It seemed far from simple to me, but I took a firm hold of myself. This was my only chance of survival. I had to do it or perish. My greatest fear was that I would fall into the water, for no-one could live in that seething cauldron of tumultuous waves.

  When the rescue boat reached us, Mr. Reevers held the rope while I slipped over the side, with my heart thumping so loudly it drowned out the sound of the vicious wind. A surging wave between the schooner and the rowing boat suddenly shot up and struck me full in the face, taking my breath away. Sea water blasted up my nose and into my throat, and I was still choking when two of the four men in the boat reached out to me. Somehow I grabbed their hands, and they hauled me to safety.

  The boat was bouncing up and down like a piece of cork, but the men undid the rope round my waist, and Mr. Reevers pulled it up ready for the next person. The men settled me onto a seat and told me to hang on tight. Which I did, gratefully clutching the side of the boat, as it swept up high on the crest of a wave, only to be dashed down into a deep trough.

  Then a huge wave crashed right over the boat and soaked me to the skin again. I began to shiver and one of the men handed me something to bail out the water in the boat. This I did, clinging to the side of the boat with one hand, and using the bailer with the other. The activity warmed me a little, and gave me something to do, for which I was grateful.

  Mr. Pitt was next on the boat. He came down as I had, with the rope tied round his waist, and within a few minutes was sitting beside me. Jago and Mudd followed but there was no room for anyone else. Mudd took over the bailing and as those remarkable men rowed us through those terrifying waves towards the brig, I looked back at Mr. Reevers, who was standing on the deck of the schooner watching us. ‘Don’t worry, ma’am,’ one of the men shouted above the wind. ‘We’ll go back for the others.’

  I prayed with every fibre of my being that it would be possible. Naturally I wanted Captain Barr and his men to be saved too, but my fears for Mr. Reevers tore at my heart in an entirely different way. His calm attitude to danger had given me the confidence to do precisely what he’d said. But, leaving him on that deck, not knowing if I would ever see him alive again, was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. Common sense told me he could not have come with me, but that didn’t make it any easier. I desperately longed for him to be safe too, for I could not bear the thought of life without him.

  Time and again spray from the gigantic waves soaked us, and I knew that if the boat overturned in these mountainous seas there would be no chance for any of us. Yet, thanks entirely to the skill of our rescuers we made it back to the brig. Climbing out of the boat onto the brig was almost as hard as getting off the schooner, but we managed it without any mishap. Then we saw those brave men set off again to save more lives.

  The skipper of the brig took us below, where he introduced himself as Sam Froggatt. When he saw us all in the light of the cabin, his eyebrows almost shot up into his head. ‘Mr. Pitt? Is it really you, sir?’

  ‘I’m afraid so,’ came that gentleman’s rueful response.

  ‘How did you come to be out in this awful weather, sir?’

  ‘Well, Lord Elvington here,’ he said, indicating Jago, ‘invited me to go for a trip on his schooner. When we set off earlier there was only a light breeze, but on our way home we were caught in a terrible squall and ran aground on the Sands.’

  ‘Well, I never,’ he exclaimed, as if it wasn’t possible for that kind of thing to happen to someone as important as Mr. Pitt. ‘Still, you are safe and sound now.’

  ‘Indeed. I cannot thank you enough for stopping to rescue us. I’ve never seen such bravery as your men showed in getting us off the schooner in those terrifying treacherous conditions.’

  ‘Well, we’re local fishermen, sir. From Walmer. We couldn’t just leave you there.’

  ‘You’re from Walmer?’ Mr. Pitt echoed in surprise.

  ‘Yes, sir. In fact my daughter Jane works in the kitchens at the castle.’

  ‘Jane? The girl with the shy smile. She’s your daughter, is she? I’m told she’s a good worker.’

  ‘She is, sir. She’ll never let you down,’ Froggatt said, his face breaking into huge grin. ‘Now, once we’ve got the other men on board, we’ll head for Walmer and see you all safely ashore.’ He turned his attention to me, and his eyebrows shot up once again as he realised I was a woman wearing a man’s shirt and pantaloons. When I told him I’d borrowed these clothes after my own become saturated, he said how sorry he was to see a lady caught up in such terrible weather.

