He dismissed the messenger with a flick of the hand and the man left the tent. Taking another bite out of the chicken, Vendome brooded, ignoring the gravy that dripped onto his lapel. Valeran passed the report back to him.
‘What are you going to do, Your Grace?’
‘I’ll make every effort to find them as quickly as possible. And I’ll need someone to return to that village.’
‘Why?’
‘They have to be pacified and recompensed,’ said Vendome. ‘No soldiers under my command should ever behave this way. When foraging is required, it’s sometimes necessary to use a little force but there’s never any call for a massacre like this.’
‘The whole farm was razed to the ground.’
‘Speak to the four men who used to work there.’
Valeran was taken aback. ‘You want me to go there?’
‘It’s a sign of how much trust I put in you,’ said Vendome, swilling down his food with some wine. ‘Find out more details of what went on and assure those four men that we’ll make some kind of restitution. We can’t afford to rebuild the whole farm, of course, but a gesture on our part will show them how seriously we take this whole business. Leave with a patrol first thing tomorrow morning.’
‘Yes, Your Grace,’ said Valeran without enthusiasm.
‘But be sure to hurry back — I’ll miss you.’
The captain rallied immediately.
‘What’s his name, Henry?’ asked Daniel.
‘Ralph Higgins.’
‘And who is he?’
‘One of the sutlers,’ said Welbeck. ‘At least, that’s what he claims to be. I think he’s here for another reason altogether.’
‘And what’s that?’
‘It concerns you, Dan.’
When he received the note from his friend, Daniel had hurried across to the area of the camp occupied by the 24^th Foot. Knowing that he would not be summoned on a trivial matter, he met Welbeck outside the sergeant’s tent. Daniel was curious.
‘What’s the fellow doing among the 24^th?’
‘Pretending to sell provisions to the men,’ said Welbeck. ‘He sought me out because someone told him that I was a close friend of a certain Captain Rawson.’
‘Go on.’
‘Higgins was very plausible. He gave me some free tobacco to make me well disposed towards him. He’s an affable devil, I’ll give him that, and I was happy to chat with him for a while. Then he started to ask questions about you, Dan, far too many questions. That’s what aroused my suspicions. I think he’s a French spy.’
‘Where is he now?’
‘He’s being held inside.’
‘Then I’ll go in and introduce myself,’ said Daniel.
Crossing to the tent, Daniel pulled back the flap and stepped inside. Welbeck followed him. Ralph Higgins was seated on a stool with an armed soldier beside him. Higgins leapt to his feet at once. He was a tall, well-built man in his thirties with curly brown hair above a swarthy face that wore an expression of mingled surprise and pain. ‘Could someone tell me what’s going on?’ he begged.
‘That’s exactly what we want to ask you,’ said Welbeck.
Higgins spread his arms. ‘I’m a sutler. I follow the army and sell to the soldiers. It’s how I make my living.’
‘Then why did you show such an interest in me?’ asked Daniel. ‘According to Sergeant Welbeck, you peppered him with questions about me. Are you intending to write a biography?’
‘Are you the famous Captain Rawson?’ asked Higgins, beaming. ‘It’s an honour to meet you, sir,’ he went on, offering his hand and giving Daniel a warm handshake. ‘You’re something of a legend in the 24^th, I hear.’
‘And from whom did you hear that?’
‘From just about everyone I’ve spoken to. The first person to mention your name was Lieutenant Ainley.’ The sutler laughed. ‘If ever you do want a biographer, sir, he’s the man for you. It was the lieutenant who told me that Sergeant Welbeck was your good friend.’
‘That’s right,’ said Welbeck, gruffly. ‘I was put on this earth to make sure that no harm comes to Captain Rawson. If I sense any danger — and you reek of it — then I become very suspicious.’
‘I don’t blame you,’ said Higgins, amiably. ‘In fact, I was very much counting on it.’
Welbeck blinked. ‘Were you?’
‘How else could I get to meet Captain Rawson? Now that he’s a member of the Duke’s personal staff, he’s out of reach of humble folk like me. The only way to approach him was through you.’
Welbeck was indignant. ‘Are you saying that I was used?’
‘I meant no harm by it, Sergeant.’
‘And why should you want to meet me?’ asked Daniel.
‘First of all, I wanted to see if you were human.’
‘Oh, I’m very human, Mr Higgins, and I’m full of human failings. For instance, I’m very short-tempered when I find that someone is trying to waste my time.’
‘Forgive me,’ said Higgins with a placatory gesture, ‘I don’t mean to take up your time. I wanted to put a proposition to you, Captain Rawson. The truth of it is that I’m not only a sutler,’ he went on, slipping a hand into his pocket to take out a sheet of paper. ‘I’m something of an artist, as you can see.’
Unfolding the paper, he showed them a portrait he’d drawn. It was only a pencil sketch but it had discernible talent. They were both able to recognise the face smiling up at them.
‘That’s Lieutenant Ainley,’ said Welbeck.
‘It’s a good likeness,’ admitted Daniel.
‘This is only a preliminary drawing,’ explained Higgins. ‘I’ll use it to do a portrait in colour. I’m not a real artist like van Dyck, mark you. A sketch like this only takes me five minutes and I have the painting finished in little more than an hour.’
‘Why are you telling me this, Mr Higgins?’
‘I’m coming to that.’ He glanced at the soldier beside him. ‘Is there any chance that you can get rid of my guard? He intimidates me. I’m not going to run away.’ Welbeck gave a nod and the soldier left the tent. ‘Thank you, Sergeant. Having him stand over me was rather unnerving.’ He smiled hopefully at Daniel. ‘I wondered if I could possibly have the honour of painting a portrait of you, Captain Rawson?’
‘I can’t think why you’d want to do that,’ said Daniel.
‘Then you haven’t heard Lieutenant Ainley in full flow. He idolises you. He was telling me what you did at Blenheim and how you rescued someone from the Bastille in Paris.’
‘I shouldn’t believe everything he says.’
‘Are you interested in my offer?’
‘I’m sorry, Mr Higgins. I must decline. I’m not vain enough to want my portrait painted.’
‘In the time we’ve been talking, I could have done the sketch.’
‘Not without my permission,’ said Daniel, ‘and I’d never give that. It’s a tempting notion but I suggest that you choose someone else. If you can produce these things so swiftly, you must have had a lot of customers.’
‘Oh, I have,’ said Higgins, ruefully. ‘Some of the ugliest men in the army have wanted a pretty painting of themselves. I have to show them what they want to see so I make hideous, old faces look young and handsome. Then, of course,’ he added, dropping his voice and rolling his eyes. ‘There are the other drawings.’
‘What do you mean?’ asked Welbeck.
‘You know what soldiers are like, Sergeant. Most of them dream of nothing but drink and women. I sell them both. The beer is in the back of my wagon and the women are on sheets of paper like this.’
‘You’re talking about naked women, aren’t you?’
‘I have to meet a demand.’ His eyes flicked to Daniel. ‘Do you think that you could persuade the captain to sit for me? I won’t charge him a penny for the portrait. It will be a pleasure to paint.’
‘Captain Rawson makes his own decisions.’
‘And you’ve already heard what I think,’ said Daniel, pleasantly.
‘Well, he hasn’t heard what I think,’ warned Welbeck, squaring up to Higgins. ‘I think you have a nerve, coming here like this and using me as bait. It’s unforgivable. If I catch you anywhere near the 24^th again, I’ll kick seven barrels of shit out of you and shove your bleeding sketches down your lying throat. Do you understand?’