The Moonless Night (26 page)

“It certainly isn’t frisky,” Sanford agreed. “But it is moving a little—not quite dead.”

“I’ll be rid of it, all the same. If it is in poor health I don’t want to risk its infecting the others.”

“If it hasn’t already,” Sanford said ominously. “Maybe you ought to pull out another and just see.”

“It wouldn’t have had time to spread. There was no sickness in the reservoir yesterday. Here, you see,” she said, sticking her arm in up to the elbow, to fish around for another, but when at last she got ahold of one, it too appeared unduly torpid. “Mercy! What’s happened to them!” she asked in rising alarm. She held it to her arm, and it didn’t even bother grabbing on. She fished again, and again came up with a sluggard that barely wiggled between her fingers. “I can’t think what is the matter. I must get my book and see if it mentions this. Dr. Heywood’s excellent treatise on diseases in the English leech.”

“How I wish I could stay here with you,” Sanford said, “but the children are looking forward to this little expedition we've been talking up.”

“Don’t think of it, Sanford. I’ll look after my leeches. I’ll get my book this minute.”

“You will want to keep a close eye on them. We don’t want you losing the whole tankful of them. Take good care of them, Biddy. I’ll curtail our sail and get back early to see how they go on.”

“No, no—you will want to stay and see the excitement of MacKenroth trying to deliver the summons. I’ll carry on here. You may be sure I’ll save them. Whatever ails them, it has not had time to kill many of them.” She was half pleased to have come up with a unique case, for while she spoke of reading her book, she had in fact got the thing nearly by heart, and knew she would find no explanation for such torpor in the warm summer season. In winter, of course, a leech was inactive, but here confronting her was sluggishness on a scale that suggested a whole new chapter to Dr. Heywood’s treatise. Boltwood’s Disease, it might be called, named after the discoverer in the usual way. Of primary importance was to have a cure included in the chapter, and she set her mind to restoratives.

With a dozen regrets, Sanford was off, urging her again and again to take care of them, keep a sharp eye on them, and save them if at all possible. Once he left the reservoir, the matter seemed to fall from his mind like magic.

Seadog
had been sailed down from Sinclair’s dock for the trip and was waiting for them, its sails fluttering in a way that promised a good day. While they got under sail, David showed Marie around the glories of
Seadog
—an actual dining room with furniture in the delicate style of Louis XIV, the saloon with lapis lazuli fireplace, and over a velvet sofa a framed, scantily draped female nude with glowing skin, looking strikingly like Madame Monet. There were sleeping quarters for a dozen, two of the beds canopied. All the promised treats were there for inspection and praise, and as Sanford was not along to curb her tongue, Marie expressed every astonishment and a good deal of laughter at the extravagances.

As they approached Plymouth, they sailed within shouting distance of another ship, and were told that Admiral Keith, aboard the flagship
Tonnant
, had been in the harbor, and was sailing out towards
Bellerophon
. Yes, MacKenroth was not only already in Plymouth, but had learned from James Meek, Keith’s private secretary, that Keith was in the harbor, but not which ship he was on.

“The chase is on!” Sanford said with excitement, and from that moment on the glories of
Seadog
were forgotten. All eyes, excitement and comment were for the water ballet about to be enacted before them. The harbor was full of hundreds of craft of all kinds. It was a regular picnic. A move in the chase would no sooner be made than it was being discussed across the water from ship to ship, along with every unlikely conjecture that occurred to anyone. Keith had given
Bellerophon
orders to sail farther out to sea, as MacKenroth’s boat was small and not able to go far from shore. Why did not
Bellerophon
leave then? The wind was down, it was awaiting a wind to get to safety. Meanwhile MacKenroth rowed towards Billy Ruffian, waving the writ. The
Tonnant
drew closer to
Bellerophon
.

“You see what Keith’s up to!” David laughed. “No ships but official ones are allowed within a hundred yards of Billy Ruffian. By going so close, Keith has got beyond reach of MacKenroth. There, the Officer of the Watch is ordering MacKenroth off, threatening to blast him out of the sea. He can’t very well do it with so many boats all around, though. By God, I wouldn’t have missed this for worlds.”

