to pardon my rudeness, but I lack the wherewithal to shake your hand. Ah, but I see that I have discomfited you. I am sorry. Do take a seat so that we may talk.’ He gestured to the chair opposite with his surviving hand and Arthur sat down gratefully.
‘So what are you here for,Wellesley? Come to see Castlereagh?’
‘Yes, my lord.’
Nelson gestured at his face. ‘Seems you have spent some time in the sun. Jamaica?’
‘India. I returned a few days ago.’
‘India.’ Nelson nodded. ‘Bit out of my way. Can’t say I know much about our affairs in that part of the world. But I’m sure you’ve acquitted yourself capably, Wellesley.’ He frowned for a moment before nodding to himself.‘Ah, I have it now.Wellesley! Richard Wellesley is, or was, the Governor General.You must be related to him.’
‘He is my brother.’
‘So you were there helping him out in some capacity, no doubt. On his staff ?’
‘No, my lord. My brother Henry was his private secretary. I served with the army. In the field.’
‘Quite a family affair, then. It must have been helpful for your brother to have two siblings to carry out his instructions.’
Arthur winced at the implied diminution of his achievements. ‘The Governor General decided the policy. I was responsible for our forces on the ground.’
‘Quite so.’ Nelson nodded. ‘And I’m sure you served him well, Sir Arthur.’
‘I did,’ Arthur replied tersely. ‘And with a degree of success.’
‘Good. That’s good.’ Nelson regarded him for a moment and then tapped the newspaper he had been reading.
‘Exciting times, Wellesley. The French fleet is at Cadiz, our ships are massing for the big effort and all Britain wonders what my plan of action will be.You too, I’ll be bound.’
Arthur was a little surprised at the direct display of the other man’s sense of his own importance, but there was no denying that he was keen to know how Nelson intended to beat the French. He nodded.
Nelson’s good eye glinted with pleasure as he leaned back and began. ‘The trick of it, as I’ve always known, is to confound the expectations of the enemy. The thing is that the French have held fast to the old ways of fighting and assume that our line and theirs will sail up and down, parallel to each other, pounding away until the will of one side breaks. I have to confess that our admirals were equally culpable of a lack of initiative until the Battle of St Vincent, when I pulled out of our column and cut their line. Allowed our fleet to defeat them in detail. I did the same again at the Nile.That’s the trick of it: break their line and destroy a division at a time. So we’ll do the same again when we encounter Admiral Villeneuve, and as long as they come on in the same old way we’ll defeat them sure enough.’
‘Most interesting.’ Arthur nodded. ‘But surely, if you approach their line in column, they will be able to bring far more guns against you than you can reply with. At least until you reach their line.’
‘A fair point,’ Nelson conceded. ‘But with French gunnery being what it is, and the stout-heartedness and good training of our men being equal to the occasion, we will prevail. I am certain of it. Certain enough to command my fleet from the first ship in our column.Where I lead, my men will always follow, Sir Arthur,’ he added with a glint of pride in his good eye. ‘They are devoted to me.’
Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ‘Speaking for myself, I would prefer my men to be well trained and confident rather than devoted.’
‘Perhaps you would, Sir Arthur. But when you have led men as long as I have, and won great victories, then the devotion of one’s subordinates is as inevitable as it is useful. I am sure you will discover that for yourself in time, when you become more experienced.’
Arthur regarded the admiral coolly. ‘I have already
‘So what are you here for,Wellesley? Come to see Castlereagh?’
‘Yes, my lord.’
Nelson gestured at his face. ‘Seems you have spent some time in the sun. Jamaica?’
‘India. I returned a few days ago.’
‘India.’ Nelson nodded. ‘Bit out of my way. Can’t say I know much about our affairs in that part of the world. But I’m sure you’ve acquitted yourself capably, Wellesley.’ He frowned for a moment before nodding to himself.‘Ah, I have it now.Wellesley! Richard Wellesley is, or was, the Governor General.You must be related to him.’
‘He is my brother.’
‘So you were there helping him out in some capacity, no doubt. On his staff ?’
‘No, my lord. My brother Henry was his private secretary. I served with the army. In the field.’
‘Quite a family affair, then. It must have been helpful for your brother to have two siblings to carry out his instructions.’
Arthur winced at the implied diminution of his achievements. ‘The Governor General decided the policy. I was responsible for our forces on the ground.’
‘Quite so.’ Nelson nodded. ‘And I’m sure you served him well, Sir Arthur.’
‘I did,’ Arthur replied tersely. ‘And with a degree of success.’
‘Good. That’s good.’ Nelson regarded him for a moment and then tapped the newspaper he had been reading.
‘Exciting times, Wellesley. The French fleet is at Cadiz, our ships are massing for the big effort and all Britain wonders what my plan of action will be.You too, I’ll be bound.’
Arthur was a little surprised at the direct display of the other man’s sense of his own importance, but there was no denying that he was keen to know how Nelson intended to beat the French. He nodded.
Nelson’s good eye glinted with pleasure as he leaned back and began. ‘The trick of it, as I’ve always known, is to confound the expectations of the enemy. The thing is that the French have held fast to the old ways of fighting and assume that our line and theirs will sail up and down, parallel to each other, pounding away until the will of one side breaks. I have to confess that our admirals were equally culpable of a lack of initiative until the Battle of St Vincent, when I pulled out of our column and cut their line. Allowed our fleet to defeat them in detail. I did the same again at the Nile.That’s the trick of it: break their line and destroy a division at a time. So we’ll do the same again when we encounter Admiral Villeneuve, and as long as they come on in the same old way we’ll defeat them sure enough.’
‘Most interesting.’ Arthur nodded. ‘But surely, if you approach their line in column, they will be able to bring far more guns against you than you can reply with. At least until you reach their line.’
‘A fair point,’ Nelson conceded. ‘But with French gunnery being what it is, and the stout-heartedness and good training of our men being equal to the occasion, we will prevail. I am certain of it. Certain enough to command my fleet from the first ship in our column.Where I lead, my men will always follow, Sir Arthur,’ he added with a glint of pride in his good eye. ‘They are devoted to me.’
Arthur shifted uncomfortably in his chair. ‘Speaking for myself, I would prefer my men to be well trained and confident rather than devoted.’
‘Perhaps you would, Sir Arthur. But when you have led men as long as I have, and won great victories, then the devotion of one’s subordinates is as inevitable as it is useful. I am sure you will discover that for yourself in time, when you become more experienced.’
Arthur regarded the admiral coolly. ‘I have already
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