'What about you?' she asked. 'If and when you take us back to The Hague, what will you do afterwards?'
'I'll return to my regiment to give a full report.'
'And then?'
'I'll await the return of our commander-in-chief before I can rejoin his staff. Oh,' he added, looking deep into her eyes, 'there is something else I intend to do.'
'And what's that?'
'I'll find time to visit Amsterdam and call on a very special friend.' She laughed in delight. 'Can I have an address, please?'
After a testing march, they set up camp early that evening. The first thing that Hugh Dobbs did was to go to the nearby stream so that he could dangle his bare feet in the water. Tom Hillier sat beside him, letting his own feet get washed by the current.
'We'll have a decent rest at long last,' said Dobbs. 'We'll be here for a few days at least.'
'How do you know that?'
'I overheard Lieutenant Ainsley say so.'
Hillier chuckled. 'One of these days, the lieutenant will catch you listening and box your ears.'
'That's why I always loiter near him. He's never really strict. If I was caught eavesdropping by Major Cracknell,' said Dobbs, 'he wouldn't just box my ears, he'd cut the pair of them off.'
'We haven't seen the major all day,' noted Hillier.
'I daresay he's seen us, Tom.'
'Why is he keeping his distance?'
'He's just biding his time.' Dobbs picked up a stone and tossed it idly into the water. 'Have you heard from Sergeant Welbeck?'
'Not a single word, Hugh.'
'He's a poor bloody uncle.'
'I told you before,' said Hillier. 'He denies there's any family tie between us. I was hurt at first but I've come to see that he's doing me a favour. If I kept turning to him all the time for support, I'd never be my own man.'
'I still think he's letting you down badly, Tom. Ah, well,' he said with an arm around his friend, 'since nobody else will teach you, I'll have to take you under my wing. We'll wait until tomorrow night.'
'What for, Hugh?'
'Didn't you see that town we passed a couple of miles back?'
'Yes, it was very pretty.'
'It's more than pretty,' said Dobbs with a cackle. 'We camped near there two years ago and some of us sneaked into the town for some sport. It was amazing, Tom. It cost me a week's wages but it was worth every bit of it. She was the best I've ever had.'
'What are you talking about?'
'With a brisk walk, we could get there in under half an hour, though it might take us a lot longer to get back to camp.'
'Why?'
'We'll be exhausted, you buffoon.'
Hillier was perplexed. 'I'm not sure that I follow you.'
'Manhood,' said Dobbs. 'I'm talking about satisfying our urges between the warm thighs of a woman. You can't hold on to your virginity for ever, Tom. It's high time you learnt to fuck.'
To reinforce the message, he pushed his friend into the stream with a big splash. The cold water helped to cool Hillier's blushes.
The inn was on the edge of a village and it served their needs well. While the others slept inside the building, Daniel stayed in the courtyard, curled up inside the coach with a pistol at his side. He shared an early breakfast with his friends, leaving an ostler to harness the horse. Before they left, Daniel took Kees Dopff aside.
'I'd like you to sit beside me today,' he said. 'Have you ever driven a cart or a coach?' Dopff shook his head. 'Then I'll have to teach you,' Daniel went on. 'In case something happens to me, you must be able to take over. There's nobody else I can ask.'
Dopff was pleased to be offered the chance of taking the reins but worried by the suggestion that Daniel might not be with them indefinitely. He could not imagine how the four of them would possibly survive without him. The others climbed into the coach and the little Dutchman took his place beside Daniel. It gave him a sense of being useful again. Having lost his roles as cook and keeper of the tapestry, he was ready to embrace a new challenge. When Daniel flicked the reins to set the horse off, Dopff watched the driver's every move.
It was a dull day with low cloud and the promise of more rain. Daniel hoped that they were not caught in another downpour. He pushed the horse a little harder than before without taxing it too much. When the animal was trotting over level ground, Daniel handed the reins over for the first time. Dopff took them nervously as if expecting the horse to react mutinously to the change of driver. Instead it continued to trot at the same unvarying pace. Dopff turned to Daniel and nodded happily. He was clearly going to enjoy being in charge. Controlling the coach seemed remarkably easy.