A good deal of figuring was necessary to discover what was going on, for with the racket made by hundreds of boats and thousands of excited passengers, the sea was a babel of noise. The center of the show was Billy Ruffian, the
Tonnant
and the little vessel holding MacKenroth and his writ. MacKenroth learned from an unwary officer aboard
Bellerophon
that Keith was aboard the
Tonnant
. So Keith could accept the writ, MacKenroth began rowing to the portside, while the Officer of the Watch continued shouting and threatening, but not shooting. With a head-on view, the occupants of
Seadog
saw Keith, the admiral, being lowered on the starboard side and escaping in a pinnace that outpaced MacKenroth’s little boat. The crowds let the pursuer know what had happened and MacKenroth, waving an angry fist in frustration, made for the harbor and disappeared for a while.

The watchers at sea felt more action would occur, and waited patiently for MacKenroth’s return. Sanford’s chef was as good as his reputation, serving a sumptuous meal in the dining room while they awaited the next move. When they returned to deck, a small boat was delivering a crouched form to the
Tonnant
. The telescope discovered under the uniform of an ordinary seaman huddled the form of the admiral. His pointed head was concealed, but the black slanted brows, long nose and square jaw of the Scottish admiral were recognized as he was smuggled back aboard the
Tonnant
. MacKenroth’s spies were not long in learning of the deception, and soon MacKenroth reappeared in a somewhat larger boat with twelve oarsmen, again in pursuit, again waving his writ. The wind was rising. Both
Bellerophon
and the
Tonnant
were preparing to go out to sea, while their pursuer urged his men on to reach the flagship before it could get under sail.

He was within shouting distance when once again Keith was down the side and slipped into yet another naval vessel, the
Eurotas
. Eager for sport, the crowds informed MacKenroth of this sly trick, and he was hot off after
Eurotas
. The
Eurotas
was a smaller, faster vessel than the flagship, and with all sails billowing, took off at an alarming speed for Cawsand Bay, while MacKenroth fell ever farther behind. Disgusted, he returned once more to Billy Ruffian to try to serve his writ on the General himself. The General was not on deck, of course. Maitland knew too much to allow that.

MacKenroth’s shouts of “urgent business” and “in the name of the King” went unheeded. A warning shot was fired off over the tops of all the assembled vessels, at which point MacKenroth conceded defeat and rowed to shore to begin writing up letters of complaint in the most virulent tones to the newspapers and influential supporters.

The afternoon was well advanced, and
Seadog
turned for home, working its way with difficulty through the welter of smaller craft littering the water.

“I think that’s the end of the game,” Sanford said with an air of satisfaction.

“You sound happy with the outcome,” Marie mentioned.

“I am. I have said before I don’t think any plan for Bonaparte’s well-being that rests on the goodwill of the English people has much chance of success.”

“What I’m wondering is why Admiral Keith chose today of all days to come to Plymouth at all,” David said. “Rawlins must have told him MacKenroth was coming.”

“He ought to have,” Sanford agreed. “It almost makes one question his integrity.”

“Or his sobriety,” Marie added.

“Probably drunk as a skunk,” David said. “Must have been tightly screwed to have slipped up on that. It’ll be another demotion for the poor fellow.”

“What do you think will happen now, Ade?” David asked.

“Bonaparte will be whisked off to Saint Helena so fast his head will spin. It is the business of needing the approval of the Allies that has delayed it so long. It has been given now.”

“If someone don’t get cracking and rescue him soon, they’ll be too late,” David said, worried that he would miss his chance for action, real action. This bit of spying he had done so far was tame to what he secretly longed for. A chase on the high seas, gunfire, a medal and national heroism to be the natural outcome.

“They’ll have to make their move within the next few days,” Sanford said. “It won’t take longer than that to make the arrangements for transferring Boney to another ship for the voyage.” There was a certain look of anticipation on his face that belied his oft-repeated hope that nothing of the sort would be tried.

“Do you really think they’ll try it?” David asked hopefully.

“I know it,” he answered with satisfaction. “As you are all good seamen, have you any objection to a tour along the coast a bit to the west?”

