Company Of Spears

Hervey now realized that the usual practice of not cooperating with the civil authorities when it looked as if the regimental strength might be diminished was not going to work in Johnson’s case. He sat down, heavily. He could have no thoughts of Gloucestershire with his groom detained at Bow Street – nor, indeed, with the notion of a thieves’ kitchen somewhere in his own barracks. ‘Do we know what is the evidence against him? How was he collared?’

‘I’m afraid we don’t,’ replied Vanneck. ‘The Bow-street men would give away nothing.’

The RSM shook his head too.

‘What do you make of the idea of the fencing?’

The RSM shook his head again. ‘Sir, at any one time there’s half a dozen little schemes going on.’

‘True,’ said Hervey. And providing they did not come very publicly to light or touch on the welfare or the pockets of other dragoons, no great efforts were made to extirpate them (the King’s pay was mean enough). ‘But I want to know what it is that Johnson’s involved in. I can’t believe his guilt in anything is bad enough to rouse the City magistrates.’

Vanneck raised his eyebrows, unseen.

The RSM frowned. ‘He was the biggest progger in his squadron, sir!’

Hervey sighed. ‘That I grant you, but only by the exigencies of field service. I don’t recall we ever counted vigorous foraging to be theft.’

The RSM nodded. ‘No, indeed not, sir. I meant merely that he is not without expertise when … exigencies are exigencies.’

‘You will put the word out, then?’

‘Ay, sir. There’ll be canaries enough once they knows the real clink’s beckoning.’

Hervey nodded appreciatively. ‘I would sooner believe that …’ Well, better not to say whom he thought more capable of miscreancy. ‘I can’t but think Johnson’s unwitting of something. I confess it would go hard with me to learn otherwise. I’d go myself to Bow-street had not tonight’s business come on.’ He sighed, and made to change the subject. ‘Have you seen Mr Kirwan?’

‘Not since stables last night, sir.’

Hervey turned to the adjutant.

‘I’ve not yet had the morning states.’

‘Would you have him come at once. I believe we must destroy any horse showing the symptoms of the farcy … or of glanders.’

The RSM sounded a note of caution. ‘Serjeant-majors report all’s well, sir, barring those three in the infirmary.’

‘I’m very glad to hear it, Mr Hairsine,’ said Hervey, sitting down. ‘But those three have something, and I’m damned if I’ll have a yellow flag flying at the gates!’

The RSM put his hands to his side. ‘With your leave, sir?’

Hervey nodded. ‘Yes, Sarn’t-major, thank you,’ he said, then motioned the adjutant to stay.

‘You will want me to accompany you this evening too, of course,’ said Vanneck.

Hervey shook his head. ‘No, I have something else I would have you do, which I confess is more in the way of personal duty for me than regimental.’

The Honourable Myles Vanneck, sometime lieutenant in Hervey’s troop, but adjutant of three years now, had seen enough action in India not to crave a scrap with a rabble of Irish navvies. ‘Very well, sir.’

Hervey’s sabretache lay on his desk. He opened it and took out two letters. ‘Would you deliver this personally into the hands of Colonel Howard at the Horse Guards. And this … would you have it sent at once to Lady Katherine Greville?’

The adjutant took the letters. He had not himself been to the Horse Guards before, but he needed no instructions in that direction. As for the letter for Lady Katherine Greville … the orderlies were practised enough to know where was Holland Park. ‘Is there anything else, sir?’

‘No, I think not; only the veterinarian.’

The adjutant bowed, sharp, in the regimental fashion, and made to leave, before turning with an afterthought. ‘Once I have the orders out for tonight, I may as well drive for Whitehall … with your leave, sir?’

Hervey nodded, almost absently. ‘Yes, thank you, Vanneck. I don’t mind telling you that Howard’s letter is one of some moment.’

‘It will be in his hand before noon, sir.’

Hervey smiled appreciatively again. ‘And would you have Sarn’t-major Armstrong come.’

He always had a care when he might appear to be favouring his troop serjeant-major, not least because he knew it would do Armstrong himself no good. Not that that would have been of the slightest concern to Armstrong; indeed, he might even have held the notion in contempt. But Hervey knew there were jealousies, and with precedence not in Armstrong’s favour as far as promotion went (with a man his senior, his years left in service might not see him RSM) it was not wise to load things against his interests.

Armstrong came at once and was ushered into Hervey’s office without ceremony. He saluted and bid his commanding officer, squadron- and troop-leader good morning. ‘I was sorry to hear about Mr Coates, sir. A grand man.’