  I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to him for coming to our rescue, as did Jago and Mudd. Froggatt grinned at us and said he was glad to be of help, and went on, ‘It’s a bit cramped in here, but if you would all like to take a seat, I’ll pour you out a drop of brandy. It will warm you up after your terrible ordeal.’ Without more ado he placed some glasses on the table, opened a full bottle, and poured us all a good measure.

  It was an hour before Mr. Reevers and the others joined us. The longest hour in my life. If I ever had any doubts about my feelings for him, these last few terrible hours had made it all too plain.

  Captain Barr told us, ‘We didn’t get off the schooner a minute too soon. I was last, of course, and the pounding of the waves had already started to break up the vessel. I don’t think there will be much left by morning.’

  We all commiserated with Jago at the loss of his schooner, but he assured us that it could easily be replaced, and what mattered most was that we were all safe. Something that had not seemed possible a few hours ago. Nevertheless I was really surprised at him uttering such a touching remark.

  Sam Froggatt continued to be so generous with the brandy, I knew we must be on a smugglers’ boat. They admitted to being local fishermen, and no doubt, like fishermen on the Isle of Wight, they supplemented their income with smuggling. A way of life Mr. Pitt wanted to stamp out.

  Now that everyone was safely on board, the brig set off for Walmer. At first the gales made sailing hard going, but we gained a little shelter on reaching the “The Downs,” the area of sea between the coast and the Goodwin Sands. Where vessels often waited for suitable weather in which to sail.

  We were all feeling relaxed and immensely thankful to be alive, when we heard some shouting going on up on deck. Mr. Reevers went to see what was happening, and soon came down again, a huge grin on his face. ‘It’s a revenue cutter,’ he said, with a chuckle. ‘Some of their men are on board now.’

  Before he could say another word a revenue officer entered the cabin. The officer stared at the First Lord of the Treasury as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. ‘Mr. Pitt, sir,’ he gasped. ‘May ---- may I inquire as to what you are doing on a smugglers’ boat?’

  ‘A smugglers’ boat?’ Mr. Pitt questioned, feigning considerable surprise. ‘I know nothing about that, Mr. Allington. What I do know is, that I owe my life to these brave men.’ He explained to the rest of us that he’d met Mr. Allington at the Fencibles inspection earlier that day, and then addressed that gentleman again. ‘When I returned to the castle after the inspection, Lord Elvington suggested we took a trip on his schooner. Unfortunately, we stayed out rather longer than we meant to, and on our way back a sudden squall drove us onto the Goodwin Sands, where we became stuck fast. The captain of this fine brig,’ he went on, indicating Sam Froggatt, who stood beside him, ‘stopped to rescue us. I have never seen such bravery in all my life. As you can imagine, I am extremely grateful to Mr. Froggatt and his men.’

  ‘I see, sir,’ Allington said, a rather sour expression on his face. ‘I hardly know what to say, except I’ve been trying to catch this rogue red-handed for months and I------’

  Mr. Pitt broke in, ‘Today he was employed in saving lives.’

  Allington glanced at the glasses on the table, and then at the bottle, before asking Mr. Pitt, ‘Sir, may I inquire where that brandy came from?’

  As the great man told me later, he lied without a moment’s hesitation. ‘I brought it with me from the schooner.’

  ‘Is that so, sir?’ The revenue officer did not hide his scepticism.

  ‘Well, there was no sense in leaving it behind.’

  ‘I see,’ he said, with a resigned sigh. ‘Nevertheless, it is my duty to search this brig.’

  Sam Froggatt spread his hands out wide. ‘By all means, Mr. Allington. Look where you like. But you won’t find anything except cod and some mackerel.’

  The two men went off together and after the door had closed, Jago said, ‘They probably heaved the goods over the side while they rescued us, and sunk it below the surface. Then they’ll pick it up whenever it suits them. Allington will know that, of course, but even if he found the goods in the sea, he couldn’t prove it belonged to Froggatt.’

  ‘Poor Allington,’ Mr. Pitt said. ‘He has a difficult job, and normally I would do what I could to help him. But I couldn’t stab those brave men in the back.’

  ‘Of course you couldn’t, sir,’ I said, and we finished off the brandy with a toast to the smugglers.