They had no objection. Thus far they had done very little actual sailing, spending the better part of their time bobbing at rest amidst all the other craft. With the strong breeze now blowing, they made quick time westward. David had the ultimate pleasure of being completely in command. Sanford took a seat with Marie astern, where they sipped champagne and occasionally Sanford lifted the telescope, examining the coastline.

“You are selecting the spot where Napoleon will be taken ashore, are you?” she asked.

“Just so. What is your opinion?”

“Bolt Hall,” she answered instantly.

“No way. I’m not sure he’ll be landed in England at all.”

“Of course you are! A dozen times you have told us it will be a rope slung over the cliff some dark night.”

“They don’t get much darker than they are these nights. Still, they might make directly around the tip of Land’s End to Ireland. The fleet is mainly concentrated in the Channel between England and France. With a good fast ship they might make it to Youghal Bay on the south coast of Ireland. It would require a good head start, of course.”

“Napoleon will not be rescued without the navy learning of it in a hurry.”

“Best to be prepared, however. Who is to say the navy won’t take a hand in rescuing him?”

“You forget Admiral Keith is back at the station. You can no longer count on Rawlins to get roaring drunk and oblige the rescuers.”

“No, I don’t count on Rawlins to be drunk at all at the time. Nor can I count on you to imbibe enough of my excellent champagne to make you tipsy before we have to go back home. Charming as you are, I have other creatures to see to.” He arose and set aside his glass.

“A French creature, I fancy?”

“No, English leeches. They are feeling sorely pulled today, poor things. Excuse me.”

He went to ask David to turn around and go back to the Hall.

“Do you plan to sail her back to Sinclair’s today?” David asked.

“No, I’ll leave her at your place for the time being.”

They climbed up the steep cliff to the Hall, to regale Sir Henry with the day’s activities. He was loud in his praise of Admiral Lord Keith, the British navy, the townspeople in general who had turned out in such abundance to watch the show. He was also satisfied but silent that
Seadog
had at last found its proper place, at his dock.

“How do the leeches go on?” Sanford asked Biddy.

“The strangest thing in the world, Sanford. They are reviving nicely. About four this afternoon they became active again. In fact, I was inadvertently leeched of half an ounce of my blood. They had been so dull all day that I put my arm in up to the elbow without a thought of it, and at four o’clock one of them attached on to me. There is no pulling them off, of course. They’ll leave in their teeth—not really teeth but a plait of hard skin, and cause a painful inflammation, along with being unable to bite again. I have an excellent poultice, by the way, if your mother should ever accidentally find herself with the teeth left in. I was so happy to see them back to normal I didn’t regret the loss of blood in the least. In fact, I feel better after it. I can’t think what can have caused their lassitude this morning. They were all as stupid as if they’d been doped. But there is no harm done. The fellow that grabbed on to me gave up a good bit of blood when I stripped him between my thumb and finger. That is the way to do it, you must know. Better than applying salt or vinegar to its mouth. Then I put it in successive fresh water, and it is surviving, and will be usable again in four or five months.”

Sanford listened to all this lore with not only interest but enthusiasm. “Should we not check the temperature again?” he asked.

“If it dropped from seventy-two to sixty-seven overnight, that might account for their torpor. They might think it was winter coming on. Let us just run out and check it,” she agreed.

Together they hastened out to the reservoir, to see that the temperature still read sixty-seven. Biddy was hard pressed to think how it had reached seventy-two the evening before. She concluded someone had dumped hot water into her pond, and went to chide the stablehands, and warn them against repeating this practice. They stared to hear they had done anything of the sort, or that they might have had hot water in the stable, but she felt she had discovered the cause of the lassitude of the leeches. She would have no disease named after her, but she had at least saved her crop.

“What has Benson been doing with himself today?” Sanford asked as they walked arm-in-arm back to the house.

“He hasn’t been here at all, but plans to return for dinner I believe, as he didn’t leave word otherwise. I cannot like his being here. I wish he would leave.”

“He won’t go now before your ball.”

“Very likely that’s why he hangs on, to see what other unsuspecting girl he might make up to, now that Marie is through with him.”