7th July: Come along by horse

Vickery considered the question. "I should think, in the next day or so - tomorrow would be best and certainly no later than the day after, although of course it depends on the French and when they are planning to pass that way. It is a plan that depends heavily on the element of surprise, although that is helped by rifles having a longer range than muskets - and being more accurate with it, of course."

Pye nodded quickly, eager to redeem himself. "I'll help you with all n' everythin' you need. Jus' say or show if I dunno what to do." He promised. "...and tea,....though I ain't making it from me own stash. Run dry an' empty it did." He looked sheepish. "An' they don't like it at all anyway!"

"Tomorrow would be very comfortable to me, and would give us the opportunity to get a message to Senhora Lopes da Almeida. I'm sure somebody in that village knows how to reach her or one of her associates."

Edward took another sip from his mug, slowly getting used to the taste (though still not liking it).

"I would suggest starting out rather early. Uh, are you coming yourself or will Lt. Delacroix be in charge of things?"

In which case they probably should set the departure time very very early to give the man time to be fashionably late.

"I will come myself, but I would prefer to be there merely as an observer unless I need to take charge. After all, it is a simple enough exercise, to execute an ambush in terrain such as that."

He could not help frowning a little. "Do you think it is a good idea to invite Senhora Lopes da Almeida, considering the sort of thing the Ordenanca do to their prisoners?"

Freddie put a hand over his mouth.

"Oh ... you had to use your own! Oh, let me ..."

In a flurry, he searched for his own tea leaves to recompensate his friend. He was rather flush in tea nowadays, mostly because he was drinking (and quite often sharing) the second brew of his officer, blended with bramble leaves and other herbs, and Torrington had ordered him recklessly to aquire a pound for himself.

"Here! Uh, and ... let me show where Mylord keeps his!"

Edward's mouth twisted unhappily.

"I don't know. I don't like what they do. But ... they are our allies, aren't they? Can we justify keeping something like that from them?"

"Just because they are our allies does not mean that they have to take part in our campaigns, you know," Vickery told his friend dryly. "A skirmish between British and French troops? Why would they need to partake in that?"

"Show." Pye agreed and blinked. "Oh , I can't take those, they's yours, what will you have then?" He glanced at the two officers and then at Freddie. "....do yer think it's wise we don' work with our Spanish friends?.. I mean... .sure they really loathe t' French but....that's good for us, isn't it?..." He dropped his voice a little more.

"I mean.. if they figure out we's hiding things from them....then..well.." he hesitated. "I know nothing good comes from it!...'sperience!" He grinned.

"They seem to be a rather proud people and feel quite easily challenged in their honour."

Edward spoke slowly, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"They probably do not like too much that we act on their own ground without involving them, claiming the first rank in defending their own."

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"Oh, I have lot of tea!", Freddie said confidently, pushing the leaves towards his friend. "You take it! Lots of it! And then you invite me to drink it?"

The mentioning of the Spanish brought a worry line to his forehead, however, and only partly because he had difficulties deciphering what Pye meant.

"We ... we are not hiding, are we?", he asked. "Just ... the Captain not going and telling them."

Leaning towards Pye, he whispered: "Obwohl ... he wants to see the Senhora again, I think ... so he could go there now, and she would be grateful!"

"But their way of fighting is sneak attacks from undercover, and putting the fear of God into any who straggle from the ranks for whatever reason," Vickery pointed out, aware a little late that their own plans could be described in the first clause of his sentence.

"We wear uniform and treat the wounded as we hope the French would treat ours, if our positions were reversed," he added. "The Portuguese do not - and any man, woman or child may be an enemy to the French. The way that they treat French wounded is not something I am willing to condone or turn a blind eye to, and therefore I would prefer the Portuguese conduct their campaigns as they will, and we conducts ours in a gentlemanlike manner and we keep each apart."

"I'll invite yer to drink it and... ask if we can make it together." Pye agreed, he took the tea for safekeeping. It was not his, it was Freddie's but he would keep it and then when it was time they would both drink it!

He looked more serious at the last words. "I dunno...not tellin' them Spanish won't make us their friends..an'.. I don't want ter be not their friend. An' that Portuguese lady..wait..." His grin widened but when he spoke he was all hush hush and whisper. "Yer mean...she's...and..your officer.. our officer Torrington? And he likes her.. oh, I think we should have them talk.. she'd be real grateful, oh and..and! That's a way to lady's heart! Well.. a Portuguese one." He grinned broadly.