Phelippes nodded sagely. ‘I should think that would be about right.’
We all looked down to where the Tudor flag flew in the wind over the Customs House.
‘It is blowing down the Channel from the German Sea,’ I said. ‘That would be a favourable wind, wouldn’t it?’
I had some experience of travelling by ship as a passenger. A wind from the side – the sailors had called it the ‘beam’ – meant that a boat sailing from here to France and back could use the wind both ways.
They agreed, but started to talk of other things, particularly where any invading force could be expected to land. The most likely place seemed to be the coasts of Kent and Sussex, offering a short march to London, though the West Country was also a possibility. There were, I gathered, Catholics in the West who might welcome the invaders. Yet could that be true? Having lived through an invasion myself, I could not believe anyone would welcome it.
Dusk began to draw in, and with it mosquitoes started to bite. It was time to move indoors. Yet I could not rid myself of the picture in my head, that strong little fishing boat breasting the seas and by now reaching the French coast. Would it make landfall in some busy port, or seek out a hidden cove? Given the eagerness of the French to invade us, there would probably be no secrecy on that side of the Channel. The men would be waiting, would step quickly aboard, and the boat would immediately turn back to England. If the captain’s guess of six hours was right, she could already be well on her way home.
‘Master Phelippes,’ I said as we entered the inn parlour, ‘do you not think one of the boats might have made the attempt today, after the fog cleared? If we are right about the time it would take, it could be back some time between midnight and the early hours of tomorrow.’
‘I don’t think it is very likely, Kit. They would surely choose a better day.’
‘But there is no problem with the weather now. The sea is calm. The wind favourable. There is a full moon tonight.’
They were both smiling at my eagerness in a kind but patronising way which annoyed me.
‘There was a boat in that second village that could attempt it. And one house more prosperous than the others, as though the owner had some lucrative business.’
‘Probably smuggling,’ said the captain, hefting the empty wine flagon.
‘I would be willing to ride over there and see,’ I said, stung by their dismissal of my idea.
‘There is no need to give up your night’s rest, Kit,’ Phelippes said.
‘Nevertheless, I would like to do it, if you will give me your permission.’
‘Oh, if you must. I cannot see that any harm will come of it. But you must take at least one of the guards with you and I don’t suppose any of them will share your enthusiasm for a night ride to a dirty fishing village.’
‘I will ask amongst my men,’ the captain said.
‘Very well,’ said Phelippes. ‘If there is one willing to accompany you, then you may go, but do not blame me for a fruitless journey.’
As it proved, one of the guards was willing to go with me. A young man not much older than I, called Andrew Joplyn. I could see that he looked upon it not so much as a serious mission as a bit of a fun away from the senior men. Well, that suited me. A grim older soldier would have been a less pleasant companion.
‘We’ll set off about eleven of the clock,’ I said. ‘I do not think they can be back before midnight, so we should be there with at least half an hour to spare. But we may have to wait some hours, even till dawn.’
‘Don’t worry,’ he said, tapping his nose, ‘I’ve made a friend amongst the kitchen maids. I’ll bring us some vittels.’
‘Well thought of,’ I said. This was a companion after my heart.
I sat for a while in my room with my boots off, trying to rest a little, but I was too keyed up. I was convinced I was right. As the moon came up and flooded the town with light, it seemed a perfect night for a clandestine journey across the Channel. The wind had dropped a little, but not much. There was surely still enough wind to sail by but, if there was not, I had seen that the boats had long oars, four to a side.
At ten, sounding out from a church clock nearby, I pulled on my boots and went quietly downstairs. I need not have troubled to be quiet, for the inn parlour was still full of visitors and local men drinking, though Phelippes was nowhere to be seen. No doubt he was closeted with his paperwork again, though I was disappointed he had not waited to see me on my way.
In the stable I greeted Hector with an apple I had filched from the dining parlour and had just started to saddle him when Andrew appeared, flourishing a leather satchel of food. Within half an hour we were riding out under the massive town gateway, having a pass from the captain giving us permission. We both remembered the road from earlier that day, though the bright moonlight made it much easier to follow than it had been in the fog.
‘How do you want to proceed, Master Alvarez?’ Andrew asked.
I was glad that he seemed prepared to accept my leadership, despite the fact that I was younger and a rank amateur, while he, I assumed, had some experience of military matters.
‘I thought we would ride to the outskirts of the village, then tie the horses and go the last part of the way on foot. We can check the boats first. If the one I noticed this morning is there, and doesn’t look as if it has just returned, then we can go home again. If it is, well, wet, if it looks as though it has just come ashore, then I think we will need to take a look at the largest house, see if there is anything afoot, then ride back as fast as we can to Rye.’
He nodded. I could see him quite clearly. ‘And if it isn’t there?’
‘That is what I am expecting. If it isn’t there, we will have to wait for it to return, however long it takes. But we can be sure, if it isn’t there, that it’s up to no good.’
‘It may be smuggling.’
‘Yes, it may. If so, we’ve had a wasted trip and lost a night’s sleep. Do you mind?’
‘Not me.’ He grinned. ‘Makes a change from always trotting along at the tail end of the troop and having to polish other men’s boots and saddles!’
For the rest of the way to the village, we rode almost without speaking, except to draw each other’s attention to an overhanging branch or a hole in the road. On the outskirts of the village we stopped beside a small copse of thorn trees, stunted by the sea air and wind.
‘This should do, I think,’ I said. ‘Do you agree?’
‘Aye. There’s enough cover for the horses and not far for us to walk.’
Both horses were well trained and would stay without being tied. If we needed to leave in a hurry, we could be away in a moment. Leaving them there, we began to make our way the last hundred yards or so to the first house in the village. It was then that I realised one problem. The bright moon had made our ride easier but it also meant we would be in full view of anyone looking out from one of the cottages, as soon as we tried to approach the boats.
The village appeared to be asleep. All the cottages but one were dark. I touched Andrew lightly on the arm and leaned close to his ear.
‘You see that cottage with the candle in the window? That’s the one I thought looked more prosperous than the others.’
‘I see it,’ he breathed. ‘So someone is up and about.’
We waited beside the first cottage, straining our eyes to see as far as the beach. My heart was pounding so hard in my chest I thought it would blot out all other sounds. I held my breath and tried to listen.
‘Do you hear anything?’ I whispered.
Beside me I sensed rather than saw him shake his head. If we were going to check the boats, it had better be now. Crouching low, as if that would somehow make us less visible, we crept forward past the cottages. The moon was directly overhead now, lighting up the village like the stage in a playhouse. With sudden irrelevance, I wondered what Simon was doing now. Not creeping through a hostile village in the middle of the night, certainly.