With the sleepy footman on night duty at Amesbury House he left a message that he was not to be called until Lord Edward roused, and would join him for breakfast. Both of them slept late and it was not until midday that Roger, still in his chamber robe, went along to his old friend’s suite. Over eels in aspic, kidneys and bacon, a cold game pie and other trifles, washed down with copious draughts of fine Bordeaux, they lingered for two hours.
Roger, as always when with Droopy, made no secret of the reason for his return to England and consulted him on how best to set about his mission. Droopy peered with his shortsighted eyes across the table at Roger and said:
‘Meseems that in this matter you are become a police spy. Hardly a role I would have expected you to play; but no doubt you have squared it with your conscience.’
‘I have,’ replied Roger firmly. ‘Were the French Royalists alone concerned in this I’d have naught to do with it. Only by destroying Napoleon can they have any hope of placing a Bourbon Prince again on the throne of France. After ten years of exile and penury certain among them may have become so desperate that they would even stoop to murder to gain their ends. That they should have sunk so low is lamentable but, in view of their fanatical hatred of the usurper, at least understandable; and their bitter enmity towards him none of our affair.
‘What is our concern is that the British Government are, at least to some extent, assisting in the plot. The French espionage system is extremely good and Talleyrand gave me chapter and verse for our government’s participation. In August last the Chouan leader, Georges Cadoudal, was landed at Biville from a ship commanded by Captain Wright on the instructions of one E. Nepean, an assistant to Admiral Montagu in our Admiralty, it is also known that towards the end of that month, at the instigation of the royalist Baron de Roll, our Permanent Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs called on His Highness the Comte d’Artois who was then living at No. 46 Baker Street. This resulted in the Prince producing a memorandum naming those Generals and others in France who could be counted on to help in overthrowing Napoleon. Meanwhile Cadoudal, together with Méhée de la Touche, had proceeded to Munich and there, with or without the authority of the Government, our official representative, Mr. Francis Drake, furnished them with funds to further the conspiracy. Méhée then went to Vienna and enlisted the support of the Honourable Charles Stuart, our Chargé d’Affaires there; but the French got wind of that, seized the go-between and took his papers from him. So, you see, should this plot to assassinate Napoleon succeed, the French will be able to produce evidence that the British government was at the bottom of it.’
Droopy nodded his narrow head, ‘I appreciate now why you are deeply concerned. From all you have told me Napoleon’s popularity in France is immense; so were he assassinated and the deed laid squarely at our door, the rage of the French people would be such that there’d be no prospect of their agreeing a peace with us for another generation. You are right Roger; even if it means that a number of Frenchmen who are only pawns in the game must lose their lives, the attempt must be stopped.’
After a moment Droopy went on, ‘The state of things here is pitiful. On the renewal of the war last May, the British people became united as never before. As you well know, during the Revolution a great part of the masses and the Whig nobility, led by Charles Fox, was undisguisedly pro-French. Although we were at war with that nation, carried away by the new doctrine of “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” they would have created a revolution here had not firm measures been taken to suppress them. They hailed the conquests by the Revolutionary Generals of Belgium, Holland, the Rhineland States and, later, Bonaparte’s of Italy, as triumphs against ancient tyrannies which must benefit mankind.
‘But now, matters are very different. By the Peace of Amiens we came near to licking the boots of the French. We gave them back all the conquests that during eleven years of war many thousands of British lives had been sacrificed to make, agreed to their retaining territories that made France a mightier nation than ever before and, in fact, did everything possible to ensure a lasting peace. And with what result? After barely a year Bonaparte’s grandiose pretensions forced us into war with him again.
‘Before, it was felt by at least half the nation that the French were Crusaders, fighting at first desperately to protect their newly-won liberties, then to benefit the people of neighbouring lands by releasing them, too, from serfdom. But now it has become clear to all. The French are not liberators but despoilers of the lands they overrun; and this new war has but one object; the aggrandisement of Bonaparte. ’Tis that which has united the British people against him; so that he is known here now as the Corsican Ogre, but our tragedy at the moment is that all this patriotic fervour is being so hopelessly misdirected.’
‘From what little I have been able to gather of the matter,’ Roger remarked, ‘our trouble lies in having a near-mad King who cannot fully grasp the situation, and so will suffer only Ministers subservient to him, instead of ones capable of directing the war against the French.’
‘You are right in that. King George’s poor bemused brain revolves round one subject only; to resist being pressed into breaking, as he believes, his Coronation oath, which forbids Roman Catholics to hold office. Seeing that Mr. Pitt was set on putting through his Catholic Emancipation Bill, the King fell back upon the hopeless mediocrity Addington and allowed him to choose that imbecile my Lord Hawkesbury as his Foreign Secretary. In such feeble hands now lies the fate of our poor country.’
‘Hawkesbury must receive all reports from our Secret Service,’ Roger said, ‘so must be aware of the activities of the French exiles. Think you he would be disposed to disclose such matters to me did I wait upon him?’