His confidence steadily grew. It was soon dented. They came to a series of deep ruts that made the whole vehicle sway crazily from side to side then Dopff mistakenly took the horse off the track altogether. When they crested a low hill, he saw another problem looming. At the bottom of the slope was a ford, the fast-flowing water creating white foam. Fearing that they'd be trapped in the stream, he thrust the reins at Daniel but they were immediately put back into his hands. Dopff was even more nervous when Daniel jumped to the ground from the moving vehicle and took the bridle to lead the horse through the water. It was very shallow and hardly reached his shins. Safe on the other bank, Dopff felt a sense of pride. He'd been alone on the driving seat when they'd negotiated the hazard. He grinned for a whole mile.
They paused at midday to have a light meal. Since Dopff was eager to renew his education as a coach driver, Daniel let him take the reins again. The Dutchman's main concern was to keep the horse on the winding track. Daniel, on the other hand, was more worried about the weather. A storm was brewing. The clouds were darker and more menacing. Though the windows were mere open rectangles, those in the coach did have a measure of protection. The two drivers had none. Seeing a copse ahead, Daniel wondered if it was better to seek shelter there until the storm had blown over.
In the event, he was given no choice between stopping and driving on. Shortly after they entered the copse, they had unwelcome company. Three horsemen appeared out of nowhere. One blocked their passage, forcing Dopff to pull on the reins and bring the coach to a halt, while the other two came up behind. All three of them held pistols. The leader of the highwaymen was a handsome man in his thirties with a well-groomed black beard.
'Well, now,' he said, smirking, 'what do we have here?'
'We're in a hurry, friend,' replied Daniel. 'We don't wish to be caught in the rain. Pray stand aside, if you will.'
'I will not. I want to see who your passengers are.'
There was nothing that Daniel could do. While the leader flicked his pistol to make Daniel and Dopff hold their hands in the air, the other men ordered the passengers to get out. Beatrix alighted first, petrified by the sight of loaded weapons. Janssen came next, helping his daughter after him. As soon as the men saw Amalia, they licked their lips. One of them, a squat individual with a patch over one eye, dismounted in order to search them. Choosing Amalia first, he took the opportunity to grope her. She stepped back in disgust and her father tried to push the man away. Janssen was punched in the face and fell back against the coach. He had no more strength to resist being searched. Beatrix screamed when the man ran his hands over her. It was a disappointing haul. He held up the few valuables he'd managed to find on them.
'Search these two,' said the leader, indicating Daniel and Dopff. 'Maybe they'll have something worth stealing.'
They were made to climb down from the driving seat. The man found a small purse on Dopff and an even smaller one on Daniel. Of more interest to him was the pistol that Daniel was carrying. It was tossed up to the leader.
'This is an army pistol,' he observed, studying it. 'Did you serve in the army?'
'Yes,' replied Daniel, 'and I was proud to do so.'
'How many years did you follow the drum?'
'Twelve.'
'That may save your life,' said the other, weighing him up. 'I was a soldier myself. I like a ma
n who fights for his country.'
'What shall we do with the others?' asked the searcher.
'I haven't decided yet.'
'I say we shoot the two men and let the women live so that we can take it in turns at night.'
'Oh, the ladies will survive, have no fear of that.'
'Shall I kill this one?' said the squat man, holding a pistol to Janssen's temple. 'He's no use to us at all.'
'Yes, he is,' cried Daniel. 'Shoot him and you throw away the chance to make a lot of money.' He turned to the leader. 'Tell him to lower the pistol.'
'Do as he suggests,' said the leader and the man obeyed. 'Now what's this about a lot of money?'
'Is the name of Emanuel Janssen familiar to you?' asked Daniel, looking around the three men. When he received blank stares from the trio, he pressed on. "Ibis gentleman is the finest tapestry-maker in Europe. His work hangs in the capital cities of almost every nation. He and his daughter have been living in Paris where he's been weaving his latest tapestry. This,' he went on, touching Dopff, 'is his assistant.' Dopff smiled uneasily.
