The Shadow of Tyburn Tree (37 page)

‘Have I your leave, Sire, to add a postscript, reporting these latest moves, to my letter to Mr. Elliot?'

‘
Mort dieu,
Monsieur! You lack not for boldness,' exclaimed the King, pausing in his stride. ‘You should consider yourself plaguey fortunate to have escaped a prison, and I am amazed at your effrontery in even thinking that I would permit you to despatch your letter.'

Roger put on his most disarming smile. ‘I beg your Majesty to reconsider this matter. We are agreed, I think, that while serving you I should not cease to serve my own Sovereign. But,
apart from that, there is the question of a long-term policy, to which I humbly draw your attention. This war that you plan with Russia should result in curbing her power in the North, and that well suits the interests of Britain. Therefore, it seems to me, that, in an emergency, your Majesty would have a good case to claim my country's support. Should such an emergency arise I feel sure, Sire, that your chances of obtaining aid from Britain will be far greater if you have, from the beginning, allowed me to keep Mr. Pitt informed as to your projects and your prospects.'

Obviously struck with the idea, the King turned to Nordin and asked abruptly: ‘What think you, Prebendary?'

‘I think, Sire that this young man has a good head on his shoulders,' replied the cleric. ‘I have his letter here; and should you decide to accede to his request, when he has added a postscript under my supervision, I will see that the document is sent to Copenhagen by a safe hand.'

‘So be it then,' Gustavus nodded to Roger. ‘And now for your instructions. You will proceed to Petersburg with the minimum of delay, using your French identity, and find out all you can which may prove to my advantage. The Russian capital is within two days' ride of the Finnish frontier, and no regular guards are maintained for the interception of travellers passing between the two countries. When you have aught of interest to report go over into Finland. On arriving there, and not before, set your news down on paper. Sign such notes only with an initial—E for Englishman will serve; superscribe them to me and mark them as of the utmost urgency. Seal them carefully and hand them to the first Swedish officer you may come upon for immediate transmission to my headquarters. Have I made myself clear?'

‘You have, Sire,' Roger bowed. ‘But surely once hostilities commmence the frontier will be closed and pickets posted along it?'

‘They will not interfere with the passage of a neutral. Moreover, I do not desire you to make the journey often; only when you have something to convey which you consider to be of prime importance, so there should be no grounds for them becoming suspicious of you through your crossing with any frequency.'

‘One other point, Sire,' Roger said a trifle hesitantly, ‘If I set out instantly, as your Majesty commands, I must leave Stockholm without such letters of introduction from the French Ambassador, and others, as I could normally have carried with me. Lack of them will almost certainly delay my securing a foothold in Petersburg society, and thus swiftly becoming well-
placed for being of service to you.'

The King pinched his slightly receding chin between his fingers and thumb, and remained thoughtful for a moment; then he replied: ‘ 'Tis something of a quandary. I would have you there as soon as possible, and you could have sailed tomorrow in one of the sloops that is to act as escort to the ship which is transporting the personnel from the Russian Embassy. Yet I think your contention sound. On balance 'twould be worth your dallying in Stockholm for a few days to arrive in Petersburg well accredited.'

‘It is most unfortunate that Mr. Brook should have quarrelled with the Baroness Stroganof,' remarked the Prebendary, glancing up from his papers. ‘For she could have launched him in Petersburg society with greater
rédame
than any number of letters could do.'

Roger snapped his fingers. ‘I have it, Sire! Why should I not sail in the same ship as the Baroness?'

‘I fail to see how that could serve you,' Gustavus said, with a frown. ‘In view of her recent treatment of you 'tis clear that she has no further use for your attentions. Did you do as you suggest it would result only in her making of you a figure of public mockery when you reach Petersburg, with a tale of having had you whipped.'

‘Unless I take some steps to prevent it, she may do that on my arrival, in any case,' Roger argued. ‘Let me make the voyage with her, Sire, and I vow I'll find a way, not only to stop her tongue but to make her serve our ends.'

