Soldier of Fortune

'Miss Piper can certainly weave a spell,' said Daniel gallantly.

'To which sister are you referring?'

'I was thinking of Abigail.'

'She obviously caught your eye.'

'I found Dorothy just as captivating. Since it's so difficult to choose between them, I shall give them equal attention.'

Marlborough chuckled. 'You are incorrigible,' he said. 'Perhaps it's just as well that I'm taking you off to war again or Sir Nicholas would be unable to sleep soundly in bed, wondering which of his nubile daughters you would be pursuing.'

Edward Marston

Soldier of Fortune

'Why did you send him on his way like that?' said Abigail Piper.

'I did nothing of the kind,' responded Dorothy. 'I merely told him that you would not stir from your room for hours and that there was no point in his waiting for you.'

'There was every point, Dorothy. I just needed to be alone to compose myself. As soon as I'd done that — and it took no more than twenty minutes — I intended to come back to resume my conversation with Captain Rawson.'

'It had already been terminated by you.'

'That's not true at all.'

'Put yourself in Captain Rawson's position,' suggested Dorothy. 'When a young lady flees from his company in floods of tears, he's entitled to conclude that she no longer wishes to speak to him.'

'But he wished to speak to me,' said Abigail. 'According to you, he tried to follow me as I ran out. You barred his way.'

'I could hardly let him chase you upstairs.'

'He wanted to console me. I was touched to hear that.'

'You acted too rashly in charging off.'

'I was deeply upset — what else was I to do?'

Dorothy put a sympathetic arm around her sister's shoulders. Abigail was still young and inexperienced but it was not the moment to school her in the subtleties of dealing with male admirers. In any case, now that she had seen Daniel Rawson, Dorothy was certainly not going to help Abigail to ensnare the captain. She felt that Daniel deserved a more seasoned woman, one who was well-versed in the elaborate rituals of courtship. In spite of the circumstances in which they had met, Dorothy wanted him for herself.

They were in the parlour of the Westminster house, side by side on a large sofa. Abigail was still fretting over the departure to Holland that day of the man whom she idolised. Her fear was that he had been estranged by her conduct and would dismiss her from his mind and heart. That was something Abigail could never do with him. Daniel Rawson occupied her every waking hour. She could not stop thinking about him, cherishing him, desiring him and constructing imaginary dialogue for the two of them to speak. In running away from him, she was afraid that she had made a fatal mistake.

'Do you think I should write to him?' she asked.

'I'd not advise it, Abigail.'

'But I could apologise for the way I behaved.'

'A young lady should never apologise,' said Dorothy loftily, 'least of all in writing. It could be construed as a sign of weakness. Besides, if anyone should issue an apology, it is Captain Rawson. He led you to believe that he would be in London for some time.'

'He admitted that and was very contrite.'

'I'm still opposed to the notion of a letter.'

'Why is that, Dorothy?'

'To begin with,' said the other, removing her arm from her sister's shoulder, 'there's no guarantee that the letter would reach him. When an army is on the move, correspondence with any member of it is bound to be difficult.'

'I thought of that,' said Abigail, 'and I believe I have the answer. I can ask Father to help me. Lord Godolphin will be in constant touch with the army, wherever it may be. Father will know how letters are sent and can prevail upon the Lord Treasurer's messenger to carry mine with him.'

Dorothy was impressed. 'That's a clever idea,' she said, 'though I still feel it would be unwise of you to write.'

'I have this urge to do so, Dorothy.'

'Then you must control it. On the strength of a week's acquaintance, you would appear very forward if you tried to begin a correspondence with Captain Rawson.'

'He might appreciate it.'

'Were that the case, he will write to you in the hope of eliciting a reply. Why not wait to see if he does that, Abigail?'

'I feel the need to make him aware of my feelings now.'

'Do not even consider it,' warned Dorothy. 'You must hide your true feelings until the proper time. In your present state of mind, you would commit things to paper that would make you look naive and unguarded. You have to show maturity.'

'What should I say to him?'

'Say nothing at all, Abigail. It is up to Captain Rawson to make the first move and you must be patient. The campaign last year was long and exhausting. There's no reason to think that it will be any different this year. In other words, Captain Rawson will be very busy. If he can find a moment to write to you, then perhaps he will. When he does, you have an excuse to write to him.'

'But I may have to wait months,' wailed Abigail, getting up and moving restlessly about the room. 'What am to do until then? How can I live until I know Daniel's true opinion of me? He's paid me many pretty compliments since we met but will he requite my love?' She came to a decision. 'I must write,' she announced. 'I'll do it instantly.'

'No,' said Dorothy, standing up to prevent her from leaving. 'I forbid you to do that, Abigail. Never show an admirer how vulnerable you are. If it will relieve your torment,' she continued, 'then put your thoughts in a letter — but do not send it.'

Abigail was crestfallen. 'You really think it unwise?'

'It's foolhardy in the extreme.'

'How can I let him know that I love him?'

'You must show forbearance. Captain Rawson will return one day — God willing — and he will be moved to learn that you have been steadfastly carrying a torch for him while he was away. That will impress him far more than a mawkish letter written on impulse.'

'Do you really believe that, Dorothy?'

'Yes, I do — bide your time, sister.'

'Is that what you would do in my place?'

'It's exactly what I'd do.'

After thinking it over, Abigail elected to take her advice. She gave Dorothy a kiss of gratitude on the cheek then went out of the room so that she could be alone with her thoughts. Dorothy was glad that she had dissuaded her from hasty action with regard to man on whom she doted. It left the field clear for her. Five minutes later, it was the elder sister who was penning a missive to Daniel Rawson.

Edward Marston

Soldier of Fortune

They reached Harwich hours after the Peregrine had set sail and they had to wait the best part of a week before they could board a ship that would take them to Holland. As they made their way along the quayside, Frederic Seurel was pessimistic.

'We'll never catch up with him, Charles.'

'Of course, we will,' said Catto, taking a more philosophical attitude to the delay. 'Armies do not march fast. We'll soon overhaul Captain Rawson.'

'How can we get to him when he is surrounded by thousands of soldiers?' asked Seurel. 'It's impossible.'

'We'll lure him out somehow.'

'We do not even know where he'll be.'

'He'll be attached to his regiment and my guess is that it will never be far away from the Duke of Marlborough. There are Austrians, Dutch, Germans, Belgians, Danes, Irish, Swiss and even some renegade Frenchmen at his command but the Duke will always favour British soldiers.'

'They stand no chance against Marshal Tallard.'

'Do not underestimate him, Frederic,' said Catto. 'The Duke is an astute general. He has not lost a major battle and he recaptured all the Barrier Fortresses from us. He began last year's campaign by seizing Bonn only two weeks after the first trenches had been dug. While the garrison was preparing itself for a lengthy siege, they were overwhelmed by a sudden attack. That was bold.'