Young bloods

'At last. I was about to give up on you.You going to join in?'

'No,' said the newcomer, and Napoleon recognised the voice instantly. Alexander de Fontaine. 'I'll just watch.'

'As you will. Pass me that cane.'

Napoleon heard someone approach behind him. There was a swishing sound and an instant later he felt the first blow strike his buttocks with a searing pain that stung like a burn as the cane was drawn back for the first of many more blows. As the second stroke whipped down, Napoleon screamed.

Chapter 18

London, 1779

Early in spring Arthur and his brothers landed in Bristol and took a coach to London.When they reached Windsor they saw ahead a thick grimy haze hanging over the landscape like some sick bloom. As the coach drew ever closer to the capital they began to make out the silhouettes of St Paul's and Westminster amid the trails of smoke filtering up into still sky.The countryside gave way to the first paved streets and the boys began to get a sense of the true scale of the city and marvelled at its vastness, completely dwarfing the pretensions of Dublin. Then the buildings rose in height on either side and blocked the view as the coach weaved through increasingly heavy traffic. The noise of wheels and hoofs on the paved roads, and the confusion of shouts from pedestrians and street-criers assaulted the boys' ears. But these did nothing to diminish their excitement and their keenly anticipated reunion with the rest of the family.

At length the coach turned into a large yard close to King's Cross, where several other coaches already stood, some recently arrived and others making ready to depart. Piles of manure littered the yard, the odour mixed with the bitter tang of smoke and soot as the boys climbed down from the coach.

'Master Richard! Sir!' A voice cut through the air, and Arthur caught sight of O'Shea, waving his hand to attract their attention as he ran across the yard, weaving through the heaps of manure. He drew up, panting and then coughing in the acrid atmosphere. 'I've come to fetch you to the house. How was the journey, young masters?'

'Fine, thank you,' Richard smiled. 'It's good to see you again. Who else is at the house?'

'Oh, just misself, from old Dangan, sir. Rest of the staff was taken on in London. On a better wage than I've ever had, so it is.'

O'Shea called over some porters to take the boys' school trunks to a small cab, drawn by a single horse, and then they set off through the streets towards the address their father had leased in Knightsbridge. As the sun set there was only a gradual diminution of the light in the haze that hung over the city, and by the time they reached the steps leading up to the front door a profound gloom had closed in about them, illuminated only by the wan glow of lamps and candles in the windows of the buildings they passed. Only a few flickering streetlamps provided further lighting in some of the wider thoroughfares.

'Here we are, young masters!' O'Shea a

He led the way up the steps, knocked on the door and then stepped respectfully to one side as they waited for it to be opened. With an unfamiliar clatter of a bolt the door swung inwards and a sallow-faced footman inspected them.

'Yes, sir?' He addressed Richard, before catching sight of O'Shea and the porters. 'Ah, you must be the sons of His Lordship.'

'Indeed we are!' said Richard, leading his brothers inside. O'Shea nodded to the porters and they left the trunks in the hall, waited for the fee and tugged the brims of their caps in acknowledgement before returning to the street.The door closed behind them.

Richard looked around the attractively panelled and papered entrance hall. 'Very nice. Please inform my parents that we have arrived.'

The footman bowed his head a fraction. 'I'm sorry, sir. Lord and Lady Mornington are not at home. They are attending a function.They left instructions that you were to be fed when you arrived and a cold buffet has been prepared in the dining room.'

'When are they coming back?' asked Arthur with a concerned expression.

'Not until much later, sir. Now, if you'd allow me to take your coats, I will show you through to the dining room.'

'Cheer up, Arthur!' Richard gently squeezed his arm. 'We'll wait up for them.'

'I'm afraid that's not possible, sir,' the footman called over his shoulder as he hung the coats on pegs in a shallow cupboard by the front door. 'Her Ladyship said that you would be tired from your long journey and should get a good night's sleep as soon as di

'I see. And where are A

'They have already been sent to bed, sir.'

'Oh…'

'Is that all, sir? May I take you through to the dining room now, sir?'

'Yes… I suppose so.'

Although the boys ate heartily, there was a peculiar sense of despondency hanging over the table, and as soon as the footman had served their cuts of meat and retired from the room William leaned closer to his brothers and whispered, 'They might have stayed in for us. After all, they haven't seen us for absolutely ages.'

'Bad timing,' Richard shrugged.'It happens. Besides, it has been a long journey, and I, for one, am utterly exhausted. Good night's sleep will do me wonders and I'll be fresh for the parents first thing tomorrow.'

'I suppose so,' William muttered. 'But all the same…'

Arthur felt too tired to eat more than a few slices of pork and then he placed his knife and fork together and sat back and waited for his brothers to finish eating. Glancing over the room, he saw that it was comfortable enough and well maintained, but it was a fraction of the scale of Dangan. Then his gaze switched to the window. The dining room was on the first floor and overlooked the street. Outside, in the gloom a solitary hackney cab trotted past like a grey fish in a dirty aquarium through the stained and pitted glass.

After di

Arthur woke to find a pale beam of light shining directly on to his face. For a moment he was startled and confused by the setting.Then the previous night's arrival came back to him and he threw back the covers and hurriedly dressed. He had no precise idea of the time and feared that the rest of the family was already at breakfast.The prospect of being reunited with his parents filled his heart with a warm glow, and as soon as he had laced up his boots he ran downstairs in a cascade of thuds. On the first floor he slid to a halt and changed direction towards the dining room. The door was slightly ajar and he wrenched it open and ran in, breathless and smiling.

'Morning, Arthur,' Richard said quietly. He was the only person in the room. The table was laid for breakfast but none of the settings had been disturbed.

Arthur frowned. 'Where is everybody?'

'Still in bed.'

'Oh…'

'You might as well join me. I've sent for tea and some lamb chops.'

Arthur crossed the room and pulled out a chair opposite his eldest brother. 'What time is it?'

'Half-past seven. Or it was when I asked a little white ago.'