HeLord John, I meanknows the fellow; Richardson approached him with the notion that I should keep an eye out for interesting bits of information.
I see, Denys said, very dryly. Well, if they were friends, I should say that such a relationship no longer exists between them. Richardson was heard to utter certain threats regarding your father, though he has apparently not chosen to act on them. Yet, he added delicately.
What sort of threats? A spurt of angry alarm had shot up Williams spine at this, and blood surged painfully into his battered face.
Im sure they are unfounded, Denys began.
William half-rose to his feet. Bloody tell me, or Ill pull your fucking nose off. He reached out, swollen knuckles poised to do just that, and Denys shoved his bench back with a screech and stood up, fast.
Ill make allowances for your condition, Ellesmere, he said, giving William a firm look of the sort people tried on a dog that threatened to bite. But
William made a noise low in his throat.
Denys took an involuntary step back. All right! he snapped. Richardson threatened to make it known that Lord John is a sodomite.
William blinked, frozen for a moment. The word didnt even make sense immediately.
Then it did, but he was prevented from saying anything by the entrance of the barmaid, a plump, harassed-looking girl with a squint in one eye, bearing a massive tray of food and drink. The scent of roast meat, buttered vegetables, and fresh bread hurt the membranes of his nose but made his stomach convulse in sudden urgency. Not urgent enough to take his attention off what Randall had just said, though, and William rose, bowed the girl out, and shut the door of the chamber firmly upon her before turning back to Denys.
Denys took an involuntary step back. All right! he snapped. Richardson threatened to make it known that Lord John is a sodomite.
William blinked, frozen for a moment. The word didnt even make sense immediately.
Then it did, but he was prevented from saying anything by the entrance of the barmaid, a plump, harassed-looking girl with a squint in one eye, bearing a massive tray of food and drink. The scent of roast meat, buttered vegetables, and fresh bread hurt the membranes of his nose but made his stomach convulse in sudden urgency. Not urgent enough to take his attention off what Randall had just said, though, and William rose, bowed the girl out, and shut the door of the chamber firmly upon her before turning back to Denys.
A what? Thats William made a wide gesture indicating the complete unbelievability of this. He was married, for Gods sake!
So I understand. To the, um, merry widow of a Scotch rebel general. That was quite recent, though, wasnt it? The edge of Denys Randalls mouth tucked in a little in amusement, which incensed William.
I dont mean that! he snapped. And he wasntI mean, the bloody Scotchmans not dead, it was some sort of mistake. My father was married for years to my motherI mean, my stepmotherto a lady from the Lake District. He huffed air, angry, and sat down. Richardson cant do us any damage with that sort of lying gossip.
Denys pursed his lips and exhaled, slowly. William, he said patiently, gossip has probably killed more men than musket fire.
Rubbish.
Denys smiled a little and acknowledged the exaggeration with a slight shrug. That might be stating it a bit high, but think about it. You know the value of a mans word, of his character. If Major Allbright hadnt taken my word at face value just now, youd be dead. He pointed a long, manicured finger at William. What if someone had earlier told him that I made my living cheating at cards, or was the principal investor in a popular bawdy house? Would he have been so inclined to accept my testimony as to the soundness of your character?
William eyed him skeptically, but there was something in it.
Who steals my purse steals trash, sort of thing?
The smile widened.
But he that filches from me my good name / Robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed. Yes, that sort of thing. Consider what gossip of the sort Zeke Richardson has in mind could do to your family, will you? And meanwhile, stop glowering at me and eat something.
William reluctantly considered it. His nose had quit bleeding, but there was an iron taste in the back of his throat. He cleared it and spat, as politely as possible, into the rags of his handkerchief, keeping Denyss more substantial contribution for mopping up.
All right. I see what youre saying, he said gruffly.
A friend of your fathersa Major Bateswas convicted of sodomy and hanged, some years ago, Denys said. Your father chose to be present at the hanging; he clung to the majors legs to hasten his death. I dont suppose he would have mentioned that incident to you, though.
William made a small, negative motion of the head. He was momentarily too shocked to say anything.
There is a death of the soul, as well as death of the body, you know. Even if he were not arrested, nor tried and convicted a man so accused might well lose his life as it presently exists. This was said quietly, almost offhandedly, and Denys followed this remark by sitting up straight, picking up a spoon, and placing before William a pewter plate piled with slices of roast pork, fried squash with corn, and several thick slices of corn bread, then pouring a generous cup of brandy to go with it.
