Then there was still the question of his relationship with Josephine. She had remained in Paris and scarcely a word had passed between them since that night in Malmaison. Napoleon felt his heart soften as he thought of her. She had been the love of his life, until he had discovered her infidelities when he was away campaigning in Egypt. Since then their love had been qualified and based on an affection whose strength drew more on the habit of years than any remaining physical desire and romantic ardour.They had sought pleasure in other arms for years now and had only come together for familiar and comfortable undemanding lovemaking. Nevertheless, Napoleon would not hurt her any more than he had to when the time came to find a more fertile wife to provide France with an heir to the imperial throne.
Napoleon met Louis and Joseph before Ferdinand was due to arrive. Once the pomp and ceremonies of a meeting of three kings had been observed and the parades and the banquets concluded, they met as three brothers in the privacy of the estate that had been taken over by the imperial household. Even though it was spring a cold rain had fallen all day.They met in a small salon with paintings of hunting scenes adorning every wall. A freshly lit fire crackled in the grate of an enormous fireplace that seemed far too large for the room. The three brothers pulled up chairs in an arc around the fire and a servant left them with a decanter of wine and some glasses on a small table at Napoleon’s side. He poured his brothers a glass and then one for himself, raising it for an informal toast.
‘To the family, and a dynasty that will be the master of Europe.’
They drank and then Napoleon set his glass down and turned to the business of the evening.
‘We stand on the verge of a great victory, my brothers. Britain has but one ally left in the world.Thanks to her decision to seize any neutral vessel on the high seas that has entered any port on the continent she has played into my hands. Now even America is contemplating declaring war on Britain. As an inducement I have promised their ambassador that they can take possession of the Spanish Floridas if they join the fight on our side.’
‘Isn’t that a bit precipitate?’ asked Louis. ‘Given that those lands are not yours to give.’
‘Not yet.’ Napoleon smiled.‘But I am getting a little ahead of myself, my dear brothers. First, we must discuss our wider strategy.’
‘Ah.’ Louis nodded. ‘You mean your wider strategy.Your interests.’
‘We are one blood,’ Napoleon replied in an irritated tone. ‘Our interests are the same. We must not forget that. Which is why I must confess to a little disappointment in your affairs. Both of you, that is.’
‘Disappointment?’ Louis leaned forward. ‘In what respect?’
‘Your failure to ensure that your subjects adhere to the trade embargo with Britain, my dear Louis. Surely you must know that many of your harbour masters turn a blind eye to cargo landed from Britain. If my agents are aware of it, then I am sure your officials must be. This is not the first time I have mentioned it to you. But I hope it will be the last.’
Louis was silent for a moment before he responded. ‘Napoleon, this Continental System of yours is unworkable. I cannot police every fishing village and strip of coast in Holland. Besides, I risk incurring the anger of my people should I try to enforce your laws too rigorously. They ask me whether I am their king, or your puppet.’
‘If you were truly their king, they would not dare to ask.’
‘Perhaps that is your way. It is not mine.There are other ways to rule a country than by just cowing the people or offering them bread and circuses.’
‘Louis is right.’ Joseph spoke up.‘You cannot sever trade between the continent and Britain.Your policy is ruining businesses the length and breadth of Europe. Besides, it is impossible to police.’
‘It is not impossible,’ Napoleon said evenly.‘Provided the will is there to see it through. I appreciate that my measures hinder trade. But they are only required for as long as it takes to ruin our oldest enemy and drive her to the negotiating table. Once Britain is defeated then trade can flow as freely as ever, with my full blessing. Until then, I depend upon my allies, and I particularly depend upon you, my brothers, to secure the victory and the peace we all want to bring to each of our realms. This cannot be if you permit your subjects to defy me. And, as you are my family, if they defy me they defy you, and neither one of you will be able to rest easy in his bed if rebels and traitors are allowed to go unpunished. If you will not rule your people, Louis, perhaps it is time that someone else did.’
There was a brief pause as Louis stared coldly at his brother.‘Are you threatening me?’
‘I made you the King, and I can unmake you just as easily, should I wish it.’ Napoleon let the words sink in and then smiled suddenly. ‘Come now! There is no need for any unpleasantness between us. Indeed, my brother, one of the reasons I have asked you here is to offer you an even greater proof of my trust and faith in you.’
Louis’s eyes narrowed. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Holland is a fine enough kingdom, I grant you. I have heard that you rule it well and the people respect you. But Holland is a small nation, and one that is barely fit for a Bonaparte to rule.’
‘I like it well enough,’ Louis replied uneasily.
‘Yes, yes. Of course, and I admire your sense of duty. However, I may need your skills as a ruler to be applied with respect to another kingdom. One that has long suffered under the vicious and baleful influence of the Church and its inquisition. A land where every aspect of public life reeks of corruption.’
Joseph cleared his throat. ‘You refer to Spain.’
‘Yes. Spain. Her people are crying out for a new ruler. A man who will lead them out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world. I believe Louis is the man who can do that. Would you accept such a challenge, brother?’
‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’ Louis replied. ‘Spain already has a king.’
‘Really?’ Napoleon could not help smiling. ‘At present it seems that there are two claimants to that title, neither of whom is worthy of that honour, or any other.We shall have to see if either of them has a viable claim to the throne in the days to come. For the sake of argument, let us assume that the Spanish throne falls empty. In that case, would you accept the crown if it was offered to you?’
Louis stared at him and Napoleon continued,‘You would not just be master of Spain. Think of it, Louis. There is a vast empire in the Americas with untold wealth in gold and silver waiting to be discovered in its hinterlands.With your rather idealistic concern for the welfare of the common man you could transform Spain into a country that would be proud to take its place amongst the most advanced nations in Europe, rather than languishing as a decadent backwater. Greatness beckons to you, Louis.You have but to answer the call.’
Louis eased himself back into his chair with a faint smile. ‘I am not a fool, Napoleon. I have heard about conditions in Spain. It is a patchwork of a country, riven by superstitions and suspicions. Its people are proud, and while they may be at each other’s throats at the moment, they would surely unite against any foreign power that presumed to dictate their affairs.That is what my advisers have told me.’
Napoleon could see that his brother would not be persuaded so easily to do his bidding, and raised a hand in a placating gesture. ‘There is no hurry, Louis.The matter is not yet settled. All that I ask is that you consider the prospect.’ He paused. ‘And if you should decide that you would rather rule in Holland, it is possible that Joseph might be prepared to lead where you will not.’
‘Me?’ Joseph stiffened in his seat.‘You would ask me to become King of Spain?’
‘If Louis does not want to, I can think of no better alternative.You at least I know would never let me down. You never have, my dear Joseph. So you too can think on my offer.’
Napoleon poured himself another glass of wine and continued in a low, menacing tone, ‘In the meantime, I must deal with young Ferdinand, and his father.’
Chapter 40
‘His majesty insists on being referred to as King Ferdinand VII of Spain,’ the chamberlain informed Napoleon anxiously.
‘Does he now?’ Napoleon muttered as he smiled politely at the uninspiring figure seated opposite him. The claimant to the Spanish throne was a corpulent young man in his mid-twenties. His eyes were large and dark and his hair was thick and wiry. He wore a fine silk coat, encrusted with bejewelled stars and ribbons of several noble orders. His lips were thick and coarse-looking. He was the very image of his mother, Napoleon had been told, and he repressed a shudder at the thought of ever encountering her.
Ferdinand and Napoleon were meeting in the largest hall in the Emperor’s château, as befitted their status. In accordance with the instructions of the Spanish protocol official, a dais had been set up for Ferdinand, large enough to accommodate a gold-leafed chair for the man who would be king. Napoleon’s courtiers had arranged for another dais to be positioned opposite with an even more ornate chair, and steps slightly higher than those of the Spanish dais so that Napoleon might look down on his guest. Behind each of them stood the ornately dressed courtiers of their respective retinues.
Napoleon waved the chamberlain aside and bowed his head. ‘Ferdinand, Prince of the Asturias, I bid you welcome to Bayonne.’
Ferdinand’s lips compressed into a tight grimace for a moment before he relaxed and spoke in accented French.‘I am Prince no longer, but King, proclaimed by my people, following the abdication of my father, and the consent of the Madrid junta.’
‘Of course, your highness,’ Napoleon conceded. ‘Under normal circumstances that would be sufficient authority for the title you lay claim to. But the circumstances are far from normal, which is why we are meeting here today. I am sure that the details will be resolved satisfactorily in the days to come. Meanwhile, it will be more agreeable to all if you restrict yourself to the rank of prince.’
Ferdinand did not reply immediately and glared stupidly at his host, as if waiting for him to retract the comment. At length he cleared his throat and shrugged. ‘As you please, your majesty. For now I will revert to my previous title. But I am King, and I will be until almighty God deigns otherwise. Only out of respect for you do I make this temporary concession.’
‘I thank you.’ Napoleon nodded graciously. ‘Now then, we are told that there is some dispute between you and your father over who is the legitimate King of Spain.’
‘There is no dispute,’ Ferdinand interrupted. ‘My father abdicated in my favour. In front of these witnesses.’ He waved a hand at the Spanish noblemen behind him on the dais.‘Every one of them will attest to that. Therefore, I am King, regardless of how you, or anyone else, might choose to address me.’
‘Alas, there are those in Spain, and elsewhere, who deny that you have any right to the title. Your father claims that he was forced to abdicate under duress. If that is proved then the abdication is not legal.’
‘He lies,’ Ferdinand replied bitterly. ‘As I said, there were witnesses.’
‘Who are hardly impartial,’ Napoleon countered. ‘We shall investigate the matter thoroughly, my dear Prince. I am deeply concerned to resolve the divisions that beset our Spanish neighbours.’
‘No doubt that is why so many French soldiers have descended on Spanish soil.To help us.’ Ferdinand could not help sneering a little as he continued. ‘I trust they will be removed the moment the crisis is over and I am duly crowned King of Spain.’
