The man spread his hands. ‘No, sir, I am desolated to tell you I am not.’
‘M’sieur Duperre to step forward, if you please.’
A blank-faced man of years inclined his head. ‘I am he.’
Renzi gave a grim smile. This could not possibly be the head of the most insidious and successful naval operation of recent times.
‘Er, I’ll see Mme Bossu now, I believe.’
‘Bossu?’
‘From the kitchens. Do fetch her for me.’
It took some time to find the little scullery maid hiding under the stairs; Renzi had met her briefly when he had been disguised as Louise Vernou’s porter.
‘My dear. Be so kind as to point out M’sieur Duperre.’
Trembling she indicated a sharp-faced officer, a capitaine de fregate in undress uniform.
So that was the man. ‘Excellent! My congratulations, sir, on a truly impressive operation.’ Something made him hesitate. How was it that only a relatively low-ranking officer was directing such an enterprise at fleet level?
He turned to the maid. ‘And who, pray, is in charge here? Who gives the orders?’
Boldly, she flung out an arm to a somewhat portly gentleman in the dress of a planter, who returned a wan smile.
‘I see. Thank you, my dear, you’ve been most helpful.’
Renzi beamed at the gathering and invited the planter to a nearby study. ‘Do sit, er …?’
The man did not speak; neither did he take a seat.
‘Oh, do not stand on ceremony. We have much to talk of, I believe.’
The man sat slowly.
‘Your naval operation has been truly a wonder and amazement to us – you have my condolences that it is now concluded.’
No words were forthcoming, so Renzi went on, ‘As will stand to the eternal credit of the French Navy.’
Suddenly the man’s face broke into a rueful grin. ‘Well, be damned to it but you’ve landed us fair ’n’ square!’ He chuckled.
‘You’re American?’ Renzi said, in astonishment.
‘Right ’nough. Jonathan Miller’s my handle.’
‘You give the orders?’ Renzi said in disbelief.
‘I do, an’ I don’t take kindly to this guff about the French Navy takin’ all the credit.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Who’m I talkin’ to?’
‘Smith,’ Renzi said neutrally. ‘Nicholas Smith.’
Miller gave a conspiratorial smile. ‘It’ll do as well as mine, I guess.’
‘You were saying?’ prompted Renzi.
‘Well …’
‘We have the operations room and all the papers,’ Renzi said, ‘largely unburned. It shouldn’t take long to put it all together.’
With a sigh Miller began, ‘It’s quite a story, Mr Smith.’
‘I’ve got time.’
‘A splash o’ wine would help.’
Renzi called for some, then settled back to hear Miller’s tale.
‘I’m a businessman from Charleston, where I’m known as one savvy trader, I’ll have you believe.’
‘Go on.’
Miller took charge of the wine and poured a glass for them both, then drank deeply.
‘It’s like this. In business when you see an opportunity you go at it with both hands, you know what I mean?’
‘Quite. Please continue.’
‘The French here, they have a problem. You. So I figure a way out for ’em.’
‘You did? This is a naval matter, I’ll remind you.’
‘Ha! No, it’s not – it’s a business prospect.’
‘Er, I don’t follow.’
‘They can’t ship sugar to France on account o’ your cruisers. No sugar, no trade, no revenue. I’m in the business to remedy just that.’
‘How?’
‘Like I said, it’s a business. We work together, partners like. I lay out the cash, supply the necessaries and take care o’ the management and they … well, they stump up the letters of marque.’
‘I don’t understand – those are for privateers.’
‘Just so! Yours truly has his own fleet of ’em, funded, run and managed by me, but under the French flag.’
‘A fleet of privateers?’
‘Why not? Have ’em working together, send ’em where the meat is. That’s why I’ve got the French Navy – they do all the operations stuff, signals and such. I concentrate on the money-making.’
Renzi gave a half-smile. Privateering was a business like any other, with investors and suppliers, profits and losses. By opening up to large scale – a fleet – it would be possible to pool expenses, lay in supplies wholesale and oversee manning efficiencies. When combined with the expertise of a navy in fleet-level deployments, the effects would be – had been – devastating.
He sat back in admiration. By funding the operation Miller had provided the French with a powerful naval tool and at no expense. It had been a huge capital risk but had no doubt paid him back handsomely.
It was masterful – and it threw up as many questions as it answered.
‘Do tell me, Mr Miller, how did you realise on your prizes? There are no French courts to condemn same that I know of in this part of the world.’
‘Ah, well, no harm to tell you now, seeing as it’s all over.’
He helped himself to another glass. ‘We take only ships we know about, and we plan smart. Make up papers as says she’s an American, new-bought from the English who are too frightened to sail. Papers say as how we’ve been tradin’ with French territory on our own account, as is legal for a neutral. She arrives in Charleston. We’ve a sympathetic Revenoo man who switches papers to show she’s a US trader heading for France under our own dear flag. So – the French madames get their sugar, we split the proceeds and everyone’s happy.’
‘Why are you telling me this? You know we’ll take action.’
‘’Cos in them papers you’ll not catch my name on a one. And on the other, I’d be a fool to think you British are going to take Boney’s Decree without you do something like it yourselves. So there’s only so long this’n is going to work – I’ve made my pile, time to get out.’
‘Well, while you’re in the mood, pray tell me, if you will, how this business works, at all. I’ve a suspicion it’s a very tight operation, well organised, brilliantly run.’
There was no harm in showing his admiration for this American entrepreneur.
Miller settled and said expansively, ‘Right. Well, first we has a network. Of business intelligence. Every sugar port in the Caribbee has its wharf lumpers as knows when a ship’s down to sail. They tips my man on the island the wink and we set to work. Our tricksy papers are made up and, with location instructions, sent out to the nearest deployed privateer.’
‘I don’t see how you know where they’ll be, and-’
‘I’m gettin’ to that. The sugar boat is taken, the prize crew has their papers and off they sail to Charleston. The privateer returns. Now, you were askin’ about the privateer fleet. Well, we has above a dozen places o’ rendezvous. Here we keep ’em supplied with victuals an’ water such as they don’t ever have to make a port, keeping right out of sight o’ your frigates an’ such. We therefore knows where they is, see?’
‘How then do you keep in touch with your fleet? A navy has dispatch cutters, avisos, that sort of thing.’
‘Shark-meat fishermen. They’d cross the Caribbean for a dollar in hand.’
Of course! Like a swarm of mosquitoes off some coasts, their movements would never be questioned. Carrying a pack of papers, instructions – it was brilliant.
‘Tell me, Mr Miller, in all our naval patrols we’ve never once caught up with one of your privateers. Why is that, do you think?’
The American gave a boyish smile. ‘As we have our man in your admiral’s office, o’ course. Can’t tell you his name, you’ll understand, but he’s been mighty obliging in the article of getting your patrol orders to us for a fair fee.’
In a flash of insight Renzi knew who it must be, and said smoothly, ‘I own I was well flammed by the information about Curacao. Was that your …?’
‘Aye, it was. You was getting too close to the real thing, so I arranged a little show as would discredit your idea.’