Hope - Lesley Pearse [233]
Hope knew that she should have left a month ago, but first there had been the British victory at the Quarries, and when the French took the Mamelon, one of the Russians’ main defences, she had felt compelled to stay and help with the casualties.
A week later the fourth bombardment of Sebastopol began, and the English were defeated at the storming of the Redan and the French defeated at Malakoff, so once again she felt she had to stay on for there were so many hundreds of wounded.
Lord Raglan died on 28 June, and although the official cause of death was cholera, everyone believed he died of a broken heart because the allies had failed to seize the two most important defences. Even after so many bitter words had been said about him, there was real grief that the General who had lost his arm beside Lord Wellington in the Peninsular War had not survived to see victory here. He might not have been a bold leader, but he had been honourable, kind and loved his men, and Hope didn’t feel it was right to leave until after his funeral.
Even a king could not have had a more magnificent send-off. Troops lined the entire five-mile route to the barge that would carry his remains to the Caradoc, the ship waiting to take his body home. The cavalry escorted his coffin, borne on a gun-carriage, and the vivid colours of their uniforms in the bright sunshine, and the music from all the many military bands, belied the sadness of the occasion.
‘Just ten minutes till you sail,’ Bennett said, but his bright smile did not reach his eyes. ‘Make sure you rest on the voyage. Uncle Abel will be waiting for you at Portsmouth to take you to Nell.’
‘Do stop worrying about me, dearest,’ she said, squeezing his hand. ‘I will be fine, just you make sure you come back to me soon.’
Bennett was denying that he was worried about her, when at last Hope spotted Angus riding along the quay. She pointed him out with delight for he had been a constant visitor up on the Heights, and he had been the first person in whom she and Bennett had confided about the baby. She knew he would be very relieved to see she was actually leaving today, for she had seen him briefly on the day of Raglan’s funeral and he had given her a stern warning that she mustn’t delay any longer.
He leapt off his horse, handed the reins to a soldier, and was up the gangplank in a few quick strides.
‘I was afraid I was going to miss saying goodbye,’ he said breathlessly, bending to kiss Hope’s cheek.
‘It’s only au revoir as I’ll be there in your home when you get back.’
‘So, two women to order me about,’ he said, his dark eyes twinkling. ‘Maybe that will be too much for me, especially with a screaming baby too?’
Hope knew he didn’t mean this, for as soon as he’d heard about the baby he’d insisted she could stay at his house for as long as she wished. He didn’t fool her any longer with his sarcasm and buffoonery; she knew that he was soft-hearted, generous and noble.
‘Look out for Bennett for me,’ she said, her eyes filling up with tears. ‘And mind you both come home in one piece.’
‘You patched me up too well for me to fall apart now,’ he grinned. ‘And I shall be whisking Bennett off to some races once you’re out of sight. That’s the trouble with wives, they spoil all the fun.’
Hope laughed. Most of the time Angus acted as if life was just one riotous fun-packed adventure. He would be good for Bennett; there were times when her husband was a little too serious.
‘We have to go now,’ Bennett said, looking anxious as he heard the ship’s bell. ‘Write to me every day, I want to know every detail. And I promise I’m going to try to talk Lawrence into letting me go by the end of the month.’
Angus kissed Hope, said goodbye and diplomatically went off down