Lord Paulit followed her descriptions.
“Over there, the iron fittings mark the positions where the funnels will come from below. The casemates of the anti-personnel cannons will be there, preventing any access to the stern of the ship. The whole deck forward will be empty and unobstructed except by the foremast and its furled sails.”
“Yes. I see. So any boarders from the French ship will have no protection from the fire of the grapeshot.”
“None at all.”
“I see. That rather puts the whole thing in a different light. You have designed a killing field.”
“A rather horrible designation, My Lord, but that clearly describes it. The only vulnerable areas are the gunports for the 32 pounders and the marine gunners themselves are stationed there.”
Lord Paulit nodded and then looked about him at the workmen close by. “Is there a place where we might speak in private?”
Roberta pointed at the wooden structure representing the officers’ bridge. “We might go up that ladder, My Lord. You can also see from there the back of the iron redoubt at the bow housing the 32 pounders.”
When they reached the top, His Lordship moved closer and spoke in a voice she could barely hear against the noise of the riveters. “Mr. Holmes apprised you of his absence I know. He is going to Neuzen to meet Herr van Aa where they will provide information about the French steamship activity in the Schelde. Your husband has almost finished his assignment in Switzerland and will be visiting the allied capitals in the east. He will report the success of the American negotiations and also report to the allies the strength of our riposte against the French steamships.”
“We are giving away our secrets?”
Lord Paulit put a finger to his lips. “We are somewhat exaggerating our actions. He will be telling them that they will have little more than a week in which to cross the Rhine and destroy the French armies on the frontier before the actions of our own steamships will cause Napoleon to postpone the invasion and depart the coast with his best troops to defend Paris.”
“How will this help us?”
“That I may not entirely divulge, but the intention is to get the allies to commit to war, and a campaign within France, before we have to deal with the invasion in the Channel. It reverses the order of events that the Comte de la Marck described to your husband―let them bear the brunt of Napoleon’s army before he attacks us.”
“Why are you telling me all this, My Lord?”
“Ah, I knew you would demand to know,” he said with a wag of his head. “Because the Admiralty wants you to finish work on the Antiochus at Chatham. It is imperative that the military representatives of the allied powers are shown the Antiochus and the Ironside leaving harbour in the company of some of the spitefuls as early as June―and so report that to their governments.”
Roberta’s first thought was that Their Lordships must have taken leave of their senses, but she dare not say such a thing to Lord Paulit. She reached out to take his arm as if in supplication. “But I cannot complete the vessel at that time, My Lord. My best assessment of completion is in August.”
“I know. We will supply steamships to move the workers you need and the materials to Chatham. Everything that is done there will be at the Country’s expense. All we need from you is to ensure the Antiochus can move under its own steam. After the envoys have seen it steaming, you may take all the time you need to finish fitting the vessel out for its actual acceptance by the Admiralty.”
Roberta shook her head. “But why all this subterfuge, My Lord?”
“Because we have on good authority that Napoleon has fixed a date in July for the final assembly of the invasion fleet. We must do everything in our power to cause him to delay. Armies threatening to cross the Rhine will give him second thoughts.”
Chapter Twenty-nine
Discussions in Prussia
After meetings in Berlin with the chancellor, Karl August Graf von Hardenberg, they were all invited to Field Marshal von Blücher’s estate for a weekend of hunting. The break from business was welcome, but soon after they arrived at the hunting lodge, Viscount Castlereagh had to warn Lord Bond not to raise the mention of von Hardenberg’s onetime friendship with King George when he was looking to gain the post of Hanoverian envoy in London some years ago.
“Although I am familiar with some of the Hanoverian history, I don’t think I know of that matter, Minister,” Bond said.
Castlereagh smiled with his hand over his mouth and spoke softly. “It turned out that the Chancellor created a lesser impression on the King than his wife created on the Crown Prince. Of course, Prinny was a youthful buck in those days, and made impressions on a number of ladies.”
“Thank you, Minister. I will be sure to stay far distant from any such memories.”
Castlereagh turned partly away as if they had only exchanged pleasantries. “By the way, Bond. You might look for an opportunity to have a private chat with our host while we are here. von Hardenberg was very pleased to speak of Prussian-British interests but would not be pinned down on this Sixth Coalition pledge to support any ally threatened by Napoleon. The Continental powers are bound to assist each other with an army of 60,000 men each. It would be good to learn what they might do for us if we become a full signatory instead of a secret member.”
“I will see what the Field Marshal might tell me, Minister, but I doubt they would offer to send troops across the Channel―even if we invited them.”
“Yes, I agree. Lord Liverpool is in discussions with the Admiralty to devise something that could assist us.”
The hunting turned out to be of two kinds. For those merely interested in a spot of shooting, there was a runway provided where the guests could shoot at captured deer frightened past by the gamekeepers. Castlereagh and von Hardenberg had opted for this. For serious hunters Blücher had offered a mounted hunt in the forest, which he would lead. Lord Bond accepted a brace of hunting rifles and a fine chestnut hunter from their host in order to accompany him in this entertainment.
