An Infamous Army: A Novel of Wellington, Waterloo, Love and War by Georgette Heyer

Author:Georgette Heyer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, pdf
Tags: Regency, Regency fiction, Historical, 1815, Romance, Battle Of, Fiction, Literary, Historical fiction, Belgium, General, Waterloo, Love stories
ISBN: 9781402210075
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
Published: 2007-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

‘Ah, we hear things, you know! Come along, out with it!

What’s the latest from the frontier?’

‘ Nada, nada, nada!’ said the Colonel.

‘Yes, you look as though there were nothing. All alike, you staff officers: close as oysters! My people have been singing Ahé Marmont all the afternoon.’

‘There’s been no news sent off later than nine this morning.

Are your pack-saddles ready?’

Kincaid cocked an eyebrow. ‘More or less. They won’t be wanted before tomorrow, at all events, will they?’

‘I don’t know, but I’ll tell you this, Johnny: if you’ve any preparations to make, I wouldn’t, if I were you, delay so long. Goodbye!’

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A n I n f a m o u s A r m y 2 8 9

Kincaid gave a low whistle. ‘That’s the way it is, is it? Thank you, I’ll see to it!’

Colonel Audley waved to him and strode on. When he reached Worth’s house he found that both Worth and Judith were in their rooms, dressing for the ball. He ran up the stairs to his own apartment, and began to strip off his clothes. He was standing before the mirror in his shirt and gleaming white net pantaloons, brushing his hair, when Worth presently walked in.

‘Hallo, Charles! So you go to the ball, do you? Is there any truth in the rumours that are running round the town?’

‘The Prussians were attacked this morning. That’s all we know. The Great Man’s inclined to think it a feint. He doesn’t think Boney will advance towards Charleroi: the roads are too bad. It’s more likely the real attack will be on our right centre.

Throw me over my sash, there’s a good fellow!’

Worth gave it him, and watched him swathe the silken folds round his waist, so that the fringed ends fell gracefully down one thigh. The Colonel gave a last touch to the black stock about his neck, and struggled into his embroidered coat.

‘Are you dining with us?’

‘No, I dined early with the Duke. I don’t know when I shall get to the ball: we’ve orders to remain at Headquarters.’

‘That sounds as though something is in the wind.’

‘Oh, there is something in the wind,’ said the Colonel, flick-ing one hessian boot with his handkerchief. ‘God knows what, though! We’re expecting to hear from Mons at any moment.’

He picked up his gloves and cocked hat, charged Worth to make his excuses to Judith, and went back to the Rue Royale.

The Duke was in his dressing-room when, later in the evening, Baron Müffling came round to Headquarters with a despatch from Gneisenau, at Namur, but he called the Baron in to him immediately.The despatch confirmed the earlier tidings InfamousArmy Internals 7/20/07 3:18 PM Page 290

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sent by Ziethen, and announced that Blücher was concentrating at Sombreffe, near the village of Ligny. General Gneisenau wanted to know what the Duke’s intentions were, but the Duke was still obstinately awaiting news from Mons. He

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