He decided that nothing of the cipher would reveal itself for the moment and ventured back downstairs, intending to take a stroll around the town. He was met by Rush hurrying in through the door, cane in hand. ‘Master Hill, there you are. I have word that the king will arrive this evening, and the bulk of the infantry tonight. We believe that Essex’s vanguard will not arrive until tomorrow, so we shall have the advantage of him. Kindly remain here until I give you further instructions.’
‘I was about to take a walk around the town.’
‘That will not be possible. You are safer here, and you might at any time be needed. Is your room comfortable?’
‘Very comfortable, thank you.’
‘Is there anything you need?’
‘Some ink, if you please. Nothing more.’
‘It will be arranged. Have you decided upon a cipher?’
‘I have. A simple alphabetical shift, using the keyword MASQUE.’
Rush’s smile was as humourless as ever. ‘Very appropriate. I will inform the king and our commanders.’ And with that, he was off. Here one minute, gone the next, thought Thomas again. A busy bird, with a nest to build and food to gather. An odd man, but I’d rather be with him than against him.
Unfortunately, Sir Henry, for all his interest in art, was not a literary man, and there was not a book to be found in the house. Thomas had little to do but make himself comfortable and await events. Having been admirably fed and watered by Sir Henry’s cook, he sat by the window in his bedroom, staring at the encrypted text and thinking about Jane Romilly. Those eyes had looked straight through him. Would they always?
News of the king’s arrival came from Tobias Rush that evening. ‘His majesty is housed safely in the town, and the army, as expected, will be in position by tomorrow morning. There is every chance that Essex will also arrive during the night, and, if so, the king intends to join battle tomorrow.’
‘Have I any instructions?’
‘Remain here for now. I will escort you to your station in the morning. You and I will be with the king and his personal guard at the rear of the lines. From there, you will deal with all despatches, taking instructions only from the king or from me.’
‘Very well, Master Rush. I shall be ready.’
Thomas slept badly, tossing about on the fourposter bed until dawn. On the eve of battle, he was nervous. He could only guess at what it would be like actually to witness a battle, but he knew he would see blood and carnage, and a good deal of it. He wondered how he would react, and how his brain would work in the heat of the moment. Would he have much to do? Would he make mistakes? If he did, would they matter? Would they win? If they did not, what would happen? A hasty escape, capture, death? He thought of Hannibal, who was reputed to be able to go without food and sleep for as long as was necessary, and of King Henry, moving freely, according to Shakespeare, among his soldiers’ camp fires on the eve of Agincourt. If all soldiers lay awake on the night before a battle, there would be two very tired armies facing each other in the morning. The Earl of Essex and Prince Rupert had both marched from Gloucester, and the king from Oxford. Every man on both sides must already be weary and footsore, not to mention cold and wet. A sleepless night, and they would scarcely have the energy to draw their swords or lift their muskets. Although that might not be such a bad thing. Everyone too exhausted to fight and anxious to get home as soon as they could. Take up your weapons, men, and follow me to London, or back to Oxford. Wives, sweethearts, warm beds and strong ale await us. Could it happen?
It could not. Thomas was up, dressed and breakfasted when Rush arrived to fetch him before dawn. ‘It is as we expected,’ he reported. ‘Essex’s army arrived during the night and has taken up position outside the town. He cannot reach London without engaging us. The king is determined on a victory which will greatly set back the cause of Parliament, and open the way for his own advance on London. Follow me, Master Hill, and we will join his majesty on Wash Common.’
Wash Common lay less than a mile to the southwest of the town. They rode through dozens of tents and carts belonging to the camp followers and wives upon whom the army depended for its food, drink and necessities of life, to the king’s station. It was on a low rise behind the centre of the Royalist infantry, from where they had an excellent view of the surrounding country. Two tents had been pitched on the mound, both flying the royal standard. The king sat in full armour on his grey stallion, his heavy cavalry sword resting across its back. His Lifeguards and servants surrounded him. A heroic figure with a righteous cause, or so he made it look. Staring fixedly into the middle distance, his majesty acknowledged neither Thomas nor Rush. Thomas could not even guess what was going through the royal mind, but he hoped it was more than the fixed smile on the royal face suggested.
From their vantage point, Thomas saw four ranks of infantry and artillery — pikemen, musketeers and cannon — in the centre of the line, with massed cavalry on either wing, the whole army stretching across perhaps as much as a mile. Facing them, drawn up in similar fashion, was Essex’s army. Rush had been right. The king’s cavalry was the stronger, his infantry weaker.
At his first battle, and wanting to be properly informed, Thomas asked a young captain of the king’s guard to point out the salient features of the terrain and the armies’ dispositions. The captain was most obliging and seemed pleased to be asked to explain how matters stood.
‘We are formed up on Wash Common,’ he replied, ‘and our enemy opposite on land known as Crockham Heath. The area between us is open but marshy. Our position is essentially a defensive one, as our first task is to prevent Essex reaching London. Thus, Sir John Byron’s Lifeguards rest on the river Kennet.’ He pointed to their right. ‘And the prince’s cavalry near the river Enborne.’ His arm traversed the battlefield and settled on a point to their left. ‘Essex cannot reach the road to London without engaging us. It is as we would wish.’
‘I notice the enemy hold some higher ground, captain,’ remarked Thomas quietly. ‘Is that as we would wish?’ He pointed to two low hills upon which Parliamentary infantry had been drawn up.
‘I confess that it is not. They presently occupy Round Hill and Biggs Hill, and I daresay we shall have to clear both.’ The captain glanced at Thomas and smiled. ‘Worry not, sir. We shall make short work of them.’
Thomas thanked the young man for his help, and asked him if he had much experience of battle. ‘Very little, sir,’ he replied. ‘I was at Gloucester, but that was more of a siege than a battle.’
‘What made you become a soldier of the king?’ asked Thomas.
‘I was a schoolteacher, sir, and hope to be one again. I joined his majesty’s Lifeguards because I believe his cause to be just.’
A schoolteacher. That explained why he was pleased to answer Thomas’s questions. ‘You have been most civil, captain. I wish you a safe day and an early return to the classroom.’
Wondering how the enemy came to occupy the high ground when Prince Rupert’s cavalry had been first on the scene, Thomas steeled himself not to worry. He dismounted, handed his reins to a groom and followed Rush into one of the tents. There a table and chairs had been placed ready for them. On the table were papers, ink, sand and quills. Thomas took a seat. The king had still not favoured them with so much as a glance.
There was no time to dwell on the matter. Shots were being fired and the battle had started. Thomas heard the sound of Flemish pipes in the distance and wondered where his friend from Amsterdam had been stationed. Rush left the tent, returning within a minute to hand Thomas a despatch to be encrypted and delivered to all commanders. As there were five of them, five copies would be needed. The despatch was from the king and informed them that the infantry must hold firm against the expected enemy advance, while both wings charged forward to outflank them. With these tactics, the day would surely be theirs. Thinking that this was not entirely consistent with holding a defensive line, Thomas dutifully wrote the date — 20 September 1643 — at the top of the page, encrypted the order, using the keyword MASQUE, made four more copies and handed them to Rush. Five messengers on five horses galloped off to deliver them. Each commander had an aide to make the decryption, and they too would have to work fast.