Droopy looked dubious, ‘ ’Tis possible; but the man is an utter fool. So much so that those acquainted with him oft refer to his “vacuous grin”. The odds are he’d hum and haw and you’d get no further. You’d do better, I think, by approaching your old master. Although he has been out of office for some time, he was Prime Minister for so long that his knowledge of our intelligence system must be unrivalled. Moreover, that quick, clear brain of his would grasp at once the importance of thwarting this conspiracy, so you could count upon his doing his utmost to aid you.’
‘Tomorrow then, I’ll ride out to Bromley.’
‘No, no!’ Droopy shook his head. ‘Mr. Pitt is no longer at Holwood. As you know he has no private fortune, and having given all his thought for so long to the welfare of the nation he allowed his own finances to fall into the most ill condition. Even before he left Downing Street and was still receiving his stipend as First Lord of the Treasury the bailiffs threatened to remove his furniture against debts of a few hundred that he could not immediately meet.
‘What a shocking thing!’ Roger exclaimed, ‘ ’Tis disgraceful that a man to whom the country owes so much should be harassed by private debts.’
‘I’m with you there, and his integrity is such that he’d not take advantage of his high office, as did his predecessors, to make himself a single guinea. From time to time his friends have come to his assistance but, even so, over a year ago he was forced to sell Holwood House and acquire a smaller residence; Bowling Green House on Putney Hill. But you’ll not find him there either. On the outbreak of war, although only a private member, he appeared in the House and made the speech of his life, thereby carrying the miserable Addington’s motion, against the opposition of Fox and his cronies who would have had us kow-tow to Bonaparte. Then, since he is still Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, he went straight to Walmer Castle and raised a battalion of militia, of which he is now Colonel.’
‘What! Billy Pitt become a soldier?’ Roger exclaimed. ‘He, so frail and ill a man, so unsuited to being exposed to the elements at all hours, and long night marches. I would ne’er have believed it.’
Droopy smiled, ‘ ’Tis the fact, though. And ’tis said that his Fencibles are the best trained and disciplined on all the Kent coast.’
‘If Nap
oleon does invade, they will need to be,’ Roger rejoined. ‘For it will be on the Kent coast that the brunt of the attack will fall. I’ll go down to Walmer then, as you advise, and seek the help of Britain’s greatest patriot.’
‘What of Christmas?’ Droopy asked. ‘Three days hence I set out for Normanrood to spend it with my family. You should be back by then and would be made most welcome if you’d accompany me.’
‘I thank you, Ned. No prospect could be more pleasant. But my mission is urgent and on my return from Walmer I ought not to go so far afield from London as Wiltshire. I learned last night that Georgina is gone to the West Indies to dispose of Mr. Beefy’s estates there; but the children are at Stillwaters and, if it be possible, I’d like to spend at least Christmas Day with them.’
‘I see no bar to that. I’m told Georgina left them in the care of her father and your late wife’s aunt, Mrs. Marsham.’
Roger nodded, ‘Colonel Thursby was ever my good friend and Aunt Marsham is a pleasant woman. I’ll send a note asking if they will have me for a night or two. A reply should reach here by the time I get back from Walmer and I doubt not ’twill be in the affirmative. Meanwhile, so as to lose no time I’ll book myself a seat on the night coach for Dover.’
At Dover next morning he freshened himself up then hired a postchaise to take him on to Walmer, arriving there shortly before midday. Outside the Castle he found a great concourse of people watching a parade that was in progress and soon learned that General John Moore, who commanded in East Kent from his headquarters at Shorncliffe, was inspecting Mr. Pitt’s two battalions, each a thousand strong, of Cinque Port Volunteers.
Using his postchaise as a grandstand, Roger watched the review, marvelling to sec the tall, stooping figure of the Prime Minister that he had seen so often behind a desk now stumping up and down and shouting orders as sharply as a sergeant major. The stumping was caused by one of his boots being much larger than the other; so Roger knew that he must be suffering from an attack of the gout which sadly plagued him, and admired him all the more for his devotion to his country.
When the parade was finally dismissed Colonel Pitt and his officers escorted the General into the castle. Roger realised then that he would stand little chance of a private conversation with his old master that afternoon, and would have to stay overnight in Walmer; so he sent his driver with his valise along to the inn with orders to book him a room. But he felt that there was no point in delaying making known his presence and, entering the castle, had his name sent up. Five minutes later Mr. Pitt was shaking him warmly by the hand and presenting him first to his niece, Lady Hester Stanhope, who was keeping house for him, then to the assembled company.
Lady Hester was dressed in a scarlet habit and had a gold-laced cocked hat perched on her ash-blonde curls. Roger had seen her on the parade and wondered who she could be. He soon learned that she accompanied her uncle on all military exercises and was a most gay and charming young woman who had brought sunshine into his monastic bachelor existence.
When it emerged that Roger had recently arrived from France everyone wanted to hear the latest news about the Corsican Ogre and his plans for invasion; but that had to wait, as General Moore was about to give the officers a short talk.
The future hero of Corunna was then forty-two years of age. He had served in Corsica, the West Indies, Holland and Egypt and so distinguished himself that, although by British standards young for a General, he had now been charged with the defence of the coast upon which it was expected that the invasion would take place. He had a fine presence, a most striking personality, a clear melodious voice and a pretty sense of humour.
