The Ravishing of Lady Jane Ware

    'Alas, I have not told you the worst. Half frozen from the icy water, we succeeded in getting ashore. Some fisher folk succored us most generously and did what they could for us in their poor huts. We were no great distance from St. Petersburg, and when we were somewhat recovered made our way here. The people at the English Factory that is the great, enclosed area with many warehouses in which our merchants store their goods took us in.'

    'I know the place. When I first came to St. Petersburg, I lived there for a while with the chaplain, a delightful and most erudite man, the Reverend William Tooke. But he is long since returned to England.'

    'Well, they allotted us a lodging and Mr. Wicklow made a last attempt to restore his shattered fortunes. He had saved his bag of guineas and added to the sum by requesting me to let him sell the few small trinkets I possessed; which, by then knowing his circumstances, I willingly agreed to do But he went about this last endeavour in a most ill advised manner. He began to frequent a gaming house.'

    'The fool! Any merchant should have known better.'

    'There I agree, and I became greatly worried. 'Tis not, though, a wife's place to tell her husband how he should endeavour to increase his capital; and, to begin with, he was very lucky. When I learned that he had amassed quite a considerable sum, I endeavoured to persuade him to take me back to England. But he could not, for he owed so much money there that he would have been lodged in Newgate. Then his luck turned. For three nights in succession he lost heavily. On the fourth morning he confessed to me that he had not a kopek left. We were reduced to beggary.'

    'Oh, my poor Mary! When I come face to face with this criminal oaf, I'll horsewhip the hide off him for having landed you in such an awful situation.'

    'No, Roger, you will not. Though he deserves it for having abandoned me.'

    'What! Do you mean the villain has made off and left you penniless in a foreign city?'

    'He has, indeed, if "made off" is the right expression. But he has gone to a place from which there is no return. Having borrowed from his cronies and in particular an elderly, pockmarked Russian merchant named Suslov, until they would lend him no more, six weeks ago he put a pistol to his head and blew out his brains.'

    'Mary! Mary!' Roger exclaimed in distress. 'This is the end. No woman could have been cursed with more dire misfortune.'

    'But it is not the end.' Mary was almost weeping. 'When Mr. Wicklow died, he owed the equivalent of a hundred and sixty pounds to Mr. Suslov. Believing him to be a good friend, in my desperation I have since borrowed from him a further sum upon my note of hand. To do so I must have been out of my wits, but I had not a penny and knew not which way to turn. And now… now, this Mr. Suslov… oh, Roger, he has turned out to be a horrid man, and is physically most repulsive. He has recently demanded that I pay all that is owed to him. or he'll have me sent to prison. That…that is, if I continue to refuse to marry him.'

    'God's death!' Roger roared. 'I'll cut his ears off! I'll skin the bastard!'

    Mary was dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. After a moment she murmured, ' 'Twould serve him right, but that would not get me home.'

    Roger leaned forward and patted her hand. 'Mary, my dear, I beg you, do not cry. Now I am here your troubles are over. I have ample money and will see to it that you lack for nothing.'

    She sniffed and gave him a pathetic smile. 'Oh, Roger, 'tis wonderful. I had believed God deaf to my prayers, but He must have sent you to me. I can scarce believe it true. 'Tis little short of a miracle that you should be living in St. Petersburg.'

    Her words suddenly reminded him that within a few hours, he should be on his way to Moscow. Gravely he said, 'I can pay your passage home, but would be loath to let you make the voyage without a woman companion, or some honest man known to you who would act as your protector. Do you know anyone at the Factory who is shortly leaving for England, and could act in such a role?'

    She shook her head. 'No, and you are right, of course. Women are infrequent passengers in ships that ply the Baltic trade, and I'd be frightened to travel unaccompanied. Without conceit, I'd be surprised if the Captain or some other man aboard did not fancy me; and, maybe, tamper with the lock on my cabin door. But if you will pay my debts and make me a small allowance, I'd be happy to stay on here until you are ready to go home yourself.'

    'My dear, I am not going home. I have to go to Moscow.'

    'Moscow! Can you really mean that? 'Tis in the hands of the French.'

    'Nevertheless, I have to go there, and must set out not later than tonight.'

    Her eyes grew wide and her face crumpled. 'Oh, Roger, no! Please! Only a moment since, I thought myself saved and safe. I implore you, do not desert me.'

    'I'll not do that,' he reassured her quickly. 'I mean, I'll not leave you stranded. I can give you ample money to pay off this brute Suslov, and to stay on here for some weeks, until you can find someone suitable with whom to return to England.'

    'But, Roger dear, old Mr. Suslov is not the only one from whom Mr. Wicklow borrowed money. And they hold me responsible for his debts. Hardly a day passes but one or other of them pesters me. Recently, several of them have hinted that I am cheating them by refusing to marry; for Mr. Suslov has told them that, if I'll have him, he'll pay them off. If you must go to Moscow, cannot I come with you?'

    'No, Mary. That is out of the question. When we were in Lisbon I concealed it from you; but I have lived for so many years in France that I can pass as a Frenchman, and have often done so in the service of our country. I'll come to no harm in Moscow, but how could I possibly take an Englishwoman with me?'

    Round eyed, she stared at him. 'Do you.. do you mean that you are a spy?'

    He nodded. 'Yes. Do you find such an activity despicable?'

    'No. Oh, no. To risk his life in such a fashion a man must be very brave. But I've always known you to be that,'

    'Thank you, my dear. The fact is that I am here only on a visit. I have been in Moscow ever since the French captured the city, and am expected back there. But you can see for yourself that, if I returned accompanied by an

    English lady, I should seriously jeopardize my position.'

    I think you wrong in that. I have a gift for languages and my best friend at my seminary was a French girl who, as a small child, had arrived in England as a refugee from the Revolution. To please her, we always talked together in French and, although I could not pass as a French woman, I feel sure no one would suspect me of lying if I said that I was Flemish, or from the Netherlands.'

    Roger smiled. A sudden memory of Georgina had come into his mind. She had passed herself off in that way on their journey with Augereau from the Moselle to Paris. He then remained thoughtful for some moments.

    Many women had accompanied the Grand Army on its march to Moscow; in a few cases even officers' wives, who refused to be parted from their husbands. That was also the case in the English and other armies. All Generals were most averse to the practice, but it was a custom that had come down through the centuries, so they could do no more than set a limit to the number of women that the troops should be allowed to take with them on a campaign.

    He could say that he had met Mary in Brussels two years ago. That she had married a Russian who had taken her to St. Petersburg, but her husband had turned out to be a brute; that she loathed the Russians, was French at heart and worshipped the Emperor, so had begged him to take her to Moscow.