The King shot him a suspicious look. ‘I believe you are still in love with the wench, and are prepared to swallow your humiliation for the sake of a chance to plead your cause anew?'

‘Nay, Sire. I pledge your Majesty my word that I am not. On the contrary I've an itch to be revenged upon her; and how could I be so better than by making her my catspaw?'

‘As you will, then. The Prebendary will make the necessary arrangements for your accommodation in the ship.'

‘I thank your Majesty.' Roger bowed and turned to the cleric. ‘I am anxious, Monsieur, that neither the Baroness nor any of her people should be aware of my presence on board until the ship is well out at sea. Could you ensure that for me?'

The Prebendary nodded his close-cropped head. ‘The Captain is discreet and will accept my orders; but it will mean your going aboard very early in the morning and lying hid in a cabin all day.'

‘I'll count that no hardship; and trust it will not cause you serious inconvenience to make arrangements for me at such an hour.'

‘Best use my coach and take him down to the port now,' the King remarked to Nordin. ‘We'll have the matter done with then, and on your return can proceed with our private business.'

Nordin rose to his feet and bowed. ‘A wise decision, Sire; for while darkness lasts there is even less likelihood of anyone seeing us board the ship, and talking of it afterwards, than there would be at break of day. The letter for Mr. Elliot is here. Perhaps Mr. Brook would like to write his postscript to it while I have his baggage carried down in readiness for his departure.'

On the King signifying his approval, Roger took the Prebendary's place at the desk and added the final lines to his letter. Gustavus looked over his shoulder as he wrote and, when he had done, murmured: ‘I've no objection to that. Nordin shall send your missive by special courier, so it should be in Copenhagen within forty-eight hours.'

A few minutes later the Prebendary returned to announce that all was in readiness. King Gustavus was smiling now and, exerting all the charm which he could command when he wished, he held out his hand to Roger, but would not allow him to kneel and kiss it.

‘Nay,' he said gently. ‘I feel that I have made a good friend tonight. Let us shake hands, Mr. Brook, in your English fashion.'

Roger smiled frankly in response, took the royal hand and bowed over it as he murmured: ‘I thank your Majesty for the clemency and honour you have shown me. You may rest assured, Sire, that I will do my utmost to merit it'

Five minutes later he was with Nordin in the plain closed carriage, arranging for his reckoning at the Vasa Inn to be settled and to have his black mare stabled there until his return. Within half an hour they were being rowed out to a full-rigged ship that lay at anchor in the bay.

On their going aboard, the night-watchman roused the Captain from his bunk. He proved to be a taciturn, thick-set Swede, whose second language was German; but he accepted Prebendary Nordin's instructions with deference and quick understanding, after which the Prebendary and Roger took leave of one another with discreet good wishes on both sides.

Roger then held a halting conversation in German with the Captain, who took him down to a small cabin, where they superintended his baggage being stowed away, and afterwards on a short tour of the ship's passenger accommodation. In the principal stateroom, which had naturally been allocated to Natalia Andreovna, Roger observed a roomy hanging-cupboard,
that he felt would serve for the plan he had already formed. He also learned that she would take her meals with the Captain; then, having apologised to that worthy for having roused him from his bed, he wished him good night.

It was not until he was undressing that he suddenly realised that he had had no supper, and now felt hungry; but he was loath to disturb the Captain again, and endeavouring to comfort himself with the old adage that ‘he who sleeps, dines,' he crawled into his bunk.

On thinking over the events of the past few hours he decided that he was extremely lucky to be where he was instead of in a prison cell. Once more he told himself that in this new career of his he must exercise far more caution if he was to avoid coming to grief, and being cut off from all the joys of life while still in the flower of his youth.

He felt sure that King Gustavus would not have dealt so leniently with him had it not been in his interests to do so, and it was very certain that if the Empress Catherine caught him out she would show him no mercy.

The thought brought home to him the fact that he was now as good as on the last lap of his journey to Russia, and he wondered what the fates held in store for him in that strange, exotic, semi-barbarous country.

