Soldier of Fortune

'Tell me all about them.'

'I just want to enjoy being alone with you, Daniel.'

'You can do both at the same time,' he said. 'If you had trouble or met with hindrance, I want to know about it and so will the Duke. Everything you've done in the last six or seven weeks is important to me, Abigail. Tell me the full story.'

Edward Marston

Soldier of Fortune

Bad news was a fact of life during a campaign and the Duke of Marlborough had long ago learnt to accept that. Outbreaks of disease among the troops, the late arrival of reinforcements, adverse weather conditions and a whole series of unforeseen hazards could throw the best-laid plans into disarray. Marlborough never fretted over bad tidings. He responded by taking prompt action.

'Word has come from Prince Eugene,' he said, waving the despatch. 'He doubts if he can hold the line against the French and that Marshal Tallard will out-manouevre him.'

'It was asking a lot of the Prince,' opined Adam Cardonnel.

'The task I set him was too formidable. Even with the Danish infantry to support him, he had insufficient men. He can pursue Tallard but lacks the troops to intercept his progress.'

Marlborough was in his quarters with his secretary and his brother, Charles Churchill, General of Foot and a very experienced soldier. A handsome man in his late forties, Churchill resembled his brother in appearance and manner. He was concerned by the news.

'Tallard will be here earlier than we anticipated,' he said.

'Yes,' agreed Marlborough. 'Even though he lost so many horses on the way, he's coming through the Black Forest at a steady pace. We can only hope he'll be delayed by bad weather in the mountains and by angry foresters who have no love for the French.'

'Prince Eugene will hound Tallard but be unable to stop him.'

'It means that we have to press on hard and establish supply depots at Donauworth. Once we cross the Danube and go deep into Bavaria, our depots at Nordlingen will be too far away.'

'And it would be possible for the enemy to cut us off from our supply line,' observed Cardonnel. 'That would be fatal.'

'Where are Marshal Marsin and the Elector?' asked Churchill.

'Snug and well-defended in Dillingen,' relied Marlborough. 'They realise that Donauworth is our most likely target. The latest reports say that the town and the Schellenberg above it are being fortified by Count d'Arco.'

'Do we know what resources D'Arco has at his disposal?'

'Yes, Charles — he has veteran French and Bavarian infantry at his command, together with dismounted dragoons and two batteries of guns. Bavarian militia and a French battalion have garrisoned the town.' Marlborough consulted another despatch. 'The latest estimate we have puts the force on the Schellenberg at over 12,000.'

'That's a substantial number,' remarked Cardonnel.

'The hill must nevertheless be stormed,' said Marlborough. 'If we take Donauworth, as we must, we can proceed with the next stage of our plan. I won't even entertain the notion of failure.'

'What role will the Margrave of Baden have?' said Churchill.

'We'll need him to give us close support, Charles. I had hoped that he could act independently of us but that would leave us with a shortage of troops.'

'There may be some benefit there.'

'In what way?'

'We can keep an eye on him, John.'

Marlborough gave an understanding nod. Prince Louis- William, the Margrave of Baden, was a fine soldier. He had been appointed commander-in-chief of the Imperial army in Hungary in 1689 when he was still in his mid-thirties. Victory against Ottoman forces with a two to one advantage over him had earned him the nickname of 'Turken-Louis'. He went on to take command of the Imperial armies on the Rhine. He was a valued ally, not least because of the success he had achieved against the French in the previous year. A question mark, however, remained over his loyalty. According to intelligence reports received by Marlborough, the Margrave of Baden was maintaining friendly correspondence with the Elector of Bavaria even though they were on opposite sides.

'Nobody can doubt his bravery and skill,' said Cardonnel.

'But can we trust him?' said Churchill. 'That's the point.'

'I believe that we can.'

'We have no choice,' said Marlborough, pursing his lips. 'If he's prepared to fight alongside us, it doesn't matter if he's sending billets-doux to Louis XIV. As long as he's not making secret deals with the enemy to betray us, we must rely on him.'

'The Emperor clearly does,' said Cardonnel.

'Yes, Adam, and he's a shrewd judge of character.'

'I still think he needs to be watched,' advised Churchill.

'He will be,' said Marlborough. 'Well,' he added, striking his thigh with a hand. 'I think we know our course of action. We'll have an early night, rise at three and press on hard towards Donauworth. With luck, we'll reach the Schellenberg before they've had time to complete the fortifications. Battle will be joined at last, gentlemen.' He smiled at the prospect. 'It can't come soon enough for me.'

Edward Marston

Soldier of Fortune

Daniel Rawson was patient. As he listened to her long narrative, he did not interrupt Abigail Piper once. Her account was detailed and, from time to time, she referred to her diary so that she could give the correct sequence of events.

She told him about the terrifying voyage, about her journey through the Netherlands and how she and Emily had been cast adrift at one stage. They had been caught in heavy rain, chased by outlaws and forced to sleep in a barn more than once. They were on German soil when they were rescued by the detachment of Dutch soldiers who had eventually delivered them to the camp.

'I knew that we'd get here in the end,' she said, beaming at him.

'How could you be so sure?'

'Im lucky by nature, Daniel. That's how I came to meet you in the first place.'

'I certainly had good fortune when I met you,' he said fondly. 'My stay in London was brightened by our acquaintance.'

'It's more than an acquaintance, surely?'

'Yes, Abigail, it is. I look upon you as a dear friend.' She almost swooned with pleasure. 'But that doesn't stop me from being cross with you for putting your life at risk. I get paid to do that. You do not.'

She smiled dreamily. 'I simply had to come.'

'I accept that,' he said, speaking quickly before she could make a declaration that he felt would be embarrassing. 'However, the truth of it is that you and your maid acted in a way that could have proved suicidal.' He leant in closer. 'Have you told me everything, Abigail?'

'Yes, of course.'

'Are you certain about that?'

'I'd never lie to you, Daniel.'

He was not accusing her of lying but of suppressing some facts. Though she appeared to be telling him the full story of her travels, he had the impression that something was missing, some unpleasant detail that she had either pushed out of her mind or simply held back from him. Abigail Piper had been changed by the long trek. She looked at once younger and older than before, an innocent, defenceless girl with no knowledge of the darker aspects of human behaviour and a mature young woman who had entered adulthood somewhere between The Hague and the Rhine valley. Daniel was bound to wonder what she was hiding but he decided that it was not the moment to press her on the subject of painful memories.

'You must speak to the Duke,' he said.

'I'd prefer to stay here with you, Daniel.'

'He'll wish to see with his own eyes that you are safe and sound so that he can send word to your father to that effect.'

'There's no need for Father to worry about me.'

'I'd say there was every need. You left without warning.'

'I had to, Daniel,' she said. 'If I'd told my parents what I had in mind, they would have forbidden me to leave the house. Dorothy would have done everything in her power to stop me as well.'