‘I give you my word that my soldiers will be withdrawn at the earliest opportunity.’
‘And when will that be?’
‘When my military operations in Portugal, and against Gibraltar, are concluded.’
‘And what if I ordered you to withdraw your men at once?’
There was a sharp intake of breath from some of the officials behind the Emperor. Napoleon paused and then spoke very deliberately. ‘I would find that difficult to accomplish, your highness. If it were not for Marshal Murat there would be chaos in Madrid and the streets would run with blood. Our soldiers are there out of concern for the well-being of your people. I could not begin to contemplate the horrors that would ensue if I gave the order for my men to withdraw from Spain during the present crisis. So there they must stay, for the present.’
‘Some might call them an army of occupation,’ Ferdinand countered. ‘That is what the British newspapers are saying.’
Napoleon felt his stomach clench in anger and he had to take a deep breath to steady his temper before he continued.‘The British lie in this, as in all things.You should pay no heed to their twisted words.They are as much your enemies as my own. My soldiers entered Spain with the full permission of your father. You have nothing to fear from their presence. After all, have not the French and Spanish shed their blood side by side in fighting Britain for many years now?’
‘That is true, but only because that vile worm Godoy was bought with French gold and used his silver tongue to mislead my mother and father into obeying his every whim. I have always doubted the wisdom of the alliances Godoy made with France. They have invariably been one-sided, and very costly to Spanish interests. I shudder to think how many warships have been lost, how many men have been lost, thanks to the treaties Godoy made with France. But now Godoy is gone, your majesty. He can no longer betray his country and serve your interests. Those days are over. I will lead Spain into a glorious new age, without your assistance.’
‘I see.’ Napoleon nodded slowly. ‘It seems we understand one another’s positions well enough. I will need to confer with my ministers before we speak on these matters again. Meanwhile, your highness, you and your companions are free to enjoy the pleasures that Bayonne has to offer. We will meet again, soon, and discuss your claim to the throne in more detail.’
Napoleon rose from his chair and bowed briefly before he descended from the dais and left the room, his staff bowing their heads until he was out of sight, and then filing out as well, leaving the chamber to the Spaniards. Ferdinand turned round to face his retinue with a broad smile. ‘There! I told you the Emperor would not dare to defy me!’
The members of his retinue nodded their agreement with little conviction and darted nervous glances after the French.
Outside, Napoleon gestured to Fouché to follow him and marched to his private study, head down and hands clasped behind his back to hide his thunderous mood from those he passed by. Once the door was closed behind them Napoleon gave vent to his temper.
‘Just who does that fat bastard think he is?’
Fouché coolly raised his eyebrows. ‘I rather assumed he thinks himself to be the King of Spain, sire.’
‘That arrogant fool? You heard him, Fouché. He means to throw his lot in with the British the moment the last of our soldiers quits Spain.’
‘He did not say that precisely, sire.’
‘It was clear enough to me.We cannot afford to let him stay on the throne. There is no question of it. Ferdinand must be persuaded, or forced, to renounce the crown.’
‘Even if he is, sire, I do not see how Charles can remain in power without our protection, and then we will share the hatred of his people in full measure.’
‘No. Neither of them is fit to be King,’ Napoleon reflected. ‘And I dare say neither of them will be willing to abandon their claim to the crown.This is going to require some deft handling.’
Charles and Marie-Louise arrived two days later. Their carriage and retinue had been escorted from the border by a regiment of Napoleon’s finest cavalry. Entire villages and towns turned out to watch the cavalcade pass and wave to Charles and his wife as though they were still the King and Queen of Spain. Their arrival at Bayonne was greeted with a deep boom at regular intervals as the artillery of the Imperial Guard welcomed them with a sixty-gun salute. The carriage rumbled down streets lined with guardsmen standing at attention, before finally turning into the courtyard where Napoleon and his two regal brothers were waiting.
The carriage ground to a halt and steps were has
tily set in place as a footman opened the door. Charles heaved himself awkwardly out on to the steps, with the support of the footman. He was a large man, and Napoleon could instantly see where the son had got his appetite from. Charles smiled at his host with a kindly expression and then turned as his wife descended from the carriage. She was every bit as ugly as Napoleon had feared and combined severely masculine features with a furrowed brow that betrayed a fiery temper.
Napoleon descended all but the last step of the château and bowed. ‘I trust the journey was comfortable.’
‘Oh?’ Charles raised his eyebrows and then thought a moment before nodding. ‘Comfortable, well, yes. I suppose it was.’
His wife snorted with derision.‘It was a long journey on rough roads and I’m heartily glad it’s over! Still, it is better than living under house arrest.’ She fixed her beady eyes on Napoleon. ‘We were living in a virtual prison. Can you imagine that? It seems we have raised a treacherous viper in the bosom of our family. Once this is over, we’ll banish him for life, at the very least,’ she added in an ominous tone.‘And then we will see to all his supporters.’
Fire and Sword Page 48
