The morning brought fresh problems. The convoy had been scattered during the night, and when Arthur joined Hodges on the deck in the wan glow of the light filtering through the dark grey clouds rolling overhead he could see the pale streaks of the sails of only two ships on the surrounding sea.

‘Are any of the other transports in sight?’

‘Lookout reports two more, hull down to the south of us.’

‘What’s happened to the others?’

‘Could be many miles away by now. If they haven’t foundered.’

‘Deck there!’ a voice cried out, just audible above the wind. Arthur glanced up and saw a figure in the ratlines of the main-mast, clinging on as the mast inscribed crazy circles against the clouds. ‘The Hermione’s hoisted a signal.’

‘What does it say?’ Hodges bellowed back through a speaking trumpet.

There was a delay as the lookout raised a telescope and tried his best to fix it on the frigate. At length he lowered the glass and called down, ‘Make sail, course south-west, until further orders.’

‘South-west?’ Arthur frowned. ‘Why south-west?’

‘For safety.We head south and we might come up on Ushant. West and we might hit the Cornish coast.’

‘In all this sea?’ Arthur shook his head. ‘Surely not. They are hundreds of miles apart.’

‘True,’ Captain Hodges admitted.‘But do you know where we are at this moment? Precisely where we are? Neither do I, and I won’t until I can shoot the sun. In this weather who knows how long that will be. So until then, we play safe and steer south-west.’

The following dawn revealed a storm-tossed horizon clear of any ships and Captain Hodges kept to the course he had been given. More days passed with grinding monotony as the transport sailed with the wind on her port quarter, rising up on each wave, then lurching and swooping into the trough as the wave passed on ahead. Rain squalls constantly swept over the ship and water found its way between decks so that soon nothing seemed dry and it was almost impossible to keep warm.

One morning, as Arthur emerged for his regular attempt at a walk up and down the quarterdeck, Captain Hodges came over to greet him with a brief knuckle to the brim of his hat.

‘Good day to you, Colonel.’

‘Any sign of the other ships?’

‘None, sir. Not for several days now.’

‘Any idea how far we’ve come?’

‘Difficult to say. We’re making six knots through the sea, but over the ground?’ He shrugged. ‘But if the wind stays steady, it’s fair for the West Indies and we’ll make good time.’

‘That’s something of a comfort.’

‘Yes, sir.’ Hodges nodded and turned back to keep an eye on his ship, then paused and glanced back at Arthur. ‘One other thing, sir.’

‘Oh?’

‘Merry Christmas.’

‘Christmas? Oh, Christ, of course it is.’Arthur laughed.‘Merry Christmas to you too, Captain!’

The next day the wind began to veer. Slowly, degree by degree, until it had shifted far enough to the west to force the captain to change course and he tacked for six hours at a time before going about and clawing back with the wind on the opposite bow, pointing as close to the wind as the ship would steer. And still the storm continued, day after day, week after week, until nearly seven weeks into the voyage the lookout called down to the deck.

‘Land ho!’

‘Where away?’ Hodges called back.

‘Two points off the starboard bow!’ The lookout thrust his arm out and the officers on the quarterdeck turned to scan the horizon in that direction. For a while they could see nothing; then the ship lifted on to the crest of a large ocean roller and there was the coast, a thin dark strip with flashes of white cliffs.

‘What land’s that?’ Arthur squinted. Hodges was quiet for a moment, bracing his legs as he trained his glass on the distant coast before the ship slumped down into a trough and he snapped the telescope shut. He laughed bitterly.

‘It’s the Needles.’

‘The Needles?’ Arthur shook his head. ‘Impossible! How can it be? We’ve been at sea for nearly two months.’

‘It’s this bloody storm. We’ve made no headway against it. Now it’s blown us back to England.’

‘What are you going to do?’

‘What can I do? We’ve consumed two months’ provisions, the rigging has been strained to breaking point and two of my sails have been torn to pieces in the wind. We’re heading back to port.’

The next morning the transport eased its way up Southampton Sound on reduced sail. Hodges joined Arthur at the rail and pointed to a cluster of ships moored in the sound. ‘Recognise them? That’s the rest of the convoy.Wonder how long they’ve been here?’

As soon as the transport had taken on the mooring line and reefed in all the sails Arthur went ashore in one of the ship’s boats. Stepping on to dry land was a strange experience after seven wild weeks at sea. The very cobbles beneath his boots seemed to cant and tilt as wildly as the deck of the ship and Arthur frowned angrily as his sea legs took him clumsily down the quay to the harbour master’s headquarters. The current office-holder was Rear Admiral Porter, a relic of a bygone age in his powdered wig. As Arthur was ushered into his office Porter eased himself stiffly up from his chair and pumped Arthur’s hand.

‘Good to see you again, Colonel. Just beginning to wonder if your ship had foundered. Rest of the convoy’s been in port for the best part of a month.’

‘A month?’ Arthur shook his head. While Hodges and his crew had been battling the elements to win every scrap of distance they could to the west, the other crews had been sitting snug in the sound.

‘Ah!’ Porter raised a hand. ‘While I think of it, you have new orders. Arrived from London last week. Over there on the table. Go and get them, man, and I’ll order you a drink. What’s your poison, Wesley?’

‘Tea, please, sir. A nice hot pot of tea.’

Porter chuckled. ‘I’ll see to it.’

As the old sailor bustled to the door to order the refreshment, Arthur crossed to the table indicated and ran his eyes over the correspondence resting there. He saw his name almost at once and picked up a slender package and broke the seals. Removing the outer waxed covering, he unfolded the letter and began to read a tersely written missive from a staff officer at Horseguards. As of the start of the year Lieutenant Colonel Wesley had been promoted to full colonel. He was further requested and required to make preparations for a fresh voyage. As soon as the convoy’s supplies were replenished it was to set sail and make best time to Fort William in Calcutta.

‘Calcutta!’ Arthur could not believe his eyes. India?

‘What did you say, Colonel?’ Porter headed back towards him cupping a hand to his ear.

‘Calcutta,’ Arthur repeated. ‘The War Office is sending the 33rd to India.’

‘India?’ Porter mused. ‘You’re in luck, Colonel. Many’s the man who has made his fortune in India. Now, it seems, your turn has come.’

Chapter 15

Napoleon

Italy, April 1796

‘I don’t think they’re going to be happy about the situation,’ Major Junot muttered as they watched the three division commanders of the Army of Italy dismount outside the merchant’s house that had been commandeered for Napoleon’s headquarters in Nice. Like many of the fine houses that Napoleon had seen in Northern Italy, it was filled with ancient sculptures and the finest paintings of the Renaissance.

Napoleon smiled at his recently promoted aide. ‘No one is asking them to be happy. Just to obey orders.’

Their gaze followed the three commanders as they strode across the courtyard towards the entrance to the house. It was not difficult to work out who was who. Napoleon had read through the records of each man on the journey from Paris. The smallest in stature was Masséna, who was described as a brave soldier and a good tactician. He was also a flagrant womaniser and there were frequent comments about his larcenous approach to any private property that took his fancy whilst on campaign. General Augereau at thirty-eight was the same age as Masséna, but tall, well built and a gifted fencer. The representative of the Committee of Public Safety who had compiled the report had obviously been a sensitive soul since he drew attention to Augereau’s penchant for constantly swearing. He too was not above the occasional spree of looting, but the representative had concluded, grudgingly, that the general was very brave and was loved by the men he led.The third general was Serurier. He had served in the army for over thirty years. He was tall and lean with a humourless countenance. He was strict with his men, and they served him well enough, but Serurier had yet to prove himself as a commander.