Free 4 Under Siege by Edward Marston Page B

fortunate, Adam.’
    ‘I think it appropriate that they should pause in Menin, another town that was fortified by Vauban.’
    ‘And fortified extremely well,’ complimented Marlborough, ‘until we invested it two years ago. The garrison fought bravely but their task was hopeless. We prevailed in the end. I spent some time in the trenches myself and it was so gratifying to see a white flag planted on the breach. This augurs well, Adam. It lifts my spirits.’
    ‘There’s plenty of room on the treadmill, Your Grace.’
    ‘Then move aside while I step back on.’ He waved the despatch. ‘These are glad tidings indeed. We can now rely on having at least part of our siege train. All we require now are precise details of what we are up against and we must trust that Captain Rawson will acquire them.’
    ‘I have every confidence in him,’ said Cardonnel. ‘You could not have chosen an abler man for the assignment. My guess is that Daniel is already inside the town, taking stock of its defences.’
     
     
    It had been more difficult to get into Lille than Daniel had anticipated. Security at the gates had been tightened and he was interrogated for several minutes before he and Rachel were admitted. The soldiers on duty had been sceptical about his claims to having served in the army until he gave them detailed accounts of some of the battles in which he’d fought. What Daniel did not tell them, of course, was that he was wearing a British uniform at the time. Once inside the town, they made their way through a maze of streets and alleys until they reached the Coq d’Or , a tavern near the heart of Lille. Judging by the sounds of merriment coming from inside, it was a popular place. Riding a horse apiece, they’d pulled the donkey behind them. Daniel tethered the animals and went into the tavern, leaving Rachel outside to guard her wares.
    The bar was quite full, wine was flowing and there was an atmosphere of jollity. Clouds of tobacco curled under the low ceiling. A man lay in a drunken stupor across a table. Daniel was interested to note that some of the customers were in uniform. It made him more circumspect. He walked to the counter, ordered some wine from the barmaid, then sipped it before leaning in to speak to her.
    ‘I’m looking for Guillaume Lizier,’ he said.
    She was suspicious. ‘Who are you?’
    ‘I’m a friend of his.’
    ‘We’ve never seen you in here before.’
    ‘I’m an old friend,’ said Daniel. ‘Guillaume will remember me.’
    ‘What’s your name?’
    ‘Alain Borrel. My wife and I need a room here.’
    ‘We’ve none to spare.’
    ‘Guillaume told me he’d always find somewhere for a friend.’
    The woman’s face was expressionless but she exuded a sense of distrust. Thin, angular, dark-haired and of middle years, she had black eyes and a swarthy complexion. She glanced around to make sure that she was not overheard by anyone else.
    ‘What was the name again?’
    ‘I am Alain Borrel,’ said Daniel.
    ‘Wait here while I speak to Madame Lizier.’
    ‘It’s her husband I came to see.’
    ‘Wait here.’
    The barmaid let herself out and was away for a couple of minutes. Daniel, meanwhile, sampled more of the wine and gazed around the bar. The man asleep on the table gradually slumped to the floor but nobody else seemed to notice or care. Putting his wine and walking stick aside, Daniel picked him up and sat him more securely in a chair. He earned a grunt of thanks from the man. Daniel went back to the counter. He was still appraising the customers when the barmaid returned.
    ‘Monsieur Borrel?’ she called.
    He swung round. ‘Yes?’
    ‘Madame Lizier will see you in the back room.’
    ‘Is Guillaume in there as well?’
    ‘Talk to his wife first.’
    She pointed to the door in the corner and Daniel walked across to it. Wine in one hand, he used his stick to tap on the stout timber before opening the door. It gave access to a large, stone-floored, well-stocked storeroom.