Jack Steel Adventure Series Books 1-3: Man of Honour, Rules of War, Brothers in Arms

‘I suppose that I should move Herr Kretzmer.’

Steel nodded in the direction of the Bavarian, who, having purchased a bottle of fine French brandy from Louisa, had crept away from the soldiers to occupy the chair lately vacated by her ailing father and proceeded to drink the contents. Louisa did not mind. Herr Kretzmer came from a different world to the Grenadiers and he did not mix easily. She was happy to indulge her countryman. Together, she and Steel gazed on his sleeping form.

‘Leave him if you wish, Lieutenant. I will put a blanket over him and if he wakes up he will know which room to go to. Don’t worry. He’s as harmless as a puppy.’

Steel laughed.

‘Thank you, Miss Weber, for all your hospitality. May I settle our account in the morning? We rise early.’

‘As I do, Lieutenant. And please, call me Louisa. You are most welcome. It really felt as if the town were still … alive. I …’

She was suddenly lost for words. Instinctively Steel walked across to her. Gently placing an arm upon her shoulders, he looked into eyes which brimmed with tears.

‘Please. There is no need to worry. Tomorrow, you will come with us. Bring whatever is important to you but please, don’t worry. We will take care of you now. There is nothing more to fear. This is not an end, but a new beginning.’

She nodded, smiled, and for a moment Steel thought that he could detect in her eyes a spark of something more. Now though, he sensed, was not the moment. Steel withdrew his arm from her shoulder.

‘Now, you must get some sleep. Tomorrow we march north. And you start a new life.’

Jennings was looking for drink. Following Kretzmer’s departure, he had spent the best part of an hour in the church, deep in thought, if not in prayer. Then, feeling the pangs of hunger, he had sent Stringer into the inn to sniff him out what wine and food he could. He had chosen to eat his sparse supper alone, in the candle-lit gloom of the church, while his Sergeant sat outside on the steps. Now though, the man had reported that the Grenadiers, Mister Steel included, had retired for the night to their bivouac. Now at last, thought Jennings, he could enjoy the comforts for which he had paid. A real bed with clean sheets and perhaps before that a little more sustenance. And then, of course, there was the girl.

Leaving the church he walked quietly into the street. Stringer was waiting outside, leaning against a wall of the basilica. Seeing Jennings he straightened up. Now, in the moonlight, the town presented a truly eerie prospect. The night was chill and even Jennings felt a sense of unnatural unease. He walked over to the Sergeant.

‘I want no one admitted to the inn on any account. No one. D’you take my meaning, Sarn’t?’

‘Sir. Yes, Sir.’

Quickly now, Jennings moved to the inn and eased the latch of the door. It was unlocked. Inside, the room stood empty and dark. All the candles but one had been extinguished and the tables cleared. A light from the door at the rear betrayed the fact that the house had not quite gone to bed. Doubtless there he would find his brandy. And the possibility of other pleasures.

He walked softly across the wooden boards, holding his sword close to his side and pushed open the door.

‘Miss Weber. How charming.’

Louisa gave a start and turned abruptly.

‘Oh. Major Jennings. You gave me a fright. I am sorry. I was dreaming.’

‘Of course. So like a woman. I was wondering if you might have a glass of cognac? Or indeed any fortified wine? I have had a busy night. Writing reports and so on. It would settle my nerves. No time for those in command to indulge themselves with the men.’

Louisa flashed him a sympathetic smile.

‘Yes, Major. Of course. I think that we have some good French brandy. Allow me to get it for you.’

Moving further into the room, Jennings noticed Kretzmer asleep in the chair and instantly saw his opportunity. How very obliging, he thought, of the fat Bavarian.

Louisa had turned her back to him now and was stretching up to the high store cupboard where they kept the good stuff. After all the Major would pay. She sensed that he was suddenly closer and felt his breath on her neck as he spoke:

‘You will recall, my dear, our conversation earlier. Our bargain. Your safe conduct to the English army. We agreed on a sum, did we not?’

Louisa turned to face him and found it difficult to avoid contact. She held the bottle between them.

‘Your brandy, Major.’

Jennings backed off a short way.

‘You do recall though, Miss Weber … Louisa. The sum of which we spoke?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, Major. But since then, things have changed. Lieutenant Steel has promised to take me to your army. He says that it will not cost me anything. That he will protect me.’

It was the worst thing that she could have said, and it sealed her fate.

‘Mister Steel told you that, did he? Let me remind you, Miss Weber, that we struck a bargain and by my code of conduct, a bargain once made, cannot be undone. So, Miss. Unless you want us to leave you here to the tender mercies of the French, you’ll pay up.’

He paused and smiled at her.

‘Although, there is of course, another way. A way which would both save your hard-earned money and provide us both with a pleasurable diversion.’

Louisa blanched and looked at Jennings. Could he mean it? Was he really asking her to sell herself to him in exchange for their passage north?

‘Major. You cannot mean what I suppose you to, surely?’

Jennings nodded and smiled.

‘No. You cannot mean it.’

He was breathing harder now.

‘Oh, but I do, pretty Louisa. I do mean it. So very, very earnestly.’

He saw her look of utter revulsion.

‘What? No? Then, by God, I’ll have you for nothing.’

Louisa opened her mouth to scream, but before she was able to utter a sound, his hand, rough and stinking of wine and filth, had been clamped hard over her lips. She tried to bite him, but her teeth could not reach the flat of his palm. Jennings pushed his body hard up against her and growled into her face.

‘Now, my pretty girl. You and I are going to have some fun. And if you scream or try anything else silly, all I have to do is call to my Sergeant – you remember him, he’s outside now – and he’ll slit your father’s throat, from ear to ear. And I’ll blame it all on this one.’

He jerked his head in the direction of the sleeping Kretzmer. As he watched her eyes widen with terror at the realization that all was hopeless, Jennings instantly became yet more aroused and decided that it would be safe to remove his hand.

‘So tell me. Where’s your precious Mister Steel now? No? I’ll tell you. He’s fast asleep in the field with his men. He won’t hear you. He won’t help you now.’

Jennings stretched out his hand and inserted a finger in between the lace of the neckline of her white blouse and the soft flesh of her shoulder.

‘Now, Miss. If you please. Your shirt.’

Louisa shuddered and froze. Jennings moved his hand further in, beneath the material and lifted it off her body, pushing it down her arm, then did the same on the other side. Then, with one swift motion he pushed down with both hands and she was naked from the waist up, horribly exposed to his gaze. Not bad, he thought. For a peasant. Her hand reached for a knife which she had remembered lay on the table behind her. But his was faster. Their fingers collided and the blade clattered to the floor as Jennings caught her by the wrist and with his other hand slapped her hard across the face, making her whimper.

‘You stupid German cow. Remember what I said, Miss. One word. One more stupid thing like that and the old man dies. Now. Help me.’