'We're on our way to deliver a tapestry commissioned by the Bishop of Beauvais. If you don't believe me, we can show it to you.'
'Do that,' said the leader, interest aroused. 'But let's have no tricks, soldier. Make one false move and I'll shoot you between the eyes.'
Daniel reached into the coach to bring out the tapestry then he and Dopff carefully unfolded it on the grass. The highwaymen were astonished at the size and quality of it.
'Nothing but the finest materials have been used,' said Daniel.
'Yes,' said Janssen, taking his cue. 'What you are looking at is Picardy wool, Italian silk and gold and silver thread from Cyprus.'
Daniel took over again. 'Imagine the cost,' he said. 'The bishop is very wealthy. He wishes to have another tapestry made by Emanuel Janssen. Can you hear what I'm saying to you? Hold the tapestry and its creator to ransom, and you'd all be rich men.'
'That makes sense,' urged the squat man.
'Be quiet, Gustave!' snapped the leader.
'Bishops always have far too much money.'
'True enough. I'd be delighted to make one of them part with it. First, I wish to know something,' he went on, turning a suspicious eye on Daniel. 'If that tapestry is destined for the Bishop of Beauvais, why does it depict a battle? Surely a prelate would choose something more spiritual to hang on his wall?'
'You're clearly unaware of his links with the army,' said Daniel, inventing the tale as he went along. 'In his younger days, he served as an army chaplain. His brother holds the rank of general and actually fought in the battle you see laid out before you. It will not hang in the bishop's palace. It's a gift for his brother. The second tapestry,' he explained, 'will show a religious scene.' He felt a first spot of rain. 'You can see how delicate this is,' he went on. 'With your permission, we'll fold it up again.'
'Do that, soldier.'
As Daniel tried to bend down, Janssen stepped forward to stop him. He insisted on folding the tapestry himself. Aided by Dopff, he handled it with a care and reverence that showed he must have woven it. They lifted it gently back into the coach. Any lingering doubts the leader might have about Emanuel Janssen were swept away. The rain now began to fall in earnest.
'What do we do?' asked Gustave.
'Get them in the coach and take them to the house,' said the leader. 'We need to write a letter to the Bishop of Beauvais.'
The house was less than a mile away. It turned out to be a derelict cottage on an abandoned farm. With a loaded pistol levelled at him by one of the men, Daniel drove the coach into a dilapidated barn and brought it to a halt. In defiance of the countless holes in the roof, the horse managed to find a dry spot. The passengers were ordered out and tied up in turn. Daniel, Janssen and Dopff were bound hand and foot. The two women simply had their hands tied behind their back. Gustave bent over to steal a kiss from Amalia. The leader grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back.
'Show more respect,' he warned. 'If I learn that either of these women has been molested, you'll get nothing of the ransom.'
'That's unfair!' wailed Gustave.
'Waiting heightens the appetite.'
'I'm ready for her now!
'You'll get your turn in due course. Stay and guard them.'
'Where will you be?'
'Armand and I are going to the house to compose the letter. You can have the pleasure of delivering it to the Bishop of Beauvais.'
'I want another kind of pleasure first.'
'Later.'
'Yes,' said Armand, shooting a lascivious glance at Amalia, 'while you're riding to Beauvais, we'll be playing cards.'
The leader smiled. 'The winner has the pretty one and,' he went on, pointing to Beatrix, 'the loser gets the ugly one.'
'I want them both,' said Gustave.
'For the moment, you can simply look at them.'
After issuing another warning to Gustave, the leader ran across to the cottage with Armand, leaving the captives seated on the ground in a semicircle. Gustave walked around them to make sure that they were securely bound. When he reached Amalia, he leered at her.
'Don't you dare touch my daughter!' yelled Janssen.
'I'll do what I like when the time comes.'
'When you get your ransom,' Daniel told him, 'you'll have enough money to buy any woman you choose.'
Gustave leered again. 'I'll have this one free!'