He wondered too, just what Natalia Andreovna would have to say to him when he disclosed himself to her. She would almost certainly regard his presence in the ship as a most unwelcome surprise. So long as they remained at sea she could do him little harm, but once they landed in Russia she would be complete mistress of the situation. If she cared to pursue the vindictive policy she had recently adopted, owing, as it appeared, to her belief that he had been unfaithful to her, no doubt her influence in her own country was quite sufficient to have him thrown into prison on some trumped-up charge.

A little belatedly he realised that, in having acted on a sudden impulse to inflict himself on her as a fellow-passenger during her voyage home, he had given himself as a hostage to fortune. He had gambled, without due thought, on his wits being sharper than hers. If he could succeed in fooling or beguiling her, all would be well; but if he failed it seemed now that he might well be called on to pay a high price for his rashness.

With this perturbing thought he fell into an uneasy sleep.

When Roger woke it was a little before midday. For a second he wondered how in the world he came to be in a ship's cabin; then his arrival on board with Prebendary Nordin in the early hours of the morning and the events which had followed the attack beneath Natalia Andreovna's balcony, rushed back to him.

Again he was seized with apprehension at the thought that he had placed himself in the power of the slim, green-eyed Russian for whom he felt at the same time such a strong attraction and repulsion. He was like a man who, in a tropical jungle, comes upon a gloriously-hued flower which he knows perfectly well exudes a deadly miasma, yet finds the temptation to examine it closely almost irresistible. He had toyed with this poisonous blossom for a time with complete impunity, only to receive a sudden violent reminder of its toxic emanations, and now he had deliberately put himself in a situation where there was no escape from the proximity of this fascinating but evil flower.

His first spontaneous idea had been to get aboard the ship in which she was being expelled from Sweden and tell her that, learning of her expulsion, his love for her was so great that he could not bear to part with her; and so had bribed his way aboard to accompany her to Russia.

On the other hand, he now felt, such an abject admission of her power over him might satiate her vanity to a point where she would despise him. If so, instead of assisting him when they reached Russia, she might find fresh grounds for malicious amusement in persecuting him.

Suddenly he became conscious that he was ravenously hungry, and remembered that he had not eaten for close on twenty hours. Jumping from his narrow bunk he pulled on his clothes, then cautiously opened the cabin-door.

The ship was still riding at anchor and no sound suggesting the arrival of passengers came from above decks. Stepping out into the passage he mounted the first companionway he came
upon, and, gaining the upper deck saw the Captain leaning idly on the rail of the poop.

As Roger approached, the Captain straightened and greeted him with a slow smile. After the usual courtesies had been exchanged, Roger said: ‘ 'Tis many hours, Sir, since I have eaten, so I should be grateful for a meal. Moreover, as Prebendary Nordin informed you, there are certain duties I am called upon to perform whilst in your ship. Should it meet with your convenience I'd be glad of the opportunity to have a word with you about them while I regale myself on such fare as your cook can offer me.'

The Captain nodded. The hour of your rising is well chosen, Chevalier. In ten minutes my own meal is due, and a second cover is easily laid. May it please you to accompany me to the stateroom.'

They descended to the main cabin beneath the poop and were soon seated opposite one another at the single long, narrow table. When the cabin boy had served the first dish Roger said in carefully thought-out German:

‘I am, as you know, in the service of King Gustavus. My mission is a somewhat delicate one. I am already acquainted with the Baroness Stroganof but have quarrelled with her. 'Tis necessary that I should regain her confidence. To that end I plan to take strong measures. While she is at supper I intend to conceal myself in her cabin, and later surprise her there. There will be a scene and she may shout for help to have me turned out. I give you my word that I will do your passenger no harm, but 'tis essential that we should not be interrupted. Can you arrange to ensure that for me?'

The Captain considered for a moment, then he replied: ‘As you are already aware I am giving her my own cabin, which lies behind this. All the other Russians will be accommodated below decks, so 'tis unlikely that they would hear her shouts. The officer of the watch, the helmsman, and any other members of the crew who happen to be about might do so; but I could place a sentry on the passage leading to her stateroom, with orders that no one is to be allowed to pass.'