  We were put ashore in Walmer just as the sun began to rise over the horizon. A few hours ago that was something I had not expected to see ever again. As we set off for the castle, Jago told us quietly that the dead bodies on his schooner had all been swept away by the waves. ‘It was the best thing that could have happened to them,’ he said.

  Mr. Reevers agreed and suggested, ‘I think that when we are asked what happened to Gisele and Roche, we should simply say they were swept overboard in the storm. No-one will question that. It’s happened to many other people before. And as Morel was believed to have returned to America we need not mention him at all.’

  He was right, of course. It was the sensible thing to do. I would tell my aunt and uncle the truth, but make it clear that Mr. Pitt intended to stick to the story that he’d gone out on Jago's schooner and run aground in the storm.

  It was then that I thought of Mr. Hamerton, who had warned me of the French threat to take Mr. Pitt to Paris. His information had been right, and it was extremely fortunate that he’d lived long enough to pass it on to me, or Mr. Pitt's fate would have been very different. Nevertheless that whole terrible episode was now at an end. For which I was immensely grateful. I would, however, never forget what we owed to Mr. Hamerton.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  T he storm had finally passed, leaving clear blue skies and a gentle breeze, and the birds were singing joyfully as we walked the short distance to Walmer Castle. I revelled in the delightful sounds that, only a few hours ago, I had feared I would never hear again. Mudd, who Mr. Pitt had shaken by the hand and thanked with genuine heartfelt gratitude for his part in the rescue, went off to his quarters. As he did so, my uncle came rushing out to greet us, followed by my aunt at a more sedate pace. She never hurried.

  They were shocked to see me in Captain Barr’s clothes, but as we stood outside soaking up the glorious sunshine, I quickly explained how that had come about. Cooper, Jago's groom, had done as I’d asked and told them of Mr. Pitt’s abduction and of our determination to rescue him. When the weather deteriorated into one of the worst gales they had ever experienced, they had spent a terrible night waiting and worrying.

  Naturally they wanted to hear the whole story, but urged us to change our clothes first. That made good sense and it wasn’t long before we were all gathered together in the breakfast parlour, and as we enjoyed a much needed meal, we recounted everything that had happened overnight. They were profoundly shocked by Gisele's treacherous part in the French conspiracy. ‘Louis will be dreadfully upset,’ Aunt Thirza said. ‘But perhaps it is as well she’s dead.’

  I gazed at her, hardly daring to hope that Louis was now well enough to be capable of being upset. ‘Aunt, are you saying Louis is conscious?’

  ‘He came round a few hours ago,’ my uncle said.

  Jago breathed a huge sigh of relief. ‘That is good news.’

  ‘He’s still very sleepy,’ my uncle went on. ‘Nevertheless, the doctor is hopeful that he will not suffer any lasting damage.’

  ‘Is someone with him at the moment?’ Mr. Reevers asked.

  My uncle said, ‘Gisele's maid, Gussie, who had nursed him during the day, offered to do so at night when she saw how worried we were about you.’ And he added, ‘Do go to see him if you want but, for the moment, I think we should keep Gisele's death from him.’

  I thought so too, although Mr. Pitt said, ‘Won’t he wonder where she is?’

  ‘We can tell him she’s unwell,’ my aunt suggested.

  After breakfast, Jago and I looked in on Louis, but he was asleep. Gussie was still sitting with him, and I quietly asked Jago if he would take her place for a few minutes, while I told her what had happened to Gisele. He nodded in understanding and Gussie came out of the room with me.

  When I told her Gisele was dead, she went rather pale. ‘I am very sorry to hear that, my lady.’ Gisele's death meant that she would have to find another place of employment, and I immediately thought about my need for a new maid. Of course she already knew that Gray was getting married at the end of the month, and I took the opportunity to talk to her to see if she would be suitable for me. I began by asking if she had enjoyed staying at Westfleet.

  ‘I did, my lady. Westfleet Manor is a beautiful house. I was happy in London, but I really love the Island. It’s so nice being near the sea and the countryside too.’

