He praised the Duke's skill as a military commander and spoke highly of his deputy, Lord Grey of Warke, the only member of the gentry in his ranks. He also stressed their numerical superiority over the royal troops and county militias ranged against them. What he did not mention was that their supporters in Scotland had been routed and that the hoped for rising in Cheshire in the name of King Monmouth had failed to materialise. A rebel force that had once expected to reach London within a week was still pinned down in Somerset, licking its wounds and uncertain of its next move.

Cheered by what he heard, Daniel was still apprehensive.

'They say that the Earl of Feversham is a fine soldier,' he said.

'He was a fine soldier,' corrected Nathan, 'but that was before he was badly injured in a house fire. He took a blow to the head that left him half the man he was. In any case,' he continued, sitting up, 'the Earl of Feversham is a Frenchman. It says much of King James that he chooses as a commander- in-chief a Roman Catholic from across the Channel. That's something we fight against, lad — the prospect that England will be at the mercy of foreigners.'

'I'm a foreigner,' said Juliana.

'You're also a zealous Protestant, my love.'

'But I'm not English.'

'You're my wife and that absolves you of any blame.'

'Tell me about Lord Churchill,' said Daniel. 'You fought under him once, didn't you? He's reckoned to be a good general.'

'Give the man his due — he's the best of them.'

'Do we have anyone to match him, Father?'

'To match him and to put him to flight,' said Nathan before downing the last of his cider in one long gulp. 'You can forget Lord Churchill and the Earl of Feversham, lad. They are appointed to fight on his behalf while King James skulks in London. Our ruler — King Monmouth — leads his men from the front like a true soldier and that's why we'll prevail.'