Eat, Denys repeated firmly. And thenwith an eye toward Williams general bedragglementtell me what in the name of God youve been doing. What made you resign your commission to begin with?
None of your business, William said brusquely. As to what Im doing He was tempted to say that that was none of Denyss business, eitherbut he couldnt overlook Denyss possibilities as a source of information. It was, after all, an intelligencers job to find things out.
If you must know, Im looking for some trace of my cousin, Benjamin Grey. Captain Benjamin Grey, he added. Of the Thirty-fourth Foot. Do you know him, by chance?
Denys blinked, blank-faced, and William felt a small, surprising jolt in the pit of his stomachthe same feeling he got when a fish nibbled his bait.
Ive met him, Randall said cautiously. Trace, you said? Has he been lost?
You could say that. He was captured at the Brandywine and held prisoner at a place called Middlebrook Encampment, in the Watchung Mountains. My uncle had an official letter from Sir Henry Clintons clerk, passing on a terse note from the Americans, regretting the death of Captain Benjamin Grey from fever.
Oh. Denys relaxed a fraction of an inch, though his eyes were still watchful. My condolences. You mean that you want to find where your cousin is buried? To, um, move the body to the family er resting place?
I had that in mind, William said. Only I did find his grave. And he wasnt in it.
A brief recollection of that night in the Watchung Mountains washed over him suddenly, raising the hairs on his forearms. Cold, wet clay clinging to his feet and rain soaking through his clothes, spongy blisters on his palms, and the smell of death coming up from the ground as his shovel grated suddenly on bone He turned his head away, both from Denys and the memory.
Someone else was, though.
Dear Lord. Denys reached automatically for his cup and, finding it empty, shook himself briefly as though to dislodge the vision, then reached for the brandy bottle. Youre quite sure? I mean, how long ?
Hed been buried for some time. William took a long, burning gulp of the brandy, to purge the memory of the smell. And the touch. But not long enough to hide the fact that the man in that grave had no ears.
Denyss evident shock gave him a sour satisfaction.
Exactly, he said. A thief. And no, it wasnt a mistaken identification of the body. The grave was marked with the name Grey, and Benjamins full name was listed in the camps records of prisoner burials.
Denys was twelve years older than William, but he looked suddenly older than thirty-three, his fine features sharpened by attention.
You think it was deliberate, then. Well, of course, he interrupted himself impatiently, naturally it was. But by whom, and to what purpose? He didnt wait for an answer. If someone had murdered your cousin and sought to hide his death, why not simply bury him as a fever victim? No need for the substitute body, I mean. So, your first supposition is that hes alive? I think thats reasonable.
William drew a breath tinged with relief.
I do, too, he said. So then its one of two possibilities: Ben faked his death and managed to substitute the other body in order to escape without pursuit. Or someone did it for him, without his consent, and took him away. I can see the first possibility, but damned if I can think of a reason for the second. But it doesnt matter that much; if hes alive, I can find him. And I bloody will. The family needs to know, one way or another. This was quite true. He was honest enough to admit to himself, though, that Bens disappearance had offered him a purpose, a way out of the morass of guilt and sorrow left by Janes death.
Denys rubbed a hand over his face. It was late in the day and his whiskers were starting to rasp, a dark shadow over his jaw.
The words needle and haystack come to mind, he said. But theoretically, yes, you could find him, if hes alive.
Definitely yes, William said firmly. I have a listhe touched his breast pocket to make sure that he still did have it, but felt the reassuring wodge of folded paperof men belonging to two militia companies who were put on gravedigging detail in Middlebrook Encampment during a fever outbreak.
Oh, so thats what you were doing with
Yes. Unfortunately, American militia companies enlist only for short periods, and then scatter off to tend their farms. One of the companies was from North Carolina and one from Virginia, but the men last night werent He stopped abruptly, reminded. The men last night does Major Allbright actually intend to hang some of them?
Denys shrugged. I dont know him well enough to say. It might have been meant only for effect, to frighten and scatter the rest. But hes taken those three along with him, back to his camp. If his temper cools by the time he gets there, hell likely have them flogged and let them go. Hes got enough men under his command that hanging civilians out of hand would become a matter of recordnot really what an officer with an eye to advancement wants, if hes any sense. Not that Allbright gives one the impression that he has, he added thoughtfully.