Simon Scarrow - Fire and Sword

‘Have my steward prepare my best uniform. I will need to report to Sir Harry the moment his ship arrives.’

Chapter 45

The sun was low in the sky and streamed straight into Arthur’s face as he sat in the stern of the small launch. The last of the reinforcements had been landed hours earlier and was marching up to join the rest of the army encamped about Vimeiro. Anchored amidst the transports was the sloop Brazen , carrying Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Burrard. As soon as the sloop had arrived Arthur had ridden down to the shore and ordered the crew of the nearest launch to take him out to the Brazen .With weary obedience the sailors helped him aboard and then heaved the launch back into the surf, battling to get it some distance before clambering over the sides, unshipping the oars and rowing hard to propel the boat clear of the pounding surf and out to sea. The spray had drenched Arthur’s uniform, but he made the best of a bad job by brushing off any sand and shingle that remained on his boots and the salt that had dried on the gold lace and black facings of his jacket.

As the launch approached the side of the sloop a naval lieutenant cupped a hand to his mouth and asked if she was bound for the Brazen .

‘Aye, sir!’ the coxswain called out. ‘General Sir Arthur Wellesley comin’ aboard!’

The launch pulled in towards the side of the sloop and the sailors shipped oars as a man in the bows caught the chains with the boathook. Arthur rose from his bench and worked his way awkwardly forward until he reached the boarding ladder.Two sailors stood by ready to help him up, but Arthur judged his moment and stepped on to the ladder as the launch rose on top of a small wave. He was greeted on deck by the lieutenant.

‘The name’s Swinton, sir. Welcome aboard the Brazen .’

‘Good evening to you, Swinton.Would you be kind enough to take me to General Burrard?’

‘Indeed, if you’d follow me, sir.The general has been given my cabin.’

Swinton led him down a narrow gangway and knocked at the small door at the end.

‘Come!’

Opening the door, the lieutenant ducked inside and briefly announced Arthur before he stepped aside. Arthur ducked through the door frame and stood with his neck bent forward under the low deck overhead.The cabin stretched the full width of the sloop, and was perhaps ten foot in depth, barely enough to accommodate the desk and chairs that seemed to take up most of the available space.The stern windows were hooked open to admit a cooling breeze that stirred the grey locks of the officer seated behind the desk. Sir Harry Burrard had taken part in the Danish expedition and smiled a greeting at Arthur as he dismissed the lieutenant with a curt wave of the hand.

‘Wellesley! Good to see you again! Sit you down.’

Arthur did so, relieved to be able to straighten his neck. ‘It is a pleasure to serve with you again, sir.’

Sir Harry shot him a knowing glance. ‘Though not such a pleasure to be superseded by a superior officer, eh?’

Arthur did not reply and Sir Harry continued in an apologetic tone, ‘That’s the nature of the service, I’m afraid, Wellesley. Still, live long enough and you’ll rise to the top of the pile in good time.’

‘Yes, sir. Are you to take command of the army at once?’

‘No need. Sir Hew is due any day. I shall remain aboard tonight and will probably come ashore tomorrow evening and take command then. Is that satisfactory?’

‘Yes, sir. I will make the necessary arrangements at headquarters.’

‘Thank you.’ Sir Harry nodded, and then took a deep breath. ‘So then, how are things progressing?’

Arthur had brought a report with him and now he placed it on the desk. Sir Harry glanced at it casually.

‘I’ll read that later. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ll hear it directly from you.’

Arthur detailed the events since the army had landed, then stopped and drew out a cloth from his pocket to dab at the sweat pricking out on his forehead.

‘Sounds like you gave Frenchy a good thrashing.’

‘Delaborde was outnumbered, sir.’

‘But he had the advantage of holding the high ground,’ Sir Harry countered. ‘Don’t be too modest, Wellesley. It is a positive handicap for a man of ability, and only a saving grace if a man is a complete fool.’

‘I suppose so, sir. In any case, yes, General Delaborde was driven off.’

‘And do you have any idea of the enemy’s intentions?’

‘I have heard reports that General Junot has gathered an army and is marching towards us from the south. As far as I can glean from our Portuguese spies, his strength is similar to our own. I have given orders for the army to be positioned along the ridge behind Vimeiro to meet any threat from that direction.’

‘Excellent. It seems that everything is in hand, then.’

‘I imagine that you will wish to continue the advance on Lisbon as swiftly as possible, sir. I understand that Junot is at Torres Vedras. If we marched to Mafra tomorrow, we could turn east and take Junot in the rear.’

Burrard paused a moment before shaking his head. ‘No. I think we have chanced our arm enough for the present. It is my belief that you may have underestimated Junot’s strength.The reports I read in London stated that he had over forty thousand men in Portugal.’

‘I don’t believe it is quite as high as that, sir. Besides, his forces are dispersed and many are tied down in garrisons. His field army cannot be much bigger than our own.’

Sir Harry shrugged. ‘I think you put too much faith in our Portuguese allies’ assessment of the enemy’s strength.’

‘I have learned to be circumspect in considering the information offered to me by the local people, sir. Even allowing for that, I believe my judgement of the strategic situation is sound.We have a good chance of defeating Junot and taking Lisbon in a matter of days, if we act quickly.’

‘Perhaps. But even if you are right, what harm is there in delaying any advance until Sir John Moore arrives with his men? Then we shall outnumber the French beyond any question and should be able to guarantee a crushing victory.’

‘Sir John may not arrive for some days, possibly weeks.That is more than enough time for Junot to receive overwhelming reinforcements from the French army in Spain. It would be far better to defeat the enemy now than to wait and risk a battle against far greater odds.’

Sir Harry clasped his hands together and leaned back in his chair with a weary sigh. ‘I will not make any decisions before I have a full grasp of the facts. I will read your report in the morning and we will discuss the matter further when I take command of the army tomorrow evening. I thank you for taking the trouble to come to see me, and I suggest that you return to shore while there is still light. I bid you a good night,Wellesley.’

Arthur stared at the older man for a moment. Inside he was seething at the waste of the opportunity that Sir Harry was squandering through his caution. But there was no point in trying to persuade him to take action tonight. Best to let him read the report and then make another attempt to cajole him into action when he assumed command tomorrow. Besides,Arthur realised as he stared at the failing light outside the stern windows, Sir Harry had a point - it was getting dark and he did not wish to risk being rowed through the surf in pitch darkness. He stood carefully and bowed his head. ‘Until tomorrow then, sir.’

For the second night running Arthur was roused from his sleep in the early hours by his aide-de-camp. He had established his headquarters in an inn on the edge of Vimeiro and had been looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed. However, the unsatisfactory interview he had endured with Sir Harry preyed on his mind and he had not fallen asleep until close to midnight. Now he glanced at his watch and saw that it was barely an hour into the new day.