‘That is true,’ the general conceded, and Stephens, sensing that his commander was wavering, pressed home his opinion.

‘Then continue with the operation against Manila, while we still have the advantage over the Spanish. Sir, we must not let Sir John’s timidity overrule sound judgement. Manila is ripe for the plucking, and with it most of Spain’s possessions in the East Indies. We’d be fools to let the chance of a great victory slip through our fingers for want of resolve - on the part of Sir John,’ he added quickly. ‘Strike now, sir, and snatch Spain’s prize colony for England.’ He slapped his hand down on the table. ‘That’s my advice, sir.’

Arthur had been listening to the exchange with a growing sense of despair at the fragility of his commander’s authority, and now he cleared his throat and shook his head. The general spotted the gesture at once.

‘What is your opinion, Colonel Wesley?’

Arthur quickly ordered his thoughts before he replied.

‘Sir, it is true that the best chance of taking Manila is now. If there is a strong force of French warships in the area they could make good use of Manila as a base of operations, in which case it would be foolhardy for us to attempt any attack on the place. Their ships would blow these Indiamen out of the water long before we could land our troops.We may only have a short time left in which it is practical to continue the operation. If you are to attack you must do it swiftly.’

‘There!’ Stephens nodded approvingly. ‘You see, sir? Now is the time for boldness.’

‘I haven’t finished,’ Arthur cut in firmly. ‘While there may be truth in what has been said, we have to consider other possibilities. What if we do take Manila, at great cost; or, worse, what if we are rebuffed and forced to retreat? Then we will have lost many men who may be needed if there is a war with Tipoo. Worse still, once word of our failure leaks out to the other principalities and states in India we will lose face, and that might be enough to spur the warlords who are still undecided about joining Tipoo to declare war on us. If you proceed to Manila, and fail, then you will be damned by those men back in England who will judge your actions.’

General St Leger stirred uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Damned if I do and damned to be forgotten by posterity if I don’t.’

‘Sir,’ Colonel Stephens leaned forward. ‘You have Manila in your grasp. All that remains is to pluck it.’

The general sat back and rubbed his forehead wearily. ‘I will let you know my decision as soon as I’ve considered the options. You may return to your ships.’

The men on the vessels anchored around the general’s Indiaman did not have long to wait. Scarcely half an hour after Arthur had returned from the flagship, signal flags rose up the halyards. Arthur and Fitroy turned to the first mate for an explanation.

‘All ships, prepare to make sail. Course, west by north,’ the mate intoned.

‘What does it mean?’ Fitzroy asked as the first orders were bellowed across the deck of the transport and the sailors went to their stations.

The mate scratched his chin.‘It means that we’re heading back to Calcutta.’

‘Calcutta . . .’ Fitzroy repeated quietly in a tone of disgust. ‘What a bloody waste of time.’

Arthur pressed his lips together. Once again, another chance to win his spurs had been snatched away from him.The war was likely to be over long before he could prove himself, and the only prospect that the future would hold out for him would be an undistinguished oblivion. He cursed the latest twist of fate with all his heart, and bitterly began to wonder how much more he could have achieved if only he had been one of the blessed few young soldiers who were the darlings of fate, like that damned fortunate Frenchman, Bonaparte.

Chapter 27

Napoleon

Paris, December 1797

The treaty that France had signed with Austria at Campo Formio brought peace to Europe, for the moment. Only the old enemy, England, remained, watching warily from the other side of the Channel. When Napoleon and Junot returned to his modest home on Rue Chantereine Napoleon was surprised to see how quickly the people of Paris had responded to peace. The shop windows were full of luxury items and well-dressed dandies and their ladies walked the streets cheek by jowl with the dowdy masses, almost as if there had never been a revolution. Expensive carriages rattled over the cobbled boulevards, weaving through the pedestrians and sedan chairs.

‘You’d never guess this was the same city described by Augereau,’ Junot muttered. ‘I thought the place was supposed to be simmering on the edge of a violent uprising.’

‘Seems peaceful,’ Napoleon agreed, his bright eyes flickering from side to side as they rode down a street close to his home. ‘We’ll find out soon enough.’

Once the armistice had been signed some months earlier, Napoleon had sent General Augereau back to Paris to represent his interests during the negotiations with Austria. Augereau wrote regularly, and somewhat alarmingly, of the precarious state of the government, warning Napoleon that he had enough enemies in the capital to make it too dangerous for him to return until the treaty was signed and Napoleon could claim the fruits of victory from the grateful citizens.That was why Napoleon had told Josephine to remain in Milan until he sent for her. As he entered the house that they had shared for only three days after they had been married, Napoleon felt her absence more keenly than ever. She was far from home, and the marriage bed, but at least her friends would keep her company in his absence.

Once he had bathed and rested Napoleon joined Junot in the small study and sat at his desk to dictate to his friend. There were letters to be written, and meetings to be arranged before he retired to bed. The first note was to Paul Barras and the other members of the Directory to notify them of his arrival in Paris. It was more than a courtesy, since the unannounced arrival of a successful and popular general in the capital would greatly alarm the politicians and cause them to suspect his motives even more than they already did. With that obligation out of the way Napoleon drew up a list of people he needed to see as soon as possible: the new foreign minister, Talleyrand; his brothers Joseph and Lucien; and some of the most prominent generals and politicians presently in the city. France would not endure the current constitution for much longer, and when the inevitable happened, and the Directory was replaced, then a new generation of men would decide the fate of France. When that time came, Napoleon reflected, he must be prepared to play his part, and seize any opportunity.

It was late in the evening before he had finished his tasks and told Junot to make sure that the messages were delivered immediately. As he left the study and made his way to the bedroom Napoleon was aware of a flickering glow through the windows at the front of the house, accompanied by the muted sounds of a gathered crowd. At once he feared that a mob had discovered his return and was bent on attacking his home. In the years of the revolution no man had been safe from the fickle attentions of the Parisians. He turned back to his study in alarm.

‘Junot! Come quickly.’

His friend hurried from the study, clutching the sealed letters under his arm. ‘What is it, sir?’

‘There, look.’ Napoleon pointed to the window and beckoned to Junot to follow him as he padded cautiously towards the front of the house. Keeping to the shadows they peered round the curtains, down into the street outside. Over a hundred people were gathered there, some carrying torches, and all talking in an excited babble.

‘What do they want?’ Junot said quietly.

‘Whatever it is, let’s keep out of sight. Find the groom and send him out there to see what’s going on. Better tell him to use the rear entrance. He can go along the alley to reach the end of the street. Got that?’