Circle of Shadows

I.3

16 March 1784, Caveley

Crowther’s luggage and the offerings of the village were carried to Caveley just after dawn. He followed them some hours later. The front of Mrs Westerman’s house was all activity. The party were to travel in two coaches. One for Graves, Crowther and Mrs Westerman, the other for their luggage and Mrs Westerman’s maid, Dido. It seemed to Crowther that as they were travelling without the usual large entourage of servants, they could have managed with only one coach. He said as much to Graves, who was observing the activity with an expression of wonder.

‘Michaels insists, Mr Crowther,’ Graves said. Crowther only now noticed the landlord of the Bear and Crown, who was directing the placing of the baggage and checking that the leather straps around the band-boxes were properly tightened. ‘He says it’s better to travel with two lightly packed, otherwise we shall spend a month up to our axles in mud, this time of year.’

Harriet had emerged from the house, and having cast her eye over the arrangements and decided not to intervene, joined the gentlemen. ‘Michaels has volunteered to be our guide, Crowther, and will not be persuaded to remain at home,’ she said. ‘He has the same distrust of the postillions and innkeepers of Germany as the butcher seems to have of the meat.’

‘He is fond of your sister,’ Graves said.

‘Yes, everyone is. Our bulging supplies are testament to that. Graves, my children will be with Verity at Thornleigh Hall before nightfall, all packed up and Anne’s nurse and Mr Quince with them.’

‘They are very welcome.’

Harriet’s voice became low. ‘Stephen is very angry with me. He feels he should be allowed to accompany us.’

‘I have spent half the night denying the appeals of Susan and Jonathan,’ Graves replied wearily. ‘They claim that as Clode once saved them, it is their right to come with us to save him. Little Eustache wishes to go because he fears being left behind. They are with Stephen in your old nursery now, talking bitterly of us and plotting to pursue us.’

‘If you will allow me, I shall have a word with the young people,’ Crowther said.

Graves and Harriet looked at him with a mixture of surprise and faint hope.

At the point the cavalcade was ready to make for the coast, the children presented themselves for their farewells. They were affectionate, and though distressed at the separation, they no longer seemed angry. Stephen only whispered to his mother that she must be very careful. He did so with the seriousness only a ten year old with large blue eyes can manage. She promised him she would, rather wonderingly. She watched from the carriage window until the house was out of sight, before wiping her eyes and asking, bewildered, ‘Crowther, what on earth did you say to them?’

He leaned back into his corner of the carriage. ‘I explained that before they could hope to be of any practical help to us on occasions such as these, they must learn to shoot a pistol accurately, improve their riding, their French and their geography. I also suggested wrestling. They aim to spend the time we are absent in continual practice.’

Graves made a slight choking sound, and Harriet shook her head. Crowther folded his long fingers over the top of his cane, and closed his eyes.

From The Gazetteer of Europe for the Informed Traveller, 1782

The Duchy of Maulberg

Situation: lying in the south west between Bavaria, Wirtemburg and Saxe

Ettlingham.

Extent: some 1,500 square miles, supporting some 100,000 souls.

Mostly forest and agricultural land.

Raised to Duchy 1495.

Ruler: Ludwig Christoph II born 1745, succeeded to title 1756.

Exports: wine, linen, paper.

Principal rivers: Neckar, Enz.

Principal cities: Ulrichsberg (capital) founded 1713 on building of Ducal

Palace; Leuchtenstadt, seat of University of Maulberg founded 1512.

Some remarks:

Some commentators have said that if every county in England, and some of the larger parishes, had their own King, then we might learn to understand the situation that pertains in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Maulberg is a fine example of this sort of government. The Duke is, to all intents and purposes, an absolute ruler in his territory, but his lands are punctured by other tiny sovereign states and he owes a polite allegiance to the Emperor. He has, however, his own troops, his own government and to an extent his own laws, and should always be treated with the deference due to a monarch.

Maulberg and its people suffered greatly during the Seven Years’ War as the armies of their great neighbours Austria and Prussia marched over their lands. However, we are glad to report that the situation seems to have improved of late. Much of the Duchy appears to be productively farmed once more and its population grows.

The Palace of Ulrichsberg deserves qualified admiration. It is modelled on Versailles, and certainly gives an impression of great splendour. The palace is also famous due to the quality of musicians and artists of all sorts the current ruler continually attracts to him. The other buildings in the city are also most elegant. An Englishman passing through this city must, however, ask himself how a state only a little larger than Wiltshire can afford a court so splendid.

As with all parts of Germany and Austria, we advise travellers to be very careful in matters of rank and recommend they seek guidance from their hosts in all questions of forms of address at all levels in society. French is generally used amongst people of quality, and almost exclusively in court except when dealing with servants. The peasants speak only their local version of the German tongue. Unsurprising then, that even these little states seem divided into classes of people staring at each other with a profound degree of mutual incomprehension.