5 A Very Murdering Battle by Edward Marston

city therefore occupied a special place in his heart and, whenever he was there, he made a point of visiting his mother’s grave. She’d died with an implacable hatred of the Duke of Marlborough because – as Major-General John, Lord Churchill – he’d been one of the commanders of the royal army at Sedgemoor. Juliana Rawson would never have been able to accept the fact that her son now served a man who’d been indirectly responsible for the death of her husband. It was as well that she’d passed away before Daniel joined the British army.
    ‘How was the journey here?’ asked Janssen.
    ‘Long and tiresome,’ replied Daniel.
    ‘The whole country seems to have ground to a halt.’
    ‘It’s just as bad in The Hague as here. There’s no sign of a thaw.’
    ‘We must count our blessings,’ said Amalia. ‘We have a roof over our heads and warm fires to sit beside. Some people lack both. There are tales of poor devils being found in shop doorways, frozen to death.’
    Daniel thought of the frozen soldier and his horse.
    ‘Let’s not dwell on such things,’ suggested Janssen. ‘Daniel is here at last and we should savour his visit. The tapestry can wait until tomorrow when it can be seen properly in the daylight. This evening must be given over to merriment.’
    Dopff agreed heartily, thumping the table with a fist in approbation. He knew how much Daniel’s arrival would lift the whole household and he never forgot the way in which their visitor had risked life and limb to sneak them safely out of Paris when there was an extensive manhunt for them. They ate, drank and revelled in each other’s company for several hours. Dopff was the first to retire to bed and Janssen soon followed. Ordinarily, Beatrix would have come into the room to act as a chaperone but Daniel was trusted sufficiently to be left alone with Amalia. As they sat beside each other in the parlour, he held both her hands.
    ‘You look more beautiful than ever,’ he said, softly.
    ‘I thought you only came to see the Battle of Ramillies,’ she teased.
    ‘I saw far too much of it when it was actually raging, Amalia. I was at His Grace’s side for much of the time, so I had a perfect view of what was happening. I can tell you this,’ he added, squeezing her hands, ‘I’d much prefer to enjoy a perfect view of Amalia Janssen. It’s far less perilous.’
    She laughed. ‘Thank you, Daniel. Have you missed me?’
    ‘You’re never out of my thoughts.’
    ‘I’ve spent every day wondering where you are.’
    ‘That’s reassuring to hear.’
    ‘Surely, you don’t doubt me?’ she said.
    ‘Not for a second,’ he promised her, ‘and I hope you don’t doubt me.’
    ‘I just wish we could spend more time together.’
    ‘Only the needs of war keep us apart. One day, it will be different.’
    ‘One day – God willing!’ Looking into her eyes, he tightened his grip on her hands. She wanted to melt into his arms and gave him an inviting smile, moving closer to him as she did so. Daniel was about to embrace her when Beatrix came into the parlour.
    ‘It’s wonderful to have you here again, Captain Rawson,’ she said, effusively. ‘The whole house seems suddenly warmer as a result. It’s an omen. Winter is at last coming to an end.’
    ‘Yes,’ he said, drawing back reluctantly from Amalia, ‘I believe that it is.’
     
     
    Dopff had been dumb from birth but there was nothing wrong with his hearing. If anything, it was more sensitive than that of the average person. He had a bedchamber at the back of the house and above the workshop. As a rule, he slept soundly but something brought him abruptly awake that night. Not knowing what it was, he sat bolt upright in bed and blinked his eyes. Telling himself that it must have been a dream, he lay down under the blankets again and was soon slumbering peacefully. Ten minutes later, he was awake again and this time he had an inkling of what had prompted him. There were noises from below,