An Infamous Army Read online

  Judith smiled. ‘I know how much you value him, Colonel. But go on!’

  ‘Well, we couldn’t hold the position against such odds, of course. Things were beginning to look devilish black, but Picton came up in the nick of time, which pretty well doubled our strength. But even so it was a ticklish business. The Highland Brigade were cut to pieces, poor devils, but they didn’t yield an inch. However, as I told you the Brunswickers came up from Nivelles, then the Nassauers, and Van Merlen’s cavalry. That was when I left.’ He glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece, swallowed the rest of his tea, and jumped up. ‘I must get back. You’ll be hearing more news, I daresay: someone is sure to be sent in. Goodbye—don’t be alarmed! All’s well, you know.’

  He hurried away, and not long after he had gone the noise of the firing, which had sounded closer in the stillness of the evening grew more desultory, and by ten o’clock had ceased. Worth came in, saying that the population of Brussels was still wandering about the ramparts and the Park. Great anxiety was being felt on all sides to know the result of the action. No news had as yet come in; some stout-hearted persons were maintaining that the Allies must have held their ground; others, in a state of growing uneasiness, were preparing to remove instantly to Antwerp.

  The ladies gave him an account of Canning’s visit, recalling as well as they were able his description of the battlefield. Worth listened intently, exclaiming when Barbara spoke of the arrival of the Brunswick and Nassau contingent: ‘Then none of our cavalry are engaged!’

  ‘No. Colonel Canning mentioned only General Picton’s division.’

  He looked serious, and said briefly: ‘It is an ill-managed business!’

  ‘The Colonel said the French had taken us by surprise.’

  ‘It may well have been so. From what De Lancey told me this morning, it is plain that Wellington, as late as then, was expecting the attack to be directed on his right. Do you say the Prussians have also been engaged?’

  ‘Yes, at Ligny, but he could not tell us how the day had gone with them. He said Napoleon himself was opposed to them.’

  ‘I would not give a penny for their chances of success!’ he said. ‘The question will be, can Wellington maintain his communications with Blücher? It is plain Bonaparte has struck this blow in the endeavour to get between our forces. By God, it should be a lesson to those who have been saying he had lost his old genius! It is masterly! The rapidity of his march from Paris, his strategy in launching the attack at our point of junction with Blücher—it is something quite in his old style: one cannot but admire him! If he can succeed in defeating the Prussians, and Ney in carrying our position, it will be a serious business.’ He observed Judith’s pallor, and dropped his hand on her shoulder, saying more quietly: ‘There is no need for alarm. If the day has gone against us we are bound to hear of it in time for me to drive you and the boy to safety. I have given orders in the stables: you need be under no apprehension.’

  Barbara, who had walked over to the window, turned, and said in her lively way: ‘Confound you, are you one of the croakers? I’ll tell you what: I have a very good mind to put my horses up for sale, and so burn my boats!’

  ‘I admire your spirit,’ he said, with a slight smile.

  ‘You need not,’ she replied. ‘I have merely a shocking love of excitement. Consider! In spite of all my adventures I was never till now in danger of falling into the hands of the French. It is something quite out of the common way, and therefore enchanting!’

  Judith was obliged to smile at her nonsense, but said protestingly: ‘How can you talk so?’

  ‘The devil! How else should I talk? You know, if the French should come I fancy we shall make a hit with them. There is no denying that we are a handsome pair. Neither of us, I am persuaded, need look lower than a Marshal at the very least.’

  Such raillery, though it might bring a blush to Judith’s cheeks, had the effect of relieving the oppression of her spirits. Nothing more was said of the chances of defeat, and presently Worth went out again to see if any further news had arrived from Quatre-Bras.

  He came back a little after eleven, and found that Judith and Barbara were still up. ‘I called at Creevey’s,’ he said. ‘Hamilton had been in during the evening on an errand for General Barnes, and of course dropped in on Creevey, to see Miss Ord. The result was still uncertain when he left the field, but Creevey got the impression from him that it was going in our favour. Charles was safe when he left the field: he saw him trying to rally the Belgians, who had had enough, just as he came away. Hamilton reports them as having done well at the start, but they won’t stand like our own men. The worst, so far, is that the Duke of Brunswick has fallen. He was killed by a ball passing through his hand to his heart. Hamilton did not mention many of the casualties. The Highlanders have suffered most. Fassiefern and Macara have both fallen; young Hay has gone, too; but I heard of no one else whom we know.’

  ‘Hay!’ Barbara lifted her hand to shade her eyes for a moment. ‘That boy! Ah, how wanton, how damnable! But go on! If Hay was present, Maitland’s brigade must have come up. Could you get no news of Harry?’

  ‘No; Creevey was positive Hamilton mentioned only Hay, and one other, whose name I forget.’

  Judith said: ‘Depend upon it, he would have told Mr Creevey had your brother been killed.’

  ‘He might not know. But never mind that! What else could you discover, Lord Worth? Shall we hold our ground?’

  ‘I see no reason why we should not. It appears that reinforcements have been arriving ever since five o’clock. The most serious part of the business is that we have no cavalry there worth mentioning. The infantry has done magnificently, however: Hamilton told Creevey that nothing could equal their endurance. Only their steadiness under the onslaughts of Kellermann’s cuirassiers saved the day for us at one point. The Belgian and Brunswick cavalry were scattered; our whole position was completely turned, and might have been carried but for the Highlanders—I think he said the 92nd, but I might mistake. The Duke directed them in person, charging them not to fire until he gave the word. They obeyed him implicitly, though he allowed the cuirassiers to come within thirty paces before giving the order for a volley. The attack was completely repulsed, Kellermann drawing off in a good deal of disorder. Hamilton seems to have been full of enthusiasm for the Duke’s coolness. It appears he has been everywhere at once, exposing himself in the most reckless fashion.’

  ‘Surely he should not do so.’

  ‘So I think, but you will not get his officers to agree. Even those who dislike him will tell you that the sight of his long nose among them does more to steady the troops than the arrival of a division to support them. He seems to bear a charmed life. What do you think of his being nearly taken by a party of Lancers when the Brunswick Hussars broke under the musketry-fire? He was forced to gallop for his life, made for a ditch lined by the Gordon Highlanders, sang out to them to lie still, and cleared the fence, bayonets and all!’

  They remained for some time discussing the news, but the clock striking midnight soon recalled them to a sense of the lateness of the hour. All sound of firing had died away at ten o’clock; nothing had been heard of since; and they could not but believe that if a defeat had been suffered news of it must have reached them. Judith and Barbara went up to their rooms, but they had scarcely begun to undress when the noise of heavy carriages rumbling over the cobbles reached their ears. Nothing could be seen from the windows but people running out of doors to find out what was going on. Shouts and cries seemed to come from all parts of the town; and Judith, pausing only to fling a wrap round her shoulders, hurried to find Worth. He had not yet come upstairs, and called to her from the ground-floor to do nothing until he had discovered what was happening. He went out; Barbara joined Judith in the salon, and they sat in a state of apprehension that made it impossible for either to utter anything but a few occasional, disjointed sentences.

  They were soon roused from this condition by the necessity of calming the ser