Drums of War

'What will happen when we reach Holland?' she said.

'I'm to take you to The Hague.'

'Why?'

'Because people there wish to hear about your father's stay in France,' said Daniel. 'Nobody else has ever got so close to King Louis. What he can tell us may affect the progress of the war next year.'

'What then?'

'You'll be allowed to return home to Amsterdam and resume your normal life. Once everyone realises that your father didn't betray his country, he'll be seen as something of a hero.'

'I don't think he feels like a hero. He's still very shaken by what happened to him in the Bastille. It will always haunt him.'

"The ugly memories will fade in time, I'm sure.'

'What about you?' she asked. 'If and when you take us back to The Hague, what will you do afterwards?'

'I'll return to my regiment to give a full report.'

'And then?'

'I'll await the return of our commander-in-chief before I can rejoin his staff. Oh,' he added, looking deep into her eyes, 'there is something else I intend to do.'

'And what's that?'

'I'll find time to visit Amsterdam and call on a very special friend.' She laughed in delight. 'Can I have an address, please?'

After a testing march, they set up camp early that evening. The first thing that Hugh Dobbs did was to go to the nearby stream so that he could dangle his bare feet in the water. Tom Hillier sat beside him, letting his own feet get washed by the current.

'We'll have a decent rest at long last,' said Dobbs. 'We'll be here for a few days at least.'

'How do you know that?'

'I overheard Lieutenant Ainsley say so.'

Hillier chuckled. 'One of these days, the lieutenant will catch you listening and box your ears.'

'That's why I always loiter near him. He's never really strict. If I was caught eavesdropping by Major Cracknell,' said Dobbs, 'he wouldn't just box my ears, he'd cut the pair of them off.'

'We haven't seen the major all day,' noted Hillier.

'I daresay he's seen us, Tom.'

'Why is he keeping his distance?'

'He's just biding his time.' Dobbs picked up a stone and tossed it idly into the water. 'Have you heard from Sergeant Welbeck?'

'Not a single word, Hugh.'

'He's a poor bloody uncle.'

'I told you before,' said Hillier. 'He denies there's any family tie between us. I was hurt at first but I've come to see that he's doing me a favour. If I kept turning to him all the time for support, I'd never be my own man.'

'I still think he's letting you down badly, Tom. Ah, well,' he said with an arm around his friend, 'since nobody else will teach you, I'll have to take you under my wing. We'll wait until tomorrow night.'

'What for, Hugh?'

'Didn't you see that town we passed a couple of miles back?'

'Yes, it was very pretty.'

'It's more than pretty,' said Dobbs with a cackle. 'We camped near there two years ago and some of us sneaked into the town for some sport. It was amazing, Tom. It cost me a week's wages but it was worth every bit of it. She was the best I've ever had.'

'What are you talking about?'

'With a brisk walk, we could get there in under half an hour, though it might take us a lot longer to get back to camp.'

'Why?'

'We'll be exhausted, you buffoon.'

Hillier was perplexed. 'I'm not sure that I follow you.'

'Manhood,' said Dobbs. 'I'm talking about satisfying our urges between the warm thighs of a woman. You can't hold on to your virginity for ever, Tom. It's high time you learnt to fuck.'

To reinforce the message, he pushed his friend into the stream with a big splash. The cold water helped to cool Hillier's blushes.

The inn was on the edge of a village and it served their needs well. While the others slept inside the building, Daniel stayed in the courtyard, curled up inside the coach with a pistol at his side. He shared an early breakfast with his friends, leaving an ostler to harness the horse. Before they left, Daniel took Kees Dopff aside.

'I'd like you to sit beside me today,' he said. 'Have you ever driven a cart or a coach?' Dopff shook his head. 'Then I'll have to teach you,' Daniel went on. 'In case something happens to me, you must be able to take over. There's nobody else I can ask.'

Dopff was pleased to be offered the chance of taking the reins but worried by the suggestion that Daniel might not be with them indefinitely. He could not imagine how the four of them would possibly survive without him. The others climbed into the coach and the little Dutchman took his place beside Daniel. It gave him a sense of being useful again. Having lost his roles as cook and keeper of the tapestry, he was ready to embrace a new challenge. When Daniel flicked the reins to set the horse off, Dopff watched the driver's every move.

It was a dull day with low cloud and the promise of more rain. Daniel hoped that they were not caught in another downpour. He pushed the horse a little harder than before without taxing it too much. When the animal was trotting over level ground, Daniel handed the reins over for the first time. Dopff took them nervously as if expecting the horse to react mutinously to the change of driver. Instead it continued to trot at the same unvarying pace. Dopff turned to Daniel and nodded happily. He was clearly going to enjoy being in charge. Controlling the coach seemed remarkably easy.

His confidence steadily grew. It was soon dented. They came to a series of deep ruts that made the whole vehicle sway crazily from side to side then Dopff mistakenly took the horse off the track altogether. When they crested a low hill, he saw another problem looming. At the bottom of the slope was a ford, the fast-flowing water creating white foam. Fearing that they'd be trapped in the stream, he thrust the reins at Daniel but they were immediately put back into his hands. Dopff was even more nervous when Daniel jumped to the ground from the moving vehicle and took the bridle to lead the horse through the water. It was very shallow and hardly reached his shins. Safe on the other bank, Dopff felt a sense of pride. He'd been alone on the driving seat when they'd negotiated the hazard. He grinned for a whole mile.

They paused at midday to have a light meal. Since Dopff was eager to renew his education as a coach driver, Daniel let him take the reins again. The Dutchman's main concern was to keep the horse on the winding track. Daniel, on the other hand, was more worried about the weather. A storm was brewing. The clouds were darker and more menacing. Though the windows were mere open rectangles, those in the coach did have a measure of protection. The two drivers had none. Seeing a copse ahead, Daniel wondered if it was better to seek shelter there until the storm had blown over.

In the event, he was given no choice between stopping and driving on. Shortly after they entered the copse, they had unwelcome company. Three horsemen appeared out of nowhere. One blocked their passage, forcing Dopff to pull on the reins and bring the coach to a halt, while the other two came up behind. All three of them held pistols. The leader of the highwaymen was a handsome man in his thirties with a well-groomed black beard.

'Well, now,' he said, smirking, 'what do we have here?'

'We're in a hurry, friend,' replied Daniel. 'We don't wish to be caught in the rain. Pray stand aside, if you will.'

'I will not. I want to see who your passengers are.'

There was nothing that Daniel could do. While the leader flicked his pistol to make Daniel and Dopff hold their hands in the air, the other men ordered the passengers to get out. Beatrix alighted first, petrified by the sight of loaded weapons. Janssen came next, helping his daughter after him. As soon as the men saw Amalia, they licked their lips. One of them, a squat individual with a patch over one eye, dismounted in order to search them. Choosing Amalia first, he took the opportunity to grope her. She stepped back in disgust and her father tried to push the man away. Janssen was punched in the face and fell back against the coach. He had no more strength to resist being searched. Beatrix screamed when the man ran his hands over her. It was a disappointing haul. He held up the few valuables he'd managed to find on them.