This Blighted Expedition by Lynn Bryant

Author:Lynn Bryant [Bryant, Lynn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wynchlands Publishing
Published: 2019-10-31T04:00:00+00:00

***

It took two days after the signing of the formal surrender, for the French garrison to finally march out of Flushing. Katja had no idea what had caused the delay and did not care. She was frantically busy, dealing with the removal of her exhausted workforce to the West Zouburg farm and ensuring that they were supplied with fires, food, clothing and rest. There were fifty-five people including families, and they were cold, hungry and shocked. Katja dealt with their immediate needs and then left them under the care of her farm manager and his wife and went back to Middelburg.

The children cried when they saw her. Katja had bathed and changed at the farm into clothing she kept there, but nothing could disguise the bruising on her face, although she had found a scarf to hide her throat.

She found them, when she arrived home late the following evening, clustered around Ross in the parlour and the sight brought tears to Katja’s eyes. She hugged all three of them, looking at him over the fair heads. He was clean again, and looked tired and heavy-eyed, stretched out on the sofa with one leg neatly bound and splinted. He smiled at her and Katja smiled back, her heart too full to speak immediately.

“I’m sorry, I can’t get up to greet you properly,” Ross said apologetically.

“Do not dare to try,” Katja said firmly. She detached herself from the children and went to kiss him, acutely aware of all three children watching her with great interest. “How are you, Ross, is the pain very bad?”

“Not bad at all as long as I don’t move. How is your face? I explained to the children that you were hit by flying stones.”

Katja sat beside him, squeezing his hand gratefully. “Thank you. It is much better, both my eyes are fully open and the swelling has gone down.”

“Tell me about your people. Are they recovering?”

“They will do so, I think, although two of the children have very bad coughs. You are their heroes, Ross, You and Lieutenant Durrell and Mr Fenwick. Have you heard from your commanding officer yet?”

Ross pulled a face. “I had a letter demanding my presence. I replied, explaining why I couldn’t come. Durrell has found a carpenter who is making me some crutches, I’ll go and see him then. It seems Giles Fenwick is in trouble as well, he was due back on duty and failed to appear.”

“He was helping me to transport my people to the farm. They were both so good, Ross, I cannot bear that you should all get into trouble because of me.”

“Durrell will be fine; he currently reports to Popham, who is nowhere to be seen. I haven’t really understood his relationship to Chatham, although I suppose that awful brother of his is on his Lordship’s staff, but he seems very confident that Chatham will back him to the hilt. If he is right, I cannot see that Johnstone or Flanagan can order a court martial but that doesn’t mean we’re not in trouble.

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