While he wasn’t able to get a good shot in at a fine stag he saw, he had been able to ride with the other gentlemen as they scared another into offering the Field Marshal a snap shot that he delivered with much the same enthusiasm as he always presented on the battlefield. The old man was consequently in a great mood as they rode back to the lodge.
Bond managed to get them almost alone at the rear of the party as they rode. Blücher rode closer beside him and the conversation soon turned to war.
“Vat is this steam-ship business, my Boy?”
“You have heard of Napoleon’s new weapons built at Antwerp, Herr Field Marshal?”
“Something, but much less about your English response.”
“We were somewhat tardy in taking note of the French constructions, but we are steadily overtaking the Corsican’s engineers.”
“Rumour has it that you were yourself in Antwerp last year. What did you learn?”
Lord Bond smiled. Either the Prussian spy network was as extensive as Fouché’s or the French Royalists had been horse trading their intelligence for favours at the Prussian court. “That was an excellent rumour, Herr Field Marshal, what else did the Count have to say?”
Blücher’s eyes narrowed. “Count? Do you mean the Arenberg?”
“I do indeed. We met in Antwerp last September.”
“The Arenbergs put on a show of loyalty to the future King Louis, but they are Austrians through and through.”
“And they belong to a faction in Vienna that sees Prussia as a rival to their interests throughout the German states. I met with a friend of theirs in Switzerland recently.”
The old man scowled. “They still own large estates in what was once the Austrian Netherlands. Without a doubt, they want those regions of the Low Countries to belong to France, and not the Dutch, when Napoleon goes.”
“And Prussia would prefer a powerful Dutch ally between France and the Rhine.”
The old man showed a pok
er face. “Perhaps, but what of the English and French steamships?”
“Napoleon has been building steamships in Antwerp since his dredging and harbour works have opened the old port to the sea again.”
“We know this much. What does he plan to do with them?”
“He hired the American inventor, Fulton, to perfect the pyroscaphes that first took to the water in 1783. This has been done. He has perhaps as many as ten vessels preparing to tow invasion barges to England when the order is given.”
“How many barges?”
“My spies saw them towing four barges each on the river when Napoleon’s review of the ships took place. That could possibly mean forty thousand men on the first landings.”
Blücher nodded. “The Old Guard; that our informants tell us were not enamoured of their chances to row to England in the face of your navy’s ships of the line.”
“Fulton also began the construction of a large battleship, which made a foray against our blockade in March, but has not been seen since.”
“Fulton must be the American we hear about. Is he not ill?”
“My people in Antwerp learned as much. We believe his illness has caused the delay in returning this battleship to sea since March. We suspect a defect in the boilers caused its retirement from the action with one of our frigates.”
“The frigate was sunk, we are told.”
“A gun brig, that our frigate’s captain tried to rescue, was sunk. The frigate was sorely handled by two pyroscaphes.”
“So the steamships can challenge your navy at sea?”
“A steamship of ours damaged one of the pyroscaphes and drove them off.”
“How many of those steamships does your navy have, My Lord?”
“Perhaps as many as the number of Prussia’s divisions of infantry?” Lord Bond said with a laugh.
Blücher smiled. “But enough to challenge these―by my count―eleven French vessels, if one reckons in the huge battleship that we are told is like a veritable floating fortress with many guns and armoured sides.”
Lord Bond controlled his own expression to avoid letting Blücher know the effect this proof of French propaganda had upon him. “We are preparing two powerful steamships specifically to counter the French battleship. If the allies want to catch Napoleon with his best troops at sea, then there is only a limited time to do so; they will never get another chance like it.”
“How would we know when the opportunity has occurred?”
“Prussia and its allies must be ready when they receive word from England that the steamships are about to meet. We will be watching for the departure of the pyroscaphes from the Westerschelde―that will be the signal for Prussia and its allies to cross the Rhine and march on Paris. The steamships of the French invasion force must rendezvous with the other troops at Boulogne, who will travel in sailing craft. That will add at least two days to his plan . . . two days that he will be unable to respond to your move. Marshal Ney and the frontier army could be crushed in that time.”
“Why would we want to follow this English plan? We might find it better to wait until Napoleon’s troops have landed.”
Lord Bond masked his thoughts with a careless shrug. “One could . . . if one wished to gamble upon the fighting ability of England’s militias. If London is taken it would be inevitable that the government would sue for peace―and Napoleon would have England’s wealth in his pocket when next he attacked Prussia.”
The Field Marshal’s face turned sour, he slapped the reins to bring his horse closer.
“On the other hand,” Bond said, “the agreement with the Coalition allies pledges that the country attacked will have forces sent to their aid. I would count that to be a hundred and eighty thousand men crossing the Rhine to invade France at the same moment the Corsican is trying to land his invaders on England.”
The Field Marshal nodded.
