Whose Business Is to Die by Adrian Goldsworthy Page B

ell, at least we know that they are up to something,’ Baynes concluded after listening to Hanley’s story and questioning many of the details. ‘From what I am told of his activities in the south, Sinclair is fond of besieging fortresses with gold. Which reminds me.’ The merchant fished in his pockets for a note. ‘That ship your friend Williams helped capture last year, the gold found in it is confirmed as lawful prize and will be distributed. This is the sum your friend is due.’
    Hanley took the proffered note, read the columns and was suitably impressed. They had found half a dozen chests hidden beneath a cargo of cotton bales. All had contained gold, and it was suspected that the money was intended to be used to bribe prominent men to accept Joseph Bonaparte as their king. The discovery had been kept secret in the hope of catching some of those involved.
    ‘It will be paid before the year is out, and perhaps sooner,’ Baynes continued, ‘so our young friend may have less need to continue his career of brigandage, though some would say that the best way to remain rich is to spend only when absolutely unavoidable. You may tell him or not, as you wish.’ He took the note back.
    The merchant sat down and poured them each a glass of port. He tasted it, winced. ‘Heaven knows how I sell this muck,’ he muttered, and drained the glass. ‘Now then, what do you think is afoot?’
    ‘It looks very much as if Soult has sent Dalmas and Sinclair to gain more afrancesados whether in Spain or Portugal or both,’Hanley suggested. ‘They would either pass the money over directly, or more likely provide it to pay agents who would suborn others. It may be simply to win over as many influential men as possible to supporting France, or they may have some specific end in mind.’ He sipped the port, found that it was very good and let the warmth spread from his throat to his chest. It had been a long day. ‘Do we know of any agent living in Campo Major or near by?’
    ‘No one we thought was important, and the only other one was arrested and taken to Elvas weeks ago. There may be others. There are men willing to turn traitor for pay in every place and every country. I have little doubt that there are plenty of them in London, Lisbon, Cadiz or anywhere else you care to name.
    ‘So we will leave aside the question of why here for the moment. What of Bertrand?’ Baynes refilled his own glass and topped up Hanley’s. The room was lit by a large fire and a couple of candles. They were in one of the houses near the walls. Owned by a haulier known to Baynes, the place was empty apart from a couple of servants.
    ‘He was an engineer – quite a good one by the sound of it – so he may simply have come to direct the siege. He was at Ciudad Rodrigo helping to lay out the batteries last year.’
    ‘Odd to bring his mistress.’ Baynes produced a loaf and some cheese.
    ‘Yes. That may have been the reason he was ordered here, but there must be more to it. He had debts, very large debts. It appears that he hoped to recover his situation by selling information to us. Perhaps he guessed what Miss Dobson has been doing, or she may have encouraged him.’
    Baynes smiled. ‘Miss Dobson – how very proper that sounds. Though is she not really the widow Mrs Hanks?’
    Hanley could barely remember the big, quiet, rather dull grenadier Jenny had married. A match arranged by her formidable father when it was widely believed that she was already pregnant by someone else. He could not remember telling Baynes about that, although perhaps he had years ago. ‘Either, as you like. But Iam sure she encouraged him. She says that he had papers, listing the strengths and disposition of all three corps in the south.’
    ‘Useful,’ Baynes said, ‘if unlikely to make us willing to pay off “very large debts”. I sometimes suspect that we are almost as well informed of such things as Marshal Soult himself.’
    ‘The most valuable material was