Sitting down a few yards away, he rested his pistol on his thigh and ogled Amalia. She lowered her head in despair. Beatrix had already resorted to prayer, closing her eyes and sending urgent pleas up to heaven. Dopff was utterly distraught, fearing for the safety of the tapestry as much as for his own life. Janssen was grateful to Daniel, knowing that his intervention had saved two of them from being shot dead. All that Daniel had done, however, was to buy some time. When it was discovered that the Bishop of Beauvais had no knowledge of any tapestry woven by
Emanuel Janssen, the highwaymen would wreak their revenge. Amalia and Beatrix would be raped. In all likelihood, the men would be brutally killed. The beautiful tapestry woven at royal command would be in the hands of ruthless bandits. Turning a woeful face to Daniel, Janssen spoke to him in Dutch.
'Is there nothing we can do?'
Chapter Thirteen
Daniel Rawson was concentrating hard. All that he had gained so far was a temporary respite. Had he not distracted the highwaymen with the promise of ransom money, he, Dopff and Janssen would almost certainly be dead now, leaving the women at the mercy of their captors. As it was, there was only limited time before the other two men returned to the barn to take their pleasure with Amalia and Beatrix. That thought burnt inside his brain. The others were looking to him for salvation. Powerless themselves, their only hope was that Daniel could somehow come to their rescue. He could feel the intensity of their desperation. It spurred him on.
There was one small but significant advantage. Gustave had no interest in him. Through his single, glinting eye, the only person that their guard wished to look at was Amalia. Grinning inanely, he let his imagination roam, undressing, fondling, biting, abusing her at will, sucking all the sweetness out of her lips. Daniel had already been working to loosen the rope around his wrists. He and Dopff were farthest away from Gustave, sitting side by side. Daniel wriggled even closer so that he could reach behind Dopff's back. With his own bonds slackened, he had enough freedom of movement to untie the other man's rope, instructing him to return the favour. Dopff's hands were trembling as he plucked at the rope holding Daniel's arms together but he managed to release the knot eventually. Unseen by their captor, the two men shook hands behind their backs. It was a start.
Daniel's ankles were still tightly bound and it would be more difficult to untie them. Gustave was sure to see him out of the corner of his eye. Somehow he had to be distracted. The man's impatience came to Daniel's aid. Throbbing with lust and dazzled by the beauty of the defenceless young woman
sitting only yards away, he hauled himself up to take a first kiss from Amalia. When she turned her head away in horror, he grabbed her hair and forced her to face him.
'Leave her alone!' yelled Janssen.
'Why?' taunted Gustave, hitting him across the cheek. 'What are you going to do to stop me?'
'I'll tell the others.'
Gustave laughed derisively and went back to Amalia.
'Wait!' shouted Daniel.
'Be quiet!' snarled Gustave, annoyed to be deprived of his kiss yet again. 'I'll deal with you in a minute.'
'But I've got some good news for you.'
The highwayman glowered at him. 'What do you mean?'
'I can tell you why these people didn't have much money with them,' said Daniel. 'They've hidden their valuables in the coach.'
Janssen was outraged. 'Why tell him that?'
'One of the seats lifts up,' Daniel continued. "There's money and jewellery there along with some saddlebags.'
'Is this true?' demanded Gustave.
'See for yourself if you don't believe me.'
Spitting on the floor, Gustave wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and went to investigate. Janssen was appalled at what he saw as a betrayal and Amalia stared at Daniel in disbelief. He ignored both of them. As soon as Gustave opened the door of the coach to search inside, Daniel swiftly undid the rope around his ankles then kept it in his hands as he leapt to his feet. Gustave, meanwhile, had lifted the seat to discover the valuables. He held one of the purses in his hand and felt its weight. His cry of triumph became an instant gurgle of pain as Daniel slipped the rope over the man's head to use as a garrotte. Taken completely by surprise, the Frenchman was slow to react. Daniel was merciless. Using all of his considerable strength, he tightened the rope by degrees and gradually squeezed the last vestiges of life out of the highwayman. Gustave struggled, flailed his arms and even tried to kick his attacker's legs from under him but Daniel was far too powerful. With a final twist of the rope, he pulled Gustave's head backwards then released him. The dead body slumped to the floor.
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