“The Admiralty plan offers the allies the best option. Trust to the navy’s ability to scatter the invasion fleet and catch Napoleon with half of his best troops in peril upon the sea.”
“You are confident your two ships can defeat France’s one?”
“We are. You will have little more than a week’s grace before Napoleon can turn his eyes and his divisions away from the Channel, if you wish to meet his armies exhausted and disrupted after such a forced march to Paris.”
When Roberta and Lord Paulit returned to the office, she felt that her reasons for altering the Admiralty’s plans for the fifty marines had convinced her companion. Her insubordination might be overlooked, as long as Lord Paulit was able to convince his fellow lords when he returned to London. They now sat down for some tea before continuing their discussion.
Lord Paulit’s second issue of dissension at the Admiralty was the selection of a commander for the Antiochus. A vessel of 2600 tons with the duties of a capital ship must have a Post Captain in command, but the navy had no such qualified man. The officers with steamship experience were all ranked as Commander or lower; none of the available Post Captains had steamship experience.
“Their Lordships want to know how many men you employ within the Stephenson yards that you have trained as chief engineers for the boilers and engine rooms of the Antiochus.”
Roberta shook her head. “None aboard the ship, My Lord. Elizabeth Grandin and myself have always shared the tasks.”
“That is grievous news. I am required to return with the names of engineers of the male sort who might work well with a post captain of limited steam knowledge aboard Antiochus.”
“There are some very good men among the Spiteful crews at Chatham that Commander Worthington has trained. I would suggest you will need to select from there.”
“Impossible, I am afraid. We almost have a mutiny on our hands now because there is only one Post Captain, Hawke, who has command with the spitefuls. And he, of course, is only accompanying Commander Worthington as a supernumerary aboard.”
“Surely Captain Hawke is one choice for Antiochus, My Lord.”
“Unfortunately not. He says himself that he needs more experience with steam, and at any event―there would be just as much dissension if we moved him from a command position over the spiteful squadron; leaving a Lieutenant Commander in charge.”
“Lieutenant Commander Worthington,” Roberta said.
“Indeed. A very able fellow―very able indeed, but his background is a problem.”
“His promotion from the Black Gang.”
Lord Paulit sighed. “I am afraid so.”
Roberta felt angry but took pains to hide her feelings from His Lordship. “Then I can offer no further help. When we send Antiochus to Chatham, either Elizabeth or I will be engineer in command in the engine room. I would not accept responsibility for ship or crew with anyone of lesser experience. What the Admiralty does when the vessel is handed over is out of my hands. I have an opinion, but it is not my place to tell the Admiralty its business.”
“Quite so,” Lord Paulit said, “but I hardly think that will be the end of your participation in the discussion.”
Chapter Thirty
Of Travel and Strikes
After receiving a letter from her husband telling her to expect his visit within a week after his arrival in Stralsund from Switzerland, she was surprised to receive another postmarked Berlin.
My Dearest: the happy prospect before us has had to be postponed again when the new assignment proved to interrupt my looked-for departure from Stralsund on a ship bound for England.
She felt vexed at the change, having convinced herself during the last few days that his arrival would be the opportunity she needed to make a clean break with him and refuse in no uncertain terms to go through another marriage service. His recent change of tone in his letters suggested that he was doing everything he could to present himself as the husband she expected him to be, and would take her announcement very badly, but she must do it even so.
She had told her father and Aunt Nelly of her resolve, and asked the
m to back her up―which her Aunt did cautiously and her father reluctantly.
“If he has had the church cancel the mensa et thoro, he will come here as your husband and ye are obliged to follow the Lord’s Will and obey him, Lassie,” her father pronounced. “Ye have been coming too proud o’ yer ability to exert your opinions o’er the building of ships―it may not be as easy to offer a jealous husband the same treatment.”
“Why might he be jealous, Father? I have done nothing to cause such.”
“Aye, ye may not have sinned, but it has been easy to see that ye have transferred your affections to another. ’Tis the thought that may be the sin.”
Aunt Nelly looked troubled. “Ye have made plans in yer heart as if the Marquess has already annulled the marriage, Missy. If he fails, you must spend a lifetime with His Lordship instead.”
“Mr. Holmes sees there is some secret to Chaplain Jenkins’ position aboard the Medusa, Aunt. I will do what he says and visit the father as soon as I can.”
“And then what?” Father said. “Will the Church be pleased to own the error?”
“The truth must out,” she said.
“Aye, and it may not be enough.”
The new letter had at least settled those arguments for the time being. Its tone was as loving as all his recent letters, and she decided to sit that very evening and make her reply. The letter had instructed her to send her future letters to him through Lord Liverpool’s private secretary, who would likely be the only man able to re-direct them. That told her that her husband was on no small duty but one that would entail a number of visits to cities on the Continent, no doubt related to the same Admiralty plan that Lord Paulit had mentioned in secret as they stood upon Antiochus’ commanding bridge.
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