He’s been drinking, Brazier thought, while Cottin being beside him, with Garlick no doubt eavesdropping, debarred him from enquiring about Admiral Hassall and what his wife was up to.
‘I’d be very grateful, sir,’ was the required response, as Pitt referred to it himself. ‘The other matter we discussed, perhaps we can dine together and talk over certain developments.’
‘Of course,’ was said. Not on your life or mine was what Brazier thought. ‘Mr Cottin, perhaps you and I could have a talk sometime later today, perhaps just before I take dinner?’
The man physically jerked, and his voice was a gabble. ‘Love to … must get back to my duties … coach journey booked … been away too long … work piling up of the most pressing nature, don’t you know.’
Seeing Pitt leaving he wanted to dash after him, but a Brazier hand stopped him. ‘Enjoy your inventions, Mr Cottin. I have found such things can come back to haunt you.’
‘I must catch Mr Pitt to say goodbye.’
Brazier took his hand off the smaller man’s chest. ‘Just one thing. Where have you taken the man I left for you to apprehend, and was he alive or dead?’
‘Man? What man? There was not a soul about in any condition by the time we arrived.’
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DAVID DONACHIE was born in Edinburgh in 1944. He has always had an abiding interest in the naval history of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as well as the Roman Republic, and under the pen-name Jack Ludlow has published a number of historical adventure novels. David lives in Deal with his partner, the novelist Sarah Grazebrook.
By David Donachie
THE CONTRABAND SHORE SERIES
The Contraband Shore • A Lawless Place • Blood Will Out
THE JOHN PEARCE SERIES
By the Mast Divided • A Shot Rolling Ship
An Awkward Commission • A Flag of Truce
The Admirals’ Game • An Ill Wind
Blown Off Course • Enemies at Every Turn
A Sea of Troubles • A Divided Command
The Devil to Pay • The Perils of Command
A Treacherous Coast • On a Particular Service
A Close Run Thing
THE NELSON AND EMMA SERIES
On a Making Tide • Tested by Fate • Breaking the Line
The Devil’s Own Luck • The Dying Trade • A Hanging Matter
An Element of Chance • The Scent of Betrayal • A Game of Bones
Written as Jack Ludlow
THE LAST ROMAN SERIES
Vengeance • Honour • Triumph
THE REPUBLIC SERIES
The Pillars of Rome • The Sword of Revenge • The Gods of War
THE CONQUEST SERIES
Mercenaries • Warriors • Conquest
THE ROADS TO WAR SERIES
The Burning Sky • A Broken Land • A Bitter Field
THE CRUSADES SERIES
Son of Blood • Soldier of Crusade • Prince of Legend
Hawkwood
COPYRIGHT
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allisonandbusby.com
First published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2019.
This ebook edition published in Great Britain by Allison & Busby in 2019.
Copyright © 2019 by DAVID DONACHIE
The moral right of the author is hereby asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All characters and events in this publication, other than those clearly in the public domain, are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent buyer.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN 978–0–7490–2121–4