The Tide Watchers by Lisa Chaplin

Author:Lisa Chaplin
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 32

Boulogne-sur-Mer

October 25, 1802

NO, ME LORD, I keep tellin’ yer, you can’t go out into the town no-how. Someb’dy killed me poor mate Peebles t’other week. There’s bully boys runnin’ round in Frog getups, demandin’ papers off everybody and lookin’ for foreigners.” He pronounced it furriners. “You’d blow yer chimney piece and lob off some bleeder’s head for sure. I’m just a little fella. Nobody’s lookin’ at me. I can get just about anywhere you need.”

Interned at an inn in the old town high above the harbor, Camelford glared at Mark. This had been going on for weeks now. Stuck inside this second-rate inn, eating in his rooms, pretending to be sick, while the boy came and went at will. The impertinent brat loved to bring him information, proving his worth, believing he’d become indispensable—that he’d become one of Camelford’s permanent staff when he returned to London.

There was no chance of that. All those in his employ were respectful of their lord, very well aware of their station in life, and grateful for everything given them.

This cheeky horror of a Cockney child would never fit in.

“So what’s your information on movements of troops, or any visits of state?”

Mark scratched his head. Camelford shivered, imagining the creatures crawling through the boy’s hair. “Well, I ain’t quite sure what you mean, but there’s loads o’ blighters on the hill over that way. All those blokes what’re in uniform.” Mark pointed toward the hills. “They’re changin’ the guard mighty regular on the roads north, I hear. Makin’ sure the fellas is fresh. And load of ’em is talkin’ ’bout bein’ sent to some place tomorrow.” Termorrer, Camelford heard and shuddered. “Place is called port brick.”

It’s Pont-de-Briques, you ignoramus—Boney’s stolen villa. “For what purpose?”

But he already knew . . . and with the information he’d been waiting for the past few weeks now in his hands, young Mark had run out of usefulness.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.