1805 by Richard Woodman

this strange and improbable story.
    'Hadn't you heard, Captain?' Camelford leaned back. 'Oh my
goodness no, how could you? Bonaparte the First Consul is transfigured,
Captain Drinkwater. He is become Napoleon, Emperor of the French. A
plebiscite of the French people has raised him to the purple.'
     
    Following Camelford's welcome
departure, Drinkwater was summoned to attend Lord Keith. As he kicked
his heels aboard Keith's flagship, the
Monarch
,
Drinkwater learned that not only had Napoleon secured his position as
Emperor of the French but his own patron, Earl St Vincent, had been
dismissed from the Admiralty. The old man refused to serve under
William Pitt who had just been returned as Prime Minister in place of
Addington. Pitt had said some harsh things about St Vincent when in
opposition and had replaced him as First Lord of the Admiralty with
Lord Melville. But Drinkwater's thoughts were not occupied with such
considerations for long. His mind returned to the image of Wright lying
in the Temple prison with his throat cut and the shadowy figure of
Edouard Santhonax somewhere in the background. He wondered how accurate
Camelford's information was and what Camelford was doing in France. Was
it possible that a man of Camelford's erratic character had been
employed to do what Cadoudal and Pichegru had failed to do: to
assassinate Napoleon Bonaparte? The only credible explanation for that
hypothesis was that Camelford had been sent into France in a private
capacity. Drinkwater vaguely remembered Camelford had avoided the
serious consequences of his duel with Peterson. If that had been due to
family connections, was it possible that someone had put him up to an
attempt on the life of Bonaparte? Pitt himself, for instance, to whom
Camelford was related and who had every motive for wishing the Corsican
Tyrant dead.
    There was some certainty nagging at the back of Drinkwater's
mind, something that lent credibility to this extraordinary
possibility. And then he remembered D'Auvergne's obscure remark to
Cornwallis. Something about 'it would be soon if it was ever to be'. At
the time he had connected it with D'Auvergne's passionate conviction
that invasion was imminent; now perhaps the evidence pointed to
Camelford having been sent into France to murder Napoleon. D'Auvergne's
involvement in such operations could have made him a party to it. He
was prevented from further speculation by the appearance of Keith's
flag-lieutenant.
    'The admiral will see you now, sir.'
    He looked up, recalled abruptly to the present. Tucking his
hat under his arm, Drinkwater went into the great cabin of the
Monarch
,
mustering in his mind the mundane details of his need of firewood,
fresh water and provisions. His reception was polite but
unenthusiastic; his requisitions passed to Keith's staff. The acidulous
Scots admiral asked him to take a protege of his as lieutenant in place
of Gorton and then instructed Drinkwater that his presence had been
requested by the new Prime Minister, then in residence at Walmer Castle.
     
    Drinkwater answered the summons to
Walmer Castle with some misgivings. It chimed in uncomfortably with his
train of thought while he had been waiting to see Keith and he could
only conclude Pitt wished to see him in connection with the recent
embarkation of his cousin, Camelford. It was unlikely that the
interview would be pleasant and he recalled Camelford's threats when he
had prevented the shooting of the fishermen.
    The castle was only a short walk from Deal beach. Many years
ago he had gone there to receive orders for the rendezvous that had
brought Hortense and then Edouard Santhonax into his life. On that
occasion he had been received by Lord Dungarth, head of the Admiralty's
intelligence service. To his astonishment it was Dungarth who met him
again.
    'My dear Nathaniel, how very good to see you. How are you?'
    'Well enough, my Lord.' Drinkwater grinned with pleasure and
accepted the offered glass of wine. 'I hope I find you in