  Taking into account her kindness in nursing Louis, I talked to her for some time. I liked her cheerful manner and her calm positive attitude to life. It wasn’t long before I decided I would offer her the job, but thought I should give her a day or two to recover from Gisele's sudden death first. When I did ask her later, she accepted at once, and did so happily.

  On joining the others again, Mr. Pitt reminded us that the officers from the Fencibles were dining with us this evening. ‘But I won’t mention our adventure to them.’ And he gave a hearty chuckle. ‘Imagine what the newspapers would make of it if they found out the French intended to put me on public trial, and then force me up the steps to their guillotine! If that got out it would cause a sensation.’

  ‘It certainly would sir,’ I said. ‘There would be quite an uproar too if people heard you had been caught on a smugglers’ brig by the revenue men.’

  Mr. Pitt chortled, ‘It would indeed, ma’am. But I had a quiet word with Sam Froggatt and Mr. Allington while we were on the brig. They both understood how vital it is to keep such news quiet. I find that if you explain things in the right way, most people will do as you ask.’ I prayed he was right. Smugglers were certainly accustomed to keeping secrets, and Mr. Allington was a man of the highest principles.

  Everyone went to get some rest then, and when I woke several hours later I was so thirsty I made my way to the dining room as soon as I’d washed and dressed. Mr. Reevers was seated at the table, partaking of a light, rather late nuncheon, but he immediately rose to his feet, selected a chair opposite his own, and held it out for me. Once I was seated he offered to help me to some cold meat. I thanked him but refused. ‘I have a fancy for some plain bread and butter, and some tea. I’m positively parched.’ Having poured myself some tea I drank half of it straightaway and felt better for it. As I buttered a slice of bread, I asked if any of the others were up.

  ‘Mr. Pitt is, but I haven’t seen your aunt and uncle.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. It must have been awful for them, not knowing if we were alive or dead.’

  A faint smile quivered on his lips. ‘Well, it wasn’t much fun for us either.’

  I laughed. ‘True. It’s not an experience I wish to repeat.’

  ‘Nor me. You were very brave, Drusilla. Not many women would have coped as well as you did,’ he said in quiet approval.

  Before I could answer, Jago joined us and said he had just been to see Louis again. ‘But he was still rather sleepy, and we only exchanged a few words. I’ll go along later.’

  After I had finished my meal Mr. Reevers inquired if I would care to join him for a walk in the gardens. ‘Some fresh air would do us good,’ he said.

  Recalling the vast amount of violent fresh air we had endured on the Goodwin Sands, I couldn’t help smiling as we set off for our walk. The sun was still shining and we strolled through the rather barren grounds counting our blessings. We watched the blackbirds scurrying in and out of the occasional shrub, admired the butterflies on a small clump of Michaelmas daisies, and the bees on a patch of lavender. Enjoying to the full some of the little things in life that we usually took for granted.

  After a while I reminded Mr. Reevers of what we owed Mr. Hamerton, and pointed out, ‘If he hadn’t warned us of the plot to abduct Mr. Pitt, the French might have succeeded in guillotining one of our greatest leaders. Imagine what that would have done to our morale. It might even have led to us losing the war.’

  ‘Perhaps,’ he admitted. ‘Although Pitt won’t see it that way. Hamerton was immensely brave, but his actions would have come to nothing if you hadn’t seen Gisele and Pitt going off together, and realised what was happening.’

  ‘I was lucky.’

  ‘That wasn’t luck, Drusilla. That was intelligence and sheer good sense. Thank God it was you who saw them and not Jago. He would not have realised there was anything odd about it.’ I had to admit that was true. He would have assumed they were simply taking a short walk before dinner.

  We spent a most delightful couple of hours in this carefree mood, enjoying the glorious sunshine. When we eventually went back into the castle, we looked in on Louis. He was awake, but rather drowsy, so we did not stay long, nor did we speak of anything important.

  Dinner that evening with the officers from the Fencibles was a delightful affair. Mr. Pitt was on top form and his entertaining stories made us laugh a good deal. That took our minds off the trauma we had endured. The officers were full of praise for the Walmer Volunteers who had sworn to fight to the death to prevent a French invasion. Mr. Pitt expressed his heartfelt admiration for such outstanding courage, and his sentiments were echoed by everyone around the table.

 

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