
someone should point out the cost of
not
engaging fully in this war,'
observed Marlborough tartly. 'Do they actually
want
a Frenchman on the Spanish throne? Are they content to stand by while Louis XIV
annexes Spain before threatening every country on their respective boundaries?
It's madness!' he argued, smacking the table with a palm for emphasis.
'Politicians must be made to confront the enormity of the danger we face,'

'I'm
a politician, John.'

Marlborough
grinned. 'No, Sidney,' he said with affection, 'you're that contradiction in
terms - a
wise
politician.'

Sidney,
Earl of Godolphin, acknowledged the compliment with a smile. As Lord Treasurer,
he was effectively Queen Anne's leading minister, and he brought acuity,
experience and a tireless energy to the role. Five years older than his host,
he was now well into his fifties and time had etched deep lines into his face.
Though he kept it well-hidden, Godolphin harboured a secret sorrow, still
mourning the death of his wife, Margaret, who had died in childbirth within a
year of the marriage. Their baby son, Francis, had survived and grown up to wed
Marlborough's daughter, Henrietta, thus bringing the two fathers even closer
together.

It
was a friendship that excited great envy and spite. Cynics always claimed that
Godolphin's advancement was entirely due to his connection with the Marlborough
family. Not only was the Duke much admired by the Queen, but his wife, Sarah,
was her unrivalled favourite and thus able to exert immense influence at Court.
Those who claimed that Godolphin owed his position to the triumvirate of Duke,
Duchess and Queen ignored the fact that he had held high office under three
successive kings and, over the years, acquired all the attributes of a
statesman.

Marlborough
was never flamboyant but, beside the sober garb of Godolphin, his own attire
looked positively ostentatious. The Lord Treasurer was a quiet man in every
respect, astute, thoughtful and in the habit of measuring his words carefully
before he spoke. He had unquestioning faith in his friend's military
capabilities and diplomatic skills. For his part, the Duke of Marlborough
trusted Godolphin completely, relying heavily on his amity and good counsel.

'I
am too old to lead an army into battle, Sidney,' he said.

'Nonsense!'
protested the other. 'You will never be too old. There's no better
captain-general in Europe. You've proved that time and again, John.'

'I've
tried
to prove it,' said Marlborough, 'but I've been dogged from the outset by Dutch
circumspection. My hands are tied by the States-General. Instead of trusting me
to take every decision in the field, they attached two Deputies to me to
dissuade me from what they consider to be rash action. These men are
civilians,
for heaven's sake - what do they know about warfare?'

'Last
year must have been very disappointing for you.'

'It
was so frustrating, Sidney. I drew up a plan for converging movements on
Antwerp, while troops would also move against Ostend in the north-west and
against the Lines of Brabant.'

'Yes,
it was a typically ambitious plan of yours.'

'Much
too ambitious for our Dutch allies,' said Marlborough, taking a sip of his
brandy. 'Instead of obeying my orders, General Cohorn went off on a foraging
expedition, would you believe! That was the first of two failed attempts I made
to bring Villeroi to battle before Antwerp. How on earth can we defeat the French
if we do not fight them toe to toe in a proper engagement?'

'Did
you make that point to Grand Pensionary Heinsius?'

'I
did more than that, Sidney. I gave him an ultimatum. I told him that I would
never again take the field with such obstacles in my way and be forced to
depend on the unanimous consent of his generals. Heinsius needs to knock a few
senior heads together in the Dutch army,' added Marlborough soulfully. 'I would
rather die than put up with anything like that again.'

'That
should bring Heinsius to his senses,' said Godolphin. 'If we lose the Duke of
Marlborough, we lose the war and the Spanish Succession will go unchallenged.
France will be victorious yet again.'

He
was about to expand on his comment when there was a tap on the door and a liveried
servant stepped into the dining room.

'Excuse
me, Your Grace,' he said. 'You have a visitor.'

'I
was not expecting one,' returned Marlborough.

'The
gentleman says he is here on urgent business.'

'Did
he give you a name?'

'Yes,
Your Grace - Captain Daniel Rawson.'

'Then
bring him in at once,' said Marlborough, getting quickly to his feet and
sending the man out with a dismissive wave. 'I've been waiting for Rawson to
turn up.'

'Who
is he?' asked Godolphin.

'Remarkable
fellow - I first met him after Sedgemoor when he was a lad of ten. His father
had fought with the rebels and one of my men felt that he was entitled to
violate the boy's mother by way of punishment. Daniel Rawson saved her honour
by killing him.'

Godolphin
blinked. 'A boy of ten killed a soldier?'

'Yes
- with the man's own sword. I presented it to him as a gift. He's learnt to use
it well, believe me. After his father was hanged, he and his mother fled to
Amsterdam. Three years later, he returned here in the army of William of
Orange.'

'So
he was involved in the Glorious Revolution, was he?'

'From
that point on, Daniel Rawson and I have always fought on the same side. I
followed his career with interest. He was far too good a soldier to waste his
talents in the Dutch army so I persuaded him to join a British regiment.' The
servant showed in the visitor. 'Ah, here he is! Good to see you, Daniel.'

