The Helier L'Eree Trilogy: An omnibus by Christopher Nicole

Author:Christopher Nicole [Nicole, Christopher]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: RO:HIS
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2018-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 7

My estimation of the situation was proved correct. Essex felt bound to chase behind us, and as we were deliberately moving slowly, caught up with us at a place called Edge Hill, in Warwickshire. We knew of their approach, of course, from our scouts behind us, and had halted and placed ourselves in a state of preparedness, so that when on the morning of 23 October Essex resumed his advance, he found us drawn up on the next rise, waiting for him. This gave him pause for thought, and he drew up his men in turn. The Parliamentarians disposed of some fifteen thousand men, horse and foot, which meant that they outnumbered us to a considerable extent, but it appeared that they had no great intention of attacking us, having, as they thought, fulfilled their duty by bringing our easterly march to a halt. However, I at the least had every intention of attacking them, as did Rupert, even if the same could hardly be said of Lindsey who, having arranged our people in battle array, proceeded to order an early dinner.

The King, by this time, was dressed in full armour and looking exceedingly warlike, but when asked when we would commence hostilities, replied, “You will have to ask the Earl.”

But the Earl, when applied to, said, “Whenever my lord of Essex makes a move.”

When I remembered the way Gustavus had always struck his enemies at the earliest possible moment — he would have attacked the Parliamentarians while they were still forming up — I felt quite despairing. Rupert was more sanguine. “We will have them yet, Count. Do not give up hope.”

And he set to work on his uncle. I returned to be with the horse, while studying the enemy as best I could. They were a motley crowd, to be sure, arranged in the most orthodox of fashions, pikemen and musketeers in the centre, horsemen on each wing, artillery out in front. But then, so were we: both Essex and Lindsey had had their experience on the continent. I was more interested in the various component parts of the enemy force, and I found myself staring in particular at one of the cavalry commanders on their right wing, which was of course on the far side of the field from our right wing, where Caroline and I were situated. Thus he was a considerable distance away, and it was quite impossible to make out his features, but yet there was something familiar about him, and his movements, as he walked his horse up and down in front of his people, clearly as impatient to be about the business as myself.

“By God,” I said. “I would swear that is Cromwell.”

“Who?” Caroline asked.

“A fellow I met on my last visit, a year ago.”

“A Parliamentarian?”

“Oh, indeed, that he is. But I had not thought to see him here. He was on his way to America when last we spoke.”

“Well, no doubt he will soon wish he had gone,” she commented.

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