He aired it by his opening remark, ‘Well, gentlemen, I congratulate you on your turn out and the performance of your men; but when General Lannes lands here one morning I shall have you drawn up in close order on the top of a hill, as I am sure your appearance will strike fear into him. Meanwhile my own men will fight his Grenadiers on the beach.’
Seeing their downcast looks he laughed, and went on to explain. Experience had shown that volunteers who had never seen active service could be used only in large formations; otherwise, if heavily attacked, they swiftly went to pieces. Moreover, up to that time the same principle had been adhered to in all regular armies, so that the men should remain under the immediate control of their officers arid N.C.O.S and take courage from their example. But with his Light Infantry he was developing a revolutionary form of training, by which he sought to take advantage of the difference between the British soldier and that of the Continental Powers.
The latter, he said, were for the most part peasants who had only recently emerged from serfdom, and the majority of them were automatons, good fighters in a body no doubt, but incapable of thinking and acting for themselves. Whereas the common people of Britain had for centuries been free to lead their lives as they would and use such brains as God had given them to make a living. This had given them a much stronger individuality and a sense of responsibility, and his object was to give every man under him the chance to show it. His ideal rifleman should have the mentality of a poacher and not feel lost and bewildered if he found himself cut off behind the enemy lines, but have the initiative and confidence to make his way back to his unit under cover of darkness. During an advance such troops would not have to be marched into battle in solid formations, and so form a fine target for the enemy cannon, but could be sent forward in open order, each man using his common sense when to make a rush and when to lie down.
Roger listened fascinated to this exposition of the infantry tactics of the future, and much else that this inspiring General had to say about the desirability of officers attending not an occasional drill, but every drill, and getting to know each one of their men personally—doctrines unheard of in those days.
Dinner was served at half past three and during it Roger learned much about the preparations that had been made to resist an invasion. From all over England great numbers of horses and carts had been brought into the coastal area to be used in what was termed ‘the driving’. This was the evacuation inland of not only all non-combatants but cattle, poultry, fodder, the contents of shops and household stores so that if the invader did get a foothold he would find the land barren of all sustenance.
But General Moore was of the opinion that although Bonaparte was causing them by his threats to expend a great deal of effort he was not such a fool as to undertake the mad gamble of a cross-Channel operation, and that if he did he would rue it. Both the regular troops and the volunteers were in splendid heart. There were now three hundred and eighty thousand of the latter, plus thirty-one thousand Sea Fencibles. As Lord Warden, Pitt alone had under him one hundred and seventy gun boats, in addition to his two battalions of militia, and every man among them was eager to have a crack at the enemy.
Roger, with his personal knowledge of Napoleon’s vast preparations, was not so confident that he was only bluffing. But he did think it unlikely that many of the French would reach land.
In his view that was the one question upon which the success or failure of an invasion hung. He gathered that General Moore had under him only some three thousand eight hundred regulars. If on a foggy day the protecting flotillas could be evaded and ten thousand French get ashore, General Moore’s men must be overwhelmed. Then, once a beach-head had been secured, the volunteers, brave though they might be, would be scattered like chaff before the massed veteran troops of Soult, Ney, Davoust and the iron Guard of Bessiéres.
A little before six o’clock General Moore was cheered away into the winter darkness and soon afterwards the other officers followed. Mr. Pitt then expressed his surprise that so old a friend as Roger had not taken it for granted that he would lie that night at the castle—as indeed he had been expected to be invited to do—and had his valise sent for. Soon afterwards they were settled before a roaring log fire in Mr. Pitt’s untidy but comfortable study and an hour slipped past while Roger answered innumerable questions about the state of things
in France; then he disclosed the reason for his return to England.
Having heard him out Mr. Pitt looked very grave and, after a moment’s thought, said, ‘ ’Tis now close on three years since I left office and although my friends keep me informed of events they are in no situation to know the mind of Ministers. Henry Addington has proved a sad disappointment to us all but I’d stake my own life that he would not lend himself to such a crime, and my Lord Hawkesbury, though a fool, is no knave. If you are right that Drake, Hammond and others are involved, they must have acted through an excess of misplaced zeal and I am confident that their participation in this plot cannot be known to their superiors. But, however that may be, you are right, Mr. Brook—one hundred times right. This dastardly attempt must be prevented at all costs. Did it succeed and were laid squarely at the door of England ’twould be an indelible blot upon the fair name of our nation, and the righteous rancour of the French be such that they’d hold it against us for a lifetime.’
It being one thing to seek to penetrate the military intentions of an enemy nation and quite another to pry into the secrets of individuals with intent to betray them, Roger had all along been very conscious of this most unpleasant aspect of his new mission; so it heartened him greatly that so upright a man as Mr. Pitt should unhesitatingly endorse Droopy’s opinion that he must proceed with it as an affair of State upon which great issues hung. But when it came to practical help he found that there was little Mr. Pitt could give him. While Prime Minister he had always avoided going into society, so had met very few of the French émigrés; and, since his retirement, he had devoted himself first to his garden then, since the renewal of the war, to his military duties.
The Wanton Princess Page 34