'Thank
you, Your Grace,' said Daniel.

'Allow
me to present the Earl of Godolphin.'

Daniel
gave a respectful bow. 'It's an honour to meet you, my lord. I apologise for
interrupting your meal.'

'Not
at all,' said Godolphin, rising from the table and running an approving eye
over the visitor. 'I hear good things of you, Rawson, and praise from the
commander-in-chief is praise indeed.' He glanced from one to the other. 'I'll
leave you alone, gentlemen. I can see that you have need of private
conference.'

'Don't
let us frighten you away, Sidney,' said Marlborough. 'You're welcome to stay
and hear what Daniel has to say.'

'After
a splendid meal like that, what I most require is a walk in your delightful
garden. At my time of life, a man must pay particular attention to his
constitution. Pray excuse me.'

Godolphin
left the room in a flurry of farewells. Marlborough came across to give Daniel
a proper greeting by shaking his hand then he waved him to a chair and sat
opposite him. He noted the dust on his clothing and the perspiration on his
brow.

'You
look as if you've been riding hard, Daniel.'

'I
bring news that could brook no delay, Your Grace.'

'Then
it must be from The Hague.'

'No,'
said Daniel, 'it comes from Paris.'

'Paris!'
exclaimed Marlborough. 'What were you doing there?'

'What
else but gathering intelligence?'

'Go
on.'

'It's
as you feared, Your Grace,' said Daniel. 'They mean to strike at the heart of
the Empire. When they won the battle of Speyerbach, they gained the fortress of
Landau and seized two places on the Rhine that guarantee them secure
crossings.'

'The
towns of Brisach and Kehl,' noted Marlborough.

'In
short, the French now have ready access to their allies in Bavaria. Marshal
Tallard means to exploit that advantage.'

'That's
precisely what I would do in his position.'

'Vienna
is their target. If they take that and put the Emperor to flight, it will be
almost impossible to dislodge them.'

'Then
we must ensure that they never get close to the Imperial capital,' said
Marlborough firmly. 'How much did you glean in Paris?'

'A
fair amount, Your Grace.'

'Tell
me all.'

Clearing
his throat, Daniel delivered his report. He had committed all the details to
memory, knowing the folly of writing it all down and carrying incriminating
documents on a mission behind enemy lines. If he were stopped and searched,
such material would bring arrest, torture and probable execution. Locked inside
his brain, the information was wholly safe. Marlborough was an attentive
listener, letting him give his account in full before asking any questions.
When Daniel had at last finished, he earned a broad grin of admiration from the
Duke.

'How
ever did you find all this out?' asked Marlborough.

'I
chose my source carefully.'

'I'd
be tempted to say that it was General Salignac himself for you seem so
well-informed about his movements.'

'I
spoke to someone very close to the general,' said Daniel.

'Then
it must have been his mistress. In my experience, French officers rarely
confide in their wives. It's when they lay their heads on the pillows of their
paramours that they become more talkative.' He raised a quizzical eyebrow. 'Am
I right?'

'Both
right and wrong, Your Grace,' replied Daniel with a twinkle in his eye. 'The
lady in question was once the general's mistress but is now his wife, a
position with which she is not entirely happy. What she has gained in
respectability, she has lost in other ways. In brief, she craves attention. I was
able to provide it.'

Marlborough
laughed. 'You always were a ladies' man and this is not the first time we've
profited from the fact. I congratulate you, Daniel. You've learnt more from an
hour in the arms of a woman than my other spies in Paris have learnt in a
month.'

'Each
man has his own methods of garnering information.'

'Yours
is by far the most pleasurable.'

'I
endeavour to give as well as to receive pleasure, Your Grace.'

'As
any gentleman would,' said Marlborough. 'What you have told me confirms
decisions I had already made. My plan of action must be an audacious one
because audacity is the only way to succeed against the French. When I reach
Holland again, I'll acquaint Grand Pensionary Heinsius with the notion that the
army will head for the Moselle. I know that he favours the move.'

'He
might do so,' remarked the other, 'but there's not enough daring in such a
manoeuvre for the Duke of Marlborough. I fancy that you have something else up
your sleeve as well.'

'You're
a shrewd man, Daniel.'

'I
have the advantage of having served under your command.'

'Then
you'll know how I like to keep my true intentions to myself and reserve the
element of surprise. At this point in time, only the Queen, the Lord Treasurer,
whom you just met, and Count Wratislaw, the Austrian minister, are aware of my
design.'

'Apart
from the Duchess, that is.'

'No,'
said Marlborough guardedly, 'I've not even told my wife what I have in mind.
All that she knows is that I intend to go higher into Germany - which, of
course, is the truth.'

'But
not the whole truth, I suspect,' said Daniel

'Wait
and see.'

Daniel
inclined his head. 'I'm at your command, Your Grace.'

'Then
my orders are that you get some food and drink inside you,' said Marlborough,
indicating the table. 'If you've ridden all the way from Dover, you must be
starving as well as exhausted. You can speak to our cook and order anything you
wish.'